The cycle of sleep and waking had been broken, Serek having sacrificed the restorative healing of sleep to answer the urgency of invasion. As such, little time had passed within Shezmu itself, at least on the divine scale. So in some ways much had changed, but in others it had not. The greatest changes were contained to the former Ancestral City, the burgeoning site of guise culture had been the battleground for the long battle between Serek and Graug and it had been erased. The blood-steel buildings and crimson canals of Ch'ich Āmēyal-li were rubble. The ground had been impacted and carved out and now the Blood Springs were blood falls as the water trickled down newly formed crags. Repairing the Ancestral City was out of the question, one would be starting entirely anew if they chose to reclaim the site.

The other great change to Shezmu was the denizens of the realm. The guise, cut off from a consistent source of restorative blood from Ch'ich Āmēyal-li for the last century, had finally had age catch up to them. While the Blood Springs maintained youth and healed wounds, it did not undo the ravages of time. Now many of the guise were finally feeling the effects of mortality. Combined with the era long edicts barring procreation and the guise population was on the whole quite elderly. Most had survived this last century, their knowledge had not been lost, but their vigor had. Now that they could access the Blood Springs and its font of vitality again they would live, but this was a tired society. Their masks were splintered and their iron claws were dulled.

Opening up a portal from the Astral Lounge, this was the era into which Serek invited Annastarria and the Prince of Blossoms. It was what the aftermath of divine battle brought.

Opening the way for his divine siblings, there was still the wait for when Typh would arrive, as well even further a mystery if his brother Meidos might once visit.

Unlike Annastarria's realm, once they arrived there were no starlight fires scattered across the realm's jungle to shine against the twilight horizon of Shezmu. Only the twinkling of stars behind the darklight sun and the three various blood moons that reflected its eerie light. The bioluminescent life forms and plant life were scattered around the looming dark canopy of the huge crimson and purple hued jungles. There was not a chirp, howl, nor a whisper among it's vibrant forestry, creeks, underbrush, or bayous. Only the cool whistle of the wind through the leaves as it carried the more obnoxious noises of insects and the plants that preyed on them or Guise.

Standing now at their welcome was Serek. What was once a plain holding grandstanding beauty as it was crafted around vibrant crimson springs. Instead this opening around the lush jungles and once standing city were now scattered remnants of their once beholden beauty and craftsman ship. In their wake was ruins that painted the years of battle between gods. Streams of blood trickled in various unkempt crags from the ghosts of the springs' forms, the majority flowing like that of falls as the land was massively reshaped. Due to life's growth, one coild track the regrowth from the most recent areas of battle to those more distant. "Welcome my siblings, it is an honor to have you here. This is the heart of my realm, the once great Blood Springs. I shall bare its new name, Ch'ich Xaxahuaca, in honor of it's changed form."

Bringing up arms to his Guise, Serek spoke to his people, "Let us honor and welcome my dear siblings as our own. As such I hereby forbid the possession or killing of any of their mortals whether they have broken law or not. They would be dealt with carefully and with proper consideration. Due to our grievous wound, I lift my edict temporarily on laws of child. However they are still required to inherit knowledge and skills to remain within Shezmu. This should follow suit with the changes made before the enemy invasion on our soil."

Turning his focus back to that of his guests, Serek bowed his head, "Now comes my parting of information. The Blood Falls are an eternal spring of blood. Blood that may be consumed and bathed in, it restores the injuries and youth of those who consume it. It acts as a supplement for food towards my people, as well the cornerstone for the Hemocrafters. Allowing them to create strong bloodsteel for various uses in unlimited supply."

Waving his hand for his siblings to follow, Serek brought them on a tour through his people and the lands around them. "My people the Guise, are creatures without flesh and blood. They are spiritual beings of their masks, claws, and cloaks. Only by possessing living flesh when weakened enough or if willing. Then may they truly live as others do. The Night of the Hunt and our battles against foes are the only trials in which they may subsume mortal flesh outside of the gladitory arena. The act of hunting another is only permitted upon those with a bounty for breaking laws. With Ch'ich Xaxahuaca, any mortal children within my realm need not fear dying from illness, hunger, injury, or even age. As such there have been laws on child bearing that I hope your children will take into consideration as I eased on their intensity several times. Least we deal with an over population none may handle. Their growth in number must also reflect their own personal growth and development within the realm and those outside of my realm"

Continuing, Serek began to walk around the ruins of the once standing Ancestral City and various destroyed landscapes. Bringing himself to the edge of the falls as he looked over. The pain within his eyes at the sheer change of what once was. Trees were ripped with roots showing, craters made and broken, traces of the springs shown behind their complete disfigurement. Bloodsteel could be seen scattered about, bent or broken and in other areas complete dust given into the soil as it shined reflections of the darklight sun. "With the land wrought like it is, the city and structures we must build will require us to terraform the flows of blood. Much architecture developments would need to be made. Grand structures to connect the now separated areas. It is within my dream to see this resource flow to all within my city. In the mean time, I only wish to build the bones to house those endeavors. A focus on the people should come first. As I had feared an over reliance on the vital fluids has left my children weak when separated and with age, too few are the young to heir their knowledge and skills that they've founded over centuries and ages since I first arrived. Too few is their ability to go on in life without the Blood Falls. An error I hoped to correct by having the young learn here then go out into the realm to earn their place back within Shezmu."

