Dungeon Keepers: the Stranger World

"Hey, watch it!" Grumbled a man as Uekaru roughly shoved him out of the way. At least, that's what the hidden warlord thought he said. His grasp of the language was still patchy. Regardless, his temper flared dangerously, but just as he had for a hundred years he kept it in check. The citizen would not pose him any harm. A more concerning issue was the crowds; this close to the city's center, people moved, worked, and breathed in a sea of humans. Many tried to give Uekaru room when he approached, but one could only move so much in such a throng. Any other keeper could have been overcome with revulsion, but not Uekaru. His mind, sharp as a blade, was focused on only one objective: the temple. At the apex of the third tier of Metal Town was the holy structure, rising high above the other buildings like a tower to the heavens. Within there was surely some means of enchanting the Yanmaodao.

He was, however, accosted before he had set foot in the shrine. Uekaru did not want to harm the priest who stopped him -yet- but having his goal within his grasp only to be halted in clear sight of it did not put him into a good mood. Despite this, he resigned himself to listening to what the old man had to say. "Sir, we are not accepting visitors," he droned, "And even if we did, we could not allow you to bring a weapon into this holy place. God's home is a place of peace." Uekaru thought for a moment before replying. He understood the meaning of the words but could not say any words he had not heard. "Not visitor. Not bring weapon. Bring peace," he replied at last, offering the monk his weapon, who hesitated before taking it gingerly, as if the gun's metal were cursed. While he concentrated on that. making sure he did not accidentally fire, Uekaru slowly raised a hand above his head before smashing down on the man's head. His eyes rolled up in his skull and he sank, stunned, to the ground. "Fool," he spat in his own tongue. "A weapon in your temple is the least of your concerns." Without a second thought he stepped into the shrine.

A pilgrim in the ancient building before it had been closed to the public might have awed at the interior of the place, pussyfooting around the site as if his footsteps would pervert its sanctity. As for Uekaru, he had seen far grander places of worship in his day, so the only glances he wasted on the scenery was in search for some sort of means to achieve his goal. While he walked, he stripped off his pilfered armor until he had only trousers and a dirty, sleeveless shirt. He kept his sword, though. Until he heard a steady chanting, he had no real sense of direction. Drawn by the voices, he found himself at the entrance to an inner courtyard. The stone bricks here were pounded smooth by centuries' worth of feet, but what grass did poke up from the cracks was a vibrant yellow. Of far greater interest to him was a circular metal platform surrounded by stone steps, beneath which he heard the sound of hissing and sputtering. Uekaru didn't acknowledge a few nearby monks watching him steadily as he mounted the podium. At the very center was a hole, and when he peered inside it he saw a huge vat of boiling orange liquid. He set down his sword and, slowly and steadily, raised a hand and reached down into the hole.

If he heard one of the nearby monks cry out in protest he didn't show it. The liquid was very warm but did not burn. After a moment of his hand immersed in the stuff he withdrew it and examined it carefully. It settled on his skin, glistening in the sunlight and forming many dazzling colors. It refracted the light in such a way as to make his arm almost invisible but for some shimmering. When he touched it, he found the substance amazingly smooth. No matter how hard he tried, he could not maintain any sort of friction on it--his hand simply slid off. Fascinated, he didn't realize that one of the monks was behind him until he spoke up. "That is the sacred oil of our shrine. You are an outsider here and not worthy of it. You should be ashamed. What have you to say for yourself?" Uekaru smiled. swiftly he grabbed his Yanmaodao with his clean had and plunged it into the vat. He rose to his full height then, towering above the monk, and turned around. The blade glistened hungrily. "Much obliged," said the Keeper, who then slashed the air with his sword.

For a moment there was nothing but the panicked breath of the priest. Then the air shimmered like the oil where Uekaru had cut it, then frothed, and finally split open with a violent splashing noise. A rip appeared. Inside it Uekaru could see a few diminutive, curious figures. Raising his voice, he hailed them. "Imps! A new master summons you! Come to me!" Wasting no time, a crowd of imps pushed through the rip, appearing in the real world. The first thing they did was throw themselves at the priest, who was frozen in fear. They bit, punched, and clawed until the man found his voice, screamed once, and died. By this time more monks had appeared, but more imps had come through the portal as well. About a dozen stood in the courtyard now, and no more appeared, so Uekaru let the rip mend itself and vanish. As the old men ran in fear and the imps pursued them, cackling and brandishing whatever weapons came to hand, Uekaru inhaled deeply. His reign...had begun.

-=-=-
Location: Metal Town, Western China
Forces: 11 imps
Resources: A Yanmaodao sword, a vat of sacred oil, a Buddhist monestary and everything within.
Progress: 6/6 to enchant the blade

As Jin'zul and the imp under his service trudged back through the jungle, the Keeper's mind strayed towards the memories of the man whose soul he had devoured. The warlock found himself beginning to effortlessly learn information about this strange world, knowledge of everything from monkeys, some of this jungle's denizens, to the cities on the coast that the two outlaws had been exiled from.

Jin'zul also found himself knowing the words of two strange languages, one hailing from a land across the sea called Portugal and its colonies, and another spoken by some of the natives in the area that the two outlaws had occasionally conducted dealings with. The Keeper thought on this and more, oblivious to the dense vegetation that cut his skin and the insects that swarmed around him. The warlock had still yet to grow used to his own weakness, and to the sense known as 'pain'.


