A Box of Gods (Purely Public, no mods)

The Bard rested withing the sweet melodies of his worshipers as the humans traveled south. Day in and day out they sang of his praises and they sang about everything they encountered. They began to form into loose groups depending on what ainstrument they played and what music they liked. However, The Bard enjoyed their music the most when they all played together.

Over time he noticed that the music they played grew more and more fast paced and often the lyrics had strings of fear laced through them. This woke The Bard from the music and he formed among them again. At once the humans prostrated before him and worshipped him and begged for deliverance.

He listened as they told of monsters approaching from the north. There was a vast army pursuing them and it was filled with giant humanoids, demons of ice, and a group of twisted orcs called goblins. He cared for his chosen but in his great wisdom decided that the humans should defend themselves.

He reminded them of his promise that had followed their third commandment. "Your enemies will fall before you so long as you play your music." He gave them some of his magic and told them, "You will play mighty songs that can change the very minds of those you play it to. I have given you the gift to cause emotion, insanity, and the ability to confuse your opponent. You need not take up arms, just play your music." Again, he vanished from their sight. Yet he remained close enough to see whether they would pass his test and prevail, or if they would falter in their music and fail.

Baal:

The Cylops brigade swift of foot and tough and enduring came upon the mass of humans wandering in the south. At once the humans took up their magical instruments and began to play a symphony like one never to be heard on Earth again. The Cyclops stood there transfixed. Through the power of the song Baal's taint over their minds was cleansed and they desired like the humans freedom for their people too. It was strange after the song was done without a word spoken the cyclopi with their first fre thought and choice resolved to join and protect the humans.

When the remainder of the brigade of Goblins and Demons came forth the Cyclops ranks allowed them to stand amidst them. And evil Goblin general whose name is now lost yelled forth.

"Ha, they bring instruments to a battlefield? Let's show them our spears!" At these mocking words the Goblins drew arrows an javellins ready. The Ice Demons together summoned a terrible blizzard to fall on the field. Then the Cylops drew forth great massive clubs and swords and slew the Ice Demons and Goblins . In total suprise Baal's forces did not expect these new super creatures to turn on Baal. Their whole force was annhilated and the Cyclops and Humans went forth together and strengthened plundering Baal's weapons.

* * *

Now Baal with his gifted powers felt this defeat. He was full of wrath and using his powers saw into the distance. He saw the humans and cylcops escaping ever southwards away from his grasp. He saw to the farthest west of him his dragons arriving in the Dwarflands tearing through the first barriers to the dwarf cities dug into the mountains.

This is where Baal made his error. He underestimated the dwarves' capabilities and overestimated the power of his dragons and his armies. He was also filled with wrath for his pride was torn asunder first when the human slaves escaped and now that the Cyclops he made had betrayed and rebelled against him too.

With the blink of an eye Baal teleported before the whole Human and Cyclops swarms. He grew to a menacing twenty feet tall and looked down on the beings and his voice was like thunder.

"You will not escape Baal, for soon the Dwarves shall be destroyed and you shall come back to Cocytus. I will be the first man to rule the world! Bring your God forth I will put him under my foot."

With this declaration he removed black iron gauntlets from his hands and threw them down. Hitting the ground a great burning net entrapped all the Cyclops and Humans in one swoop. Slinging his catch over his mighty shoulder Baal grew to fifty feet tall and began draggin his catch back to his lands in Cocytus.

There came a great roaring sound, like the booing hiss of a croud of billions as an invisible wall hindered Baal's path. There below him stood a single human holding a lute and plucking at the strings.

He looked up at the giant being and spoke. Even from such a distance below Baal could hear the man speak clearly. "Please put down the humans and their new allies. I have chosen them as my own and you have no right to take them." He continued to play the lute, silently working his magic as he waited for this demon to understand its mistake.

Baal:

Baal smirked as he saw this new God before his midst. He shrunk to his normal size and rushed below him at the rival God. Grasping the Gods lute he smashed it on the ground.

"Tremble feeble lute player for I am the one and only God of this land!" Baal shouted in arrogance and began to charge up a massive beam of energy directed at Bard.

But then the sky turned dark and storm clouds formed and cracked with lightning. Like a great invisble foot stomped him down Baal was smashed to the ground his limbs all broken.

Satan:

"Fool, I create you to serve and name me the King of All Creation! Indeed there can be only one!" Satan sneered and held his hand forward. Baal levitated in the air his eyes bulging in horror at the menacing form of Satan as a three headed, bat-winged, monster.

