As the gods had over-confidently marched into the lair of the flaming primordial like being, the Prince wasn't sure what to expect. He thought they'd be okay though - to his knowledge the gods were the strongest singular force on the tree right now, and that the foe they had to face would be on their level like the false god of blossoms for instance. But this...this thing! It's sheer size, bulk, and concentrated power was simply overwhelming!

But surely they'd be okay, since they had the literal god of fire leading the charge, right?

And as surely as he thought that, his confidence in their overconfidence shattered like a broken illusion. When the god of fire hesitated, the Prince was concerned. But when the god of fire used his own fire powers to try and shield them against the nova-like blast, and then proceeded to get his body incinerated with the ease of a hot knife going through butter, then he knew they were waaaay over their heads. And that was WITH Jannik's shield.

And for the first time in his young life, the Prince truly experienced deep pain. The elementals in the cave were a nuisance he could recover past easily. Especially with his blossom powers. But this? There was nothing like it.

The Prince's divine aura held fast against the onslaught of primordial flames, even as his other gods were being torn apart by the flames. Honestly...the Prince resisted an incredible amount of the heat and flame, but then suddenly to his horror his divine aura cracked and then shattered in a burst of burning phantasmal petals as the flames began to sear and char his flesh and clothing! He was still standing firm (although very much worse for wear) even after that onslaught, but the truth was not even he could take another blast like that and survive. Especially since now he didn't have Jannik's shield any longer.

 Leaving him with 5-6 hp left. Without Jannik's shield, he knows another blast will kill him!]

The now-seared Prince staggered back from the force of the blast. He had some lacerations and burns and other wounds on his normally-immaculate person, and was quite injured now! His divine aura was rebuilding itself quickly, but without the fire shield it just wouldn't be enough if that thing blasted them again.

"Ack!" the Prince coughed out in pain.

"You guys?! We have to go. and NOW! That thing incinerated the god of fire with the god's own element! We will light up like dry kindling and follow his fate if we don't leave!"

And with that, the Prince opened a portal behind him and let it engulf him, essentially banishing/dismissing his instance in this realm! Discretion was the better part of valor!

"To grow my people and to make our first great city. The Aetherals are nomadic and shall remain so for the most part but this city shall be for all to live in should they show choose," Annastarria said, thinking of her plans for Aeternus.

Plans which were quickly forgotten in the face of the assault from the angry Primordial. She noticed the fact that Jannik neglected to shield her and raised her own crackling energy shield in response to the attack. Purple and blue energy swirled around her body as she tried to resist the powerful attack.

"We need to leave, now!" She screamed before opening a doorway from here to Aeon - a shimmering gate that briefly showed a world of luminous, star-filled skies and galaxies before it closed behind her, allowing any of her siblings that wanted to fall back with her a way out.

Typh was shocked by the sudden death of Jannik but such things were his fate. He had bitten off more than he could chew as it were. Still as the wave of intense flame scoured his flesh it was only the strength of his mind that kept him composed. Calls for retreat came and unlike the The Prince, Annastarria left her portal open. So he took her up on her offer and entered into the starry portal.

Awakening completely refreshed, Serek set ahead across the Labyrinth not feeling the affects of weariness as the days passed. Making it to a cave that shined brightly, Jannik spoke. Thinking about a Pantheon, Serek considered the possibilities and if it was something he truly wanted or not. Especially with the warring between the other gods and their twin deities. It would close the ability to hold neutrality when he wanted among other things. Before he gave an answer though, Jannik interrupted and brought attention back to the matter at hand. The Primordial Fire that was.

Confident and assured was Jannik in this task, yet as Serek set eyes on the great flame similar to that of a small sun. Well he reconsidered the possibilities. Yet there was no time as Jannik struck out at the living element. As it returned its' own attack, Serek had little time to react and try to create a shield, the blood he did raise was boiled and scorched just the same as he was. Jannik's protective flames helped some, yet the God of Fire was little more than traces of ash now. Not even a drop of blood had remained.

Charred well enough, Serek understood he couldn't take a second blow from this Primordial Fire. The God of Blood was opportunistic as he thought quickly about what actions he should take. Gazing at his sibling deities for a moment, they all responded with retreat. Rather than pull up his own portal, Serek Eztli took the one left behind by Annastarria to her home realm.

