Side Story The Goddess

[Sark]

Ashe was surprised, but glad that in the end, Eli didn't pull the trigger on him. That didn't make his heartbeat slow however, there was still the matter of the Goddess and Eliphas in the end, and not even he was sure what to do.

"Thank you, Eli." He found himself saying as he released a breath, and from the corner of his eye he took notice of Ferdinand alive and breathing and apparently well.

View attachment 5133
"Oh, don't thank me," Eli smirked, callously swinging his pistol about as if it weren't a loaded weapon capable of misfiring. "We're even now, aren't we?"

Eli clicked the safety back onto his weapon and slipped it back into its holster.

"Now, if you'd excuse me, I believe I've served my tour. I've got people to meet. Things to do. I trust you'll clean things up down here."

He slipped his hands into his jackets pockets and turned towards one of the many holes in the Tomb's walls.

"We'll be seeing each other again, that much I know. Beyond that, I don't know what the future holds, and you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way. Farewell, Chosen. Try not to destroy the world whilst I'm gone..."

Silque removed her hands from the boy as he shot up, brows furrowed as she gently placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Take it easy, okay? I am glad you're alright, but magic can only due so much." She advised. Back home she played the role of the primary medic among Alm's group, she knew that sometimes just a potion or a spell wasn't enough to make sure that someone was completely healed. Plus, she was still getting used to using magic without her staff completely channeling it.

Her gaze snapped to Luthor then.

"If by brilliant you mean having a young boy's life threatened, then I surely do not want to see the opposite." She shook her head then, and sometimes she forgot that Ashe was only a few years younger than herself, like Alm and his band of misfits from Ram.

@Sark @Yun Lee @Lucky @Capri @Crunch @Jeremi

"I'll try to keep that in mind..." Ferdinand cradled his rib. "I'll try not to get in any life-or-death situations for a while..."

"The boy was never in danger." Luthor scoffed. "Or have you forgotten that we have a Goddess on our side?"

@Takumi
​

 

[Takumi]

View attachment 5133
"Oh, don't thank me," Eli smirked, callously swinging his pistol about as if it weren't a loaded weapon capable of misfiring. "We're even now, aren't we?"

Eli clicked the safety back onto his weapon and slipped it back into its holster.

"Now, if you'd excuse me, I believe I've served my tour. I've got people to meet. Things to do. I trust you'll clean things up down here."

He slipped his hands into his jackets pockets and turned towards one of the many holes in the Tomb's walls.

"We'll be seeing each other again, that much I know. Beyond that, I don't know what the future holds, and you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way. Farewell, Chosen. Try not to destroy the world whilst I'm gone..."


"I'll try to keep that in mind..." Ferdinand cradled his rib. "I'll try not to get in any life-or-death situations for a while..."

"The boy was never in danger." Luthor scoffed. "Or have you forgotten that we have a Goddess on our side?"

@Takumi
​

"Do not talk to me like I'm a slow minded child, please." Silque huffed, her gaze hardening then. "Even I, as devoted to the Mother Mila and her teachings as I am, know that such a situation could have ended badly under different circumstances if Mephisto got his way and killed him. I'd rather you not brush off a child's life being threatened so lightly no matter the circumstances war or not. Too many children go to war and die." She narrowed her eyes here.

"And too many people rely on faith alone, sometimes that's just not enough... and I know that it wasn't enough for a place called Hyrule." She added, though the last bit was quieter.

"As for you two, how medically trained are you? I wish to help you in his full recovery but I'm unsure how to work that out." She turned her gaze to the medics then, her gaze softer if not more tired. Talking to Luthor was becoming draining.

"Please do, I don't think anyone else knows the spell Recover." She responded to Ferdinand with a small smile, partially joking.

"I make no promises about some of the Chosen here, but..take care." Ashe spoke before Eli left.

And then, almost literally he supposes, all hell broke loose moments after.

"THE VOICES! WHERE ARE THE VOICES?!"

The hidden whispers at the back of their minds vanished. The constant screaming and voices dimmed. Now she was there, speaking to them directly. The Word Bearers began to shudder violently just as the ice melted away from Eliphas' body, their wrists twisting slowly towards their temples. Where were the other voices? Where is that rapturous scratching at the back of their minds? This wasn't right. This is torment. Where are the sounds? WHERE DID THEY GO?

"Hmhmhmhm. Did you... truly expect to eradicate the influence of Chaos?"

Eliphas broke his silence at last. His helmet turned slowly towards the Goddess, eyes piercing her own with obvious amusement and contempt. The armored hulk lurched past her, speaking calmly even as his brothers threw their bolters and chainswords to the ground, now violently gripping their helmets and gurgling nonsense from their helms.

"A pity you fail to see the blessed visions that my brothers do. The non-believers call it 'madness,' but the only madness is in failing to see the power of Chaos. But that is what you do, is it not? Forcing believers to deny their faiths in pursuit of your favor... hmhmhm. I was mistaken. You are a lot like them after all."

Eliphas glared at the Goddess. "An oversized demon, only thirsting for power."

The Inheritor's gaze caught Mephisto's corpse. A deep, content laughter rose from his gullet. That was one problem taken care of. Now was the time for an exit. Eliphas raised his palm to the air, crushing it into a fist before any in the room could intervene. The Chaos Marines' intense shuddering intensified to the point of appearing as a seizure, but once the Inheritor cast his spell, their blessed fits ceased for only a moment.

And the gift arrived.

View attachment 5130

A chorus of howling screams turned to gurgled roars and shrieks of anger as Eliphas' servants rapidly mutated. Gouts of meat suddenly burst from underneath their ancient power armor, the metallic alloys that once composed their plate growing thin and fleshy in appearance. Their arms twisted inwards with a sickening snap of bones and torn muscle, growing into calcified 'claws' of pure bone instead. The vox units on their helmets grew small, bony growths that began to bite away at anything and everything they could sink into.

The Gift did not discriminate. It only brought Change. It only brought Chaos.

"I give them the greatest gift a servant of Chaos could give. And they will die as servants all the same. I leave you with this."

The air shrieked. The space in front of Eliphas' hand twisted inward before tearing open, revealing a swirling vortex of empyrean energy. The Inheritor would take his leave before any of his possessed marines attempted to scramble after him, his towering silhouette vanishing through the portal.

When the second passed, the portal ceased to be, and the Inheritor was gone. The possessed marines let out gurgling howls of rage, turning towards the person closest to them (they were dispersed around the room) and lunging towards them with their claws outstretched, intending to disembowel as much meat as they can before the Goddess eradicates them.

But no amount of divine power on her part could reverse the Gift of Chaos. Eliphas made sure of that.

@Jeremi @Sark @Yun Lee @Takumi @Capri @Lucky
​

Without so much as a second of hesitation, Ashe thrusted both hands out and cast the Cutting Gale spell in the hopes of slowing or destroying the marines before they could get any closer to him or anyone in his vicinity.

Meanwhile, Silque had a similar thought, casting Nosferatu on any marines that came near, followed by giving the spell Expel a try. Hopefully, the white magic spell would work.

@Sark @Crunch

 

[Lucky]

Jester Lavorre

" I know a lot of healing spells like- Cure Wounds, Healing Word, Zone of Truth., Lesser Restoration, Prayer of Healing, Mass Healing Word and Revivify," she replied, muttering the one that definitely wasn't a healing spell under her breath, making anyone within 60 feet of her having a hard time telling a delibrate lie for about ten minutes. "I don't think anything good is happening at the tomb."

@Takumi @Sark

Beau

" Of fucking course the jerk leaves his monsters as deadly as possible," she mumbled under her breath as she would use her status as a monk and use Patient Defense, arming herself for when a monster came close. When it did, she would impact them with a series of fist strikes that one might call a fury of Blows.

@Crunch @Sark

 

[Sark]

"Do not talk to me like I'm a slow minded child, please." Silque huffed, her gaze hardening then. "Even I, as devoted to the Mother Mila and her teachings as I am, know that such a situation could have ended badly under different circumstances if Mephisto got his way and killed him. I'd rather you not brush off a child's life being threatened so lightly no matter the circumstances war or not. Too many children go to war and die." She narrowed her eyes here.

"And too many people rely on faith alone, sometimes that's just not enough... and I know that it wasn't enough for a place called Hyrule." She added, though the last bit was quieter.