Waving his hand to a group of Guise, Serek spoke of certain plants to begin gathering and surveying for to present the Prince of Blossoms. As well for those gifted in various crafts to gather and separate in groups. Bringing back up forges to work bloodsteel would be necessary. Lastly he called for workers and those ready to learn new skills or impart their own to gather. "My teachings among my children have been those of the hunt, forge, military, and survival. They passed time with their focus on skills and bloodshed within the gladitory arena. My heir and herald of the realm, Vez'ek'tin, was undefeated champion for well over an age as he shows much promise."

"We are left now with a clean slate to build upon along side you and your children, so let us work together to paint a working vision between us. As well, I hold a gift I'd love to share among us all when the time is right."

OOC: Thanks for the little "tour" Serek. It is much appreciated and really helps set a good tone for the thread as well as helps paint a more vivid picture.

The Prince of Blossoms appeared here, and looked around the realm and the war-torn area. He followed Serek respectfully while they did their tour, although any Guise who dared wander too close and tried to violate his or Annastaria's personal space were swiftly warned away and told to remain at a respectful distance. This sternness was also secretly a mercy from the Prince, who wanted to avoid Serek seriously punishing or killing any Guise who accidentally disrespected the blood god's pantheon guests.

He considered the falls, and the other broken areas of the city.

"My brother of blood...I have recently mastered the foundations of architecture, actually. With my powers, getting various types of wood that would be useful in crafting will be easy. And some types of wood can approach the hardness of stone, if not become actual stone like petrified wood and such. It will take time and great effort, but I believe the city can be rebuilt while we also work on agricultural and infrastructure projects." the Prince said.

"Those blood falls  Ch'ich Xaxahuac? do they possess the original qualities and mystical properties of the original blood fountain, or have those properties changed? I'm asking as I'm factoring in all facets of our situation into my ideas for reconstruction of your realm, and your fountain is definitely a prominent aspect."

OOC: hehe, no problem. I probably could have done a littke better in describing the little tour. At least show their scrabby settlements they were living in separated from their home.

Serek seemed to lightly glow at the Prince's words, "Those would be most beneficial, especially in sparing the jungles of being harvested in place of what can be grown to be used. I fear my owns workmanship outside of blood steel has been shoddy at best. A stone throws out in the jungle and you will see the improvised hovels they built as Graug and I fought. Your knowledge of architecture would be most appreciated and welcomed, I would return this in kind. Though I wonder if carving and working to carefully cultivate trees for architecture and building could provide use in our efforts outside of being refined into pieces."

Looking down at the sanguine fluids by his feet, Serek lifted a talon and parted flesh from the top of an arm all the way down. As the deep wound gushed blood, Serek dipped the arm into the restorative fluids of Ch'ich Xaxahuaca. Pulling it out, both Annastarria and the Prince witnessed his flesh piece itself back together like new as the blood melded and stitched itself into the flesh. "The mystical powers that be, still remain despite the deformaties the original Blood Springs now face. We have discovered that once removed from the falls, the sanguine will be good for a few weeks. Allowing us to vial and cask the blood. There once were even seasoned and spiced brews of blood. Various add ins to the material to change its steel outcome. My people are old, yet now they feel their age after having parted these waters. While it can keep one young, it can not undo the ravages of time that have already taken place."

She managed to keep the grief she felt at the destruction off her face but it was a near thing. How she wished she had seen this world before it was ravaged by war. The Blood Springs had been a source of interest the first time her brother had mentioned them but now they were gone, never to be seen again.

"I am sorry for what you have suffered, my brother. What can I do to help? I can bring my children here to join in the rebuilding using the skills they have learned from creating not only the Eternal City but the City Divine. I shall remain here to put my skills to use as well. It is also past time I sent you a variety of animal life as the earlier bestowing of such was over an Age ago, was it not? Predators and prey can be brought across as you see fit. All manner of things that walk, crawl, swim, or fly shall be yours."

She had always wanted to meet the Guise and now she was seeing them but they too had been diminished by the ruinous war. They had suffered and were suffering now. They were the children of her beloved brother so they would be loved as her own as she had promised Serek. She bowed low to the gathered Guise, her eyes glowing a bright gold.