The imp tried to make conversation with his new master, but the Keeper proved less than amiable and would silence the demon time and time again with but only a glance. After what seemed to the imp like ages of trekking through the dark jungle floor, the odd duo heard a growl. The imp, who had acted so powerful when first summoned, now instinctively cowered behind his master.

"Hi-hide, we should get in a bush!" the wretched weakling stammered.

His voice level and his emotions appearing to be little more than agitation, Jin'zul replied, "Silence. I do not hide from danger."

Before the imp could mutter another word, a jaguar burst out from behind a tree towards the tall, dark-skinned form of the Keeper. Having easily anticipated this move, unlike the previous encounter with the pistol-bearing man, the warlock displayed incredible dexterity and reflexes by effortlessly falling to the ground to dodge the pounce. The jaguar then turned around and attempted to rake its claws across its target, but to no avail.

Jin'zul rolled to the side, then touched the great predator with fingers still coated in dried blood from the snake that the imp had captured. The blood become liquid once more, glowed red, and then seemed to worm its way through the feline's pelt and into the jaguar's body. The predator then fell to the ground limply, howling as the unholy blood magic inflicted agony beyond description.

The imp, collecting his wits, managed to summon a weak fireball and throw it at the dry leaves the jaguar was thrashing in. Within moments, the brush caught fire and cooked the beast alive, until nothing but charred bones remained. But by then, the two were long gone. Jin'zul had simply turned around and continued walking once the flames caught, leaving the animal to die.

For once, the Keeper initiated a conversation, "You are a more powerful demon than I thought, to be able to work fire magic."

After remaining silent for some time, the imp changed the subject by inquiring, "You are a self-professed warlock, a warrior of the shadows, and yet you stood your ground when we could have avoided the fight and sneaked away," the imp paused to wriggle through a bush before continuing, "Why?"

"Shadows do not hide, but appear only where the light is brightest. My features may be shrouded in darkness, but I always stand in plain view to mortals, if they have the courage to turn and gaze upon their death."


After two days of making good progress through the woods, the two found themselves at the top of a great tree they had climbed. In the distance was a small village, and beyond it two hills and what appeared to be a somewhat wide river. For a moment Jin'zul was confused, for he recognized this village and knew the river was the one called Rio Abacaxis, a tributary of the mighty Amazon River. However, the warlock soon realized that this was knowledge he had absorbed from the man he had killed. Yes, Jin'zul remembered more clearly now...As the two outlaws had once found their way into this village, traded with its people, and stayed for a time, the keeper had a good deal of knowledge about the hamlet's layout and its populace.

The village was located in a fairly large clearing that encompassed a few square kilometers, the result of woodcutting. A wooden palisade surrounded the inconsequential town of perhaps a bit less than a hundred people, all of whom lived in mere huts and survived mainly on berries and fruits they gathered or grew, and off of fish caught from the nearby river.

These natives would make good followers, as they were used to hard work, knew the surrounding area well, and were numerous enough to construct a small dungeon, at least until more imps could be summoned. The only question was how to enslave them by brute force, or convince them to serve willingly.



Location: Eastern coast of modern-day Brazil, on the edge of the Amazon Rainforest.
Forces: One pitiful imp
Keeper: Jin'zul, a long forgotten keeper from Outremar who once possessed great magical power, including the ability to use forbidden Black Magick to manipulate the aspects of Soul, Shadow, Smoke, and Blood.
Resources: A meager amount of food and a pistol.
Progress: 0/4 in finding location for dungeon

Rise Uru

At he heart of Terrenum , Terrenum was ready. On the top of his Temple A tower appeared with on top of it an ball of darkness strangly giving light. It had an combination of all the lights of the immortals.

Terrenum was creating more Gara's.

Meanwhile at the village

The Linewalkers and the Gara's were preparing to fight the Human soldiers coming to see whatever chaos was happening there.

The Peruan platoon had taken their linebattle formage and appraoched towards the village. The gara's wasted no time and most of them charged at the humans not submerging. Only a few did , the gara's thought it were nothing more than spears they used.

That changed when they heard the sound "Fire."

The primitvve gara's must have thought the humans had thunder guns thought Frederick. Many Gara's fell to the ground and others tried to run away. With the gara's scattered the soldiers first reloaded and than marched towards the Linewalkers.

But as the light from Terrenums creation brought a dark light over all the Nazca lines. The Spider lines glowed most. Even the marks on the Earthbound linewalkers loyal to Uru.

In the mind of one of Uru's linewalkers came the words directly from the Immortal and the Linewalker Yelled them out.

"I Offer my soul to the Great Immortal Uru! Mark of the Spider Take my soul and Use the Power made by Terrenum to Let you taste freedom , blood and souls for Some Time. Appear Mark of the Spider!"


In the sky Appeared the Nazca lines of the Spider. The Soldiers stood as stones versus the wind with the Gara's but they were getting really afreid now.

The Earthbound Linewalker Yelling these words exploded in a feast of gore and blood. The blood and Gore concentrated in one point. The Seal stone on the Spider lines at the nazca lines sinked in the Ground and Reappeared in the sky.

As Souls from the dead villagers began flying in the Heart , it began to beat , faster and faster. Than as an meteor it hit the ground and A Red light Emergeed from the Seal stone. The Mark in the sky also smashed into the ground.

The ground became Black as it rose up. The Red lines give the mass shape and form. The giant spider form was much much smaller than the actualy nazca lines. But the Orb created by Terrenum is not so powerfull.