"As for you two, how medically trained are you? I wish to help you in his full recovery but I'm unsure how to work that out." She turned her gaze to the medics then, her gaze softer if not more tired. Talking to Luthor was becoming draining.

"Please do, I don't think anyone else knows the spell Recover." She responded to Ferdinand with a small smile, partially joking.

"I make no promises about some of the Chosen here, but..take care." Ashe spoke before Eli left.

And then, almost literally he supposes, all hell broke loose moments after.

"Mother Mila?" Luthor spat as if the words were poisoning. "Mila is gone, child. The Old Gods mean nothing now. You're right. Placing your faith in them was a fools errand. Mila is not the Goddess. She will never be the Goddess. The lacks her power. She lacks her grace. Ferdinand's life was saved because the Goddess allowed it. We won this war because she willed it. She is the Zero from which all power multiplies. I am sorry that your slow, child mind cannot understand it, but the Goddess is the future. Holding on to the past now is foolish."

The medics sunk their heads in shame. Ferdinand kept his head down, eager to avoid wandering into the mind field that was this conversation.

"And please, don't take your primal frustrations out on the medics. Just because they refuse to lower themselves by calling upon the power of your tainted false-Gods doesn't mean they're not fully capable of saving lives. The elitism perpetrated by you Secularists... it's shameful."

Eli waved to Ashe with the back of his hand, and made his exit without saying another word...

The monkey was out of tricks huh? "Perhaps not, Urien." Big Mother looked around the area. At the rest of the Chosen. At Luthor. "Oh powerful Goddess." She bowed and postulated herself in front of the infinite being and for once she seemed genuine in her actions. "I wish to ask of you now that you are free." She looked up at her having seemingly become shorter to get the effect. "Will all living beings be equal under your rule?"

@Sark @Crunch @Yun Lee @Takumi @Capri @Lucky

"The answers you search for?" The Goddess hummed. "They will be revealed to your shortly. You'll know the truth, my wayward daughter..."

When the second passed, the portal ceased to be, and the Inheritor was gone. The possessed marines let out gurgling howls of rage, turning towards the person closest to them (they were dispersed around the room) and lunging towards them with their claws outstretched, intending to disembowel as much meat as they can before the Goddess eradicates them.

But no amount of divine power on her part could reverse the Gift of Chaos. Eliphas made sure of that.

@Jeremi @Sark @Yun Lee @Takumi @Capri @Lucky

"Eliphas, Eliphas, Eliphas..." The Goddess tutted. "Spiteful, to the bitter end."

She surveyed the chaos around here. Foul creatures. Ungodly beasts. It was all so... loud. She needed a moment.

Snap

Everything began to slow. Everything stopped. The beads of sweat on Ferdinand's forehead trickled to a halt. The mutants saliva stopped dripping. The floating rocks stopped spinning. She ran her fingers through her hair and breathed easily again.

"That's better..." She smiled.

She drifted like leaf on the wind. She took Ashe by the hand and brought him back to the center of the room. She took Ferdinand in her arms as if he didn't weight a thing. The dragged Luthor away from the mutants. And Urien. And Mother. And everyone else.

Snap

Time began to crawl forward once again. In the blink of an eye, the Fellowship's troops were gathered at the Goddess' feet.

"My Children..." The Goddess cupped her hands behind her back. "For those among you who still hold doubt in their hearts... let it go. Cast aside your doubt and open your hearts. Believe. Believe what your spirits know to be true..."

She pointed a upwards towards the heavens.

"Believe in the might of your Goddess..."

Even as the beasts began to close in around them, the Goddess was unafraid. She flexed her finger.
View attachment 5137
BOOOOM

The skies above the heavens burst into flames. Hundreds of crackling beams of thunder tore through the clouds. The crimson bolts burned the earth and the air alike. Huge shards of stone fell from the Tomb's weakened ceiling to let the light in. Those among Eliphas' creatures who were unlucky enough to avoid a quick, crushing death were subject to purification. It was agonizing, perhaps even more so than their transformations. Where Eliphas had crumpled them up like paper, the Goddess had shredded them, mixed them into mache, dried them out and ground them back down into dust. She melted the dust into glass, and shaped them into something entirely new. Some clean and clear. Something pure.

The mortal the Goddess had gathered at her feet were spared from the fate of the beasts. The Goddess had sheltered them from another storm.

As the smoke cleared and the afterglow faded away, the Chosen would notice that the creatures had been... transformed.

In place of the chaos marines, now lay mortal men. Humans, unmutated and entirely ordinary. Naked, the slept peacefully among the melted stones. They chests rose and fell slowly. Through some miracle, they were alive.

"You don't need any spells or tricks to know that I speak the truth, child," The Goddess smiled down Jester. "I am the Absolute. She Who Rules the Skies. The Queen of Fire. The Emerald Empress. I am the sword that cuts through the dark. I am the light in the heart of the storm. I am today and tomorrow and yesterday given flesh. I am justice and I am mercy. I am forgiveness. I am grace. I am she who shall bring order to the chaos. Call me what you wish. Mother. Sister. Saint. I am all these things and more. I am the Goddess, child, and I was born to save you- all of you- from yourselves."

"Welcome to the Brave New World, my Chosen,"

"Welcome to the Emerald Empire!"

The Goddess
Act 1- Emerald Dawn
FINALE
THE LINE IN THE SAND

The Line in the Sand has been Drawn.
The Goddess has returned.
The Reign of the Emerald Empire has begun.
The choice you make now will change your life forever.
The Goddess has searched your heart.
She knows what you desire.
She knows the fears you hide.
She knows the hate you harbor.
A choice has presented itself:

Embrace the Goddess. Join the Goddessians. Take your place by her side and become an Emerald Saint.

Reject the Goddess. Join the Secularists. Take your place among them and become a Fallen Angel.

Some of the Chosen have already sinned against the Goddess. Their decision has been made for them, for now.

Emerald Saints
The Goddess snapped her fingers. It had all happened so quickly.
One minute you were standing around in the Tomb, staring and the smoking rocks and sleeping Marines.
The next minute you were standing on the stage at the center of the Wide Council's Chamber, shoulder to shoulder with the Goddessian Council.
Everywhere you turned, you saw seats. To their surprise, ever single member of the Fellowship had been gathered before you.
Everyone. Every solider and guard. Ever Councillor and cleaner. The only people missing were those who had sat upon the Secularist
Council and a few members of the Chosen. Even the spiders that stalked the corners of the library had been transported to the Wider Council Chamber.
It was packed to the brim. The Councillors gossiped and panicked. Some had been plucked from their beds and dinner-tables to be brought here.

The Goddess appeared at the center of the stage in a flash of green. The room went silent.

"I'm back," She smirked. "Your Goddess has returned to you."

A beat.

The crowd erupted once again. Some cheered. Some begged for forgiveness. Others yelled curses. With a another snap of her fingers, she took away their voices.

"Good. At last, some peace and quiet." She stifled a chuckle. "Peace. Yes, we'll have get used to peace, now won't we?"

"The War against the Godless is at an end. The Emerald Flag flies over my Temple. Soon, the Emerald Flag will fly over Hell too, just as it does here. With the thorns removed from out side, we can begin to heal. We can finally rebuild. We can restore the Temple to its former glory. We can returned to the Sacred Path. We can bring Order and Justice to this cold, chaotic multiverse. My Chosen shall become my Emerald Saints, the Flames the Burn in the Dark! Together, we shall purge this world of Evil! Of Injustice! Of the Bile of Sin!"

She gave the Wider Council their voices back. The cheers drowned out the screams. Where they cheering out of love or fear, she wondered? Did it matter? For the first time since its inception, the Fellowship cheered with a single voice. The Goddess raised her hands.

"Today shall be known as the 1st of Kolimensis, the First Year of the Age of the Goddess. It shall mark the start of a new calendar: the Calendar of the Saints!"

The cheering grew louder.

"But, as one son Rises, another must set..."

The Goddess, brought her hands together in prayer. The sword of Azrael appeared before her.

"The Blade of the Traitor shall be reborn, just as it was prophesied. It shall be born anew. I christen her... Righteous Fury, Blade of Justice!"

The Goddess twisted her bound hands. The Righteous Fury multiplied a dozen times. The crimson flames that danced upon their blades began to glow brighter. They took upon an emerald sheen.

"My Saints," The Goddess turned to face her Loyalists, the Chosen and the Goddess Councillors. "Take a Sword. Know what it feels like to hold justice in your hands..."

