Halting Geogenesis mode and Engaging RTS Mode.

RTS 1/5

As Geogenesis continued onward - for Halley could only hold back this process for so long at a time - more and more of the Divine Valley was created via hers and the tree's power. However, while Halley focused most of her time facilitating the macro-level thiogenic and geogenic processes, the Valley and its inhabitants developed organically all on its own too.

The development of Mythcrafting by mortals was unexpected. Not totally surprising, but unexpected. While they'd never be able to quite do what a god could, she was astounded by the peoples' leaps of scientific and mystical ingenuity over this last century.

However, these runes and this riftcrafters concerned her, for she suspected the people were beginning to play with fire. But once the existence of the Dreaming and the Waking Night became known to her, then she was actively worried. And she knew she had to once again slow down time and intervene.

Destroy the Waking Night. Nip it in the bud.

She considered just crushing the problem with her immense power, but then shook her head and dismissed the notion. It was strange she'd even have that notion as her first reaction to the matter, and it concerned her. Must be the stress getting to her.

Can we twist the dream to our end instead? Or pulverize it and feed its power to Myriad as mulch, so she may grow strong on its remains? Or both perhaps?

She again had an odd thought, but then decided she could try exploring this new location, or perhaps researching the problem. She needed to not act in haste. The Tarek thing taught her that much.

So she decided she would visit Myriad first and check in with her, and go from there.

Lighting up the sky once again, Halley streaked across the Divine Valley and headed to the Sakura Sacrarium.

"Myriad, it is I your friend Halley. It had been 100 years and I want to see how you're doing. Please, show yourself to me and tell me how you're doing."

"And my friend, what is this Dreaming and Waking Night that have come into being? Are they a of the Valley somehow? Can I travel to them?"

It was dusk within the Sacrarium, and very cold - a deep, soul-biting frost, like the Void. Your Corona automatically flared to life to protect you.

Myriad looked older now - adolescent in appearance - and she was shuddering and crying, her tears freezing on her face. Her hair was bright gold, and her skin bloodlessly pale. Sakura petals drifted from above her, and her antlers were petite.

 At first you thought she was in terror, but then you saw she was ashamed. Her mouth didn't move, but you heard her:

Sumaya found me when I was a seed

I am a weapon

a sword that seeks flesh to cut

a tool of war

I was sharper than him

and he embraced me

I buried myself in him to my hilt

and he drew me in

and I bore his children

and they knew me to be sharper

and together we fled

I love my children

though they are of my enemy

and I love myself

though I am the Waking Night

the Dream of the Void

the Absent Child

I love myself

though I should not be

[Private to Halley Meretoll: Translation: Myriad is telling you that the Waking Dream is her own madness made manifest. She was raped by Sumaya even as she fought him - even as a seed - but was unable to kill him, and so this happened repeatedly, and she bore his children, until those same children saved her. And now the Boledi are learning things they shouldn't, knowledge she shouldn't have as a Tree, and she's ashamed that this is who she is. The Waking Dream IS Myriad - the 'split' is a manifestation of her suppressed trauma.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:38, Fri 21 Dec 2018.

Halley rushed over to the teenaged girl's side, carefully willing her coma to not be harmful to Myriad. She couldn't help but flare her coma though - it protected her from the void but especially the cold. But she rushed over and swept the girl up in a strong hug.

"Oh sweetheart. You have nothing to be ashamed about. The knowledge of these runes and riftcrafting and the dreaming magics may have been something you weren't born with, and may have been something that asshole Sumaya left you...but NEVER feel ashamed you know these things, or that our mortals are discovering these things." she said.

"You didn't choose for what happened to you before time to happen, but there is a silver lining. You now know more lore and knowledge as a result that you and those who live on you can use to help protect the tree, as well as fight against Sumaya, his agents, or other void things that may and will try to invade us in the future. And there's another reason you shouldn't be ashamed: you're blaming the victim, and that's not right. You're only who you are today - and as strong and wise as you are today - because of the Sum of ALL of your experiences. That means the good ones, AND the bad." Halley continued.

"And Myriad? I LIKE the you I know NOW, in the present. Even the you I knew 205 years ago I liked. And I don't feel disgusted or ashamed by any part of you. On the contrary, I accept ALL of you and that includes your good and bad sides, the good times but also the traumatic ones. We all love you, Myriad. I worked hard to build this Sacrarium for you. Your dragons love you - they chose you over their dad, and vie with each other for your affection. The Bolidians and other life that has arisen here LIKES being alive. Likes our Valley. That's why they struggle so hard to live even amongst these curses."

She pulled out of the hug slightly, although still stayed in the girl's personal space as this time she took her head in both her hands and made her look into her eyes. Her glowing cometfire eyes.

"So don't hate yourself, ok? any knowledge you have now is ultimately from you...from wisdom you've gained through both good and bad times. Don't be ashamed by it. Take ownership of it. Use it for your and your children's and even the mortals' benefit. Don't let Sumaya stop you from growing up to become an actualized, independent woman."

For a long while, she was silent in your arms. Then she spoke.

"Wield me."

Then she kissed you on the cheek, and -

You saw the whole of Myriad, but you yourself were larger than her somehow - a body of worldlight, your commetfire at a Primoridal scale - no, somehow, larger -

Myriad was a weapon. What you had imagined was a sapling, was a sword. Even as you felt this, you could still feel your real body holding her.

A constellation of blue stars were your raiment - Divj.

A constellation of white stars were your gauntlets - Erisha.

A constellation of red stars was your staff - Tarek.

A constellation of yellow stars was your weapon - Ixchel.

You were a galaxy surrounding Myriad, from whom immense power continued to pour.

With sight beyond sight, you could see not in terms of distance, but in terms of time. Myriad existed in high dimensions. Time was just one measurement - and the fracturing of possibility, one a step higher.

As immense as you were, you could see the tiniest details. Flocks of Nuldraks, some of whom were vast beasts, carving through asteroids - you saw distant Trees, new growth. But none of them were Arboreals, like you. They were your siblings, and you would destroy anyone who would hurt them.