"I am Annastarria and you are well met, children of Serek Eztli. I shall aid you in the rebuilding of Shezmu in whatever way I may. Have no fear of me but know that I love you as I do my Aethereal, some of whom you shall meet as they come to aid in rebuilding."
This message was lightly edited by the player at 14:54, Wed 05 Oct 2022.

Serek looked to Annastarria with a solemn gaze for a moment then down to the falling streams of blood as he nodded softly. "I appreciate your sympathies. Though it is my children who have suffered the most."  Serek's eyes seemed to lighten up though as his tone cheered, "Your own personal aid along with your people's is most welcomed indeed. The exchange of wildlife will be a due process as how they adjust. Our realms are not so dissimilar, the lack of eternal night with Shezmu's darklight sun being the main concern."

Opening winged arms, Serek beckoned his siblings closer. "In exchange for this aid, I shall share you my developments and knowledge. As well a gift for all our children who have faced the strife of living."

Ripping his talons through the air, Serek opened a portal for them to go through. "With such dire misfortunes plagued across my people and Shezmu, death has been my largest foe and ally alike. In my many experiments to discover more and undo these trying issues I was met with a stroke of fortune and traced the souls of those who left the ranks of the living."

"This place I bring you to is not meant for those who have yet departed, so I warn you now that it shall wane your spirits and life. Take each a pilfer of blood from Ch'ich Xaxahuaca in case."

With a smile beak to beak, Serek ushered them to go forth, "I shall take you to where the dead may yet blossom again into eternity."

Serek Eztli then crossed through the portal to the Myopic Fields of Death.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:06, Wed 05 Oct 2022.

The Prince nodded at Serek.

"Wood has so many uses. Medicinal, for building. For furniture. Crafting. Honestly, some types are even edible if you can believe it. and the trees actually have all sorts of positive effects on the air and the environment as well. There's so much that I can teach you and your people as we pursue fellowship with one another." he said graciously in response.

"As for the falls...those are interesting properties indeed. And ones that will some in handy in the future I am sure. We will have to guard this, for it is a potent mystical resource. And also...I'd be wary about letting mortals freely extend their lives indefinitely. If you are too extreme with this, then your people will stagnate and stop evolving. The benefit of mortality is that children can seek to surpass their parents, and that parents can push their children in turn. It's food for thought now, mind you." he added.

His eye brow then raised as the portal tore open to the Myopic Fields.

"A...a deathly plane? Is such a place influenced by a primordial entity or entities like when we sought to face the primordial flames? We must be careful of such a place, although I whole heartedly agree with you brother that such a place is far too intriguing to not try and explore and learn more about." he said.

The Prince crosses into the Myopic Fields after Serek, after following the god's suggest of taking a philter of magical blood first and pocketing it.

Annastarria looked at the portal before stepping through. "Truly? We can find those we have lost here? Is this a Realm as our own? Do we have a sibling here who governs this Realm as a God of Death? How delightful were it so, yes?"

She too filled a vial and stepped through the portal once she had blood from the Spring.

Once she had stepped through the portal she sent another of herself back to Shezmu to being preparing her children for the aid they would deliver to Shezmu. Aid, food, and wildlife would be brought here from Aeon as she had promised.

Note: The Prince will retain a "Self" here as well despite accessing the myopic fields.

Serek nodded in agreement with the understanding of nature's medicinal uses. "I believe many roots and woods are edible, especially under the right conditions. There is much we can share and learn together."

Though when the Prince gave him fruit for thought on the matter of extending his people's lives. Serek gave Prince his own thoughts, "Then should we not be careful as immortals of our possibility to stagnate with out betters or parents to spur our evolution?" Serek raised his eyebrow at the Prince as he gave the notion time to settle.

Answering to his concerns however, Serek continued, "If they find themselves lacking in inspiration to grow, then surely as their divine parent, I should be enough for them to seek development. As well we have the competition of other mortals and gods to test our skills against or to work with. This war in which we lost much, is a clear sign that our growth still leaves much to be desired, especially in the face of those who trained in just raw power. The young's elders are not some unobtainable goal nor are we. I have only given them the means to extend their lives and to reach each as far as they can rather than over the corpses of the generations that came before them."

Looking to Annastarria, Serek shook his head lightly, "It is not a god of death who resides within. Prince is correct in assuming an entity lays inside. I have not met it, but I have felt it as will you."

Serek left an instance within his realm, then walked to his grouped and divided mortals. "Let us prepare to recieve your mortal cousins and begin our work. We shall raise a new city which shall eclipse the Ancestral City. In its place will be the City, Cennemiliztli. Those who will work their skills and help impart to new laborers, I suggest you begin efforts now. To those who will work more closely and wish to learn what Prince and Annastarria have to offer alongside their people, I wish for you to pay your respects and offer them your name and service during those times. It is a great honor to work with them."