Thinking quickly Annastarria opened a portal, a glimmering purple disc on the other side of which everyone could see wide grassy plains being blown by a gentle breeze. The upper field of the portal was dominated by an inky black sky filled with a sea of glimmering stars. There was no time to appreciate the serene view on the far side of the portal, the heat rolling off the Primordial Fire was building again. Without the luxury of time to consider, they leapt through.

One after another they emerged on the other side of the portal, the delicate blue and purple grasses matting under their feet. Behind them the portal brightened, the portal closed just as another wave of fire rolled through, only the leading edge came through the gateway, but it was enough to scorch the grass around the portal and leave smoldering embers burning. The gods felt that heat hit them like a physical wave, but the portal winked out and the heat cut off before it could do any further damage. Unlike Jannik, they had survived their brief brush with the primordial forces of the universe.

The air was charged, remnants of power floated through the air. Wisps of lingering potential. Abstractions that were merely ideas to mortals, but to gods were more tangible things. It seemed this disastrous outing would not be entirely unproductive.

OOC: Each god may choose one of the following Aspects. They are claimed on a first come first serve basis. If someone takes something you were interested in it's an opportunity to negotiate! Anything that is not selected will fade and disappear.

Forged In Fire: Just as iron and copper can be strengthened and reinforced by the blast of fire, so too could a god it seemed. You faced the furnace of creation and you have emerged strong for it.
Stat Increase: Gain +5 Max HP, gain +15% Endurance Advancement

Fyre Island Festival: The Primordial Fire was one of the fundamental elements that helped birth this World Tree. Some of that power of creation come blown through the portal and hung in the air. You could grasp these sparks and fan them and make them grow. They could be fashioned into a whole new realm
World Building: Create a new Realm. It won't be your own personal realm, but you can dictate one of its traits. It will have a strong affiliation with fire.

Stoke the Flames: The heat in the air was a fire of life and potential. It could be imbued into your own realm and invigorate that world. This heat of creation will allow that god to more freely create life or locations or imbue power into their mortals.
Souls Increase: +100 Additional Souls each week, +200 to the maximum Soul limit.

Expand the Borders: These fires of creation can also be harnessed to expand your personal realms. Your home realm started relatively small and humble, with this power you can add an additional province. It will be a wild and untamed place, but can eventually be brought to heel and tamed.
Realm Expansion: Add a new province to your realm. It will retain an affinity to fire.

Beast of Ash and Flame: The burst of heat that carried through the portal had a taste of violence to it. A hint of wild and merciless flame. To a mortal this was nothing but a passing sensation. To a god, this could be molded as sculptor shaped clay. From this lingering flame something new could be shaped, an entity of fire and power.
Mythic Being: You can create a Mythic Entity. It must have strong fire imagery, but otherwise you can determine its purpose and function.

Link to the Labyrinth: Now that you've visited the Labyrinth of the Elements you as a god could visit there freely. But the same could not be said for your mortals, or for other gods. To take them there would require a gateway. From the ash and soot coating you and the surrounding field you could fashion a doorway of your own. It would link to the Labyrinth and provide a way to visit more easily or to send mortals through to harness the endless source of water, earth, fresh air and ever burning embers.
Gateway: Create a permanent gateway to the Labyrinth of the Elements. It would allow two way passage and access to the resources of the plane.

A Moment of Silence: Unrelated to the wealth of fire resources available. You witnessed another monumental event. The death of a god. Perhaps the first death of a god. It hung in the air like a stifling blanket. The gods were living embodiments of aspects of the World Tree. A death of any god was a tragedy. But where does a god go when they die? What does it mean for the divine to perish? These were looming questions.
Skill Increase: +30% Knowledge: Death, gain eight free Special Units related to death in some way.

Fallen Armaments: A small fire was burning in the grass. It appeared as though a snake had caught fire while the portal was open. Looking closer though, you found it was the whip that Jannik had wielded. It must have blown through with the gust of fire. Now it lay coiled in the grass and without a master. If it remained unclaimed its flame would gutter out and it was vanish.
Artifact: Flame Whip. If selected the god must give the weapon a name. It deals fire damage to those struck and rather than physical damage, it is blocked by Essence rather than Endurance. It has a longer reach than many other weapons.