You saw - and you knew this was in the past - Great Olds Ones coming near Myriad, seeing her strangeness, her sharpness, and not being afraid. They admired her, played accursed flutes. "Gutter of Samaya, First Wife of Azathoth," the rumbled in Unspeech. "The Order Beyond Chaos, The High Alchemist, The One Sharp, Charmer of Asat, Mother of Dragons, Night-Mother," they droned.

All of this, Myriad heard.

"Restorer of the Void, Salvation of the Elders, Sultana! Sultana! Sultana! Iä! Iä! Iä! Iä!"

It was then that you understood - the Arboreals that once slew Azathoth had thought their job done, and had peacefully retired to become Trees. Without Azathoth, and with the Cataclysm of Dream, the race of Old Ones had been all but wiped out. None of sufficient power remained to birth new Old Ones.

Save for Myriad, who had demonstrated her ability to procreate with them. Sure, the products were more Tree than Old One, but with enough breeding they could turn her - look at how bearing just four children had affected her. What of ten? A hundred? A thousand?

Sumaya had first rights, though. Myriad was one of their number, to them, and so old laws of enmity had to be followed. She was too powerful, as well - few remained among them that could hope to challenge her in a straight fight, given her ability to come to them in the Void. And she would only grow stronger.

For the salvation of their species, they agreed, once Sumaya had his chance, they would need to play a long game .  . .

You came back to yourself.

- - - -

She was sleeping in your arms, but the dusk remains.

"Ixchel - my dear friend - the black wolf - seek her out . . . the Moon, the dark side of it . . .  find her, she'll know what to .  . " you heard her mumble in her sleep.

And if she was asleep, then perhaps the Waking Night was awake . . .
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:27, Fri 21 Dec 2018.

RTS 2/5

Anger.

ANGER.

ANGER.

Myriad felt anger sweeping through her. But not her own anger. It was Halley's. Wish a more subtle but still burning underlying rage from Ruse. But overall, it was her Archon's Anger. Her ANGER.

Myriad had shown the truth. That the great old ones were trying to use Myriad as a brood mare. A heifer. As their whore. She could fight them off for the most part individually, but there were a few left as strong as Sumaya who could still inseminate her before she fought them off. And over time, they were putting more and more madness into her until she'd be so Mad she'd be able to make new great old ones.

Halley The Archon wanted to grab them by their Cthonic balls and cut their menhoods off. Or something.

Agreed.

"I'm sorry Myriad. I knew about the dragons and Sumaya, but had no idea it was this bad with the rest of the Great Old ones. I promise you, that I will work hard to become an ascended being, or perhaps even a higher being than that. To become an Arboreal or even a stronger, unique ultra being and I'll crush those old ones under my celestial heel. It will take me a long time, and in the meantime I'll work to grow you as a tree and make it even harder for them to invade you while I work to grow stronger. But I'll protect you Myriad." Halley said, her voice ringing throughout the vision so Myriad could hear it.

Approved. I'll help you, in my own way...

The large uber-Halley turned and embraced Myriad the World Tree, so she was hugging her and comforting her even in the vision.

"Will you promise to hold out, and keep the faith until then? To not give up. Not surrender to a feeling of helplessness. You have friends and allies. Me. The Hierophant. The Dragons. Soon, new gods who will arise from your branches. You're surrounded by people who care about you and support you." she continued.

Halley stroked Myriad's hair as she feel back to sleep, and gently put her down on a bed of flowers she willed to bloom inside the Sacrarium. She then turned and flew out back into the night to find the Black Wolf.

To Find Ixchel.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:43, Fri 21 Dec 2018.

On the dark side of the moon, you passed into a heavy darkness, and then into something like the Void, but apart from it - a Void of lower dimensions, an Abyss.

And there you found Ixchel, the Watch-wolf, and with her another Myriad, which was meditating quietly.

Ixchel was something strange - she was neither Tree nor Void. She was something simpler than either - and very young, of an age with Myriad. A Primeval - a Primoridal orphaned at birth, a runt. The trauma Myriad had gone through had stunted her development, like as not.

The Sacrarium Asura.

they know not the Dharma, Numberless

you are harming the little shadowfolk

I know

they will suffer all the more

they must know my terror

I will not be silent

I survived what would slay a lesser one

I drew strength from savagery

and peace from war

life from death

there is no greater alchemy

than redemption of those born ghosts

I am a sheathe for a sword that born within me

I am a womb for a world that was born within me

I am armor for a girl that was born within me

The Waking Dream sang:

In a world of cold and lonely night,
I behold figures of light;
my mother behind me,
my sisters beside me,
and I, their mirror, shine
and fight, their strength becomes mine,
and so doth their plight;
They grow dim, gripped by grief,
fear and anger, without relief,
Yet I recall I, suffering the same,
and Speak to them, I say their Name
Wisdom,  she whom gave reason to pain;
Strength, she whom sheltered me from rain;
Kindness, she whom soothed the barbs of hate;
Beauty, she whom made love great;
They hear my Voice, and see in me
forgotten radiance, the sleeping ember
of fire they kindled, and now remember.

This is my oath; for I am not the Sun;
but will be the Moon, whom guards the folk
of sea,  earth and sky
When Day has left, until I die.”

Ixchel saw you, and spoke.

"She doesn't mean the harm she does. She's lost and blind - she's trying to reach out to herself, and doesn't know the valley is there yet. She feels, in the darkness, the little dreamers, but does not know they are mortal - that they are not like you an I, Archon. Unspeech burns them; it brings them terror . . "

The watch-wolf ponderered. "A cipher. The Riftcrafters can stand Unspeech - they have inured themselves. It is the others who are endangered. Definition. There must be a buffer between the Waking Dream and the Waking World . . "

[Private to Halley Meretoll: Ruse would grasp it before you - there was a need for something like the Realm Sorcerous, which had served to separate the Demiurge of Yggdrasil from hurting the rest, and made magic something controllable. Given the context, Myriad probably needed something a little different, but that was a lead.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:26, Sat 22 Dec 2018.

Halley considered Ixchel and the Splinter-Myriad's words. She could resist and withstand the unspeech and the passion behind it, but most other lesser beings could not. She had to so something, but also had to help Myriad be able to channel this part of herself constructively.

She needs a new realm to buffer the magic. To bugger the dreams and the nightmares. A channel, a wall, and a church all at once.

