OMNIA: Chapter 8: Three Unwise Men

[thetoastking]

What the... What the hell just happened? Where are we?
Please... Huff... Excuse me a second... Puff... Shit, I'm getting too old for this... Gods! It's truly an honor to be received in your heavenly abode. Though it doesn't look like I was expecting at all. A great honor nonetheless. Now I must say that I'm a little confused. Was that really Dius? Wasn't he dead? For the third time, if I'm not mistaken. And is there any particular reason for you to bring us here, besides saving us from the city imploding?
Ow. This is corpus Christi, Our home.

As far as I'm aware, none of us brought you here. That sure looked a lot like Dius, maybe some other power brought him back?

RRRRRUMMMBBBLLEEEEE

You've finally arrived.

Good.

I'd say 'I've been expecting you', but we all know that's a damn lie.

I knew you'd get here eventually. Now...

The sword made a slicing sound as he slowly drew it from his back. It glowed red, and seemed so sharp, so imbued with power, that it cut the very fabric of reality. The figure was cast in an ominous flame. It seemed familiar, to those with a good eye.

[Xander]

Lucian drew one of his daggers. He didn't know who this was, or their intentions, but a strange figure drawing a sword was rarely a good thing.

[The Idea Master]

Jack? is that you? whats going on?

[Adept]

Hey Jack, how's that Master of the Universe thing going so far? Any idea what's up with Dius?

[Saint Game]

Hey Jack. Nice fire effect. Anyways, Dius is back, and I think he got Will, Skit and the others. Any suggestions?

[Sinjin]

Cassius's Thoughts: "Wait. The gods said Master of the Universe. NOPENOPENOPENOPE! So uh one of you gods can give us a ride AWAY from a possible murderous rampage?"

[thetoastking]

The being turns, and in a swift motion, slices the green monitor floating in front of him.

Rumble....


CRACK-KOW! A lightning strike echoes through the landscape as a torrent of water washes down, extinguishing the burning ruined city.


Damnit... This job never gets any easier...
It turns towards the group, glowing in it's black flame.


Long ago, that city was built by heroes, far greater than you'll ever know... And for over a hundred years... Things were fine. The world operated. People had free will, and by gods they exercised it...

Heroes came and went through that town.

People lived there. Held modest lives simply because they could. People did both charitable acts, and despicable acts, yet... Chose this of their own free will.

And now, at the turn of the century... It all backfires. Free will brought forth The Clot. The clot brought forth the cultists. The cultists worshipped daemonic gods...

And in their efforts, brought back one of the greatest threats in a long time...

... That city... Was mine. I founded it, then left it to it's own design... I watched it grow. I watched stories be written...

And now it's gone. It's all been burnt to cinders. The city is desolated, countless lives lost...

And you're the only link I have to bringing the force responsible for this to justice. The Clot has chosen you four. The gods picked you out of a crowd. Even now they stare at you. Judging you silently...

Gods Damnit.

[Askia]

> try to reach inside the eye

"picked by the gods?"

[Xander]

"What the hell is this Clot thing?" Lucian asked as he put his dagger away, though his hand still rested on the hilt.

[The Idea Master]

Darting away from Sitrah I say "don't reach into the eye of my power so lightly cold one, you cannot comprehend the heat that awaits therein."

[flyingBrick]

- "I'm sorry, but... Could you be... Jack Idaeus? What is the clot? What do you mean that it 'chose' us?"

[Adept]

I haven't been that silent, I thought. Darn cultists, always bring demons and stuff into everything. Any more idea on what the Clot is other than something really bad?

[thetoastking]

With what sounds like air being sucked in, the elemental known as sitrah vanishes from time and space, reappearing instantly upon the platform.
Don't touch them. Your mind and soul would shatter upon contact with a greater truth about your universe.
What the hell is this Clot thing?
Picked by the gods?
I'll get to that. It's been a pain in the ass to track you four down; Probably due to the clot's stench around you.



I'm sorry, but could you be... Jack Idaeus?
... Yes. I am He. What, do you intend to ask me for a favor, like those previous who have come here? What is it then. Wealth? Power? I'm not the fucking wizard of oz, you know.
What is The Clot?
I was hoping you could tell Us.