All gods may now continue posting in the Realm: Aeon. All gods may now also freely move to and from Aeon now that they've visited there once.

I would like to claim: Beast of Fire and Flame.

Getting away from the next wave of fire just in time, power hung in the air. One that could be collected as it gave an array of options floating within the heat of the embers and flames. Death as well clung to those flames, that of their sibling deity. Serek had some idea but not entirely as it opened up even more questions about death that he held.

Yet among the claims and treasures within the ash, Serek was found wanting many. However, he thought about what felt best in the moment for his people. The God of Blood grasped the sparks and hanging power of creation that looked in the air. Fyre Island Festival claimed

Expand the borders claimed (post to be updated soon)

As the Prince of Blossoms left the realm, he saw Anna opening up a portal and he dismissed his portal and sent his "self" through her portal instead, since unlocking a new realm to go to could be useful sometime in the future. Although he currently only held peaceful intentions toward Anna at this time.

On his way out, though, he drew some of the flaming petals of his divine aura back towards his person, and had his aura literally consume the wisps and traces of primordial fire that were hovering in the air around him. This would have some sort of positive effect on him, most likely allowing him to Expand the Borders of Irani. It would certainly have a fiery aspect, but this was something he could work with. One could even say he had plans for it. But it seemed Blossoming was a concept that could potentially apply to fire just as it could to ideas. and in this way, he'd blossom an entire province from the wisps of power he absorbed.

Typh contemplated how he might best take advantage of the Labyrinth of the Elements but ultimately decided that the best use he could have for the place was as another trial ground and place of bounty for his people. So gathering ash and soot he forged a gateway to this place and anchored it to Aegos. Perhaps forever but most certainly for the interim.

Typh claims Link to the Labryinth
This message was last edited by the player at 02:46, Wed 20 July 2022.

Inside the dark corridors of the elemental prison a glowing portal appeared and through it strode the ever-bleeding God of Blood. Several rocks nearby shuddered and stirred and rose up at his approach, the territorial earth elementals rumbling forward intent of destroying this interloper, but they were of little concern to a god. They were soon left as inert rocks. Then through the portal came others.

A train of mortals came through, two by two. They all wore wildly different shapes, but could be seen as single unified whole by the similar masks they wore. Pulling wagons heavily laden with crates and barrels and bags, they came through to the far side of this portal and looked around in shock at this strange place. These interlocking hallways of tightly pressed tree roots was clearly a wildly alien landscape.

The wagon could not go far, the flood underfoot was smooth or even, it rose up places and dipped down in others. Still, the wagons had served their purpose and the guise soon unloaded them and began to familiarize themselves with this strange new world to which they'd been brought. Torches were lit, for there was no natural lighting here, only the occasional burning embers. The guise soon surmised they would need to be quite careful with the supplies they'd brought, for this realm seemed to offer no vegetation of its own making every plank of wood and fiber of cloth precious. This was truly a very different realm from Shezmu.

Clearing away the earthen elementals within the area, the feathered deity took gaze around them. Nodding slightly in confirmation, Serek oversaw the Guise and supplies being brought through. The carts and wagons were not of much use outside bringing the materials into the wet non-uniform twisting corridors of vines and elements. Helping see to their unloading and exploration in the immediate areas. "Welcome my children to the Labyrinth of the Elements. A realm crafted by the God of Fire Jannik to wrestle the sifting elemental forces into submission. This place houses much danger, but we shall set foot hold here and make our mark. Be aware that you may come into contact with mortals of other deities exploring these very briars. Among them shall be several we familiarize our selves with and work alongside together. The children of the God of Blossoms, God of Fortune, and finally the God of Eternity. Other mortal children are not our enemies or foe, however should be addressed with an air of caution and respect. We shall see what supplies we can garner and work with here. With that a list of what we require and need from Shezmu to ensure our development. Let us focus on setting our roots and testing the waters. Any explorations should be done in ample hunting parties with appropriate supplies to ensure success and in case of emergency. Engagements should be done with the prioritization of life over success. Our numbers are limited and our supplies will be tight to start until we find balance. Chief among our list is food and vegetation. Cultivations from Shezmu's jungles and waters will be considered."