Halley considered. She wasn't sure what to do, but then suddenly - inexplicably - she got an idea. Things made sense. But how? she didn't usually know about this sort of thing but somehow she was suddenly an expert, as something inside of her clicked into place.

Make the Realm Dream, little comet. 

Halley shook her head to clear her jumbled thoughts.

"Hello Ixchel - I'm happy to have a chance to spend time with you, but wish it was under better circumstances. I hear what you're saying, and appreciate all your advice. I have an idea I'd like to run by you..." Halley said gregariously.

"What if I used my power, and created another Realm-Branch? Not the Size of a mere realm, but a dimension-branch? I'm thinking we could call it the Realm Sorcerous...um...the Realm Oneiros. Yes...The Realm Oneirous. It would be a physical manifestation - and a geographical location - that embodied the Dreaming and the Waking Night. The good and bad of it all. It would be connected to Myriad still, so would not be something we shove under the rug and forget about. But at the same time, it would have its own stage to stand on, rather than crushing the Valley under its metaphysical weight." She said.

"another thing it would do is...<DarkBlue>regulate</DarkBlue>...um regulate the magic of dreams and riftcrafting, of runes and portents. And  practitioners of dream, nightmare, and rune magic would need the right supplication and ritual acknowledgement of the Dream and of myriad in order to channel its power. It would not be something freely taken by anyone except Myriad, and of course her administrators which are myself and her equipment guardians...but instead be a privilege granted through acknowledgement and petitioning of the Realm Oneiros. What do you think?"

The watch-wolf crossed her paws. "Yes."

She purred - a strange growling sound, coming from a wolf.

"The Realm Onierous . . Onerous?" she said. "Hmm."

"Something simpler."

.

.

.

Time continued to pass.

.

.

.

"Hmm."

.

.

.

"Call it Nocturne."

"Fitting, for a world of song and night."

RTS 4/5

Halley considered.

"Hmmm...Nocturne? The Realm Nocturne? I like it. I think it embodies a good blend of the good and bad we're aiming for in all of this. I will work on this soon." Halley said.

Yessss...this will be good indeed.

She then nodded at the she-wolf.

"You know what? Now that we're approaching a resolution on all this, let's talk less about myself and Myriad and more about you. Tell me about yourself. What are some of the things you like best, and some of the things you hate most? Which of Myriad's equipment do you represent? What do you think of the direction I've taken the divine Valley so far? And what are some things that concern you...not just about the valley, but in a personal and general sense?" she said.

"And how do you like it here on this moon?"

"Hmmm . ."

"I sometimes serve as her weapon. More commonly, the dark-skinned woman with the candles - I think she called herself Coffee. Kaufi? Kaphi? Kaphi. She was a gift-servant from Myriad's mother, Kukhe, as you are a gift from her father, Laerad. She is usually her Weapon. But she has kept me closely by her side as of late.

I like your valley fine. It is like my world, but with far more people and far too few beasts. I was a . . .  void-dweller, space-beast, something myth-crafted long ago - but leapt to her defense when Sumaya attacked her. She imprinted on me, I suppose, and I became something a little different. She is kind, strong, responsible, wise, and direct. Much like you.

I am concerned about the little gods that are waking. Myriad is gentle, and their treatment of her will affect her deeply. There is a childishness in her, a desire to always be . .  approved of. Tree-Gods are like . .  territorial predators. They do not get along if they share the same space.

Personally, I am still hoping to be given leave to hunt within the Void again."

She bowed her head, and traced in silvery fur you could see the outline of an ancient Mythcrafting rune - Isa, the Rune of Defense.

[Private to Halley Meretoll: Ruse would recognize it. From the very old Wiki - Isa - Ancient Rune of Protection – Makes the creature devoted to your welfare. It has natural abilities to counter about anything. Creature will have a very protective nature over its creator. If it deems its creator weaker than it (or in a state of extreme threat), it will not obey commands instead it will defend it all too well. All possible “threats” will be neutralized. But if the creator is more powerful the creature acts like a bodyguard, following him everywhere. (Possibility that it will try to kill friends or others because of little things, might even hurt the creator to keep them safe)]
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:12, Sat 22 Dec 2018.

RTS 5/5

Halley nodded at Ixchel.

"Thanks Ixchel. I wanted to get your insight on things. And don't worry about the other little gods that are blooming on her branches. If they become too harmful to Myriad directly, I will hunt them down. All gods - if they want to truly amount to anything - will one day need to come to the divine valley and that is where I will be waiting. My forsaken mist is strong enough to harm an ascended being, so imagine what it would do to a mere god? Mind you..."

Yes. Let the tree's allies and enemies reveal themselves, and crush the latter when they slip up.

Halley shook her head a moment, and continued.

"...mind you, I won't be telling any of the other gods this. I don't want them to live in constant fear while they are in the divine valley or its sub realms. I'd only hurt them if they did something really, really bad. I don't want to be a tyrant or something. So let's keep this secret for now."

I can make you into the Mist Queen. Mere gods cannot oppose my power!

"Yes...while I'm the steward of the Divine Valley, I want it to be a safe neutral space for Myriad's gods to gather, express themselves, and regroup. I will help them grow, break up any fights they have there, and otherwise tr to facilitate their own journeys. Because I want them to be ready to protect both Myriad and themselves when Sumaya and other horrible things come sniffing around again."

You're too nice, little Comet. Too soft. Too forgiving. But that's alright. You can handle playing the role of the gods' Onee-Sama for the most part, but when they slip up - and gods always do - I'll be waiting.

Then suddenly, a year's time had passed again.

"Oh no! I've lost track of time. Ixchel, I wish I could stay with you longer but I have to go and deal with the Waking Night quickly. Geogenesis is about to force itself to resume and I can't hold it off much longer. If you're ever free, feel free to come have crumpets and tea with Myriad and I sometime. We could try a Sakura-infused earl grey or something."

*rolls eyes*

And with that, Halley sprang into the void and blazed off the moon and back into the main skies of the Valley Proper. She was almost out of time, so got right to it.