Yet The EarthBound Immortal Rose from the ground. EarthBound Immortal URU!!

Uru's time was limited so he let not a second to waste. The Large Spider walked towrads the now running Soldiers.

Uru Shoots webs from his Mouth catching most of the soldiers as they are dragged towards Uru. But some soldies cut themself loose. Uru didin't have any facial expressions but the Linewalkers felt that Uru was not amused. This time Uru again shot something from his mouth but it was not web. It were black projectiles with red Lines. They went through the soldiers who had cut themself loose as bullets0. They fell to the ground cluthing the hole in the body.

Most of Uru's captured soldiers are promptly killed or consumed but 2 are transformed in EarthBound Linewalkers. After the village is burning to the ground did the seal stone suck Migthy Uru back in the stone where it promptly returned to the nazca lin es. But the Orb on the Temple also returned.

Terrenum was pleased with the succes of the attack and tha tUru was finaly pleased with some action and souls.

But First There should come on a sun Marker.

A south american Temple north of his main temple. It would have several Holes on its surface the holes would be in the form of the mark needed to make Gara's for automatic Gara production. Luckly the Gara loses were quickly restored by Terrentum


Creatures
EarthBound Gara , level 1 : 15
EarthboundLine walkers (earthbound immortal priests/imps) : 17



Terrenum Project


Earthbound Immortal Power ORB (level 1 construct power) : 3/3 *completed*
Gara Production Temple 1/5
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Foreign sensations bombarded Merakgul as his brain tried in vain to process it all. The first was smell. He couldn't begin to explain the smell to himself, mostly because he had prior to this point, never had the olfactory senses with which to experience it. Over the course of several lapses in consciousness, Merakgul’s other senses slowly made themselves present. As his eyes opened for the first time, and he experienced what he would soon know as color, he found himself staring at brush grass.

Puzzling with the concept of what was going on; he attempted to slide forward, to get a better sense of his surroundings. When absolutely none of his body expanded or contracted to carry him, he was confused as to what sorry state he’d lay in. It wasn't until he made a passing glace to the rest of his body, that the horror of his situation became apparent. Human the word screeched in his mind, as he flailed with limbs he little understood, to stand on comparatively unstable legs than the grand pool of viscous slime that he once was.

Anger coursed through him, as dim memories of power flashed along with them. He was not formerly too intelligent of a keeper, but that did not mean he did not have the capacity to enjoy such power. And now, striped of it, in the body of a mortal, and thrown far away from anything he understood, he had little to guide him.

Around him the land lay as plains, little as a landmark in sight, save of course, for the massive mountain to his rear. Trekking there was the best plan he had, and with forest between here and the start of the slope, he could hope to find something to ingest as he sincerely doubted the capacity of a human to avoid dying of starvation.

This form unfortunately carried little. It had skin a tanned brown and was completely bald and clean shaven. On its person, there was but what Merakgul could assume to be leather shoes, and basic robes.

---
Location: North of Kilimanjaro
Forces: 0
Resources: Clothes on his back
Project: Nothing

Compendium: Former self proclaimed lord of ooze and slime from Outremar.

The concentration it took to manifest all the minerals around him into a singular automation with the sparse amount of magic around would have been awe-inspiring if anyone were around within a hundred mile radius of his vacant location. It would have been easier too, if there were more life around so that he could draw the energy from them. But no, all that he had to deal with was scorpions and stray condors or vultures or something. The imp automation in front of him hummed and steamed and its cogs turned steadily. Bataar, exhausted, sat down in the shaded area of the cove that had been dug out after directing the automation to assist the first one with the construction of what would be their new domain. He grabbed the slice of cactus that was left over and slowly and wearily savored what was left of it. Time had dried it slightly, but it was no less hydrating and filling. If all he had to live on was cactus, it would get very old, very quickly.

He had plans for his future dungeon – an underground utopia, a maze, and well secured Heart. Of course, the Heart would have to begin somewhere a lot riskier and closer to the surface… but he could move later. After the dungeon grows in size… and then power system; oh, it would be great! Deriving magic from a channel of nuclear energy, tossing the waste down towards the river below, it was brilliant. Add to that even more energy from solar panels on the surface and a water mill in the river… these were large plans he had that were meant to sustain a massive underground city, a feat that would likely take a very long time to finish, but would be worth it if he could come up with a steady influx of imps. He couldn’t create portals and grab an imp – well, he could, but it wasn’t within his preference. He had to create his own to get the kind of things he wanted. Automations. As soon as he could produce a Heart, the production speed would likely double, triple, even.

In the meantime, what he did have was an idea. Something that, while it might stunt growth at first, would prove to be most profitable in the future – if could, by chance, draw the strength that it took to create another imp automation, he could perhaps create a device that would help him produce these automation like a sort of assembly line. A factory in the shape of a small box, or dome.

Of course, he’d still need an automation to retrieve food for him.

“Minion,” Bataar droned. The first imp, the older one, stopped what it was doing and faced its master. This was the one that knew where cacti were and the proper way to obtain slices of it within fiddling with it too much. “New directive: override mining. Grab more slices of cactus.”

The robot had made no hesitation and it left without thought – not that it was capable of any. Speaking of thoughts, however, some were occupying Bataar’s mind. As a god, he usually felt no weakness. He had never died, and he never had purpose to kill another keeper whether it be out of preference of isolation, never seized the opportunity, or was unable to do so. This, for the longest time, has led him to believe that he was in fact a god incapable of death. He even managed to escape Outremar’s Armageddon… beyond that, he was a genius among Keepers, and he understood most of the scientific knowledge that was available to him, whether it is technological or biological.