The truth is, despite being able to see and know everything from this universe, we know approximately Jack Shit about The Clot. Therefore, we've come to a conclusion that it's not from our universe. It's some kind of otherplanar force hell-bent to destabilize our universe. We've looked at it in depth, and found that it can only mean trouble. That's why I arranged to have you sent here instead of eradicated by Dius's death beam. You seem to be the missing links, so to speak, that could solve this riddle.
What do you mean it 'Chose' us?
When we first observed the clot, it was a wild force, first harnessed by woodland creatures to become... Weird. Rabbits grew tentacles. Fish became sharks. Birds obtained high-powered rifles for claws. We first thought it to be a force of chaos, until we discovered it was not from this universe. The thing is, when The Clot changed something, it usually left it alone immediately afterwards, leaving not a single mark on the creature, besides it's new form. You four however... Have it lingering around you still, yet your forms are not changed. We noticed the clot manifested shortly before dius's resurrection, so perhaps... It has something to do with extremely occult and powerful magic. In any event, I am very VERY tempted to just cut you open with Tor and dissect you, disregarding your objections, but I'm not that cruel, despite over a century of constant work sealing holes and fixing global catastrophes. Instead, I'm just going to say this: Make an attempt to garner what power you can from the capitals. In the new rebirth, at the dawn of the Divine Guardians, we placed Knowledge crystals within each capital somewhere, far away from everyone except the most powerful and courageous adventurers. When touched, they will impart the lump sum of their experience upon you and your persons, hopefully giving you enough strength to fight dius.

... I know what you're going to say. Oh jack, why don't you just to slice dius to ribbons with your magic sword? No. Shit don't work on him. He's got some kind of... Cloak, around him. It's stopping me from doing anything to him, so I doubt my universe-changing sword would work either. And no, I don't know what it is he's using either.

Does THAT answer your question.

[Travosh]

Nobody tell Rick to ask Jack to just magic sword teleport them into the capitals to nab the crystals!

[Adept]

Actually I'm still pretty interested in who brought these four here.

[Saint Game]

So jack, any other hoops we have to jump through, or do we just have to get to the capitals?

[Xander]

"Mildly tempted to ask why you just don't teleport each of us to the crystals, like that one god said, seriously, what's up with him? But I'm kinda guessing that either you can't or won't, for whatever reasons. As for this clot... you said it seeks to destabilize our universe. You said it's not from this universe. Ok. How did it get here? That seems to be one of the more important questions."

[Fengar]

"Were you able to watch the Clot at work on the forest creatures? Maybe this is how the Clot always happens, it lingers around a creature for a time, then changes them and leaves. I'm thinking the Clot might actually be gathering information and physically changing the host might just be a side effect of its presence."

[Sinjin]

Thoughts: "This guy ain't mean? ...YAY!"
Cassius does the derp thing and tacklehugs Jack.

[Askia]

"i wonder if kitty cant remember her name died"
...
"What form does the clot actually take?"

[flyingBrick]

- "Well, thank you for the information. I just have one more question: Why us? Can't you send somebody else to defeat Dius? I mean, basically anyone would be better than us. We're some sort of doll, a healer, a thief and an old merchant. Surely we could just sit around Corpus Christi while you study this Clot thing, and just send some actual adventurers to handle it.

Not that I wouldn't like to go on an adventure like in the old stories, I'm just throwing the question."

[The Idea Master]

"Because the Clot isn't the only thing that chose you over the millennia we gods have been bound to several mortals and without exemption they became great heroes; Skit, Will, even Jack himself, that were our heroes and now, we have chosen you."

[flyingBrick]

- "Will, Skit and Jack were young when they got chosen. But surely, being chosen by so many must mean something. And I myself don't have much of a choice, since I lost all my wares when Kathmandu blew up. I'll go."

[thetoastking]

Without a word, the mannequin springs to life, pouncing upon jack in a playful manner. Of course, it fails to successfully tackle him, but it's a nice gesture all the same. Jack gives it a pat on the head, and, with a whisper of his power, does something to it. The mannequin of course, is confused, as it finds it can grunt and groan, as though it had a mouth. It experiments forming words to get the hang of it's new speech. Long enough at least, to get off of the jet-blue warrior. Suddenly, speech, booming from a god.

"Were you able to watch the Clot at work on the forest creatures? Maybe this is how the Clot always happens, it lingers around a creature for a time, then changes them and leaves. I'm thinking the Clot might actually be gathering information and physically changing the host might just be a side effect of its presence."
What form does the clot actually take?
It's a good theory, to say the least. The clot, as far as I can tell, has no set form, and nothing to mark it except perhaps a small tinge of darkness and of course, the newer forms. But to have it constantly linger... This is new. It... Disturbs me. It's much like when I discovered something was awash with fate and destiny.