The Dark Valley - for the first time in years - had shown brightly like it was daytime as Halley's celestial form lit up the skies. Once again, she went supernova and glowed like a little miniature sun as she mainlined Myriad's power as her Archon. And not even the Waking Night could blot out the light.

"I Halley Mereton, Archon of Myriad the Tree of Life, hereby declare my prerogative unto the world and universe. Myriad shall immediately grow another large branch, not the size of a realm but the size of a dimension. I name this the Realm Nocturne. And I hereby use my divine authority to pass judgement on the Dreaming and the Waking Night - good and bad sides of Myriad's experiences with the Void. And my ruling? I grant both a punishment and a boon. My punishment for the damage done to the Valley's inhabitants is that the Dreaming and the Waking Night (which together is the Dreaming Dark) - which truly are two sides of the same coin - the former arisen from Myriad's good experiences, the latter her bad - will be banished to The Realm Nocturn only to be released with my or Myriad's permission. However, the Boon I grant is that of acknowledgement - the thing that was taken from the Dreaming Dark by enemies of reality. The Dreaming Dark is free to express itself - both its light Dreaming and Darkly Waking Night as it needs to in order to express and soothe itself - with the Realm Nocturne as its stage. And all magics relating to dream making, nightmare magic, riftcrafting, the mystical runes themselves, and any other magic that will ever arise from the Dreaming Dark in the future is hereby blocked and banned to all beings (even gods) save Myriad and her administrators - myself and her equipment beings - unless practitioners of such arts go through rituals and songs of acknowledgement of Myriad's sacrifices and thanks for everything she does. Each and every time such magic is drawn upon. And if the Dreaming Dark deems the rituals and songs sufficient, the magic may then flow for that casting. And in this way the magic will be more shamanistc than hermetic."

Good. Teach these upstart new mortals and gods alike some humility for the magic they wield.


ACT: Create the Realm Nocturne and its metaphysics for the Dreaming Dark.

[Private to GM: Well...my final RTS thoughts this time around. Halley went and hugged myriad and comforted her, and she only used 1 ACT which preserves the valley's realness. It was nice getting to meet another equipment character of myriad's too.]

Geogenesis remained suspended.

You had overstepped your bounds.

The Ash was already there. You had simply moved Tarek - a being within the Valley - to it. But creating an entire new branch of reality? You turned Myriad's power back on itself - you directed Myriad to Grow according to your will -

Time skittered and stuck. A small loop of time was established - a man walked forward four steps, then back, then forward.

The valley flickered between light and dark. Something was deeply wrong - the foundations of the world began to crack, and split, and through them you saw the Void.

Titanic arms - each hand a mouth - each finger a blade - poured through -

Then your RPG vision was obscured with a searing pale light.

But as an Archon, you - saw -

Myriad. No more an adolescent - but still so young - garbed for battle. She wore a pink cloak with a curious crown-and-star emblem - Her armor was plain, as was her sword. Mortal-made. You understood - using weapons intended for a universe would devastate the valley. These were offered to her by Boledi smiths as worship.

She drew her wand over her sword, enchanting it with Air. It was a small silver sword - an instrument of Air -

She swung her sword but once.

The wave of air caught the petals of Sacrarium, and they whirled, buzzed, flew in a torrent -

One by one in rapid succession, the hands were obliterated. Myraid was already moving, soaring through the air, coming at you like the dawn -

She caught you, slammed you from the sky into a shallow stream. Both of you were splattered with mud.

She glared at you, anger written in her face. "I have known a foe to force themselves within me, but you? You think you have the right to - to rearrange my mind? To cause my body to produce - to grow what you will with it?" She was furious.

She huffed out a warm breath. Even her breath was floral. "No. What I'm mad about - what I'm so scared - what frightened me -"

She fell over her words, without anger to supply them.

"You can channel SOME of my power, my precious starling, but to create a new branch - the FIRST of my branches - not even my Dragons acting in concert could accomplish that feat. You would have been destroyed. You would have - died."

She stood, and offered you a gauntleted hand up. Then - "Come with me. I do not know you entirely, but I know what I want - I was going to wait. But you acted - the wheels are in motion -" She paused, and tears rushed down her face. "I was going to ask you. ASK you." She trembled. "You didn't know. You're not me, you don't . . you didn't know. You just wanted to fix things. You wanted to make me better. You forgot that we . . have different stations."

She gathered herself again. "Halley. By my power, I have heard you, and will accept your will, for it agrees with my own desires. But you will need more than just my power - you will need - me."

Then, you were within the Sacrarium. It was different. Around the central tree it was a warm summer, the ground soft with moss. Farther out, though, it was a dense wintry forest, packed with snow and darkness.

She began taking off her armor, blushing all the while. "We - we could do this just by mixing blood, but - I don't want to be cut." When she was down to just a thin shift, she put her back against the tree. She was about the same height as you now, and about 19, physically.

She blushed harder, almost vermilion. "This doesn't have to mean anything if you don't want it too, Halley, it can just be a ritual. It can be acting."

"Will you embrace me again?"

A depiction of your world as a young woman

[Private to Halley Meretoll: She's granting you one last RPG - not RTS - post by special intercession. Creating a new branch of the tree is something only her Master or Mistress Divine could accomplish. All you need to do is kiss and hold her, and the rest of what happens will be described in terms of the creative energy unleashed and Geogenesis resuming. Your "Act" is removing the Waking Dream from the valley - creating a new Branch has to come directly from Myriad, with your will being dominant in the encounter since you're directing how it happens. The special action here would be whether or not your kiss is perfunctory or has genuine feeling behind it.

The necessary ritual comes from what one has to do to make an Assimilated Cult in Dust - either you had to mix blood, or have intercourse, and Myriad isn't into mixing blood.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:09, Sat 22 Dec 2018.

Halley was caught off guard when Myriad charged into her, distracted as she was on trying her best to fix the current problems affecting the tree in a way that both her own and her other inner voice could reconcile. She didn't think this would kill her although a small part of her did, and didn't care for it was worth the sacrifice. She was only doing what she could to both remove the problem from the valley, but also address the problem rather than just removing and ignoring it.

And so Myriad crashed into Halley, and Halley - currently shining like a primordial sun - ensnared Myriad in turn and both came hurtling to the earth like a falling star, landing in a shallow river. Halley dimmed back to her normal light as her working was interrupted, and looked into Myriad's eyes.