"Satan, my lord, I only meant to conquer Earth in your name." Baal sputtered.

"Silence you slave, you have failed me too many times!" Satan squeezed his outstretched palm and Baal began to choke and gasp for air. As this happened he beheld a vision of the present far away to the west. His armies were fighting direly in the dwarf cities deep below the Earth. The Dwarfking Foramir was gravely wounded but his three sons seeing their father hurt drove into a frenzy fell Dragons and demons one after the other. The dwarves were joined by the remnant of the Orcs the Orcqueen Orchilda slew the mightiest of the dragon and then herself was slain. The remaining orc knights went forth with Foramir's sons rallying the troops and pushing the evil armies back.

"To Damnation you go where I will remind you who is the King!" Satan slammed his fists down and Baal's body smashed through the earth. Through rock and down so far until his body hit magma and disentegrated. His soul went to Damnation where Satan bound him in chains and made some other souls drag him through hell for all eternity.

Meanwhile when Baal was killed much of his dark enchantments lifted even though the people he created still lived. The dragons took flight from battle immediately feeling their lust for gold gone. The Cyclops could sleep for once. The Goblins became self aware liek the Orcs before them and fled the battle. The demons however still evil saw that their day was now lost and retreated as fast as they could with the Dwarves pursuing behind them destroying their numbers with zeal.

"Hmm, another God I see. Well, this little continent needs to become bigger." Satan stretched his hand forth and as such the continent too stretched and became a massive pangea. "There will be peace for the time being. I have souls that need punishing in Damnation." With his first laugh he disappeared and went back to his Burning Throne in Damnation.

The Bard remained silent as the powers that be struggled and flashed by. The he stooped down and picked up the lute. It became whole again in his hands. He began to strum and music flowed from the lute. He began to sing and all of the world could hear his melodious and beautiful voice.

“Oh Dwarves of the Earth,
Oh Mer of the Sea,
Listen as I sing to thee.
Oh Mankind my pets,
Oh Cyclops their friends,
Oh Goblins, Oh Orcs,
Let us not pretend.
Play music to your heats’ content
Sing and dance,
Today is the day to be happy.
The song is your trance,
Let wine flow free!
It is a day of peace!
Today we Party!”

And so the people of the world sang praises to their gods and to The Bard. The humans flourished and spread across the world with the cyclops at their heels. The Bard was with them wherever they went and he looked upon the humans as his chosen and he let the cyclops remain their protectors and allies. There was a long and prosperous peace that spread across the Earth and it seemed to almost be Paradise.

((OOC: hrm... Not sure what to post now... Archdemon where are you?))

((OOC: I'm here, being irritated at Fleenook. Allow us to continue on our way without him.))

Reidan waited for his brother god's reply for too long, and, Ventus at his side, exited the forest. New beings danced and laughed and sang, which puzzled Reidan. He hefted his hammer back onto his shoulder, and entered their midst, asking them what they were. In mirthful voices, they told him that they were humans, and they worshipped the Bard. Reidan was then asked why, if he too was human, he did not join them in their festivities. Reidan stroked his beard, and then shrugged.

"If you were to ask me, with my memory as old as the earth, you do not remind me much of what passing imprint of humans as they originally were, fair folk." Reidan said, and then shrugged. "I am known as Reidan, and this is my daughter, Ventus. Perhaps we could speak with the Bard?"

((OOC: Oh hey there!))

Ventus stared about at these strange things, which towered over here, incredulously. She was smaller than a dwarf and so she found the pounding of their feet and swinging of their legs off-putting. So without further a do spread her wings and hopped up into the air, flapping desperately to try and stay aloft. Several of the dancers who were too close were clobbered in the process.

"Argh!" She cried trying to dodge around them as she followed Reidan, "What's with these things?" Another human went down with a laugh as he twirled into her wing; sending Ventus crashing to the floor.
"I dislike this Bard already..." She groaned from her heap.

Michael:

There was among the humans one who could not play any instrument. His name was Michael. Though Michael was unable to play instruments, he could sing, and he put lyrics to many of the tunes of his fellow kinsman. As the Gods Reidan and Ventus wandered into the human and cyclops encampment the people around had made a bonfire and were singing and feasting merrily.

