(RP NOBLES can only be accessed if the God is in no other area at the same time: these places are metaphysically deadly to the point where the God cannot afford to shift his consciousness around. Usually there is great threat and award within the RP NOBLE, sufficient incentive for the God to think the risk is worth it..)

(An RP SECRET cannot be known about IC without good reason, and cannot be accessed freely - it must be found.)

The Inner Sacrarium is that hidden world of all worlds tucked deepest within Yggdrasil, the culmination of every thought and feeling and goal and fear and process that occurs on the World-Tree. It is the deepest temple, the inner sanctum, and none save those that are to be tested, broken, or received are given sacred permission. It is the neural core of Yggdrasil, and as such takes no form immediately recognizable to the children of the World-Tree - instead it shifts truly, freely, becoming whatever is needed at any moment. In this way the Final Sacrarium can mimic the Realm Supernatural perfectly, or become something entirely new and alien as is needed.

If the Final Sacrarium is destroyed, the World-Tree will die. If it is damaged, insanity will consume Yggdrasil. For this reason, it is protected by the greatest wards belonging to the World-Tree, defended by a unique Primordial and is given the utmost energy from Yggdrasil itself. Its secrets are manifold - some would say infinite.

Any who trespass meet a very final death. It is the one world truly untouched by the Mad.

DOOM.

Max- Fierce- they- I was thrown from that shattered dreamscape, my eyes seared by a light of unknown religion. I stumbled, stood. Opened my eyes, and prepared for whatever await me now.

The First Nobility - The Nobility of Cunning

Max found himself without Fierce.

He was caught in a massive, infinite room, with no walls that he could see. The sky was a deep blue, and there were millions of alien stars caught upon its tapestry. Max found himself feet deep in hundreds of of small, white and black balls.

In front of him were two boxes. One was deep white and the other a pure black.

Max heard a booming voice from above: a command. There was a large, floating eye, caught within fluorescent purple bubbles. An alien creature sent to judge him.

"Max. You are to be judged.

"There are two boxes in front of you. One contains a white ball. The other a black ball. Pick one. If you select a black ball, you lose.

"Both boxes contain a black ball."

There was silence.

"Begin the First Nobility."

"How do I win?"
This message was last edited by the player at 02:17, Thu 22 July 2010.

The laughter of the purple, bubbling eye was like the crashing of a hundred thunders. It stopped, however, as soon as it began.

"You win," said the eye, "Through trickery and deceit. Nothing else can help you here. You will fall if you fail," he added, "Study your surroundings. And perhaps you will fall if you win. The fact that you have swallowed your pride and asked for assistance speaks well of you."

"It's usually my job to be the audacious, honest one. My mate- Ruse- is the liar. Fierce is the logical one. I'm used to having assistance."

I snapped my fingers. "Kaie! I'd like some help here."

A small, green-glowing fairy emerged from the hood of my cloak- Kaie, my fairy guide.

"Have any advice for me, Kaie?"

I addressed the Eye once more. "So. Must I choose a box to open? Can I only open one box? Do balls that do not come from one of the boxes have the same status as ones that do? Or are the balls in the boxes special?"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:40, Thu 22 July 2010.

The Eye did not answer. Perhaps it had spoken it's lot.

"Both boxes, Max, contain black balls," said Kaie. "You cannot hope to win, friend. Eek! This sure is menacing. Can you.. cheat?"

There was a booming from above and beyond.

"One box, Max. One box."

I looked behind me., searching for a third box to open.

If there was not a third box, I simply took out a coin- on one side was a heart, on the other side a blue cross.

I flipped it, slapped it on my wrist. On top was a heart. I sighed.

"I'm afraid I can't play your games. Osiris-Ra might have fused for power or whatever, but I'm doing this so I can Ascend and defeat him. And If I cheated just to win this silly trial, I'd be no better. I can't compromise my moral integrity. So, even though this is rather unfair, I'm going to play fairly. White box."

I walked over and opened the white box.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:20, Mon 26 July 2010.

There was a black ball.

Max is consumed by darkness and blacks out.


The Second Nobility - The Nobility of Worth

Max is in a well-furnished and very comfortable room. The trappings are of a classical Earthborn psychologist's office, and Max is lying down on a comfortable leather sofa. He is surrounded by photos of trees and wildlife, writing instruments, framed qualifications. At the desk sits a doctor with no hair and sharp eyes - one is of the deepest purple. He lights a pipe and begins to smoke.

Max finds that there is a packet of cigarettes and of matches on a small table beside him, as well as tissues. He feels comfortable.

"Tell me how you feel about it all," asked the psychologist; Max remembered nothing of the first test. "Why do you feel as if you must become one with the Fierce God?"

I sat up. Laying down was not conductive to action.

I spoke.

"It's becoming ONE, period. One Hero. Becoming whole, becoming a new being that could accomplish our unified purpose, one with could avenge Balverstus, avenge Sophia, avenge Crimson, avenge Scarlet, avenge the Foxgirls, avenge the Rivurians, avenge the Merits, avenge the Dravir, avenge Max, avenge Rizzun, avenge Dragon. One whom could destroy Osiris-Ra, destroy the Mad, protect all mortals and gods if he so choose.