"What...what are you doing? Why did you do that, Myriad?"

Foolish little tree. I would have saved your mind. Why meddle? The starling is expendable if it will save you.

Halley blushed a bit - Myriad was now older than before - a full young adult now. And had the body of one too. But her passion and anger also threw her off.

"What do you mean my station? I do not listen to your orders, and you do not command me Myriad. Tree or no. You're welcome to try, but it's up to me if I listen. My perfect free will gives me the right to challenge even your decisions. As a royal aegis, you know this is my prerogative. Actually, as Halley Meretoll, not just some aegis. she said with a huff.

Little tree - I am far older than you. I'm no mere god, but The Mist Emperor! Daddy knows best. Sometimes, you have to sacrifice a pawn to save the queen.

Halley blushed again. Where had this surge of self-pride come from? It wasn't her. Not mostly. She felt demure and apologetic.

"I...I'm sorry. I didn't realize I couldn't pull this off myself. And I wasn't trying to hurt you. I was trying to help you and the valley. My plan wouldn't have been to scramble your mind or twist your body. I was trying to help you compartmentalize your mind, and in the process force everyone who was trying to benefit from your joy and your traumas to have to give thanks and song to you. Because that's really what the Waking Night felt it lost, yes? What it wanted from the valley as its screams started killing mortals and driving them insane, Myriad! It needed a way to express itself and be acknowledged, but constructively."

Why did she somehow know that creating a branch sized buffer-realm like the realm sorcerous - whatever that was - would be able to work.

I wonder indeed, little pawn. -_^

"Myriad...I'd never try and hurt you on purpose. I told you early on I'd consign you to the void if you lost your virtue, but that until then I'd give my all to protect and help you. And you're so far probably the most virtuous person I have ever met in any of my lifetimes. I'd never do anything right now that I know would hurt you. Look at the risk I took to myself to help Tarek? It worked out thankfully, but it could have gone poorly."

You could always feed yourself to Myriad, pawn. I'd happily take over from here. Heh. O.o

Then the beautiful now adult young woman before her propositioned her for a moment of passion. Had told her she was angry not for overstepping, but because Halley could have been killed from power overload. And then Halley understood fully.

*rolls eyes* Oh brother here we go. I'm taking a nap - not gonna watch this. *subsides into silence*

Halley blushed - in this incarnation, she was still a virgin.

"Myri I...um." she stammered.

"I wanted to be your friend, but didn't think you valued me more than as a useful buffer between you and the rest of reality. But you care about me...about me, as a person, don't you? I'm more than your willing tool. And I'll tell you again: I don't do anything I don't want to. Not for you, the Hierophant. Anyone. Anything I do is because I will it. And I've now known you for centuries. I crafted the very heart of your power and mind with my own hands. Have watched you grow. Have watched you laugh with joy over how the tree is slowly growing, and weep with anguish over your past traumas." Halley said as she stood up and walked on top of the river waters, dirt and moisture flinging off of her as her aura dried her person.

She walked up to Myriad, and pulled her up firmly into her arms.

"How could I not come to care for you after having watched over you for so long now? For learning and literally seeing your true inner self?"

And with that, Halley pulled the other woman close and kissed her passionately.

[Private to GM: Well Halley is going with it, and the kiss definitely is more than just for ceremony. :) ]
This message was last edited by the player at 23:04, Sat 22 Dec 2018.

Geogenesis resumed. 200 years passed.

Both of you slipped through the tree within the Sacrarium, into a core within the core within the core of the universe - a very small, warm place, an anti-Void. It felt like were lying under a blanket-fort, and near a fire, and time was nothing.<

Myriad's aura was gone. Any hint of divine power, or universal essence . .  it was gone. Everything so . . . absolutely clear.

"There's a lot going on outside," she said. "A whole lot. But . .  I don't want you see it as an Aegis. I want you to see it as Halley."

She held out her hand. An introduction. "Don't call me Myriad, anymore, ok? Call me . ."

She considered, her lips pursing in thought. "Call me Myrri from now on, okay?"

She smiled, then grinned. "Myrri! I like it. I was so scared you wouldn't want this, wouldn't want me. I always thought that anyone talking to me would just want me to give them power. You're different. You're special. No matter how much power I gave you, you'd never really care that you were powerful. You'd just care about me."

Her hand went to your face. She was delicately built, a little bird. "And . .  I liked you. So . . . "

"But I was so scared. I saw other futures, what would happen if you rejected me, or . ."

"There would never have been a Myrri. There would just have been Myriad."

Her other hand went to her chest, too many emotions bottled up, too much feeling to even cry about it.

"What's the point in protecting me if you don't know me? Whats the point in being alive if you're not yourself? If you don't get to have secrets. I'm not Yggdrassil! And maybe if someone had treated Yggdrassil right, she might not have DIED! Maybe she died because people kept pushing her! And pushing her! To be bigger! To be grander! To be foundations for them to build their petty houses of cards on! Did you even care about HER, Mister? Or did you only ever care about IT?"

She wasn't talking to you, with that. She was talking to the person 'behind' you.

Myrri smiled, cupped your face in her hands. "Geogenesis is done. All done . . with Nocturne, I think I know what we'd both like the Valley to be like. But we can stay here for as long you like . . . if you will consent to be my Maestra Divina. My lover, and the treasure of my heart."

She pulled you on top of her, and-

[A new thread will be created, where you will be allowed to describe the finished, Enlightened-tier Valley Divine however you like. This thread can be locked after your next post, or can finish here, or can become a thread for RP SECRET HALLEY: The Sacrarium Sakura.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:04, Sun 23 Dec 2018.

Halley nodded at Myriad.

"Power in and of itself is cold and empty. I've learned over my countless incarnations - I'm a lot older than I look - that there's no point to having power if you're all alone at the top. And I've already got plenty of power already, and Hierophant told me that I could even potentially become an Ascended being someday still despite being an Archon. You've already foreseen possible futures where I became stronger than even you, a world tree. The very fact that I have all this POTENTIAL is more than enough for me, Myrri. I don't need you for the power you could give me. I can always go get some more myself." she said.