Mildly tempted to ask why you just don't teleport each of us to the crystals, like that one god said, seriously, what's up with him? But I'm kinda guessing that either you can't or won't, for whatever reasons. As for this clot... you said it seeks to destabilize our universe. You said it's not from this universe. Ok. How did it get here? That seems to be one of the more important questions.
Long ago, in the fairly distant past, there existed two beings. Fate, and destiny, two omnipotent beings who feared only one thing: Chaos. I ended their lives, and their deaths, in tow, destroyed the universe until something... I can't seem to recall it, as it's all a blur, fixed it. Gave me my blade as well. In that time of universe shattering however, something spotted it and slipped in while the universe was falling apart. It slithered in, unnoticed, and was linked once the cracks mended themselves. That is as far back as I can trace it. My power does not extend beyond this universe, therefore I cannot scan it, despite being from there.
Well, thank you for the information. I just have one more question: Why us? Can't you send somebody else to defeat Dius? I mean, basically anyone would be better than us. We're some sort of doll, a healer, a thief and an old merchant. Surely we could just sit around Corpus Christi while you study this Clot thing, and just send some actual adventurers to handle it.

Not that I wouldn't like to go on an adventure like in the old stories, I'm just throwing the question.


Long ago rick, I too asked myself that very question. Why me? Why not the strong neighbor with the giant flail? Why bother when the world is going to shit? Honestly? There is no set answer to that question, because the question changes every time. When I obtained this power, I noticed I could look into the past. View The Choice others had made. See and feel their pain, and why they chose what they did. So here's what I'm going to do rick. I'm going to show you some information you'll need to know, if you're going to survive out there. I'm going to give you an extradimensional pocket to share with your companions, and give it supplies. And then... I'm going to offer you my Choice. So listen up. This is the most detailed briefing of the world you'll ever get.

When you arrived, I racked through your brains for several things. I searched for the clot, but it's shying away from me. But I also noticed that all of your minds' information is extremely outdated, due to separatism from each other. Therefore, I'm going to bring you all up to speed on what shit's going down right now. You all know well of the worldly capitals. Pisthol, the capital of the west, Kathmandu, the now-destroyed capital of the core, Myo-Mersia, the capital of the east, and north and south witherreach, the split capital of the south and north extremes. Many political divides stop them from sharing true peace. Sure, some nations may appear peaceful, but deep down, there are conflicts. These conflicts were to be finally resolved at this year's festival, but it seems others did not desire this. If you ever want any hope of getting to those crystals, where others have failed, then you're going to have to get the leaders of these capitals to trust you enough to reveal it. The crystals stop teleportation magic, hence why I cannot send you to them, nor can I see them. The crystals teach nothing to those who do not deserve it. I also noticed that hardly any of you can fight. Sitrah, you healed people in the mountains, but your defensive magic can also be turned to harsher ends. Cassius, be warned that the antronarch within you will gain more hold everytime it is brought out, and eventually, may not fall back to submission. Lucian, your hold of the shadows can be further used to aid your friends. You are not alone; your comrades here are yours to both defend, and be defended by. And rick... You have something I have not seen in a while: An extremely large potential Vo. Your Vo is your inner tongue. Tapping into it allows you to speak in the language of creation, to create forces from nothing, as I did so long ago. You, of course, will have to learn that language somewhere, but the path always begins from within. Look deep into yourself, and find creation, and, to all of you, remember...

No matter what anyone says, you always have a choice. This is a lesson I learned far too late. Therefore, I now offer you all this:

You can proceed through this portal, and walk out at the destroyed capital of Kathmandu, whose crystal has long since been pilfered during your time here. If you do, you will find you can access an extradimensional space filled with rations and basic supplies, as well as magic scrolls of sorts. But if you do... There's no turning back. You have sealed a promise with me, and you must see it through to the end. Locate the crystals. Obtain enough power to confront a beast I could not fight. Do not fear. In your greatest hour of despair, The Archangels shall be with you. But be warned... What you will find is sorrow. You will be angry at certain events, and fearful for your life at others. You will get hurt. You may even die. I cannot guarantee your perfect safety. It will be long, and extremely difficult, but in the end, perhaps, it would be worth it; saving lives, obtaining rare artifacts... However...

You can proceed through this portal, and be flung back through time. This will effectively rewrite the course of history to another random outcome, causing someone else to stand in your place. Your life will go on as normal. You will not have ever met at the festival. You would probably be with the now homeless vagabonds from kathmandu... But you wouldn't have to worry about fighting. Others would protect you. You could heal, maybe go to school, become a doctor... And you'd never be anything of valor. Your reward would only be the thanks of your friends after assisting them from puking in the public toilets...

So what say you all?

What...

is your Choice?

[Adept]

Oh man, SERIOUS DECISION TIME GO!