Michael standing by his friends had them at once begin a merry tune and so he began to sing:

"Oh long a go the humans were slaves
The dwarves dug their holes
And the Cyclops were made

The demons attacked
And the Orcs ran away
Then Bard our God came and made a new day

He broke off our chains
From Baal we did stray
And with our great music we kept evil at bay

The Cyclops had a change of heart
For their souls our music did sway
And Baal full of wrath came to take us away

The Demon King caught us in a net
He broke Bard's lute making us fret
'I'm God of the world" Baal did yell
Then Satan came forth and sent him to Hell."

The music finished and everyone laughed. Michael walked to another campfire and sat down enjoying the good food the humans had made in celebration. Everyone was happy for evil King Baal had fallen and it seemed as if the world might forever be at peace.

Humans from all of the different camps assembled around the stranger. They looked at him with strange looks for he neither sang nor played nor even danced. They wondered at someone who did not do these things yet asked to see their god.

"Do you not hear the music?" They asked, "Can you not see the joy and the dancing? The Bard is with us even now! If you wish to speak with him then join in our merrymaking!"

With that the humans began to party again and turned away from the stranger, they had not noticed the small creature with the 'man.' They could not have realized that these were gods, especially because many of them were quite drunk. The people that had gathered from the groups began to dance and sing to The Bard, using Michael's song. As the humans danced they began to form a ring. The ring began to spin faster and faster as their voises raised ever louder. Their bodies became a blur and their voices grew indestinguishable. At the very crescendo of the dance there was a large flash of light and the humans fell to the ground panting and completely at peace.

In the center of the ring stood a tall and beautiful man. He was holding his lute and playing lightly. He bowed slightly and smiled his most alluring smile. His wondrous voice nearly dripped with honey as he greeted them "Hello my fellow gods! Please, Join us in our festivities!"

As he spoke, the humans got back up and began to dance and sing, unphased by their act of magic. They had not noticed that their god walked among them and so went back to their camps and to the merrymaking.

Ventus groaned as the dancing humans trampled all over her, even when they pricked their feet on her spiny hair they did not notice her. The noise grated her hearing as well, it was so loud and so irritating, they heard nothing for the surroundings; she doubted that they even noticed the world.

Far off across the sea a wind which whistled to itself felt a faint whisper, the winds always whispered to each other for the winds felt everything above the surface and sometimes even beneath it. The wind felt its temperament change as it ran into warm water where other winds were meeting, swirling in amongst each other above this wondrous energy source. This wind was drawn into the swirling mix where the winds were meeting.

More humans trampled over her in their merry-making and still this Bard ignored her, even Reidan couldn’t see her now. She moaned about the feet and tried to climb to her feet when more humans danced around and kicked her back down again, she was still not noticed by the now blind drunk revellers.

The winds were muttering. Winds rarely muttered but when they did the mutters were felt across the skies, clouds slid in among the winds adding to the tension, winds from the distant corners of the sea came to the meeting, the swirling mix rising miles into the sky as hundreds of thousands of winds and clouds came to answer the whispers and mutters.

It was the birds which felt the faint change on the wind first, they ceased their calling and headed for the nests or any other shelter that was available. The humans didn’t notice and the gods couldn’t hear over the humans and the Cyclops’s merrymaking.

An agreement was reached, a dreadful pact made, an accordance attained. The signal went out and the move was made, the winds would go. The roiling mass of clouds and winds stretched for miles, swirling around a central eye enclosed within thick walls of black clouds and fizzling air.

The birds had gone but now the animals felt it too, whiskers quivered and sixth senses tinged. Animals scurried for their dens, insects for their hives and nests. A dry musk hung over the air, a subtle sign of what was about to come. Beneath the humans Ventus began to quietly beg them to stop what they were doing but went unheard.

They made fast time, sucking up more energy from the water and allying with every wind and cloud they encountered; they had the largest gathering of aerial forces the world had ever seen. The vanguard reached the coast of the Pangaea in no time and roiling clouds, lashing waves and angry growls greeted the land. Not long after that the coast were storm lashed, torrential rain and howling gales tormented the critters which lived there.

“Please stop… Please stop… Make it stop… Stop the noise… Stop the noise…” Ventus moaned as the humans danced and sang on and around her.

The winds had their mark, they heard their signal. At a slight sign the whole front shifted and bore down into dwarven territories.