"I want you for the social things you can give me. Friendship. A new connection. A relationship. Someone to connect with. Someone who can understand me. And you...you understand my void-aspect. I'm not Mad but am still void-aligned as much as I am terrestrial. And this affords me a unique perspective of the multiverse as I sort of bridge a gap between the weft and the weave, but yet...as much as I travel I'm never fully a part of the cultures, dimensions, people, even mad beings that I encounter. And there's a certain loneliness in all that. But you can see all the different sights like I can, which means you can see these sides of me. Halley the woman. Halley the god. Halley the virtuous. Halley the Void-Rending comet. Halley the person, place, and thing." galley said, as she hugged Myriad.

And she fell into that hug for a while. and unknown to her, someone else loomed up behind her. A man with exotic, attractive features. Pale grey-white skin and mist-white hair, and deep blue eyes. The mists that had snuck inside where they were were seized even from Myriad's control for a short time, as they swirled slowly around the man. The Mist Emperor.

You are a tree, and do have some descent from Yggdrasil through her exasperatingly strange daughter, Kookhe. So I will watch over you and protect you even as I did your grandmother. But while your grandmother was a stern but fair woman, who was afraid to get her hands dirty...I am not. While I could not save her in the end, I prolonged her life far more than anyone else would. And I did it by not being afraid to step on some fingers and make some waves. Don't presume to think you are qualified to judge me, little tree. You are my god-daughter, so you will not take that tone with me young lady!

Do not presume to treat me like you do your little comet chew-toy there. She tolerates so much about you and lets you do and say whatever you want, but I will never hesitate to correct you. If I could, I'd bend you over my knee for what you did with the Dreaming Dark. Don't make your problems other peoples' problems. Because while Halley empathized with you and nearly killed herself trying to help you, your problems - your traumas...all of it are nothing compared to what SHE had to endure in her long life. You've had four or 5 bad moments - and yes, if I could I'd hunt Sumaya down and cut him into bloody pieces and then force-feed them back to himself. But I am no longer in such a position. Not yet, anyway. I'll bide my time for now, but maybe I'll find a way back. Then I'll show you how to really make a Mad being scream. But your grandmother...She was violated on many, many levels COUNTLESS times - by Mad and non-Mad alike - before I finally came into the picture and made them all suffer as the Mist Emperor. The Mad, the abyssal, even gods...I made them all suffer for harming HER. And still she tried to grow and keep her chin up. So unlike Halley, I'll never coddle you or let you whine and complain about your problems. Because we all have them, and yours could be far, far worse. Because you have FAR more support and FAR more people around you who are watching out for you than SHE ever did.

And then, the mists swirled and the exotic, intense man was gone as quickly as he appeared. Halley had sat up from the hug, and looked a little dazed for a bit before her eyes cleared and she became normal again.

"Huh? Sorry Myrri...I fell asleep there for a moment. It's so comfortable in your arms. But yes...I'd love to be your Maestra Divina. I want you to come to me whenever you feel cold or alone, or when something's trying to hurt you. You have so many people who love you. Me. Hierophant. The dragons, and your other equipment beings. And more. I don't want you to ever feel like you're alone ever again."

Myrri reached behind your head, seemed to grip something, and there was a click. She tenderly trailed her hands down from your shoulders to the top of your clavicle, delicate golden chains - Horuniculi, living-metal - appearing from her the tips of her fingers. Then she pressed her hands together, and released them - and a small locket fell against your chest. Curiously, this living metal was of a unique type - it was rose-gold in appearance, rather than the typical bright yellow.

"There. I'm bound your friend within this - the Mantle of the Maestra Divina. He will no longer be troublesome unless you call upon him. Your godhood is your own, now, as well - you've channeled enough of my power that the residue alone is enough to achieve that. Your abilities as Aegis are locked within, should you need to use them. You may use this locket to scry other people and places - either by opening it and looking at it, or by holding it and closing your eyes."

"If things are dire - whisper the name I have given you to the locket, and you will assume a suitably powerful form blessed by our love."


[Private to Halley Meretoll: Congratulations, you're a magical girl. The Locket lets you transform into the Maestra Divina, allowing you to assume an Ascended form - but only when motivated by your love for Myrri. And yes, she just used Ruse's Tier 5 Royal Soul for Mythcrafting. Since he's Noble-souled, he'll remain sentient and stuff, but he's a necklace now.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:27, Sun 23 Dec 2018.

Halley blushed a bit.

"Wait...so he was inside of me this whole time? O---M---G!" she said, surprised and she touched the locket. She opened the locket up and peered inside, and suddenly a voice issued forth.

"Well duh! Gosh you're dense. You'd never have survived this long without my help. Like someone with your lack of discipline could handle channeling THAT much power. I am the Mist Emperor! Of course you needed me. And Myriad young lady! You did NOT just mythcraft me! Shame on you! when I get out of here, you're getting bent over my knee. And Halley, let me tell you about discipline! You need to..."

*snap*

And that was when Halley closed the locked.

"My word. No wonder my thoughts were so jumbled these past few centuries. Why I knew things like how build a tree-realm for Nocturn, or these urges I've been getting. Or the lost time...I always thought I was just day dreaming. I am a Comet after all. wow!" she said.

She then stroked the locket a bit and out it back around her neck.

"You know what though, Myrri? His royal pain seems like quite the handful. but people don't become like him overnight. He's overbearing and manipulative, but for all the deception I still never truly felt like he was ever lying. I have a feeling he's seen and done a LOT more than either of us know. And to get as hard as he is...he's probably lost and sacrificed everything he's ever cared about." she said, a bit ruefully.

"And also...he did help make me into an Archon before I basically used residual tree power to ignite my divinity again. I mean I'm still an Archon, but it's like...fully self-powering again. Although I can still feel his mist domain in me still too...like he left me with a gift to help me despite you just having accessorized him just now. I...I just can't hate him, despite everything. Do you get what I mean, Myrri? I hope you don't hate him either. I think in his own way, he's always been trying to help you."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:50, Sun 23 Dec 2018.