[Undecided: @Takumi @Capri @Lucky @Raynar Saassin]

Emerald Angels
The Goddess snapped her fingers. It had all happened so quickly.
One minute you were standing around in the Tomb, staring and the smoking rocks and sleeping Marines.
The next minute you were standing in a deep, black void. You couldn't see a hand in front of you.
In deepest corner of the abyss, you could hear voices

"Who? Who's there! Someone better tell me what's going on here r--"

"Urien? Is that--?"

"Seteth?"

"Where are you? I can't--"

"Follow my voice--"

"I can't. I can't pinpoint it...."

"Neither can I..."

"Azrael!"

"I can't see a thing... I can't feel a thing... can't feel my lips... my ears... Fuck, am I still alive?"

"For now, we are... I think...."

"This isn't Hell... It's not Heaven either... Wherever we are, it's not somewhere we want to be... The Question remains: how to we get out?"

@Jeremi --> For the Sin of Murdering an Innocent, Big Mother has been condemned.
@Lucky --> For the Crime of Attempted Regicide, Jester Lavorre has been condemned.
@York --> For the Defection of One Under her Care, Kuro Kyoka has been condemned.
@Capri ---> For her Cowardice and Blasphemy, Maddison Palmer has been condemned.​

 

[Jeremi]

"Mother Mila?" Luthor spat as if the words were poisoning. "Mila is gone, child. The Old Gods mean nothing now. You're right. Placing your faith in them was a fools errand. Mila is not the Goddess. She will never be the Goddess. The lacks her power. She lacks her grace. Ferdinand's life was saved because the Goddess allowed it. We won this war because she willed it. She is the Zero from which all power multiplies. I am sorry that your slow, child mind cannot understand it, but the Goddess is the future. Holding on to the past now is foolish."

The medics sunk their heads in shame. Ferdinand kept his head down, eager to avoid wandering into the mind field that was this conversation.

"And please, don't take your primal frustrations out on the medics. Just because they refuse to lower themselves by calling upon the power of your tainted false-Gods doesn't mean they're not fully capable of saving lives. The elitism perpetrated by you Secularists... it's shameful."

Eli waved to Ashe with the back of his hand, and made his exit without saying another word...


"The answers you search for?" The Goddess hummed. "They will be revealed to your shortly. You'll know the truth, my wayward daughter..."


"Eliphas, Eliphas, Eliphas..." The Goddess tutted. "Spiteful, to the bitter end."

She surveyed the chaos around here. Foul creatures. Ungodly beasts. It was all so... loud. She needed a moment.

Snap

Everything began to slow. Everything stopped. The beads of sweat on Ferdinand's forehead trickled to a halt. The mutants saliva stopped dripping. The floating rocks stopped spinning. She ran her fingers through her hair and breathed easily again.

"That's better..." She smiled.

She drifted like leaf on the wind. She took Ashe by the hand and brought him back to the center of the room. She took Ferdinand in her arms as if he didn't weight a thing. The dragged Luthor away from the mutants. And Urien. And Mother. And everyone else.

Snap

Time began to crawl forward once again. In the blink of an eye, the Fellowship's troops were gathered at the Goddess' feet.

"My Children..." The Goddess cupped her hands behind her back. "For those among you who still hold doubt in their hearts... let it go. Cast aside your doubt and open your hearts. Believe. Believe what your spirits know to be true..."

She pointed a upwards towards the heavens.

"Believe in the might of your Goddess..."

Even as the beasts began to close in around them, the Goddess was unafraid. She flexed her finger.
View attachment 5137
BOOOOM

The skies above the heavens burst into flames. Hundreds of crackling beams of thunder tore through the clouds. The crimson bolts burned the earth and the air alike. Huge shards of stone fell from the Tomb's weakened ceiling to let the light in. Those among Eliphas' creatures who were unlucky enough to avoid a quick, crushing death were subject to purification. It was agonizing, perhaps even more so than their transformations. Where Eliphas had crumpled them up like paper, the Goddess had shredded them, mixed them into mache, dried them out and ground them back down into dust. She melted the dust into glass, and shaped them into something entirely new. Some clean and clear. Something pure.

The mortal the Goddess had gathered at her feet were spared from the fate of the beasts. The Goddess had sheltered them from another storm.

As the smoke cleared and the afterglow faded away, the Chosen would notice that the creatures had been... transformed.

In place of the chaos marines, now lay mortal men. Humans, unmutated and entirely ordinary. Naked, the slept peacefully among the melted stones. They chests rose and fell slowly. Through some miracle, they were alive.

"You don't need any spells or tricks to know that I speak the truth, child," The Goddess smiled down Jester. "I am the Absolute. She Who Rules the Skies. The Queen of Fire. The Emerald Empress. I am the sword that cuts through the dark. I am the light in the heart of the storm. I am today and tomorrow and yesterday given flesh. I am justice and I am mercy. I am forgiveness. I am grace. I am she who shall bring order to the chaos. Call me what you wish. Mother. Sister. Saint. I am all these things and more. I am the Goddess, child, and I was born to save you- all of you- from yourselves."

"Welcome to the Brave New World, my Chosen,"

"Welcome to the Emerald Empire!"

The Goddess
Act 1- Emerald Dawn
FINALE
THE LINE IN THE SAND

The Line in the Sand has been Drawn.
The Goddess has returned.
The Reign of the Emerald Empire has begun.
The choice you make now will change your life forever.
The Goddess has searched your heart.
She knows what you desire.
She knows the fears you hide.
She knows the hate you harbor.
A choice has presented itself:

Embrace the Goddess. Join the Goddessians. Take your place by her side and become an Emerald Saint.

Reject the Goddess. Join the Secularists. Take your place among them and become a Fallen Angel.

Some of the Chosen have already sinned against the Goddess. Their decision has been made for them, for now.

Emerald Saints
The Goddess snapped her fingers. It had all happened so quickly.
One minute you were standing around in the Tomb, staring and the smoking rocks and sleeping Marines.
The next minute you were standing on the stage at the center of the Wide Council's Chamber, shoulder to shoulder with the Goddessian Council.
Everywhere you turned, you saw seats. To their surprise, ever single member of the Fellowship had been gathered before you.
Everyone. Every solider and guard. Ever Councillor and cleaner. The only people missing were those who had sat upon the Secularist
Council and a few members of the Chosen. Even the spiders that stalked the corners of the library had been transported to the Wider Council Chamber.
It was packed to the brim. The Councillors gossiped and panicked. Some had been plucked from their beds and dinner-tables to be brought here.

The Goddess appeared at the center of the stage in a flash of green. The room went silent.

"I'm back," She smirked. "Your Goddess has returned to you."

A beat.

The crowd erupted once again. Some cheered. Some begged for forgiveness. Others yelled curses. With a another snap of her fingers, she took away their voices.

"Good. At last, some peace and quiet." She stifled a chuckle. "Peace. Yes, we'll have get used to peace, now won't we?"

"The War against the Godless is at an end. The Emerald Flag flies over my Temple. Soon, the Emerald Flag will fly over Hell too, just as it does here. With the thorns removed from out side, we can begin to heal. We can finally rebuild. We can restore the Temple to its former glory. We can returned to the Sacred Path. We can bring Order and Justice to this cold, chaotic multiverse. My Chosen shall become my Emerald Saints, the Flames the Burn in the Dark! Together, we shall purge this world of Evil! Of Injustice! Of the Bile of Sin!"

She gave the Wider Council their voices back. The cheers drowned out the screams. Where they cheering out of love or fear, she wondered? Did it matter? For the first time since its inception, the Fellowship cheered with a single voice. The Goddess raised her hands.

"Today shall be known as the 1st of Kolimensis, the First Year of the Age of the Goddess. It shall mark the start of a new calendar: the Calendar of the Saints!"

The cheering grew louder.

"But, as one son Rises, another must set..."

The Goddess, brought her hands together in prayer. The sword of Azrael appeared before her.

"The Blade of the Traitor shall be reborn, just as it was prophesied. It shall be born anew. I christen her... Righteous Fury, Blade of Justice!"

The Goddess twisted her bound hands. The Righteous Fury multiplied a dozen times. The crimson flames that danced upon their blades began to glow brighter. They took upon an emerald sheen.