The merrymakers never noticed the storm until it was too late. The now black clouds opened fire on the human camps and torrents of rain and hail hammered down onto the ground, throwing people into shock and disarray, rivers of icy water quickly formed across the land and mudslides became the newest danger for the dwarves as they ran for the cities in the mountain.
“Why won’t you stop?” Ventus cried loudly, “Why won’t you listen?”
Lightning slashed down, exploding into trees and the camp fires, sending splintered, burning wood flying around, adding to the danger of hail and rain.
“Why can’t you see?” Ventus screamed at the same time speeding gales tore through the trees and into the people, music was scattered and torn apart by the wind, songs beaten into the ground by the rain. People abandoned their merrymaking and tried to run for the camps but the lightning and hail drove them down and away from each other while the gale force winds harried and threw them about, in the centre of the carnage Ventus sat slumped on her knees, wings spread as the wind sang through them while the rain sheathed her and the lightning lit her; all three working to throw the offending humans away from her like they were ragdolls.
This was a storm that no song could stop or power of earth repel. A primordial power on a destructive scale.

Reidan did not grace the god with a booming laugh or a smile, instead he just looked him up and down. He raised an eyebrow, and then turned his back to the Bard. "Your fair folk are an odd bunch... Different from the original humans, or at least the faint memory I have of them. I politely ask to give them my own little enhancements, as well as the Cyclops. But only with your permission." he rumbled, and then turned back to the Bard. "Proper introductions are in order, even if you already know who we are. I am Reidan, and this is Ventus, my adopted daughter."

The storm raged around Reidan, but other than his bear moving a little in the wind, he didn't seem to notice it. "And she apparently has control over the air and storms. A very interesting ability..." he thought out loud, and then turned to the little one. "Be calm little one..." he said in as comforting a voice as he could manage. "Do not fret."

The Bard laughed and smiled. "Of course! Do what you please, if you remember exactly what the first ones were like. I'd prefer if they could still play music. I do so love festivities. Good Reidan, Fair Ventus...Where is your daughter?" He asked, and then the storm blew in and knocked his humans far from the center of their camp.

The humans were in complete dissarray and had become as battered and bruised as the god causing the wind was. They ran and hid as they prayed to their god to make the rain stop. The giant cyclops sat down and huddled together, protecting themselves and whatever humans they could find from the storms.

The Bard looked upon the girl with pity. He may have just woken up, but she was by far much younger than he. He watched as she pleaded with people who could not hear her. They had all been blown away from the writhing mass in the center. He began to play again, but not to stop the storm, far be it for him to interfere in the very powers of another god. He walked slowly towards the girl as he strummed lightly. The storm blew hard against him but he pressed forward. No matter how loud the wind or rain or thunder got, they could not drown out his melody or his voice as he sang.

"Come sweet child.
Come sweet pea.
Rest your head on your father's knee.

Calm the thunder in your head,
You are safe,
The offenders are dead.

The winds may blow,
and hail may fall,
but only you can control them all.

So please dear one,
stop this mess,
Do what your father taught you best.

Be patient and calm,
Unnerved like the stone
Relax until all the bad feelings are gone.

He sang his lullaby to the poor little god in hopes that she might calm the storm before she killed off his people and he would have to create new ones.

Winds screamed at the Bard as he advanced, the winds buffeted and cried with voices of their own, seemingly acting of their own accord. Hailstones the size of fists pelted everyone around; humans caught on their own cowered in foetal positions and begged for it to end; crying to their god to make it stop as bruises and welts sprung up on them. The Cyclops scattered as they chased by repeated bolts of lightning which singed them as they narrowly missed every time. Despite all the dangerous weather not one person was killed or horribly injured, the winds may have been angry but they seemed to know not to strike the weak humans down.

That was when Ventus seemed to sag and keel forwards, lying face down on the drenched loam. The storm above stuttered as it lost its focus and hung for a moment as if unsure of what to do now and then it broke apart, the winds and clouds scattering back across the skies more quickly than they had come and within a minute the sky was clear again. Humans dragged themselves to their feet, nursing bruises and welts as they stared with dismay at the wreckage of their once merry camps.

Reidan watched as the storm parted, and then turned his gaze to his little daughter. He rushed forward towards her, grabbing her by the shoulders, and held her close to him. "Shh, little one... Rest now..." he whispered, and then turned again to the Bard. "I am sorry, I had no idea she would get so upset... Although I can understand her reasons. Now then, I believe I said I'd make an enhancement to your folk..." Reidan smiled, baring his slab-like teeth, and then walked up to a human. The god rapped the human's skull, and the changes began.

