Forever lies ahead

[Anastasia]

It's the sound of hammers slamming into wood that does it for Alyssa.

Alyssa looks out from her window and sees it all for miles, hears all, smells all, tastes all and more. Of all those sensations, of all those deific senses she endures and learns, it is that sound that is right. The sound of growth as yet another house is built below, as more and more surrounds the Alyssum Royal Academy. Houses, streets, shops, ditches, fountains, bridges. So much and more is built as your realm expands. The sound is that of growth, of harmony and power and progress.

At the same time it has begun. Whispers, really. The beginnings of whispers, of noise, of movement. A momentary whisper for protection, another for insight. You hear them as clearly as if you were right there, in spite of them being planes and worlds away. The first cries of your faithful, the first steps forward as your task has begun anew. Those who would bow to you, to venerate you and serve your name and all you represent. It is a tide that eternally laps at the edges of your mind, yet you find you can handle such things without the slightest difficulty. Your mind expands and contracts as needed, as if some part of you is always ready to hear such prayers, to receive them and understand them. A flex of yourself, belief, power and magic. Granted spells to your first few clerics, each as precious as a dragon's hoard.

Below you see Jarem as he leads soldiers. Not to war but to more practical matters. They help build, both through brute strength and through magic. Jarem leads the way, a command and a finger point as an entire furrow of earth is moved in an instant. He works as a few in particular trail him, listen to his words and deeds. The bones of what will be a great barracks and military center has begun to rise, ribbon-like coils of stone emerging from the earth as magic works, cuts, polishes and smooths the rock at once. This contributes yet more sounds of hammers as wood is used to reinforce inside of the stones, wood and nails united by hammerstroke.

A flicker.

A great procession of refugees explores unknown lands on a Prime forged on the back of a broken elder titan's skeleton, so vast as an entire world forged itself around and with it. Another Prime, a great college of researchers all work together towards a symbol of great magic, as so many strive to cross beyond the ninth circle. Primes and worlds and great events of your portfolio pass through your mind every moment. Like the worshipers you take it in without the slightest bit of hesitation, as if it were no more strenuous than a gentle sigh. Each act big enough to net your divine attention plays by your senses, aware to you like you were there for it.

What disrupts you from your reverie is the sound of whistling wind. From above Bastian plummets. He lands besides you, though the roof as if it was not there. He lands in a crouch, cracks spreading across the ground as the entire floor shakes. He lets out a breath before he stands up, "The moon's very high in the sky," he says, almost blandly, as if merely discussing the weather. He dusts himself off and stands, "Got a message for you, it's from Emily but she's going to stay up there a little while longer."

At the same time you sense it. Araseis comes to your mind as she whispers a prayer to you. She proceeds through a dark ruin, deep underground. Across treacherous floor as she dodges falling globs of acidic slime, hurrying along as swiftly as her cloven hooves can manage. These are not easy dodges, and a misstep could result in a glob of acid on her head, a fate that likely ends her mortal life then and there. Yet if this disturbs Bastian he says nothing of it and instead adds, "Anyway, her Moms have largely finished the move to Bytopia, so we'll head there the next time we have to visit."

A slow rub of his chin, "And I don't think I'll ever get used to how easy this is. It's like I can concentrate on everything I need to and it comes right to me. Did you sense that world that incorporated the skeleton from that elder titan, and those refugees there?"

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa points at the cracks in the stone slightly distractedly, "You're fixing that. By hand, if need be." She turns full to him with a bit of a huff, "Don't go around breaking my tower! You can teleport now. I know you can! At least teleport the last few inches to keep from breaking things. Bytopia? Alright... We'll have to figure out what sort of gift to bring for them. And yes, I'm watching them. I'm considering trying to get one of my faithful to them to help, but... The one I would send is in the middle of something... Dodging acid slime, actually. We might want to help them along. They'd be a good foothold there... Croneasco would be a good choice. Refugees always have injuries and sickness to deal with, and he could help them with tools..."

Alyssa blinks and catches something he mentioned, "The moon? What were you two doing up there? Wasn't Emily supposed to be working with Donald arranging a meeting with someone to help us?"

[Anastasia]

Bastian kneels and places his hand on the ground. "Get it together," he murmurs to the floor, as cracks seal and stone is made whole. "Be stronger." Once done he rises and dusts his hands off, "We had to stop there. It's a not very interesting story," Bastian waves it off. "Donald's got that done as well, she'll be here tomorrow."

> roll 1d100 low is good
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 25 > [d100=25]

Meanwhile you see Araseis dodge acid and hurry along, untouched. You feel and hear the quick prayer of thanks, a breathless murmur as she hurries along. For now, one of yours is safe from the embrace of death, at least for a time yet.

You claim knowledge, Alyssa Songsteel?

A new, unknown divine voice is heard in your mind at the same time, a simple question. A cold voice, haughty in its way, but more than anything else as cold as the grave.

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa raises an eyebrow, I claim to seek it. I do not believe knowledge should be owned or hoarded. Though caution in its distribution is always wise. To whom am I speaking?

[Anastasia]

I am Lixer, Lord of the First. Then what value is knowledge to you if you do not own it?

Meanwhile Bastian crosses his arms and waits a few moments, "Well?" he asks, then in a moment of silent understanding he goes silent before, "Oh, someone has your attention. Someone do something brave?"

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa sighs, "The other thing. Lixer, Lord of the First."

In the learning and teaching. In the further and deeper knowledge it leads you to. In the use of it, and the spreading of it. Knowledge spread gathers strength to itself like the roots gather strength and support a tree. The more its fed, the greater what it leads to.

Then, immediately following this, she speaks to her friends, Lixer, Lord of the First is contacting me about knowledge.

[Anastasia]

Yeah. He has a good tactical head on his shoulders, but he's a spoiled, surly prick.

Jarem's voice is the reply as you hear Emily gasp without any words of reply.

Strength and power, to use your knowledge to bind others to you. To serve you?

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa sends out a quick reply to her friends before focusing back on Lixer, I'm going to loop you all in on my response, but let me handle this. If you have advice beyond 'don't trust him' on his replies, send it to me separately. I don't want to give him an opening to twist my responses against each of us.

Alyssa takes a moment to settle herself and then responds, You really are a devil among devils, aren't you? You do your fore-bearers proud in that regard.

No, not to bind them to service. I don't particularly care for anyone being bound in service unless it's by their free will. I hold knowledge highest, but freedom of choice is a close second. I do it to enrich and strengthen them. Alliances are often born from this, but they are ones built from practicality first, then grow into mutual respect and desire to strengthen each other as a whole, not to bind others into servitude. The stronger the allies that stand beside you, the stronger your battle lines is typically the foundational idea behind this. Though, in my experience, they often evolve to be equally made out of friendship.

I explain this not as an insult, or from a position of holding myself as better than you, but because in my research on, and dealings with, other divine entities, I've come to realize that the concepts that drive one deity are often alien, antithetical, and incomprehensible to those that have drastically different purposes.

[Anastasia]

You said something to provoke a Diplomacy check, so give me one.

[Iron Dragoon]

Diplo/Cunning Knowledge:

[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+99 : 2 + 99, total 101[/blockquote]

[Anastasia]

Naught but foolishness. They are your minions, your slaves.

[Iron Dragoon]

As I said, these points are often antithetical between deities. In any case, why did you contact me? I assume you had something more critical than the philosophy of power dynamics?

[Anastasia]

I have found all I need. Be silent.

[Iron Dragoon]

Rudeness is a sign of low breeding and education. I expected better of you.

[Anastasia]

There is no reply to that message.