Taking to overseeing the Guise settlement, Serek spent time witnessing their developments. As well either having Serinos, the new Guise hero, or himself accompany any explorations. Ensuring their ventures were not too far, only securing and familiarizing themselves with the area. Working with them on their skills of survival as they serveyed a new unknown harsh realm.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:58, Sat 30 July 2022.

Serek lingered with his guise and oversaw the initial founding his this settlement, and it was good he did. Something became clear quite quickly. There was no source of food within the Labyrinth. The plants they'd brought from Shezmu required the black-light sun to grow. While occasional burning embers lodged in the roots provided sources of warmth and illumination, it lacked something vital that a sun provided. The elementals themselves were beings of dirt, wind, fire and water, nothing that a guise could survive off of. Serek's quick mind ran through a myriad of options, but he ultimately came to a conclusion. Currently there was no viable way of establishing a self-sustaining colony within the Labyrinth of the Elements with the tools he had available.

Still, the party had come well prepared and they had supplies for several weeks available. In that time the guise were curious to set out. Following Serek's instruction, they prioritized self-preservation over combat. Most of their encounters with the elementals of the Labyrinth resulted in them beating a quick retreat. A few attempted to possess these strange beings, but discovered what Serek had found himself through his experiments in the ages past. Without blood the elementals could not serve as viable hosts. There were other discoveries though, jewels and exotic metals were readily available, leftover byproducts of the earth elementals. There was no shortage of clean water. Air was the same. The tunnels, despite being enclosed, always felt fresh due to the frequent winds.

There were no signs of other mortals. They could have been in the Labyrinth, but the realm was great indeed and the guise had only explored a tiny fraction of it. With the limitations of their current supplies, that would remain unchanged. Truly exploring this place would take years upon years.

The realm made to imprison the Primordial forces was not one made to harbor mortals it seemed. At least not the Guise. The lack of bodies was one he foresaw with the beings containing elemental forms. More so there was a lack of substance in terms of food. Finding itself plenty in other areas.

Finding that sustaining colony was not a viable option within this realm. Serek instead changed his focus and idea for using and exploring this realm. It was a harsh environment that would be used as a test and place to collect ample materials. It would teach them the importance of knowing when to engage and not, how to properly ration supplies when they were all that was left in a critical situation. What materials they were able to gather to plunder and bring home to Shezmu. Instead of focusing on building a colony within the realm, the buildings to be made would were foot holds to house and defend the Guise, to store supplies and gathered materials. A setting off point for any other non-permanent expeditions. To this he considered rotating groups within the Labyrinth. The promises of settlement within another realm would have to be fulfilled elsewhere than the Labyrinth of the Elements. The exploration of this realm could go on for possible decades, especially at the rate currently ongoing and even if his ideal system was created or perfected.

Leveling with the Guise among them his thoughts to see their feelings and overall response. This place was not a home, but would be a continued adventure and expedition to gather the land and creatures' bounties. One focused on seeing how far they can go, grow, and what they can gain rather than a settlement in a non-hospitable realm. Hoping they grew comfortable with the experiences. Ultimately they would either pull out once supplies drained or continued onward once exchanging for new supplies and possibly differing Guise.

The Prince of Blossoms sends a self here, and it appears here. He makes sure not to send it near the Primordial fire. Instead, he sends it elsewhere in the labyrinth. Where he appears is not super important, although his goal is to use his divine senses to hone in on Elemental Earth activity and energies more than anything else, and seek it out to study.

The god looks around and assess his surroundings, and sends his senses out as well with a focus on Earth elemental phenomena.

Serek's Expedition

When news spread that the colony would not be permanent the mood around the camp changed. Some were relieved, they had not fully come to terms with mortality despite accepting the mission, but others were disappointed. Regardless of their feelings, the urgency to explore increase as all the mortals now knew they had a finite time in this strange dark realm. Buildings that had been getting created with the intent for long term habitation were converted instead or storage or fortified bungalows.

Reports returned each day, they talked of behaviors seen in the elementals, the way in which the tunnels sometimes reformed themselves when roots shifted, of the frequency and danger of the various natural hazards like landslides, water logged tunnels or spontaneous fiery explosions.