The human became no taller, no shorter, but the change was evident. His hair changed to a rather stunning silver color, and his skin became devoid of scars and blemishes. His face became more fair, with high and defined cheek bones. He was still muscular... Perhaps the biggest deviation from the normal human, though, were the slightly slanted eyes and the now-pointed ears. "I name your people the Fair Folk of this land, the elves. I gift them with forest homes and long lifes." Reidan rumbled, and then watched as the rest of the humans changed as well. He smiled at his handiwork, and then looked at the Cyclops.

"As for you, One-Eyed Ones... You have no god of your own. And so I offer to take you in as my own..." Reidan boomed, and then thought for a moment. "I know... I bless you with skill in the forge to rival the dwarves. Your art may never be greater, but your weapons and tools... Ha, the dwarves won't be happy with me!" Reidan laughed. "I beg but one thing of you, One-Eyed Ones. Go and help rebuild the Orc's homeland... And then your future is your own."

Michael:

In the midst of the great storm Michael had become detattched from the group of his people. In the torrential downpour and the noise of the storm he fled far for shelter within a forest. Taking refuge under a great tree root he waited water-logged until the storm passed. Once it did Michael emerged from his shelter and looked around the forest.

He had fled deep into the tangle and now that all was calm he could not hear the voices of any of his folk. Wandering in the opposite direction he could not find his people. He frantically ran further and further from where he had come and he could not find his way back. Slumping down on a great boulder he sulked as the sun began to set and the night set in.

Then he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat and he turned around to see an old bent man hobbling over to him. Michael could plainly see this man was human, but he moved with great strength. Michael had also never seen what his kind would look like when they aged and he seemed puzzled at the old man's appearance.

"Well hello there, I see you are lost Michael." The old man laughed and sat next to him on the rock.

"Yes I am. Wait, how do you know my name? Who are you?" Michael asked eying the old man with suspicion.

"Ah, don't worry about that. I know a little bit of everything that goes on in the Earth. Here, I have a gift for you." The old man held aloft a clear vessel of water.

"What is this?" Michael asked taking the vessel and lifted it up to his nose to smell.

"That there is Magical Water. Drink it and you shall be immortal to age. Nothing shall be able to kill you, except maybe the Gods themselves." The old man instructed and eyed Michael closely.

Michael drained the vessel of the Magic Water. At once he felt a rush of soothing pass over him. He looked down and behold, his cuts and bruises from the storm merely vanished. Michael felt incredibly refreshed, as if he'd never need to drink, or eat, or sleep again unless he wanted to for pleasure. He turned to thank the old man, but the man had disappeared. With a shrug Michael leapt off the stone feeling quite stronger and headed northwest towards the land ofthe dwarves.

Satan:

Satan appeared in Damnation. Seeing Baal being dragged around the rocky broken ground he halted the demons dragging him and lifted Baal up.

"Enjoying ourselves Baal?" Satan made a mocking laugh. "I have a new plan for the Earth. Such a shame you failed me miserably. At least you did do some good I suppose. You made for me these great new mortals to toy with and corrupt. For that you should have a reward!"

With the clap of his hand Baal's chains slid off. Satan took great hooks and pierced Baal's flesh with them forcing him to lay stretched out. Then procuring a scalpel he slit the former demon king's stomache. Taking his intestines he wrapped them around Baal like chains and then made the demons drag him by the intestines throughout Damnation.

Satan returned and sat on his Burning Throne in Damnation and shut his eyes, watching far off on Earth as his newest puppet, unaware that Satan had even met him went forth.

The elves, as they were now to be called jumped up and ran into the woods to set up their new homes. The Cyclops agreed to worship Reidan and immediately set off to rebuild the lands of the Orcs. They praised Reidan as god of the earth and as their changer. They'd forgotten all about their commandments, for those commandments had been made for humans. Bard watched as his worshipers went their separate ways and forgot about him.

"Well", he stated softly, "There goes all of my worshipers..." He looked at Reidan, the god had no idea of what he had done. The small Ventus was still out cold. And he was sure that Satan was still in Damnation.

He let go of his lute and it fell to the ground and smacked it mightily. And so the lute became a staff and The Bard became The Wanderer. He looked at Reidan. "Well, now that I am alone, may I join you?"