What he didn’t understand though, was this: here, he had this power. It was limited by the lack of resources provided to him, but it was available. He had his conscious, his memory, even his physical aptitude and brilliant mind. He could change forms back then, at will. All due to the resources provided to him. But here? Here he starved and thirsted, felt weakness. He had never adopted a human form, or at least not one so reliant on basic biological functions. He had powers, but he could be damaged. That’s when a disturbing thought crossed his mind and chilled his bones, boiled the bile in his stomach, and made his head spin: I am, in fact, mortal. Not in the purest sense of it – I cannot age. But I can die.

This realization made him shudder.

But so can the others

Fear of being murdered by another keeper had initially crossed his mind, but it was put at ease by the thought that they were as vulnerable as he. Bataar doubted they were even close to where he was, or had the means of finding him out. He doubted they were brave enough to even scale down the canyon… he’d at least have the edge of knowing his whereabouts and being in the company of an imp automation.

“Time to stick to the regular plan… let’s see if I can muster this one more time.”

Bataar sat criss-crossed with his eyes closed and hands together. His brow was furrowed in intense concentration as he tried to manage another automation.


-::-::-

Location: Southwest United States – Grand Canyon
Forces: 2 imp automation(s)
Resources: (none)
Progress: 9/20 in creating a (small) dungeon, 0/10 in creating an imp automation, 0/5 in retrieving (3) cactus slices

Goals and Building


Terrenum was overseeing as Frederick lead the Linewalkers to craft the Complicaited and toll taking process of making the Marks of the building as it is not a drawing but a drawing in 4d seen in 2d view.

As The Second Temple was being buildt the Power of Terrenum grow with every mark slowly rising up and above the constructs under it.


The power filled his body as Suddenly A shock went through Him. Memories of the old times began to run throuhg his head.

Things he had seemingly forgotten ragged in his head. With Open eyes Terrenum says "It can't be , how could I forget it!! Ccoshbar the Dog Immortal with color dark orange and Earthbound Immortal Cuauhcoatl the snake with color Dark Red. How could he have forgotten about them , there marks are on the nazca lines.

The Gara's and the Linewalkers didin't understand as Terrenum Ran outside straight for the Mark of the dog and the snake. He began using the full extend of his heart at the lines .

Eventually 2 seal stones rose up. One of the Snake one of the Dog. After this great output of power he fell to his knees. His mind still confused how he could have forgotten about 2 of his Immortals.

Mayby the seal on him and his powers is mayby also his memories and mayby even still active.

This make Terrenum certain that more immortals are trapped and he must Grow stronger to know all of them. He knew that the Immortals wanted to be free as they could and kill.

But for an improvement in the Immortal Power scource he would need thousands of souls. His

Gara Report there is such an city east of him with such a supply of souls awaits





Creatures
EarthBound Gara , level 1 : 32
EarthboundLine walkers (earthbound immortal priests/imps) : 19



Terrenum Project
(find atleast a few thousand souls for immortal orb improvement)
Gara Production Temple 3/5

Dave purchased a small breakfast before he left the inn. He needed some more money, and he eventually decided that he would have to break into a shop or an upper class house to get enough. To conceal his identity while doing so, he purchased a new shirt and a large rag. He also pinched a knife from a fishmonger.

He eventually found a suitable target. A jeweller. He sneaked in the back and waited in hiding, his rag around his mouth. When a man walked down the corridor he stepped out behind him and put his knife to his throat. "The money," Dave growled simply.

The man let out a little whimper and led Dave towards where the money was kept by edging carefully. He unlocked the safe and emptied the money into a bag. While the money was being emptied Dave had found a metal rod. "Thank you for the assistance." With that, Dave struck the man on the back of the head with the rod, and there was a crack. This time the man was knocked out, and might be dead. Just so he wouldn't be detected early he stealthily closed the shop to the public.

Now secure, Dave counted the money. It was a small fortune! At least to someone who didn't have any money before. Nowhere near enough to purchase a slave fit for building, but sufficient to hire some workers.

Now that he had enough money, it was time to go to phase two. Changing back to his clothed before, he bought enough food for his trek and departed, heading down a road which took him in almost exactly the opposite direction. Once far enough away, he left the road and started to head in the right direction off-road.


Davy Jones (alias Dave Johnson)
Location: St Johns, Newfoundland, Canada
Resources: A dirty shirt, a fresh shirt, short pants, a rag, a knife, a wallet and a bag with a lot of money, a tiny magical crystal
Forces: Himself

As any good murderer and home intruder would, Ordine began ransacking the place. Her plan thus far was fairly simple: make it to the nearest town and inquire on the nearest temple. To do this though, she would require travel supplies and definately more protection that her ragged summer dress. She knew that the sword and shield were key items to take along. She'd have to stash them before heading into town though, as they were far from common items to carry on one's person nowdays.