"My Saints," The Goddess turned to face her Loyalists, the Chosen and the Goddess Councillors. "Take a Sword. Know what it feels like to hold justice in your hands..."

[Undecided: @Takumi @Capri @Lucky @Raynar Saassin]

Emerald Angels
The Goddess snapped her fingers. It had all happened so quickly.
One minute you were standing around in the Tomb, staring and the smoking rocks and sleeping Marines.
The next minute you were standing in a deep, black void. You couldn't see a hand in front of you.
In deepest corner of the abyss, you could hear voices

"Who? Who's there! Someone better tell me what's going on here r--"

"Urien? Is that--?"

"Seteth?"

"Where are you? I can't--"

"Follow my voice--"

"I can't. I can't pinpoint it...."

"Neither can I..."

"Azrael!"

"I can't see a thing... I can't feel a thing... can't feel my lips... my ears... Fuck, am I still alive?"

"For now, we are... I think...."

"This isn't Hell... It's not Heaven either... Wherever we are, it's not somewhere we want to be... The Question remains: how to we get out?"

@Jeremi --> For the Sin of Murdering an Innocent, Big Mother has been condemned.
@Lucky --> For the Crime of Attempted Regicide, Jester Lavorre has been condemned.
@York --> For the Defection of One Under her Care, Kuro Kyoka has been condemned.
@Capri ---> For her Cowardice and Blasphemy, Maddison Palmer has been condemned.​

"And my plan failed," The rest of the people could hear a voice in the darkness. "I was eager to drive a wedge between Luthor and his Goddess before this happened, but I was too slow." Living inside the void and primordial darkness wasn't anything new to Big Mother. "Now all of you stop your sniveling. It's like none of you have ever lived in utter darkness before."

@Sark @Lucky @York @Capri

 

[Capri]

Roman turned away from the person.

“A-actually... on second thought...”

---

ROMAN HALLIDAY
EMERALD SAINT
“W-WAIT!!!”

Roman ran back into the tomb.

“I-I’m sorry for ever d-doubting you! I want to serve you, my Goddess!”

It has been decided... Roman chose to be a Goddessian.

He looks up and takes a sword. He hopes this is the safer option. He hopes he can make up for his cowardice.

---

MADDIE PALMER
EMERALD ANGEL
Maddie’s coughs echo through the void.

She seems one of the least confused here.

“G-god Damn! B-Big Mother? Is that you? This is death, right?”

@Jeremi @Lucky @York​

 

[Takumi]

"Mother Mila?" Luthor spat as if the words were poisoning. "Mila is gone, child. The Old Gods mean nothing now. You're right. Placing your faith in them was a fools errand. Mila is not the Goddess. She will never be the Goddess. The lacks her power. She lacks her grace. Ferdinand's life was saved because the Goddess allowed it. We won this war because she willed it. She is the Zero from which all power multiplies. I am sorry that your slow, child mind cannot understand it, but the Goddess is the future. Holding on to the past now is foolish."

The medics sunk their heads in shame. Ferdinand kept his head down, eager to avoid wandering into the mind field that was this conversation.

"And please, don't take your primal frustrations out on the medics. Just because they refuse to lower themselves by calling upon the power of your tainted false-Gods doesn't mean they're not fully capable of saving lives. The elitism perpetrated by you Secularists... it's shameful."

Eli waved to Ashe with the back of his hand, and made his exit without saying another word...


"The answers you search for?" The Goddess hummed. "They will be revealed to your shortly. You'll know the truth, my wayward daughter..."


"Eliphas, Eliphas, Eliphas..." The Goddess tutted. "Spiteful, to the bitter end."

She surveyed the chaos around here. Foul creatures. Ungodly beasts. It was all so... loud. She needed a moment.

Snap

Everything began to slow. Everything stopped. The beads of sweat on Ferdinand's forehead trickled to a halt. The mutants saliva stopped dripping. The floating rocks stopped spinning. She ran her fingers through her hair and breathed easily again.

"That's better..." She smiled.

She drifted like leaf on the wind. She took Ashe by the hand and brought him back to the center of the room. She took Ferdinand in her arms as if he didn't weight a thing. The dragged Luthor away from the mutants. And Urien. And Mother. And everyone else.

Snap

Time began to crawl forward once again. In the blink of an eye, the Fellowship's troops were gathered at the Goddess' feet.

"My Children..." The Goddess cupped her hands behind her back. "For those among you who still hold doubt in their hearts... let it go. Cast aside your doubt and open your hearts. Believe. Believe what your spirits know to be true..."

She pointed a upwards towards the heavens.

"Believe in the might of your Goddess..."

Even as the beasts began to close in around them, the Goddess was unafraid. She flexed her finger.
View attachment 5137
BOOOOM

The skies above the heavens burst into flames. Hundreds of crackling beams of thunder tore through the clouds. The crimson bolts burned the earth and the air alike. Huge shards of stone fell from the Tomb's weakened ceiling to let the light in. Those among Eliphas' creatures who were unlucky enough to avoid a quick, crushing death were subject to purification. It was agonizing, perhaps even more so than their transformations. Where Eliphas had crumpled them up like paper, the Goddess had shredded them, mixed them into mache, dried them out and ground them back down into dust. She melted the dust into glass, and shaped them into something entirely new. Some clean and clear. Something pure.

The mortal the Goddess had gathered at her feet were spared from the fate of the beasts. The Goddess had sheltered them from another storm.

As the smoke cleared and the afterglow faded away, the Chosen would notice that the creatures had been... transformed.

In place of the chaos marines, now lay mortal men. Humans, unmutated and entirely ordinary. Naked, the slept peacefully among the melted stones. They chests rose and fell slowly. Through some miracle, they were alive.

"You don't need any spells or tricks to know that I speak the truth, child," The Goddess smiled down Jester. "I am the Absolute. She Who Rules the Skies. The Queen of Fire. The Emerald Empress. I am the sword that cuts through the dark. I am the light in the heart of the storm. I am today and tomorrow and yesterday given flesh. I am justice and I am mercy. I am forgiveness. I am grace. I am she who shall bring order to the chaos. Call me what you wish. Mother. Sister. Saint. I am all these things and more. I am the Goddess, child, and I was born to save you- all of you- from yourselves."

"Welcome to the Brave New World, my Chosen,"

"Welcome to the Emerald Empire!"

The Goddess
Act 1- Emerald Dawn
FINALE
THE LINE IN THE SAND

The Line in the Sand has been Drawn.
The Goddess has returned.
The Reign of the Emerald Empire has begun.
The choice you make now will change your life forever.
The Goddess has searched your heart.
She knows what you desire.
She knows the fears you hide.
She knows the hate you harbor.
A choice has presented itself:

Embrace the Goddess. Join the Goddessians. Take your place by her side and become an Emerald Saint.

Reject the Goddess. Join the Secularists. Take your place among them and become a Fallen Angel.

Some of the Chosen have already sinned against the Goddess. Their decision has been made for them, for now.

Emerald Saints
The Goddess snapped her fingers. It had all happened so quickly.
One minute you were standing around in the Tomb, staring and the smoking rocks and sleeping Marines.
The next minute you were standing on the stage at the center of the Wide Council's Chamber, shoulder to shoulder with the Goddessian Council.
Everywhere you turned, you saw seats. To their surprise, ever single member of the Fellowship had been gathered before you.
Everyone. Every solider and guard. Ever Councillor and cleaner. The only people missing were those who had sat upon the Secularist
Council and a few members of the Chosen. Even the spiders that stalked the corners of the library had been transported to the Wider Council Chamber.
It was packed to the brim. The Councillors gossiped and panicked. Some had been plucked from their beds and dinner-tables to be brought here.

The Goddess appeared at the center of the stage in a flash of green. The room went silent.

"I'm back," She smirked. "Your Goddess has returned to you."

A beat.

The crowd erupted once again. Some cheered. Some begged for forgiveness. Others yelled curses. With a another snap of her fingers, she took away their voices.

"Good. At last, some peace and quiet." She stifled a chuckle. "Peace. Yes, we'll have get used to peace, now won't we?"

"The War against the Godless is at an end. The Emerald Flag flies over my Temple. Soon, the Emerald Flag will fly over Hell too, just as it does here. With the thorns removed from out side, we can begin to heal. We can finally rebuild. We can restore the Temple to its former glory. We can returned to the Sacred Path. We can bring Order and Justice to this cold, chaotic multiverse. My Chosen shall become my Emerald Saints, the Flames the Burn in the Dark! Together, we shall purge this world of Evil! Of Injustice! Of the Bile of Sin!"