+40% Knowledge: Labyrinth of the Elements

The Prince of Blossoms Visit

Somewhere within the maze the Prince of Blossoms manifested. He wasn't sure precisely where, without a permanent gateway the divine portals were an inexact art. But it wasn't overly important for this visit. The Prince of Blossoms was seeking earth elementals and it was not hard to find them.

The living blocks of stone came in wildly different shapes and sizes. With the Prince of Blossoms own affinity for magic, he could see that it was not magic which animated these creatures. Their energy, whatever it was, was older than the World Tree and thus foreign to a being created by the World Tree. But this did not make it unknowable, but simply more difficult to grasp. Why were some stones inert rock while others shifted and moved on their own volition? There were spirits in nature (Whether or not this had always been true, it was after Kamihana's formation) But elementals were not precisely spirits either. What they were was an enigma.

+20% Knowledge: Elementals

While he was dismissive of the elementals the first time he was here, his stance on them has since chanced. They are both worth exploring and studying, as well as worth in general considering.

Honestly...his ideas about nature spirits and anima and a possible kamihana tie to them became more and more feasible the more he studied the elementals. Perhaps one day, his magic could be used to tame, pacify, placate, and/or make alliances with elemental forces and other esoteric things and overall help maintain harmony in the lands across the tree. That was something to mediate on in a future age though, as this age he was still discovering more and more knowledge and lore to use as a foundation for other things.

The Prince continued to roam and explore the labyrinth. He wanted to learn more about the elemental labyrinth itself, and familiarize himself with it. But his main focus was on elemental forces. For any hostile elementals, he decided to try and use his powers to restrain rather than kill them so that they could be studied and examined, but equally he wanted to see if these forces were purely mindless or if they reacted differently to the relatively overwhelming power of a god.

For instance...while an earth elemental could probably normally ignore or mostly disregard most normal mundane vines and such, the ones created by the Prince's manifest tier power were magical and defied physics and metaphysics. One of the things he liked doing was restrain an elemental with divinely-toughened vines, and see how they responded. Then later after he left release the effect harmlessly.

Catch and release, basically, rather than hutting and killing them.

Serek understood the underlying disappointment among the Guise within the expedition, however felt that he needed to reassure they would eventually find a better realm for settlement. The shift of buildings and goal did wonders for their progress within finite time on the unusual realm. Drawing through the days they compiled reports and information of studies on the elementals, the shifting changes of the living prison, and the natural dangers ever present within the dangerous dark stretches.

These were the starting works for the Guise to accurately navigate, guide, and trek the winding vines and tunnels as they read the land. To learn how to track, hunt, see the traces, as well predict the hazards and elementals across the Labyrinth. The power of experience didn't have to wait to have its' information discovered, quietly studed without notice, and bold explorations. Despite the changes and curveballs with every passing day the previous grew easier.

Serek's Expedition

Over several weeks and depleting the last of the food and drink they'd brought, though not all of the barrels of Blood, the expedition was starting to gain a firm understanding of the Labyrinth just as their time was running out. The dark tunnels were a deceptively difficult challenge to undertake, especially for mortals. Without a sun to heat it, some of the tunnels became bitterly cold and were coated in frost and ice. The smoldering embers about the Labyrinth provided islands of warmth and heat, not to mention illumination. Where these embers were absent the tunnels were absolutely dark, though this darkness did not seem to impede the elementals, adding yet another layer of danger.

Mapping this place was not an entirely wasted effort. While the roots would shift and changed the tunnel systems, these changes in the same area were generally months apart. This meant that a map one created could be fairly accurate for a time, though it became increasingly unreliable over time.

+25% Knowledge: Labyrinth of the Elements

The Prince of Blossoms Visit

Continuing to rove through the endless network of tunnels, the Prince of Blossoms examined both the elementals and their realm that had been fashioned into their prison. He learned, much as Serek and the guise were in other parts of the tree, that the roots would shift and rearrange, never dramatically, but enough so that it left this place a perpetual maze. These shifting roots were also heedless of what was in their path, on several occasions the Prince of Blossoms saw stones crushed and one even a fire elemental snuffed out between two great roots.