Along with the weapons she packed some quick food; mostly bread, fruit, and a bit of dried meat. She found a well outside and a canteen to fill with water. Finding the bedroom, she cleaned off the blood of the couple, getting a good look at her face for the first time. It was strong for a female's face. Her grey eyes looked normal enough. Overall the only feature of her's that stuck out like a sore thumb was her white hair. She turned away from the mirror to go rummage through the clothes dresser. The man's clothing would be more pratical for hiking in but the woman's would be the correct attire to wear if she planned on heading into civilization. She decided on throwing a grey dress into a sack she found along with a bonnet that she would need to hide her unusual hair. If she needed to she would hide and change on the edge of town. For now, she threw on a pair of man's slacks, a shirt, and a vest over it. In the pack she added a map of the country and surrounding areas that she ripped from a book, the food and water, the cleaned knife, and some spare coins she had found. Tossing the sack on her back, she threw the shield over it and strapped the sword to her side.

She decided to travel on during the night for a couple reasons. One, she was less likely to run into travellers during the night. Two, if she was seen she could more easily pass for a man in the dark. And three, it would be wise to be far from the house before the farm help arrived in the morning to find the mess she had left behind. Her feet hit the road that had been well worn into the earth. She could hear an old horse whinny in a stable not far from the house but she left it behind. The town she was heading to likely could recognize the horse if its owners had used it for travel.

It took until dawn, but finally she took the last few steps that placed her at the top of a tall hill. Below she could see the small, rural town that was her destination. A light forest covered one side of the town and road to it. She used this to her advantage and took a quick trip into it. Eventually she found a nice, hidden opening in the roots of some large trees. She stashed her weapons and most of her possessions away in the nook. She only kept a few coins and the knife hidden on her person. Hastily, she threw on the dress over her hiking clothes and smoothed out any odd bulges. With that she exited the woods and walked on toward the town.

She was easily seen as a stranger to the town. It was one of those "everyone knows everyone else" kind of places. But it was of no worry. She had studied the maps and claimed to be a visiter from one of the other nearby towns. She stated that she had hitched a wagon ride part way to the town and that she wanted to study the nearest ancient temple. The lie was simple and effective. As it turned out there was a temple about a day's hike away from her current position, apparently to some old goddess of war named 'Athena.' How fitting.

While she was eager to be on her way, her human form required rest. A decent from the heavens followed by a full night's march was annoyingly taxing on the Keeper. Figuring that her possessions were well stashed and safe, she bought a room at the local inn and settled in for a night's rest.

Location: Greek Islands
Resources: A sword & shield, a pair of man's slacks, a shirt, and a vest, a summer dress, a map of the country and surrounding areas, some food and water, a knife, and some spare coins
Forces: 0

The Temple complex grows

The Gara's creation temple had finished. Now th Gara's production progress was automatic , with the jounrey that the sun makes it will during each hour that it moves create new Gara's.

The Large city were enfouhg souls could be found to increase The Immortal Power scource was heavily armed.

Terrenum was planning to lead the attack himself. But the city would have a lot of defenes and people. More Gara's would be needed.

And extra monsters , so Terrenum thought of a New Earthbound Monsters , He remebered tha his scouts i nthe days of old talked about an azteck god Called Quetzalcoatl. He was an feathered Serpent , seeming he had forgotten Cuauhcoatl the snake. In a way to repay it he would create Earthbound Quetzals , they would be flyers with heavy fans and the ability to shoot cactus needles covered in the venom of the cobra Quetzals.

Yes this would be a great creature for his next conquest.



Creatures
EarthBound Gara , level 1 : 45
EarthboundLine walkers (earthbound immortal priests/imps) : 20



Terrenum Project
(find atleast a few thousand souls for immortal orb improvement)
Gara Production Temple 5/5 *complete*
Level 2 flying serpant , earthbound Quetzals 1/5

Immortals
Uru the Spider immortal , color red.
Ccoshbar the Dog Immortal with color dark orange
Immortal Cuauhcoatl the snake with color Dark Red
Aslla piscu the hummingbird color orange
Cusillu the monkey Yellow
Ccarayhua The Lizzard color Green
Ccapac Apu the giant , color blue
Chacu Challhua The Killerwhale , color purple
Wiraqocha Rasca The condor , color violet

Escavar woke up one day and heard a lot of yelling. He could hear bits and pieces, such as: "Nobody's in there!" "Go away!" and many other similar phrases. He put on his armor, and kicked open the door. The door hit one of the British Royal Guard in the head and knocked him out.
"It's the soul-eating man!" said one of the soldiers. He took out his gun, and was about to fire point blank, but Escavar intercepted with a lucky fireball. Just as the guard pressed the trigger, the fireball melted the first half of the gun including part of the mechanism, making it explode. The guard screamed in pain as his right arm from the elbow down was blown off. Escavar unsheathed his blade and made sure to stab the most unvital places in the man's body to make sure he died painfully. He finally then lifted up his blade and stabbed it straight through the man's head.

More of the Royal Guard busted into the room. Escavar was nearly caught in the shoulder by a bullet, but it barely missed. He leaped up, and attempted to activate a jet spell. Surprisingly, he blasted forward (which meant the spell worked) and he slashed one guard in the chest. The guard fell to the ground, and there was a big gash in his chest which bled badly. Escavar, realizing that his power had started returning, simply grinned. He quickly finished the guard off and jumped at another one. Before the guard could even aim, he sliced the guard in half with his sword. He then jumped off the wall towards yet another guard and sliced the guard's head off. The remaining two guards fell to the ground and surrendered. Escavar grinned and said "You have not a clue what being my slave is like. Prepare for much pain".