She gave the Wider Council their voices back. The cheers drowned out the screams. Where they cheering out of love or fear, she wondered? Did it matter? For the first time since its inception, the Fellowship cheered with a single voice. The Goddess raised her hands.

"Today shall be known as the 1st of Kolimensis, the First Year of the Age of the Goddess. It shall mark the start of a new calendar: the Calendar of the Saints!"

The cheering grew louder.

"But, as one son Rises, another must set..."

The Goddess, brought her hands together in prayer. The sword of Azrael appeared before her.

"The Blade of the Traitor shall be reborn, just as it was prophesied. It shall be born anew. I christen her... Righteous Fury, Blade of Justice!"

The Goddess twisted her bound hands. The Righteous Fury multiplied a dozen times. The crimson flames that danced upon their blades began to glow brighter. They took upon an emerald sheen.

"My Saints," The Goddess turned to face her Loyalists, the Chosen and the Goddess Councillors. "Take a Sword. Know what it feels like to hold justice in your hands..."

[Undecided: @Takumi @Capri @Lucky @Raynar Saassin]

Emerald Angels
The Goddess snapped her fingers. It had all happened so quickly.
One minute you were standing around in the Tomb, staring and the smoking rocks and sleeping Marines.
The next minute you were standing in a deep, black void. You couldn't see a hand in front of you.
In deepest corner of the abyss, you could hear voices

"Who? Who's there! Someone better tell me what's going on here r--"

"Urien? Is that--?"

"Seteth?"

"Where are you? I can't--"

"Follow my voice--"

"I can't. I can't pinpoint it...."

"Neither can I..."

"Azrael!"

"I can't see a thing... I can't feel a thing... can't feel my lips... my ears... Fuck, am I still alive?"

"For now, we are... I think...."

"This isn't Hell... It's not Heaven either... Wherever we are, it's not somewhere we want to be... The Question remains: how to we get out?"

@Jeremi --> For the Sin of Murdering an Innocent, Big Mother has been condemned.
@Lucky --> For the Crime of Attempted Regicide, Jester Lavorre has been condemned.
@York --> For the Defection of One Under her Care, Kuro Kyoka has been condemned.
@Capri ---> For her Cowardice and Blasphemy, Maddison Palmer has been condemned.​

"..."

Silque didn't say a word for a moment, shocked into silence as she stared at Luthor. The sounds of the chaos Marines was white noise as she shook then. How dare he? How dare he?

She approached the man, and slapped him. She didn't care of he retaliated with words about her actions, she didn't care anymore.

"You have no right to say such things of Mother Mila!" She hissed, shaking hands curling into white knuckled fists as tears began to pool in the corner of her eyes. He could say what he wanted about her, he could insult her and call her a child, but to attack her faith and her goddess who had helped her when her own mother left her behind was the final straw on the camel's back. His words were like poison, and it left her cold and numb. Lonely.

His words brought a sense of loneliness that she hadn't felt in a long time. The Goddess before her, the warmth Silque once felt from her didn't reach her. Not anymore.

Congratulations, Luthor, for making a nineteen year old cleric hit a low point with only a few words.

"Do remember that the power of my "tainted" goddess is what helped Ferdinand when the medics alone could not, not just the will of your Goddess. I did not intend to insult them, in fact, I simply wished to help them with thr young man's recovery, as I stated moments before you insulted Mother Mila." She snapped.

"The shameful one here is you. Are you happy to have made someone almost cry with your words? There is no difference between you and Urien when it comes to being so engrossed in yourself in these times. I was willing to give your Goddess a chance, to see her as a sister to Mila, perhaps, but if someone like you is there to represent her and her teachings I'd rather die than have any part of it." She was done, with the Goddessian Council with the Secularists. All of them. It was too much, it was draining.

"If I am the fool for clinging to Mother Mila's hand then you are as big a fool as I am." She concluded. She was done with this conversation, she couldn't even look at him anymore. Kolin was right, the Council needed an overhaul, if these were the people leading it. Her shoulders slumped, as a shaky breath left her and she quickly scrubbed at her eyes. Whatever came next? It ultimately didn't matter.

She wanted to see the Goddess as a sister to Mila, she really did, but maybe it was for the best that she didn't. Who knew? She didn't, the path before her was gone.

Lost and alone, even with so many nearby. A child without her mother's embrace. Maybe she was a fool for thinking that any of them could coexist. Maybe she was wrong. Closing her eyes, Silque's body relaxed. It was odd, feeling...not at peace, but something close. She won't let anyone else feel such loneliness, no matter if the teachings were the Goddess' or Mila's. She'd side with the Goddessians, even if the damage was done.

She would follow the Goddess, but keep Mila close to her heart. Always. Everything was a blur between her decision and the...celebration of the Goddess' return. She stared at the swords blankly for a moment, then hesitated as she touched one.

Ashe wanted to check on Ferdinand, but he'd do so after all of this. Then perhaps afterwards he could sleep and rest. It felt as if he hadn't slept in days, and the feeling of the Goddess' hand on his wrist still tingled with warmth. Vaguely, he worried about Maddie as he couldn't spot her.

@Sark @Capri @Others

 

[Lucky]

Jester Lavorre

" Of course there weren't any truths in her words. I didn't need a spell to tell you that, but you are right, I have known the dark before Big Mother. I followed the Traveler because I wanted to see things in balance. I thought the Goddess was like the Traveler, hoping to bring a balance to the world. What a fool I was. But what the Goddess didn't know or rather maybe she did, the Traveler isn't a god. Well, not yet. You can't condemn a man who isn't yet. But he is my god. " Jester would take a moment to close her eyes and used a spell. Daylight. A spell that allowed her to see 60 feet in front of the darkness. " Traveller, be my guiding light in the darkness. Life needs things to keep living."

@Sark @Capri @Jeremi

Beau

" I am not sure that this is the right choice." She took a dep breath and took the sword regardless.

@Sark

 

[Sark]

Beau

" I am not sure that this is the right choice." She took a dep breath and took the sword regardless.

@Sark

"Have faith," The Goddess whispered to Beau as she passed her a Righteous Fury. "There has never been a threat in this multiverse that can't be defeated by patience and faith. Welcome to tomorrow," The Goddess bowed before Beau. "Welcome to tomorrow, Saint Quaerentem."

W-WAIT!!!”

Roman ran back into the tomb.

“I-I’m sorry for ever d-doubting you! I want to serve you, my Goddess!”

It has been decided... Roman chose to be a Goddessian.

He looks up and takes a sword. He hopes this is the safer option. He hopes he can make up for his cowardice.

"I always knew would choose the Righteous Path, my son." The Goddess smiled. She placed has hand upon his shoulder and pulled him into an embrace. "Welcome to tomorrow," The Goddess bowed down before Roman. "Welcome to tomorrow, Saint Pius."

She would follow the Goddess, but keep Mila close to her heart. Always. Everything was a blur between her decision and the...celebration of the Goddess' return. She stared at the swords blankly for a moment, then hesitated as she touched one.

"I know this is hard for you, my daughter." The Goddess whispered sweetly. "The situation you have found yourself in its... less that ideal, I know. But I pray that you shall not judge my followers by the worse among us. We can accomplish great things together, you and I. Beyond Luthor. Beyond War and Woe. You and I can change the world. Welcome to tomorrow," The Goddess bowed down before Silque. "Welcome to Tomorrow, Saint Messis."

"And Ashe, my boy. You've remained strong in the face of death, time and time again. Through it all, you've managed to hold on to your soul. You, my boy, are incredible. Welcome home," The Godddess bowed down before Ashe. "Welcome to tomorrow, Saint Totius..."


The Goddess made her way across the stage and passed the Righteous Furies to the rest of her Saints.
To Gohan.
"Welcome to Tomorrow, Saint Iustitia."
To Fate.
"Welcome to Tomorrow, Saint Vaticinium."
To Luthor.
"Welcome to Tomorrow, Saint Fidelitas."

Lex wrapped his fingers around the hilt of his blade. The Goddess refused to let go for a moment.

"Use it wisely, Fidelitas. Though this steel can cut deeply, your words have caused more harm that you know."
Luthor's brow furrowed.
The Goddess released her hold over the weapon. Luthor's body weight shifted back, the force of his pull knocking him off balance a little.