I know that in this case, it will not be like mixing two fluids to form a homegenous mixture- it will be the reaction of two forign elements, forming an entirely new compound.

I know that though I may be capable of dreaming, I am weak. I am bound. By join with Fierce, I can be free. Truly free, finally free. To no longer be buffeted by the winds of change, nor hobbled by the past, nor drawn forward by some twisted fate.

By joining with Fierce, I will become myself, as I should have been.

It is the only method of reparing our fractured minds- as Rizzun rejoined with his lost half, as Rizzun joined with Dragon, and as they both now join with me.

To fuse was not my destiny. My destiny ends here. The Quest begins."

"I see," said the psychologist, puffing away at his pipe. "You speak a lot about vengeance. Avenge the Merts, avenge Rizzun.. I sense a need to get back. To take back what you feel is rightfully yours. To honour a memory of death with yet more death. Is this an accurate summation?"

He smiled.

"And you speak unjustly of Osiris-Ra," said the psychologist with the purple eye. "He works within a powerful system. You all have your place, and he fulfills a vital role. Why would you destroy something necessary to the survival of Yggdrasil itself?"

I leaned forward. "I cannot imagine for the life of me what possible benefit there might be in him remaining alive so that he can harm others. He is evil. I have looked into his eyes and he is evil. Once upon a time he might have been good, but he is now simply a parasitic cancer. I do not serve the tree. I have been here since this Tree's birth. I am older than it. My vengeance is older than the Tree and I will wreak it before I consider the Tree. That is my DUTY. The tree could bring my loved ones back to life, but does it? No. So, if there is anything VITAL to the tree about Osiris, it should have thought twice about allowing the events to take place that would drive me to destroy him, and replace his Cult with my Knights."

"I intend to remedy injustice done to me with justice. Even if in the process, I myself am destroyed, for what greater purpose have I, than preventing others from suffering my fate?"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:20, Thu 29 July 2010.

"I see."

Max is consumed by darkness and blacks out.


The Third Nobility - The Nobility of Sacrifice

Max finds himself within a small, candle-lit room with a hard concrete floor. The room is barely furnished. Max looks down, feeling a weight against his hand, and sees that he is holding a handgun. There is a small flight of stairs behind him leading to a nondescript door.

In front of him are four figures, their feet and arms bound behind their backs. Their heads are obscured by heavy black hoods. It would seem that they are gagged.

There is no one else in the room. A single sentence had been scrawled onto the concrete in chalk: Take off the hoods.

I did as I was bid, and removed the hoods. I called upon Kaie as I predicted I would need her. I checked to see if the gun was loaded, hammer cocked, safety on or off.

Kaie did not appear. Either she was absent, or not answering his call, or dead - or she didn't exist at all. It was irrelevant. She did not appear.

The first prisoner struggled as the hoot was removed, but underneath the hood the figure was blindfolded and gagged. White, flowing hair. The regal features of a prince. Purse lips, expression noble even in captivity..

It was Ruse.

The second prisoner did not struggle. When the hood was removed, Max saw that he was bald, his skin deeply tanned, stained with black ink. Gagged and blindfolded - but beneath the blindfold Max could see two red-black blazes. He remembered this man..

It was Osiris-Ra.

The third prisoner, too, did not struggle. As the hood was removed, Max again gazed upon her beauty, the flowing dark hair, the expression of concentrated innocence upon her face. He could hear her muttering through the gag. Not magic, but meditation - she was frightened. Shaking.

It was Sophia.

The fourth prisoner was familiar, and fought the hardest as the hood was removed. No description was necessary: the features were familiar, stored as they were within Max's psyche. Lips curled in hate.

It was Lictros.

Max saw that the chalk had changed: Kill them. Kill them all.

I tapped the gun against my chin, thinking.

I didn't want to kill any of them.

Doing so violated two of my most deeply held beliefs: One, never kill anything that isn't threatening you; Two, don't listen to tyrants. Maybe if the chalk had asked politely, I would have considered it.

As it was, I removed the gags of them all.

"Greetings. Two of you may know me- one of you is my intended, the other was one of my people- but I'm rather sure neither you, Osiris-Ra, or you, Lictros, know my name. I am Max of Xi. Osiris-Ra, you have been responsible for everything bad that has happened to me. At least, I'd like to believe that. Lictros, you dishonored my best friend, and hurt a lot of people, and are still hurting a lot of people. I've been told by the sentient chalk-dust there to kill you all. So here's the deal: I'm only killing one of you, and I will set the rest free. Now, make your pleas for mercy- and I want some good logic. I will know if you are lying."

"Let's start with you, Lictros. Give me as many reasons as possible not to kill you, or rather, to kill somebody else instead of you."