Escavar decided to put his guards to use by teaching them how to do an imp-summoning chant. He quickly taught them how to do it, and said that if they didn't do it right the first time, he would whip them on the back 60 times but would make sure they lived to keep working for him. Escavar then went into the forest outside, and having stolen a medium-sized smooth and rough rocks and a lot of bowls of dye from the market, built a summoning circle. He quickly painted a pentagram onto the grass with red dye and made a demon rune which he placed in the middle. He then made a fire rune and runes related to the fire rune and placed them at the corners of the pentagram. He finally got his 2 enslaved guards to sit on the grass at 2 opposite corners of the pentagram. Escavar quickly spread ashes around the demon rune and then started the chant.

-=::[]::=-
Location: A small town located in the UK
Forces: 0
Resources: Nothing
Progress: No project
-=::[]::=-

Though Uekaru wore no fearsome armor but his complexion, the men that knelt before him could hear in his voice and see in his eyes that he was a true warlord. Most didn't know whether to flee, wailing for help, or bow down in reverence. Though Uekaru did not look like their god, they could not help but wonder if this magic-wielding persona was linked to their theology somehow. The bruises and scars upon the bodies of the priests who had almost escaped only to be assaulted by the imps did affect their decision, however. Now to a man they knelt before Uekaru, not daring to watch as they shivered in silence while he filled a huge urn with the sacred oil. As the Keeper did so, the imps trotted around the prisoners, snickering. Uekaru glanced at them out of the corner of his cruel eye. They seem quite proud of themselves, he thought, but if their opponents hadn't been tired old men they would have shrunk away from the fight in cowardice. As he capped the urn with a hunk of wax from a nearby candle, he resolved to change that.

The imps gathered up small bronze cups and drank the liquid at their new master's behest. One after another they fell to the ground, writhing in agony and squealing, only to rise with iridescent amber eyes and slightly changed form. Uekaru did what he could to influence their miniature transformations. They grew a fair bit bulkier, though this sudden growth created some deformities among them, and adopted a red tint to their mottled flesh. Uekaru found this a bit unsightly, but it could be purged later. He had capable workers now, and could begin to look for a site to construct his dungeon. An idea came to him: the quarry on the far side of the lake from Metal Town would undoubtedly have countless tunnels and chambers within it already. This would make construction all the quicker, once it was rid of its human laborers. "Come, imps. We must make our way out of the town. Find cloaks, stand on the shoulders of your fellows, and take care not to be noticed."

Disappointed that they were leaving so soon, the imps hesitated in obeying him. This would not stand. Uekaru drew his blade in the blink of an eye and jabbed at the back of the nearest one, which yelped in pain. "Go now or die here, worms." The imps scattered like flies, looking for human clothing and any loot they could stuff in their pockets. Uekaru turned to the men, still quiet and motionless. "Ending you all personally would be a waste of time. We will bar the door when we leave. Speak of us at your own peril." With that, the warlord grabbed a torch from the wall, tossed it into the vat, and departed to the sounds of a fiery explosion and men's howling as the scalding liquid splattered them.

The blazing sun was setting, casting its orange radiance across the cherry-red horizon, when Uekaru and his followers arrived at the Metal Town harbor. The catcalls of gulls and the interesting smells and sound of the lake were lost upon the intent troupe. They had accrued some strange glances on their way down from the temple, but most assumed it was some procession of the monks and chose not to interfere. Those who did were shouldered aside coldly. By this time the families had all returned home, so the port was vacant. The Keeper and his entourage shed their disguises. He recognized boats, but one of the larger ones featured a strange contraption that Uekaru deduced provided movement through the water. Severing the thick woven line that secured it to the dock with a single slash, he claimed the steamboat and climbed aboard. A few minutes past, and Uekaru's keen mind discerned how to operate the boat most basically, and cast off from the dock. He was pleased that there seemed to be no guards about to hinder him; they were likely investigating the burning temple on the apex of Metal Town.

A rather nerve-racking hour later, Uekaru abruptly crashed the steamboat into the craggy shoreline adjacent to the quarry. The imps spilled out, a few of them vomiting, onto terra firma. When they had regained their senses they followed Uekaru to the top of a small, nearby hill. He cast his eyes over the quarry, speckled with angular shadows by the last of the sunlight. Some fire -a torch, most likely- burned in what he presumed was the entrance to the mines. After a long drink from his canteen, the Keeper issued his command. "Let us begin."

-=-=-
Location: Metal Town Quarry, Western China
Forces: 11 slightly-empowered imps
Resources: An enchanted Yanmaodao sword, a half-full canteen, some loot from a Buddhist monestary, a few tons of easily-obtainable stone, a large urn of sacred oil.
Progress: 0/12 to build a heart and a basic dungeon.

It was approaching evening when Dave spotted the town of Bay Bulls. A strong fishing community. In a strategic location and valuable enough to be attacked numerous times before. A fortified harbour. Currently sporting a mostly Irish population. Not very big. A perfect place to establish his operations.

Shifting his sack to a more comfortable position over his shoulder, he walked on and entered the town. As he wandered, he was scouting out for good locations. Unlike St Johns, the sewer was much less developed, obvious a side-effect of its low population. He also needed to consider the tides, as the workers would not be able to work while the tide is high.

Eventually he got lucky and found the perfect spot. A burnt-out cellar underneath a house which wasn't there, obvious gone missing in a prior razing of this town, only a short distance away from the sewer. It dawned on him, however, that in such a small town he would not be able to disguise the work he was doing so easily. They might not see the intent, but they'd see that he was digging out a cellar. He'd have to buy the land somehow. Or hire shifty workers. Or bribe them. He had more than enough money to pay a few unlucky labourers a very handsome fee and tell them to work quietly and to say, if asked, that nothing is out of the ordinary here.