"Now that we're all settled, it's time we got to work..."

"And my plan failed," The rest of the people could hear a voice in the darkness. "I was eager to drive a wedge between Luthor and his Goddess before this happened, but I was too slow." Living inside the void and primordial darkness wasn't anything new to Big Mother. "Now all of you stop your sniveling. It's like none of you have ever lived in utter darkness before."

Jester Lavorre

" Of course there weren't any truths in her words. I didn't need a spell to tell you that, but you are right, I have known the dark before Big Mother. I followed the Traveler because I wanted to see things in balance. I thought the Goddess was like the Traveler, hoping to bring a balance to the world. What a fool I was. But what the Goddess didn't know or rather maybe she did, the Traveler isn't a god. Well, not yet. You can't condemn a man who isn't yet. But he is my god. " Jester would take a moment to close her eyes and used a spell. Daylight. A spell that allowed her to see 60 feet in front of the darkness. " Traveller, be my guiding light in the darkness. Life needs things to keep living."

EMERALD ANGEL
Maddie’s coughs echo through the void.

She seems one of the least confused here.

“G-god Damn! B-Big Mother? Is that you? This is death, right?”

@Jeremi @Lucky @York

"You'll have to forgive us for being being unnerved by this development." Seteth snapped through the black. He bit his tongue and did his best to focus. "Bickering will do us no good."

Despite Jester's best efforts, no light burned in the black.
The void wasn't a dark. They were blind, not from a black of light, but from a lack of anything.
The Secularists has been removed from their bodies. They were just sparks of consciousness floating in an abyss.
There was nothing to light up.

"Wait... What's that?"

"A light?"

"Jester, it's working!"

"Is it the Traveler?"

"Wait... no..."

"What? What is it?"

"That light... it's emerald..."

The Green Spark grew brighter and brighter by the second. Before they could cry out, the Secularists were consumed the by Emerald Glow. The felt their spirits being dragged forth across the void.

They were stretched and twisted and turned inside out and the right way in and mashed and flattened and blown up and shredded and pulped and softened and hardened and frozen and thawed and...

[BOOOM]

When the Saint's took the swords in their hands, several green beams of light rattled and leaped from their blades. Wind roared. The stage shook. The beams struck the floorboards and transformed took human form.

The Angels appeared before the Saints. The Goddess snapped her fingers. Iron chains clamped and bound their wrists.

"Right on Queue. Here they are..."
The Goddess paced the stage. Glaring at the Secularists as she marched.
View attachment 5151
"The War Criminal. He who incited rebellion for his own ends. How many died in your name Urien?"
The Vice President grunted in response.
View attachment 5153
"The Politician. Urien kindled the flames, but you, Seteth? You were the spark. Always wanting things done 'your way'. Always undermining my Goddessians. Always scheming against them. You lead the Secularist Forces in the Battle of the Tomb. You would have sooner seen me dead than liberated. I wonder what is in store for you?"
View attachment 5154
"The Spy-Mistress. The Great Deceiver. Veranke, your ilk betrayed the Fellowship and everything it stood for. Your children infiltrated the council. You impersonated your fellow councilors to spread dissent. What do you have to say for yourself? How do you justify your behavior? How do you explain away your sins?"
View attachment 5155
"The Traitor. He who raised his blade against his brothers. He who, rather than face the consequences of his actions, defected to the enemy. Revel in your shame, turncoat. Revel in your shame..."
View attachment 5156
"The Murderess? Izana's blood stains your hands! You stood with Urien. You would have killed my loyal children were it not for the sacrifice of Noble Ferdinand. You, Mother, are a monster, foul and cruel."

"And Jester... What does destiny have in store for you? You turned her spells against Saint Fidelitas. To raise arms against one of my Chosen... regicide..."

"And the coward.... Maddison! What fate shall befall this accursed child? You, who drank and bathed whilst you brothers and sisters died! How many died for the want of a healers hands? How many died because of this child's cowardice?"

The Goddess turned back to her Saints, her loyal Chosen.

"It is as I said, my Saints. For one Sun to rise, another must set. The New World cannot thrive whilst the old one still lives. The time has come. I trust their fates to you. Death, Eternal Imprisonment, Exile. Take your blades. Make your choice. Rain Righteous Fury upon those who would taint paradise with their sins..."

"Let us start with Urien. What fate should befall he who started it all?"

@Yun Lee @Takumi @Capri @Lucky @Jeremi​

 

[Yun Lee]

This wasn't right. This...it didn't feel right. Kolin had wanted reformation, not...this. The Goddess...to put these people on trial, to decide it was us or them. Yes, some of them deserved to answer for their crimes. But Seteth? He had been looking out for his child, he had been willing to listen... And Jester, Kolin had heard what had happened. The way Luthor had acted out there, no wonder she had been worried. Was there any need to punish her the way they would Urien and Mother?

Throughout all this, Kolin refused to touch the sword. How could she? She was no Saint. In opening the tomb, in stopping Eliphas, she had caused...this. But she needed to at least answer for it. And she would, not as Saint Whoever, but as herself. Kolin. She couldn't just stay silent. "If I may...with regards to Urien, I would request he be sent to my own world, for our Society to deal with. Our elders will deal with his behavior in the Multiverse." A pause. "...I do not think there is any need for death of any of these people. There are those who acted out of good intent, I...we have had enough bloodshed already, have we not? Can we start this new age with mercy?"

@Sark @Yun Lee @Takumi @Capri @Lucky @Jeremi​

 

[Sark]

This wasn't right. This...it didn't feel right. Kolin had wanted reformation, not...this. The Goddess...to put these people on trial, to decide it was us or them. Yes, some of them deserved to answer for their crimes. But Seteth? He had been looking out for his child, he had been willing to listen... And Jester, Kolin had heard what had happened. The way Luthor had acted out there, no wonder she had been worried. Was there any need to punish her the way they would Urien and Mother?

Throughout all this, Kolin refused to touch the sword. How could she? She was no Saint. In opening the tomb, in stopping Eliphas, she had caused...this. But she needed to at least answer for it. And she would, not as Saint Whoever, but as herself. Kolin. She couldn't just stay silent. "If I may...with regards to Urien, I would request he be sent to my own world, for our Society to deal with. Our elders will deal with his behavior in the Multiverse." A pause. "...I do not think there is any need for death of any of these people. There are those who acted out of good intent, I...we have had enough bloodshed already, have we not? Can we start this new age with mercy?"

@Sark @Yun Lee @Takumi @Capri @Lucky @Jeremi​

"Mercy?" The Goddess queried. "Mercy should be saved for those who deserve it. The poor. The downtrodden. The denied. It is they who we should be reserving our sympathies for. Not these... criminals. These murderers and murderesses. These terrorists and tinkerers. No. They chose this path. They must reap what they have sown."

"The punishments these souls are to endure? They must match their crimes. I will not settle for any fate less than exile. If you believe that these men and women can change, it is up to you to call for their repentance. Though, I fear that your cries may fall upon deaf ears."

"At last..." Urien glared up at Kolin from his spot on the floor. "Something the heaven and I can agree on."

"Silence, Urien!" Seteth spat. "You'll get us all killed!"

"I'd rather die than kneel before that creature!" Urien hissed. Was he talking about the Goddess or Kolin? "I've spent a lifetime building my empire. In the Society. In the Fellowship. I won't sit idle whilst a band of witches dismantle all I've earned! No. I won't returned to the Society, Oh Mighty Saint. I shan't grovel at my brother's feet, and I certainty won't grovel at yours!"


"Urien!" Seteth howled."That's enough!"

"Kolin!" Urien snarled. "Take the sword and shatter my chains. Set me free. Call it exile. Call it whatever you like. But know that the moment I leave this place, I will return to my quest. So long as there is blood in my veins, I will defy the Goddess. I will defy the Emerald Empire. Most Importantly, I will defy you."

"Urien!"

"Kill me, Kolin! Do it! Show the Multiverse the barbarian you truly are! Show the World! The Society! Show Gill the monster that lurks beneath the surface!" He screeched. "Do it!"

@Yun Lee​

 

[Jeremi]

"Mercy?" The Goddess queried. "Mercy should be saved for those who deserve it. The poor. The downtrodden. The denied. It is they who we should be reserving our sympathies for. Not these... criminals. These murderers and murderesses. These terrorists and tinkerers. No. They chose this path. They must reap what they have sown."