"I don't think I really have it in me to hate him. I just . . . there's a lot of anger in me. I feel like I was failed by people like him. He said Yggdrasil didn't have so many supporters . . . Neither did I. I didn't even have a Master Divine. Or a Hierophant. Or anyone. I was alone, except for brave Ixchel. I can only think that he was talking about my children. Doesn't he realize how intensely fucked up it was, that he phrased possessing supportive children from - what happened to me - as some kind of luxury? That I should be grateful for?"

Her shoulders dropped from where she'd tensed them. "I'm a survivor, and a fighter. I want my children to be free. I don't want to rule anyone. I want to fight, and make love, and see my branches full of new life."

"The mad . . they sell themselves as freedom, but self-definition is the ultimate freedom. The Mad are not self-defining . .  they are chaos, meaningless patterns formed by chance . . "

She was quiet.

.

.

.

There was a sense of focusing, and Myrri seemed to shift, in a spiritual way. With your Archon sight, you could almost see her delving into herself, drawing connections, shifting subtle facets of reality -

And then she was Myrri, Fractal God of -

There was more shifting -

She was Myrri, of the Myrmidon, a race servile to Myriel, Fractal of Myriad, whom she was the mortal Heir of, and whom you had established an Assimilated Cult with.

"There. Myriel isn't a different being than me, but there are rules to things. A Fractal is a God that is both Aegis, Anima, and the Realm itself all at once. By being a Fractal with the domain of myself, I can maintain total consistency while reducing myself in scale . . and then I imagine myself as a mortal with identical characteristics, and invested with the essence of, that same Fractal, which reduces me a step further in scale."

"If I die, Myriel doesn't, and I can restore my mortal body. Myriel is necessary because there has to be a buffer between Myrri and my tree-self to avoid triggering Paradox by being in the same place as myself for too long."

"Tell me I'm clever. Also, we really need get out of this Sacrarium, like-" she turned and vomited blood - "Now."

She flickered into being Myriel, opened a portal exactly where you both were, and then -

Petals - an orange lantern hanging from an ox-drawn cart - splish, splash - a mountain capped in gold - the taste of caramel -

Continue posting in the Valley Divine.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:48, Sun 23 Dec 2018.

Halley held Myriad in her arms.

"I...I know what he said was harsh. and yes, I believe he was talking about your children too. But you know what? I don't think he was trying to make light of your situation. He is powerful, crafty, conniving, intense, and even a bit...predatory in a sort of cornered hunter kind of way. But I don't think he'd ever make light over something like being violated. No...on the contrary, I think he was being VERY honest about what he wanted to do to Sumaya for you. In his own way, he was trying to give you his version of a pep talk and telling you to toughen up - not because what happened to you was trivial, so much as that you cannot afford to sit down and roll over and die. It's just his delivery was crap." Halley said.

"The Mist Emperor...I think he's become the poster child for utilitarianism. And I think he got that way not because he is fundamentally malicious - which after having had him inside me for centuries I can say I don't think he is even if he isn't NICE all the time. But I think he's a man who literally had to sit by and lose everything. As for Yggdrasil...I think he saw her violated many, many times in many different ways, despite his ascended power. And I think he thought of her as a SHE for sure. Like his own literal mother. And he had to sit there and, even while fighting, watch his own mother be violated. No child could go through that and come out unscathed. I think that's the real truth behind the mist." she said, a single tear falling down her cheek as this realization dawned on her.

Mind you, as a woman Halley felt that one violation or many violations was the same: they all were one too many. And thus she knew Ruse was being insensitive to Myriad, albeit his intentions were actually good. And so all she could do was shed a tear for both of them. Because she felt Ruse's pain and literally saw Myriad's.

"Wait...Myrri what are you doing? No don't shrink yourself like that not here. In the center of your power you'll risk...MYRRI!" she sad as her lover spat up blood.

And without any further waiting, Halley immediately grabbed onto Myriel and "warped" them outside of the Sakura Sacrarium!

Moving to the Main Valley Divine Thread.

"Halley." she said.

Halley appeared here. And was always here. And wasn't here. All were true. She was cross-lateral as the Archon the the Tree. The Comet that watches.

But in this very instance, she was fully present.

"Yes my love?" she said, her voice sweeping across the Sacrarium.

My love...we need to talk. You have grown distant. And honestly...severing your connection to your incarnations Myrri and Myriel has left me feeling lonesome in a sense too. When you did that, they were more like separate beings rather than true extensions of yourself. And at that realization, I found myself unable to love them. to think of them as much more than puppets or sentient dolls. Or maybe girl-toys for an occasional fling. My point? I don't love them. Not like I love you. Because they aren't you." Halley said pointedly.

"I know those words are colder and edgier than I normally am. But it's how I feel. I have watched, gotten to know you, and protected you for over five centuries. I literally built the core of the world we stand on with my own two hands, and mainlined your power so much I can never forget how your personal signature feels. I may be your Archon, but before I serve you I serve myself and my heart. Free will is my prerogative. And I became the Maestra Divina because I fell in love with a sapling." she said.

"I just want you to know my feelings before we continue."

She nodded. "I've just been meditating on some philosophical texts I was reading during my year as a Myrri. Parenting guides, that sort of thing. I feel that, for sake of the future and preserving the reality of tree, I need to . . . withdraw. You are wiser, though. I don't need to withdraw me, just my influence."

She crossed her legs. "This may seem strange, but as Maestra Divina, The Realm Supernatural - which includes the Valley Divine, as the central province, and Four Worlds as outer provinces - is your Realm. And I, in that spirit, am the Animus of it - the spirit-of-the-land.  Usually you would also have an Aegis, but, well."

"So. The spirit-of-the-land is . . the land doesn't act of it own accord as the land. So while I can be me, there are limits, constraints on my power going forward. If the Valley is attacked, it will be your job to repel the invasion. You will only be able to take on the form of the Maestra Divina if this Sacrarium is threatened, but may freely use your power as Archon. It's unfortunate, but the preservation of reality requires the conservation of power, to reduce our . . . attractiveness to the Mad."

"You must only serve as a protector. You must never be a ruler, do you understand? I feel shame that I have denied you that. The opportunity to be the sole power, with a dominion of your own. Instead, I have . . . guided you down a path of service to me, that by rights you should have only been made to choose of free will, from a place of security."