Tlorak

Tlorak was a goblin; small and wretched. He had been there when they had been sent to hunt down the treacherous humans and he had watched from a far as the Cyclops had killed almost all of his kindred. There were few goblins left now and Tlorak doubted that the remnants would last more than a couple of generations. So the young Tlorak, freed from Baal’s grasp by Satan Lord of the Underworld and source of evil, cowered in a cave as the most dreadful storm thrashed the edges of the Frost, in his paltry clothing and stinking furs Tlorak shivered and prepared to die a miserable death.

It was as Tlorak stared with weary eyes out the cave mouth he saw a great burning light arc down from the clouds; it wasn’t lightning for sure. It vanished behind a snow choked crest, leaving a brief trail of smoke in the storm racked air. He sat hunched there wondering what to do when he heard a whisper on the winds, an enticing whisper.
Tlorak slowly pushed himself up and then without a thought for the danger stumbled out into the storm, trudging through the snow which chilled him to the bone with a back bent against the wind.
He was rewarded for his troubles when he found a small steaming crater, filled with rapidly cooling water and in the centre was a small silvery egg.

Tlorak, puzzled by this strange thing reached down and picked up the warm egg. It jerked in his hand and though he tried to drop it his hand would not let go. Then, before his scared eyes, it changed, extending up and down to become a dark grey rod, the top extended further and bulked out with an elongated egg like structure from which a blade slid out, the bulge before the blade had faint red lines running through the recesses of its sleek plated design.

Tlorak gazed in wonder at the strange spear he now held, it was unlike anything even the industrious demons had produced and it had an unearthly aura to it. The wind seemed to whisper around it and he felt an inner warmth emanate from it and him, making him less susceptible to the harsh cold of the frost.

The storm above him seemed to break apart suddenly, displaying a clear but cold sky above him in which the sun shone down upon him. Tlorak was glad though puzzled by the storms strange disappearance. Then he heard a rustling song, a strange call, a commanding message.

“Aerya… Aerya… Aerya… Aerya…”

Tlorak frowned and strained to hear more. He realised the wind was whispering, something it had never done before, that he could remember. He listened and he heard.

“Aerya… Find Aerya… Aerya… Find Aerya… Aerya… Find Aerya… Find… Guide… Learn… Protect… Find… Guide… Learn… Protect… Aerya… Aerya…”

Tlorak’s eyes widened as the wind gently wrapped around him and infused him with its purpose, filling him with its strength and lending him its knowledge.

That day… The day of the strange primordial storm… One lonely goblin found a task worth giving its life for… That day… Tlorak set out on his quest…

"Naturally." Reidan said with a smile, and then adressedthe Wanderer's concern. "And do not fret, they will still remember you in song. The elves will still be carefree, singing, dancing spirits!" Reidan laughed, and then readjusted Ventus. He looked around, thinking. "I realize you are older than Ventus here, but... I guess what I'm saying is that I'd be willing to take you in as my adopted son. The halls of my home in Paradise are large and empty... We could use another addition to the family."

The Wanderer thought to himself. He imagined himself as part of a family as a son. He laughed.

"Reidan," He said, smiling, "We are much more like brothers than father and son. I'm just much too deep a sleeper! I would love to join your family dear brother, however, I do not think that I can go to Paradise with you. It is not the realm for me." He smacked the ground and yelled down into the abyss, "And neither is Damnation!" He laughed. "Nope, my home is here on Earth."

Reidan shrugged. "It's a lovely place, really. Although I agree, Earth certainly is a great place, and I'm certainly comfortable here..." He shrugged. "That may be, but even if we are close in age in reality... You slept long." The god began to walk off towards the dwarves' kingdom. "Let us go and find my daughter a soft bed and a warm fire! And then me and you can have some ale and talk."

The Wanderer followed behind. "That sounds marvelous!" He said. As they walked, The Wanderer saw himself in a reflection on water. He still looked like The Bard. That just wouldn't do. He slowly altered his facial features until he found the combination he was looking for. Then he changed his flashy blue and red clothes until they became a dark greenish brown. He also gave himself a black cloak to replace the hat he had been wearing before. Yes, this was much better. He admired himself in the reflection.

"So", he said to Reidan as they neared the dwarven homeland, "You were the first to awaken? Or was it some other god?"

(OOC: Just so everyone is aware, The Bard/Wanderer is planned to become a god of many faces. Both named and nameless. He will never be more than one at a time though, that way I won't be breaking the rules.)