"The punishments these souls are to endure? They must match their crimes. I will not settle for any fate less than exile. If you believe that these men and women can change, it is up to you to call for their repentance. Though, I fear that your cries may fall upon deaf ears."

"At last..." Urien glared up at Kolin from his spot on the floor. "Something the heaven and I can agree on."

"Silence, Urien!" Seteth spat. "You'll get us all killed!"

"I'd rather die than kneel before that creature!" Urien hissed. Was he talking about the Goddess or Kolin? "I've spent a lifetime building my empire. In the Society. In the Fellowship. I won't sit idle whilst a band of witches dismantle all I've earned! No. I won't returned to the Society, Oh Mighty Saint. I shan't grovel at my brother's feet, and I certainty won't grovel at yours!"


"Urien!" Seteth howled."That's enough!"

"Kolin!" Urien snarled. "Take the sword and shatter my chains. Set me free. Call it exile. Call it whatever you like. But know that the moment I leave this place, I will return to my quest. So long as there is blood in my veins, I will defy the Goddess. I will defy the Emerald Empire. Most Importantly, I will defy you."

"Urien!"

"Kill me, Kolin! Do it! Show the Multiverse the barbarian you truly are! Show the World! The Society! Show Gill the monster that lurks beneath the surface!" He screeched. "Do it!"

@Yun Lee​

"Kolin, if I may?" Big Mother remarked calmly as she looked over to Urien. "Be silent you loud obnoxious monkey and let me handle this." Next, she turned towards the Goddess. "Oh Goddess, my crime was that I killed a man in cold blood? But yet, he walks among us. Not as arrogant as he was before but...you could take care of that, couldn't you? With your powers, it would be easy to remove Izana's trauma of what happened to him. I wonder why that hasn't happened yet?"

Then her mind drifted to before, before the banishment. "You told me that all would be clear soon enough, but my question still stands. Are your followers all equal under you? I realize my arrogant words but if I am to die anyway. Consider this a woman's dying wishes...To get an understanding of your dogma."

@Sark @Yun Lee

 

[Yun Lee]

Kolin put her hands behind her back, but only so no one could see her dig her nails into her palms. It was self-restraint, the kind she so desperately lacked in the tomb when she unleashed all this. But here? Now? She didn't want to give Urien what he wanted. He wanted a reaction. He always did. Some way to prove that every nasty thing he said about her was right. But she refused to give it to him. She refused. She may have her own misgivings over all of this, but Urien was one she had no misconceptions about. He deserved to be here.

Mother spoke, and Kolin used that time to cool down. To consider her options. "I believe that mercy and redemption is case-by-case," she said finally. "I personally do not wish for any death for any of the accused. But..." She looked to Urien. "If the majority chooses to spare him, as well...I have a suggestion as to what we must do if he keeps his life."

@Sark @Yun Lee @Takumi @Capri @Lucky @Jeremi​

 

[Sark]

"Kolin, if I may?" Big Mother remarked calmly as she looked over to Urien. "Be silent you loud obnoxious monkey and let me handle this." Next, she turned towards the Goddess. "Oh Goddess, my crime was that I killed a man in cold blood? But yet, he walks among us. Not as arrogant as he was before but...you could take care of that, couldn't you? With your powers, it would be easy to remove Izana's trauma of what happened to him. I wonder why that hasn't happened yet?"

Then her mind drifted to before, before the banishment. "You told me that all would be clear soon enough, but my question still stands. Are your followers all equal under you? I realize my arrogant words but if I am to die anyway. Consider this a woman's dying wishes...To get an understanding of your dogma."

@Sark @Yun Lee

View attachment 5157
"Pretty soon, my monkey-brain is going to be splattered across the tiles, so be my guest, Mother," Urien bared his teeth and tensed his brow. "Go. Say your piece."

"True." The Goddess spoke over Urien. "Izana lives again, thanks to Saint Messis' efforts. Freeing the legions of Hell was reckless, but I'll admit that you acted with compassion. Whether it was your intention or not, taking the throne of Hell helped to make up for your Sin. When the time comes, I shall turn my healing hand to Izana. Should he forgive you, I shall strike this crime from your record."

"However, you are yet to provide me with an excuse for your behavior at the Tomb. You fought against my followers. You attempted to keep me imprisoned. You made an Saint Fidelitas' life, and in doing so, you placed Ferdinand, Saint Totius and some of your own allies at risk. You have proven time and time again that you cannot be trusted. You are a danger to all who cross your path, friend and foe alike. I fear that you are too dangerous to be left alive. Still. Your fate is not mine to decide."
"As for your other question, you can die peacefully that all who accept my justice will life freely and equally. Those who refrain from harming others will be free to do as they will. Those who seek to harm others and those who resist me? They shall face the Empress' Wrath. All who live beneath my Saints and I are equal, Mother. The world you desire shall come to pass. It is a shame that you will not be a part of it..."

Mother spoke, and Kolin used that time to cool down. To consider her options. "I believe that mercy and redemption is case-by-case," she said finally. "I personally do not wish for any death for any of the accused. But..." She looked to Urien. "If the majority chooses to spare him, as well...I have a suggestion as to what we must do if he keeps his life."

@Sark @Yun Lee @Takumi @Capri @Lucky @Jeremi

The corners of the Goddess' mouth twisted slightly. She gave Kolin a pensive stare.

"Oh?" She hummed innocently. "And what fate would you choose for these traitors, my daughter? And what of him? What does dear Urien deserve?"

@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Takumi @Capri @Lucky​

 

[Jeremi]

View attachment 5157
"Pretty soon, my monkey-brain is going to be splattered across the tiles, so be my guest, Mother," Urien bared his teeth and tensed his brow. "Go. Say your piece."

"True." The Goddess spoke over Urien. "Izana lives again, thanks to Saint Messis' efforts. Freeing the legions of Hell was reckless, but I'll admit that you acted with compassion. Whether it was your intention or not, taking the throne of Hell helped to make up for your Sin. When the time comes, I shall turn my healing hand to Izana. Should he forgive you, I shall strike this crime from your record."

"However, you are yet to provide me with an excuse for your behavior at the Tomb. You fought against my followers. You attempted to keep me imprisoned. You made an Saint Fidelitas' life, and in doing so, you placed Ferdinand, Saint Totius and some of your own allies at risk. You have proven time and time again that you cannot be trusted. You are a danger to all who cross your path, friend and foe alike. I fear that you are too dangerous to be left alive. Still. Your fate is not mine to decide."
"As for your other question, you can die peacefully that all who accept my justice will life freely and equally. Those who refrain from harming others will be free to do as they will. Those who seek to harm others and those who resist me? They shall face the Empress' Wrath. All who live beneath my Saints and I are equal, Mother. The world you desire shall come to pass. It is a shame that you will not be a part of it..."


The corners of the Goddess' mouth twisted slightly. She gave Kolin a pensive stare.

"Oh?" She hummed innocently. "And what fate would you choose for these traitors, my daughter? And what of him? What does dear Urien deserve?"

@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Takumi @Capri @Lucky​

"In time? Well, you are after all the Goddess. You should know what to do." There it was. She looked at Luthor before she continued. "All beneath your Saints and yourself are equal, was it? So anyone else, try as they might, doing everything for you to see your world come to life can never. Ever. Actually climb up next to you to be seen as equals? Even if the Saints have done nothing in your service? Even at times question your gifts they are still somehow more equal than someone truly devout? Their only goal in life is to see your will be done? Yet somehow...they still don't matter more than others? As for why I rejected you Goddess. I find you to be just another Mephisto. Your visage might betray you but your soul is as dark and twisted as any hell lord, and I want no part of that."

@Sark @Yun Lee @Jeremi @Takumi @Capri @Lucky

 

[Yun Lee]

"Urien...though he is in chains, I am afraid we've failed to eliminate his most potent weapon. This same weapon he's used for years to get him where he's been his entire life. The same weapon he used to divide the Fellowship deeper than it has ever been before. The weapon he sharpens on me, multiple times even within the same day. I speak, of course, of his tongue. No matter what course of action we take, I think it in our best interests to remove it, so that no longer can he bear to blaspheme against you."