"I am Lictros," said the God of the Wild. "Ignoring my position, vital as it is, within the Conclave, you are intelligent enough to understand what I represent. The Logos of Order reigns supreme over the Realm Supernatural in the aspect of the Golden Hand and its associated Emperor. This is an unnatural thing. It is the backbone of the Conclave. In its name are the concentration camps of Operation PURITY - by which dissenters, criminals, et cetera, have their minds removed and replaced by the cold static of the Callisti. Even now, a secret order is being composed by my rival and nemesis, Wyrn, in order to protect and police it - a secret police, with secret punishments! It is not the way it has to be.."

He frowned, and Max heard the honesty in his voice.

"You understand that if it continues the Tree will have no choice but to die. In creating an alternative - a weak, if valid, duality - she created the Logos of Entropy, of Chaos, of Anarchy, and blessed me with it in its aspect of the Reddened Blade. Not to explode things, kill the police, overthrow the government.. but to offer choice. Life. To offer fight. I exist so that you may exist. Kill me and the Tree will die."

I nodded. "That is all you have to say? Then we will move on."

The gun's barrel turn towards Osiris-Ra.

"You're next. Start talking."

"You know my name," said Osiris-Ra, grinning. "For the whole universe knows who I am. I am called the Scourge of the Conclave, but this is not entirely true. They are not my greatest enemy. No. My Sphere of Force and Fire exists as a bastion of might to stand against the swarm of the Mad, those gibbering, many-eyed fiends from beyond the Void.. and my Cult exists as an outlet for Yggdrasil's need to purge them. I have other motives, yes. That cannot be denied. But, when it comes down to it.."

His grin became larger.

"I think only of the World-Tree, and of it's survival. If I die, the Cult will destroy itself, and only the dogs of the Conclave will stand against the ultimate demise that the Mad threaten to bring. And you and I both know," he added, "Just how successful they have been with their endeavours."

A shrug.

"They do not have the strength to do what needs to be done," said Osiris-Ra. "That is the only reason I still exist."

I simply nodded, and turned the gun towards Ruse, skipping over Sophia.

"Now, you two- explain why you deserve to live. Sophia first, then Ruse."

It deeply wounded him to even think of harming Sophia, but- fair is fair.

Sophia tried to speak, but Ruse huffed arrogantly and decided that he would speak first.

"We are friends, Max," he said, smiling. "More than that - and let's be honest here - you need me. I have bailed you out, saved your life, more times than you can count. I vouched for your amnesty in front of the Councilmen and it was due to my efforts that you weren't summarily executed. In addition, I believe you'll agree that my reasons for not being killed are easily more valid than those given to you by," he looked towards Lictros and Osiris-Ra, "The others. This is not just because of natural beauty. I am a Zealous God, destined to protect and serve the Tree. I have been tasked by the Urge, that greatest magical force which flows throughout every world, to destroy the Bloated Aspect of Nyaha-Thatop, Herald of the Unknowable Mad, and to thus save Yggdrasil for centuries to come. Without me, everything would be destroyed. I am chosen for this task, and if you kill me you would be killing your own mother."

He smiled.

"And, of course," he said. "I am much better looking. You owe me, Max. More than friendship, more than blood; you owe me life. To kill me would be a dishonour and an act of supreme evil."

Ruse stroked his fine white hair and nudged Sophie.

"You can go now, love," he said, not unkindly.

Sophie's eyes were filled with tears. They ran free down her face, and it was obvious to all that she lacked the importance, the greatest reason for staying alive, that the others had.

She looked straight into Max's soul.

"Max, I.." Max had never truly noticed how beautiful her eyes were, the perfection of her mouth or the smooth grace with which she held herself.

"I love you."

A blizzard- deep snows, stained red- a hundred battles- HADOKEN- A well-  rebellion against Death- hypnotizing power, crushing all that cower, weak are ripped and torn away-

I stumbled, my back hitting the wall. Memories- HIS memories- of a dozen worlds, of so many attempts.

Lictros, Ruse, Osiris-Ra, Mencuis, The Hunter, The slug, Foxes, Old Ones, Cthulu, The Labrynth, Diamond Golem, The rebels, Zeus..

So many enemies, so much death, and for what?

What had his crusades, our crusades, my crusade- what had they accomplished? What tangible good had I done?

Nothing- I've never done anything. And neither was I pure; I had killed, and I had slain innocents. In the name of Heroism?

A wave of the hand, tendrils of wind- they were all free'd.

I knew they were just illusions. The only way to end this- the only to spare their illusory lives-

I put the gun to my own head, and pulled the trigger.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:10, Sun 15 Aug 2010.

Max did not scream as the hot slug of iron entered his skull and robbed him of his life. He realized, perhaps too late, that he had just lost his last life and had met what the spookier Divines spoke of as Final Death. Even in this Realm of shadows and light, some actions were strong enough to rob a God of his life, and the act of suicide via handgun was powerful enough, symbolically and physically, for the dead.

He saw his body fall to the ground, bleeding from the head, and saw the Final Sacrarium shatter into a billion prismatic pieces. He saw the true form of the World, and then forgot it. The fusion was ruined.

He had no choice, now. He must continue his journey - continue to the Realm of Rivers, and to judgment.

(Continue posting in the Realm of Rivers - you're not quite done yet. Yggdrasil has plans for you, kid.)