Experimenting with his own divine powers on the elementals, the Prince of Blossoms found they were not all made equal. Many he could restrain with the roots he summoned without issue. It was starting to appear that the size of the elemental was directly related to their power, that was until he tried restraining one smaller one, it was only half his own height, and it thrashed and pulled and tore through the roots with relative ease. Just as there was a strangeness to the power that animated these beings, the way in which is expressed itself defied easy classification. This also meant that elementals were a dangerous threat in that one could not easily assess their strength or power till it might be too late. While most of them were not a major threat, the way that small craggy elemental had torn through the vines with ease spoke of significant power residing in some of them.

+10% Knowledge: Labyrinth of the Elements
+20% Knowledge: Elementals

The Prince was astounded by the power of the elementals. While he was able to torunce most of them with more or less ease, a small suction of the bell curve so to speak surprised him. He probably could have beaten the smaller-yet-surprisingly powerful elemental in a 1-on-1 fight, but the thing posed a real and actual danger to him if it was able to rip his vines like that after he reinforced them with divine power. And a swarm of such things could have posed a serious danger if he let his guard down.

He was certainly learning to respect the elements more and more, that was for sure.

The Prince continued to wander the labyrinth, taking note of the way the roots of the world tree shifted occasionally, and of how they seemed indifferent to elemental activity as some were snuffed out by their movement. He did note that the roots never seemed to try and shift or harm him when he was in the immediate area - if this was a mere coincidence of timing, or if the tree had enough awareness to recognize one of its children and restrain itself from accidentally harming him was something he wasn't sure of yet. This was something he'd continue to observe, even if it mean the had to risk getting close to some of the trees roots to see how they reacted or if they changed their behavior in his presence. He knew he didnt have the power to command the trees roots, but like a parent tiptoes around a small child lest they injure it he wondered if the roots were cutting him slack as well?

He also began to try and observe how the various elementals interacted with each other. He took note of things like groups, or if elementals the same or different type ever attacked one another or conversely seemed more mellow around one another. And he also tried to note if some elementals were more aggressive toward him than others. Were there more peaceful or pacifistic elementals, while others were more aggressive and hostile? These were things he was always trying to observe, along with the way the tree's roots behaved in the labyrinth.

Over the course of weeks, the Guise expedition party's supplies were drained through to a few remaining barrels. Rather than be true to his word, Serek would not ensure each barrel was drained before their return for more supplies, ending the current expedition when there remained a single barrel left. It was important to leave a supply for healing at the very least.

True to its' name, the Labyrinth would require to be explored every so often to maintain some ease in traversal and mapping. It was a very living and changing realm. In many places there was a lack of heat and the winds pressed through delivering their frigid blasts and upwinds. The glowing embers were havens against the ever present dark and bitterly cold areas within. Places to set up for the night. However the dangerous terrains and their constant hazards did not disappear only remnants returning with the shifts and new areas. Even more so, the elementals' perceptions were different than their own, uninhibited by the lack of light.

Pressing onward, Serek stood to the front near the leads of their traversal. Helping ensure their final days went smoothly and progressed further than before. Even the Labyrinth was harsh for deities, it was more than a challenge enough for the mortal Guise.

Still, uncovering all that he could, Serek continued to help make marks across the maps. There was a curiousity in how the elements exactly reacted with the realm and vines containing it. Was there something more to how they came, appeared, or grow in response to the entangling realm. Were there signs to hint at upcoming changes and elements, or did they grow and appear randomly throughout?

When the supplies finally hit their drain, Serek did not waste time to bring forth his talons. Ripping the air with them, the portal opened before them. Allowing the Guise through to Shezmu and to carry along with them any remaining supplies and sift through the finds they discovered. The God of Blood ensured their protection until finished.

Serek's Expedition

As the expedition reached its final weeks, Serek took a growing interest in the sole inhabitants of the living prison-maze. The elementals, the offspring of the Primordials contained within, were a mystery. They were entities that predated the formation of the World Tree which made them innately foreign. They seemed content simply to exist for the most part, but were also violently opposed to anyone invading their domains, whether that was guise or elementals of a different variety. These incursions would result in the elementals attacking until the guise had fled far enough away to suit the elemental or, in the case of two elementals battling, until the other one was fully destroyed. In cases of fire and water these fights were decisive, in cases of wind and earth elementals battling, these feuds look destined to last for decades as neither could inflict any meaningful harm on the other. How the elementals formed was an important question, but one that did not readily answer itself during the brief period of study.