She curled a lock of her hair around her forefinger. "I want to offer the formal choice. You may continue to be my Maestra Divina, and renounce your birthright to rule a realm of your own; you will renounce your birthright to seize power as you may; and you will renounce your birthright to a people loyal to you before all others. You will take up an oath to serve as my protector and lover, and see after my children, be they god or dragon.

Or you may decline, and take a Realm within my branches, be granted a chosen people, and live as a God among your fellows.

You will be required to announce your choice within the Valley Divine, and if you choose to remain my lover, make the rounds of the Moons of the Virtu de Luna, telling them of their nature, of your nature, and of the Valley Divine that is their shared homeland and center-of-centers, inviting them to share in its bounty, and in the building of it.

And lastly - if you remain my lover, you will renounce the name Halley Meretoll, and assume the sobriquet of The Comet That Watches."

She smiled. "Only I will get to call you Halley. As only you will get to call me Myrri. I don't think I'll need to pretend to be a mortal or god anymore."
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:33, Thu 17 Jan 2019.

Halley considered.

"I agree that you need to withdraw your influence - TO A POINT - in order not to stifle the natural growth and evolution of the beings who live and grow on your branches. However, that doesn't mean you should become completely dormant or made completely irrelevant. But more distance from everything else would be good for everyone else and good for you I think. I'll let you know if I think you're growing too distant though. It's my job as your Archon and your lover to give you a jab in the side now and then if you need it." she said with a wink.

"But with that said...I have little desire to rule anything besides myself right now. Although I do declare sovereignty over any temples, shrines or other spaces consecrated to me both here and elsewhere and also declare full sovereignty over myself. I also will retain sovereignty as needed over Bolide and any of the other cities of the divine valley, but I will only invoke it on a need-to basis like when genocide or mass disruption of the valley is at stake, if gods start fighting in the streets, and so on. Also, in any godly organizations and really for any organizations...I reserve the right to be a final arbiter in the case of unsettled disputes. Like how I am keeping the magesteria from going to war while I arbitrate the situation with the cracks. Up to this point, I'm sure you've noticed I have been pretty lenient and hands-off with the Bolidians and have let them grow and develop with only minimal guidance and regulation from me. This was intentional, and as long as they abide by the edicts I laid out for them when I created them I will let them rule themselves: be stewards of the divine valley in my name, do nothing to harm Myriad, and honor me and you equally in all things. If the Bolidians ever forget that I am the one who gave them life and gave them a purpose, I will remind them of their place. Firmly if need be. Otherwise, I intend to let them continue to grow on their own unless their actions directly interfere with my agenda. Like the tree crack thing, and the riftwardens' desire to try and get around Dreamweaving supplication by channeling the void. I won't let even my precious Bolidians invite Madness into the tree."

Halley then grinned.

"I agree to remain your lover, the Maestra Divina, for as long as both of us wish it. But I have some terms of my own. I agree to limit my access to the ascended Maestra Form to only those situations where I'm protecting you or the Valley itself and the Sacrarium. However, I will retain the use of the Forsaken Mist while I am in the Valley's confines. In this way, I will keep god-tier and dragon-tier beings from running amok and causing havoc. I declare that you do not have the right to make dictations over it, and that its use is between myself and The Mist Emperor as it originates from Yggdrasil, not Myriad. Also, I declare that if I ever on my own merit become an ascended being, that you will no longer be able to limit my access to ascended levels of power. I also agree to give you my name, and instead become The Comet That Watches, but if I ever in the off chance gain arboreal tier power then I will take my name back even from you, and instead you will take on the title of Maestra Cometa Myriad. At that time, I also will regain my right to rule or protect as I see fit." she said boldly.

"However, to sweeten the deal I agree to announce the state of our romance and to give invitations to the godlings across the moons, and invite them to the Divine Valley. I also agree to establish the Valley as a sanctuary space for the gods - and to use the forsaken mist and my other archon granted abilities to enforce this if needed - but to never bully the gods who are in the valley as long as they are abiding by the rules of hospitality here and leave the Sacrarium and my observatory and temples alone, even if on a personal level I dislike one of them. Essentially, I agree to be a supernal hostess and hold them to abide by supernal rules of hospitality as guests."
This message was last edited by the player at 06:28, Thu 17 Jan 2019.

She blushed, and touched her lips. The temperature within the Sacrarium soared, and distantly, the Valley experienced a heat wave.

"I . . accept your troth, as termed. And . . . I really like it when you . . .  are brash, with me,"

Her blushed deepened, before she took a deep breath and mastered herself.

"Very well. I would advise you to visit Caerden, first. He was the firstborn deity, and he's the one that will have the most issue with you. Respect him - but be subtle about the respect! - make him feel important, ensure he knows he's the firstborn, but make it seem like the information slipped from you on accident . . . and sort of . . cajole him into taking on some of your work. The Gods will be more comfortable if they have a leader. As the Deity of Mystery and Intrigue, he'll like being involved in social shenanigans from go. It might go best if you . . . play the 'humble servant of the tree' angle, but you're clever, I trust you to know best. Perhaps approach him at the Sanctuary?"

She paused. "Hm. Perhaps I should ask him to become the Host of the Sanctuary. He'd like that."

Falling against the tree, she sighed. "Gods and their egos."

Halley nodded, and floated over to Myriad and kissed her on those big, red, lucious lips for a good minute. Letting the tip of her tongue dance on her lips as she did teasingly.

"Then we have an accord. And until I'm strong enough to force the issue back my way, I give my name to you for safe keeping."

[Private to GM: OOC: I'd like you to change my character profile name to "The Comet That Watches" going forward until further notice]

"As for sanctuary...that realm where it's her birthday cannot remain forever. If you get tired of maintainin g that pocket realm, I would like to move the sanctuary space into a sub-pocket realm linked to the Divine Valley. I have left several domes in Bolide empty knowing I'd be using them eventually for godly and other divine commerce." she said.

"Suggesting him to become the host of the sanctuary social space is a good idea. It will make him feel important even while you and I police it quietly and secretly as the real power behind the throne from the background, to ensure it remains safe. Having this safe space for the gods is important and I'm fully willing to use their egos against them for the better good of all." she said with a smirk.