Until then he needed to sleep. It was very late already. He found and inn and got a room. Before he went in, he saw two people at the bar, drowning their sorrows in alcohol. They looked like manual labourers, so they would do. Dave ignored his fatigue for the time being and went to sit beside them. He purchased for himself a pint, merely to fit in, and began conversation.

"You guys look a bit down," said Dave.

They nodded.

"What is the problem?" he asked soothingly. He turned to the bartender for a moment and said quietly, "Get me two more for these two."

"The fishing company we worked for collapsed, and we don't know if we can find more work," one of them replied. The beers arrived and they began to drink.

"Really? It just so happens that I'm looking for some quick workers," Dave said.

"You're joking?"

"Not at all. If you're interested, meet me here at..." he paused for some quick mental calculations. They would be working from inside the cellar out. It would be a while before they reached the sewer, so starting at around high-tide would be best. "8 o'clock. I'll pay you handsomely for it, too. Should last you until you find something long-term."

Their faces lit up. Dave gave a nod to the bartender for another round for the two men. "I shall see you in the morning." With that, he picked up his sack and walked to his room, beaming.


Davy Jones (alias Dave Johnson)
Location: Bay Bulls, Newfoundland, Canada
Resources: A dirty shirt, a fresh shirt, short pants, a rag, a knife, a wallet and a bag with a lot of money, a tiny magical crystal
Forces: Two unwitting hired workers

Life flooded back into him as he existed again. The pain of materialising, as every atom in his body rushed together at the speed of light, was like nothing he had ever experienced. It was more than excruciating, it was torture. For what must have felt like hours, for what must have surely been hours, he lay still, experiencing a thousand lifetimes worth of pain. A sharp voice, loud and clear, shredded through the pain, and presented an entirely new sense of discomfort. He did not recognise it, COULD not recognise it, and as he felt a sharp prick in his neck, and the sedative flow into his bloodstream. H collapsed.

This time, it wasn't quite so bad. The discomfort of re-materialisation still remained, but it remained at the edge of his consciousness. He opened his eyes, and dull, yellow light flooded in. His chest burned for some reason, and then he opened his mouth to try and call out. Unfamiliar air flooded in, far richer in oxygen than he was used to. He saw a room filled with medical instruments, and a window. He could not make out much more, but it seemed to be... wheat? Outside of his field of vision, a door opened, and a voice spoke to him in an unfamiliar language. He tried to move his head, but his neck was held in place by a collar, presumably to keep him from breaking his neck through his pain. The owner of the voice entered into his field of vision, dressed in a simple white shirt with a bowtie, and black pants. He repeated the same statement, but Sanguine could not understand it any further. Sighing, the man went to a metal table, and picked up a short-bladed knife. He went over to Sanguine, who panicked at the sight of the knife coming towards his neck. He could make out the blade now, incredibly sharp and thin. It went past his field of vision, and...

It cut the collar. Fast and clean. The stranger smiled, and put the knife on the table. Sanguine stretched his neck, and sat up, slowly. Instead of studying the stranger, Sanguine instead focused on the field of wheat through the window. He then looked at the sky, and noticed that it was far more blue than he remembered. This was not Outremar. In fact, it was a different planet entirely.

The stranger huffed, made a short statement, and walked out of the room to let Sanguine think. Turning around, he saw the stranger walk outside and into another room, identical in setup to his. Sanguine could make the feet of somebody lying on a bed similar to his, covered in blood. Faint moans could be heard. Interested, but not affixed, Sanguine looked back at the field of wheat. He tried to think of what had happened, and remembered the conflict on Outremar. He remembered his purpose, as the Matrix, the Balancer. That which insured that time progressed as it should. And he remembered the end of Outremar, and...

Doviculous?

He did not hear a reply. Considering the state HE was in, it was no surprise that Doviculous was not active. Sanguine stood up, and only then realised he was naked. He searched around, and not seeing anything, looked out of the door. The stranger - who appeared to be a physician of some sort - was working on the man covered in blood, but turned to Sanguine and looked at his body. He indicated a drawer, with clothing identical to the strangers, which Sanguine hurriedly put on. A perfect fit, it seemed. The physician indicated that he could leave, and Sanguine walked through a dimly-lit hallway. There was a door at the end, which he opened to reveal a vast farm, which covered dozens of acres, and went in every direction. In the distance, a body of water could be seen, covered in white sails. A large manor was situated next to the building he was in, decorated with marble and other such materials. Turning back and heading to his room, he wondered what on Earth he was going to do.

When Ordine awoke her body felt stronger than it had the whole of her existance thus far. It was still nothing compared to her proper Keeper form however. How she ever got thrown into this form was beyond her. She could only hope that her fellow brothers and sisters were going through the same hardship. She set out the night of the next day, hoping to leave without drawing much attention. She retrieved her items from the under the roots of the tree where she had left them. Everything was accounted for and untouched. Removing the restricting female clothing, she once again tossed her possessions onto her back and took off on the dirt road, this time taking a fork away from the town.