As the casks of blood were finally running dry, the expedition started to wind down. Camps were broken down, notes, journals and maps were compiled. Only a fifth of the guise who had set out had been lost to the dangers of the maze. Given the many dangers the place presented, that could only be considered a success. After the several months abroad the guise were eager to return home and share the tales of their adventures.

+20% Knowledge: Labyrinth of the Elements
+10% Knowledge: Elementals

The Prince of Blossoms Visit

Examining the behaviors of the elementals, one might have presumed that fire would be more aggressive and water more passive, but the elementals seemed to be uniform in their territorial natures. While they ignored others of their same kind, they would attack anything else that entered areas in which they dwelt. In cases of fire and water these fights were decisive, in cases of wind and earth elementals battling, these feuds look destined to last for decades as neither could inflict any meaningful harm on the other.

+10% Knowledge: Elementals

There was still plenty of questions to ask and behaviors to examine with the elementals, but the Prince of Blossoms was interrupted when the maze shifted ahead of him. This in and of itself was not so remarkable. It was far enough away it didn't pose a threat, but what gave the god pause was that through the new opening there was... nothing. It didn't open to another set of tunnels, it revealed an inky black void. Even as he watched a few water elementals that he'd been observing toppled through and disappeared inside. The opening had started off as a massive chasm, but already the roots were coming together. In a few moments time they would seal this gap, but the implications of this observation were great. This meant that the prison of the elementals was not infallible. There were ill fitting corners and gaps, places where things could get in or, in the case of those fire elementals, out.

+20% Knowledge: Labyrinth of the Elements

The energies and beings that existed prior to colliding to form the world tree caught an interest to Serek Eztli as they traversed and researched their prison. It seemed that they each different type of element was territorial to all but their own within the sections they layed claim to. A curiousity for a later time was figuring out their shifting borders and territories, understanding the elements preferences to each element within the corridors of the Labyrinth.

With the Guise finishing their last efforts to finish getting everything together and leave, Serek reveled in their excitement some. Though they had lost many within the Labyrinth, it wasn't a total lose nor entirely unexpected given the harshness of this place. "Guise, we shall return home to Shezmu. I must inform you now, I do plan here in the coming years. However time is fluid and not consistent across the realms of the world tree. What has been months here, has been decades within our homeland. So let us return and celebrate our successful expedition and those who fell! Let us share our knowledge and experience to solidify our time here as it is remembered across time."

Opening a portal to Shezmu, the expedition had come to an official close for the time being until their next return to the realm.

So elementals generally got along with their own type, but saw other types as enemies just like they did anything else that got in their territories. He wasn't sure if this was true malice on the elementals' part though, or simply more of a primal territorial instinct. He would have to research them more for sure.

The Prince also Wondered what lay beyond those gaps in the tree's shifting root pseudo-wall? If things could come into or exit the prison realm through haphazard and randomly occurring gaps, what were the implications of this?

He decided that sometimes, one simply must seize the moment before the moment passed and was gone. If mere elementals could pass through the gaps, so could he. He wanted to see where they actually went once they passed beyond the walls of the labyrinth. If it was simply void, the God could dismiss his self and re-form it in the labyrinth. But what if those elementals were going somewhere else when they left the bounds of the prison?

Without Hesitation, the Prince attempted to dash forward using his godlike speed and try to pass through the gap in the prison before it closed back up, following after the escaped elementals.

Serek's Expedition

With the opening of another portal, Serek led the his guise back to where they came from. Their supplies were depleted and they were fewer in number, but where their wagons were once loaded with food and wood and clothing, they returned with exotic metals, glittering gems and expansive knowledge of this strange new world.

Returning to Shezmu

The Prince of Blossoms Visits

Between the gap in the Labyrinth opening and when it started to seal were only moments apart. Opportunities to slip through the cracks were rare, these openings practically had to open up under ones feet in order to escape this prison maze. Not letting this opportunity slip by, the God of Blossoms leapt forward. If it weren't for his great speed he wouldn't have made it. He dove through into the darkness as the roots of the made pressed shut above him.

Moving the Prince of Blossoms somewhere new.