It would be at about this point that those in chains would start to feel their wrists get a bit...cold. Almost as if the temperature from under the iron shackles was starting to reach below zero. It was a gradual, slow thing, done very slowly in order to keep from being suspect. But all the same, Kolin didn't waver in her speech or mannerisms. "Now, onto Seteth, here is my suggestion for his fate..."

If there was any time to make a move of any sort...it would need to be done swiftly.

@Sark @Yun Lee @Takumi @Capri @Lucky @Jeremi​

 

[Sark]

"In time? Well, you are after all the Goddess. You should know what to do." There it was. She looked at Luthor before she continued. "All beneath your Saints and yourself are equal, was it? So anyone else, try as they might, doing everything for you to see your world come to life can never. Ever. Actually climb up next to you to be seen as equals? Even if the Saints have done nothing in your service? Even at times question your gifts they are still somehow more equal than someone truly devout? Their only goal in life is to see your will be done? Yet somehow...they still don't matter more than others? As for why I rejected you Goddess. I find you to be just another Mephisto. Your visage might betray you but your soul is as dark and twisted as any hell lord, and I want no part of that."

@Sark @Yun Lee @Jeremi @Takumi @Capri @Lucky

"Tell me, Mother: do you like the sound of your own voice, or do you simply loath the silence that comes in its absence?"

The Goddess crouched down beside Mother and leaned in close.

"In the world that came before, nobody had the chance to ascend to the highest seats in the multiverse. Those who governed that world were born with their power. They inherited it. Kings? The Super-Powered? A mortal of humble origins could never compete with these beings. In the world to come? All will have a chance to rise. The power I gave Roman? The Magic? The Second Life? I could share that with thousands. The oppressed will be freed. Slaves will become Masters. Under my rule, the worthy shall become nobles. The power of the Imperials will be second to mine and mine alone. You're right- they will never be kings. They will never be Gods. That burden is mine and mine alone. But they will be able to rise far higher than they ever have before. Or would you rather have those born in the dirt die in it? The only system was broken, Mother. You can called me 'Mephisto' all you like, but those who defend the Hell that is the Old World? You are the true demons."

"Urien...though he is in chains, I am afraid we've failed to eliminate his most potent weapon. This same weapon he's used for years to get him where he's been his entire life. The same weapon he used to divide the Fellowship deeper than it has ever been before. The weapon he sharpens on me, multiple times even within the same day. I speak, of course, of his tongue. No matter what course of action we take, I think it in our best interests to remove it, so that no longer can he bear to blaspheme against you."

It would be at about this point that those in chains would start to feel their wrists get a bit...cold. Almost as if the temperature from under the iron shackles was starting to reach below zero. It was a gradual, slow thing, done very slowly in order to keep from being suspect. But all the same, Kolin didn't waver in her speech or mannerisms. "Now, onto Seteth, here is my suggestion for his fate..."

If there was any time to make a move of any sort...it would need to be done swiftly.

@Sark @Yun Lee @Takumi @Capri @Lucky @Jeremi

The Goddess froze for a moment. She took in what Kolin said. She processed it. She smiled.

"Truly, you are the Wisest of the Saints, my daughter. Mercy without weakness is a rare thing."

[Click]

"You worthless, filthy bi--" Urien choked. He opened his mouth to cry out. To curse. To beg. To scream. No noise came out. The fury that marked his face faded. It was replaced my abstract terror agony. He looked up to Kolin, almost pleading with her. The carpet had been pulled out from beneath him. His eyes fell to the floor.

For a moment, he succumbed to defeat. He slumped his head in shame. He uncoiled his fingers. He released his tense, wet brow.

But then that moment passed.
View attachment 5158
Hate began to burn behind Urien's eyes once again. He screamed silently at Kolin, baring his empty mouth for all too see.
He pulled his full strength against his chains, desperately trying to pry them from the floorboards and strike out at his former subordinate.
The Goddess flicked his forehead and, in a single blow, rendered him unconscious.

"Thank you, Saints. You just struck a mighty blow to Sin, tonight. Now... Seteth... what fate should befall this schemer?"

@Yun Lee @Takumi @Capri @Lucky @Jeremi​

 

[Jeremi]

"Tell me, Mother: do you like the sound of your own voice, or do you simply loath the silence that comes in its absence?"

The Goddess crouched down beside Mother and leaned in close.

"In the world that came before, nobody had the chance to ascend to the highest seats in the multiverse. Those who governed that world were born with their power. They inherited it. Kings? The Super-Powered? A mortal of humble origins could never compete with these beings. In the world to come? All will have a chance to rise. The power I gave Roman? The Magic? The Second Life? I could share that with thousands. The oppressed will be freed. Slaves will become Masters. Under my rule, the worthy shall become nobles. The power of the Imperials will be second to mine and mine alone. You're right- they will never be kings. They will never be Gods. That burden is mine and mine alone. But they will be able to rise far higher than they ever have before. Or would you rather have those born in the dirt die in it? The only system was broken, Mother. You can called me 'Mephisto' all you like, but those who defend the Hell that is the Old World? You are the true demons."


The Goddess froze for a moment. She took in what Kolin said. She processed it. She smiled.

"Truly, you are the Wisest of the Saints, my daughter. Mercy without weakness is a rare thing."

[Click]

"You worthless, filthy bi--" Urien choked. He opened his mouth to cry out. To curse. To beg. To scream. No noise came out. The fury that marked his face faded. It was replaced my abstract terror agony. He looked up to Kolin, almost pleading with her. The carpet had been pulled out from beneath him. His eyes fell to the floor.

For a moment, he succumbed to defeat. He slumped his head in shame. He uncoiled his fingers. He released his tense, wet brow.

But then that moment passed.
View attachment 5158
Hate began to burn behind Urien's eyes once again. He screamed silently at Kolin, baring his empty mouth for all too see.
He pulled his full strength against his chains, desperately trying to pry them from the floorboards and strike out at his former subordinate.
The Goddess flicked his forehead and, in a single blow, rendered him unconscious.

"Thank you, Saints. You just struck a mighty blow to Sin, tonight. Now... Seteth... what fate should befall this schemer?"

@Yun Lee @Takumi @Capri @Lucky @Jeremi​

"Ego," Big Mother spat. "Just like everyone else. Your hubris blinds you to your own faults. If you were the true and good being you dictate yourself to be, you wouldn't string up your foes in this mock court nor push your followers under your booted heel. You do not bring salvation, you bring stagnation and intolerance."

Big Mother was tired of quivering under this child in Goddess clothing. If she'd suffer the same rate as Urien or worse then it was worth it. "You even needed your chosen to save you, or have you forgotten? The way you act? They say humans were made in God's image but with you... you are so human. Filled with the same vices as they and acting much the same." She sighed. "I have finally said my piece. Get this sham over with and kill me already."

@Sark @Yun Lee

 

[Sark]

"Ego," Big Mother spat. "Just like everyone else. Your hubris blinds you to your own faults. If you were the true and good being you dictate yourself to be, you wouldn't string up your foes in this mock court nor push your followers under your booted heel. You do not bring salvation, you bring stagnation and intolerance."

Big Mother was tired of quivering under this child in Goddess clothing. If she'd suffer the same rate as Urien or worse then it was worth it. "You even needed your chosen to save you, or have you forgotten? The way you act? They say humans were made in God's image but with you... you are so human. Filled with the same vices as they and acting much the same." She sighed. "I have finally said my piece. Get this sham over with and kill me already."

@Sark @Yun Lee

"This court was designed to give you a chance to repent. A chance to return to the Righteous Path. But now I see that this was a waste of time. You don't want to change. You're stubbornly set in your sinful ways..." The Goddess brought her hands together in prayer for a moment. Another blade extended from her palms as she parted them. She took in her right hand an raised it before her face in a ceremonial gesture. She swiftly swung it down to wards the dirt, cutting through the air with a whoosh. "If you pray for death, I will happily make your wish come true." She drew back her sword. "Should your soul reincarnate, I pray that you come back as a more reasonable creature. A righteous creature!"

With a cry, she prepared to strike.

@Jeremi @Yun Lee @Takumi @Capri @Lucky​

 

[Yun Lee]

"I am no Saint..." Kolin muttered to herself, though her eyes widened as Mother and the Goddess continued in their squabbling. There was no more time for anything else. The iron would completely freeze now, turning cold and brittle. For the love of God, Mother, there still had to be some fight left in you!

@Sark @Yun Lee @Takumi @Capri @Lucky @Jeremi​