"It, rather unfortunately, it seems, was not I, but another, more evil god." Reidan said with a shrug. "I don't think I've ever had the misfortune of hearing his name." The Earth God looked over at his new companion as he transformed into a rather different form. Reidan contemplated a new form for himself, but found that he liked his beard a little too much, and so kept it. He did, however, file away the idea. It might be nice to switch things up from time to time. "I have been around long before I awoke, of course. I'm the God of the very stone and earth... My memory of before I awoke is hazy at best, however. Now, what of you?"

The Wanderer

That was an interesting question to The Wanderer. "I just recently woke up, but I remember the voice of The One True God as he spoke us into being. It was, awesome. He was both everchanging and yet completely stable. I chose to remain like Him in that manner. I am like the very nature of the soul itself, Consistently unique." As he walked he looked out upon the world and saw beauty everywhere and in everything.

He was filled with the need to see it all and at that moment struck his staff upon the ground. The dust flew up from the ground and formed itself into a new creature. This one was like a horse, but had the torso and head of a human. "Centaur." The Wanderer commanded. "Be like me, be filled with wanderlust, see all that you can see and run swiftly with your family." And at the word 'family,' several more centaurs appeared and they bowed to The Wanderer before running off into the distance. The Wanderer gave them incredible sight and astounding dexterity so that they could see everything they wanted to see and go wherever they wanted to go.

After he had finished creating he watched through the one of the Centaurs eyes as they explored their lands and he was happy. He continued on with Reidan content for now.

Fleet-Foot

The newly created centaur ran with her herd. Just like the others, she felt the need to explore and explores he did. She ran with them through forests and over fields. Never tiring, always searching, they became nomads. At first they gathered fruit for sustenance, but soon they had discovered how to make bows.

With their incredible sight and amazing speed, they became the best archers throughout the land. Fleet-foot, however, resented killing other creatures. She would keep to herself while the others ate meat and insted she would find fruit or vegetables to eat. They all worshiped the Wanderer and gave thanks for their blessing and creation.

Michael:

After a few tireless days and nights of wandering Michael at last came to the Dwarflands. The tall mountains of the northwest were swarming like anthills with the dwarves. Everywhere they went to and fro repairing the broken buildings of their old above ground cities. Washing the stone of the demon taint. Clearing away the destruction of the great battles fought here.

The dwarves viewed Michael with curiosity and suspicion for they had seen human slaves serving in Baal's army. They tried to arrest Michael and he laughed and let them slip the chains around his wrists. With mirth he snapped the great chains like they were nothing. The dwarves stood in awe and fear, but Michael laughed.

"I will not harm any of you, I have come of my own freewill. Take me to your king and let him pass judgement on me." Michael stated.

So the dwarves led him unbound up to the mouth of a great cavern where broken dwarf doors stood in rubble. At the broken gates King Foramir lay on a bed watching his people work. At his side one of his three sons attended to him. Foramir was both old and direly wounded from the battles. A great bloody gash was mopped continuously with new bandages. Foramir sat up weakly to greet the man.

"Why have you come to my kingdom?" Foramir inquired after the two made introductions.

"I was given a gift of immortality and I would like to become even stronger now that I know I cannot die. Please give me a worthy task good Dwarfking." Michael knelt at his bedside and beseeched him.

"Ha, very well. As you can see our lands and our cities have been trashed. Go help my people rebuild. This will increase your strength for our dwelling were made of the heaviest of rocks and metals. I shall even reward you for your efforts, aside from naming you a Dwarf friend I shall permit you to enter our Shrine to Reidan and perhaps he will give you a blessing." Foramir choked and coughed a bit. "If I die before your task is complete I bind my sons to this oath."

Michael agreed to the terms and at once went down into the city. For hours he helped heave away great masses of stone and rock. When a section of the city was cleared after a few days with the help of some dwarves he shifted great granite blocks around and began to rebuild the great towers and homes and castles. Long Michael toiled with the dwarves and indeed Foramir's words were true. For every block weighing several tons that he moved he became ever more strong.

The dwarves marvelled at his strength for surely Michael was the s trognest mortal in all of Earth. At night when they rested he sang to them great songs of the humans and their escape from bondage. It did not take Foramir's words to quickly make the dwarves bestow upon Michael the honorary title of Dwarf Friend, making him an official citizen of their kingdom.