She marched on until dawn broke over the horizon. She had treaded on all night, mastering Greece's hilly and rocky terrain. It was a pretty place covered mostly by farms, forests, and mountains. By then she had passed one meal already and her stomach was turning in pain. Reluctantly, she sat down for a quick meal out off of the side of the road. She decided to make better plans for her journey while she spent this time resting. As it was now morning, it was likely that she would see more travellers on the road. Avoiding them would be best given her appearence and equipment. A good way to do that was to travel off the road, though that would greatly lengthen the time it would take to reach the temple. She needed a way to balance it. Another glance of the farms around her gave the answer. A horse. If she could steal a horse she could travel off the road without loosing too much time. Plus as she had no intention on visiting anymore towns so a steed wouldn't present the problem it once did.

Ordine finished her meal and surveyed the hills of farms for any type of stable-looking feature. There were a few but she negated the ones with cattle roaming their fields. That left one a fair distance off. One chance was better than none. She set off towards it at a hasty pace. She knew that dawn would bring out the farmers and farmhands. With luck she could snatch a horse before too many of them were out.

She approached from the side of the farm, not taking the road's path to it. She was able to sneak up to the stable without much effort. Her ears granted her with both bad and good news. Good news: the neighing of multiple horses could be heard from inside the structure. Bad news: the chatter of men could be heard about. She found a doorway and peered inside carefully. There were three horses present inside. One, white with grey speckles all over it, had its pen open while it was being tended by a farmhand. On the other side of the stable was another partly open doorway. Through it she could see three more men begining their day's work in the field. The situation was risky. As a Keeper she wouldn't of even bothered with stealth and slayed the lot of them hardly batting an eye. Stuck in the form she was in however, she likely wouldn't have the strength to outpower four strong, grown men.

The farmhand tending the horse had his back to her. Eyeing his work he was attatching reins and ropes to the animal; likely so it could pull some form of plow. That was a bonus. Silently, she drew the sword from her waist and began to creep up on the man. Anticipation raced through her as she drew closer and closer. Her eyes flew between the open doorway and her target. She reached the animal's pen and pulled back her arm for a stab. Just then the man turned for a tool that was behind him. His carefree humming stopped short as he caught sight of Ordine. Quickly she ran him through, but not fast enough. A screech of both surprise and pain broke from his lips. The animal beside them let loose distressed neighs. She wasted no time grabbing the animal's mane and taking (surprisingly with ease) command over the animal. By the time she had attatched her gear, the stable's other doors had been flung open. There the three men stood. Two bore pitchforks while the third carried a strangely bent stick with a hole bored threw it and metal pieces adorning it. The two charged forward, shouting, "You theiving murderer, we'll kill you!" She threw herself onto the steed and kicked it into action. It ran away from the two men towards the door she had entered through. The third raised his stick-thing and pulled back a metal hook located below it. She could feel the wind of a projectile fly infront of her face and smash into the wooden doorframe next to her. The two shouted back at the third, cursing him out for risking hitting the horse.

Before she knew it Ordine was a long ways away from the farm. Two of the men had tried to chase her on the other horses. Alas she had the lead and was far better on four legs than two. They were quickly lost in the distance.

Location: Greek Islands
Resources: A sword & shield, a pair of man's slacks, a shirt, and a vest, a summer dress, a map of the country and surrounding areas, some food and water, a knife, a horse, and some spare coins
Forces: 0

All evil things need a bed. So they can have nightmares about their fiendisch overlords

Terrenum had finished the Quetzals , but there was some unrest with the linewalkers.



The Earthbound Linewalkers were getting weat of the work , no food , no sleep barly a drink.
They were afreid to ask but they did it anyway.

Lord frederick brought the concerns of the linewalkers before Terrenum.

Terrenum understood the concern. They hadn't eaten in days , they were looking kinda slim and starving.

Terrenum agreed it be unwise to let the linewalkers starve , since they would be needed.

Terrenum spoke loudly to his Linewalkers "I agree with your concerns , you are priests after all you shoul fhave luxery and the Gara's are needlesly extering their garbage and bones on the floor in an not sacrefical way.

We'll need 9 Extra temples for all the Immortals , an temple for the linewalkers , and 2 more temples for the creatures.

It would be quite the work. But they had to wait anyway while their forces build up.

It was the pressure from the Immortals on Terrenum to walk around a bit kill some humans be happy and shit.

But Terrenum was concerened about how effective the humans were breaking his garas.

Non-armed humans oke but those humans with what Frederick calls guns.




Creatures
EarthBound Gara , level 1 : 51
Earthbound Quetzals , level 2 :5
EarthboundLine walkers (earthbound immortal priests/imps) : 20



Terrenum Project
(find atleast a few thousand souls for immortal orb improvement)

Level 2 flying serpant , earthbound Quetzals 5/5 *complete*
the Immortal temples 1/10

Immortals
Uru the Spider immortal , color red.
Ccoshbar the Dog Immortal with color dark orange
Immortal Cuauhcoatl the snake with color Dark Red
Aslla piscu the hummingbird color orange
Cusillu the monkey Yellow
Ccarayhua The Lizzard color Green
Ccapac Apu the giant , color blue
Chacu Challhua The Killerwhale , color purple
Wiraqocha Rasca The condor , color violet
[/quote]

Dave awoke at 6am. The sun was creeping over the horizon. He had some preparations to do before work began. He got out of the bed, which creaked, onto wooden floorboards, which also creaked, and got dressed for the day. He decided to wear his clean shirt. He would have to clean his other shirt sometime.

How long had it been since he had washed? He hadn't, was the short answer. Before embarking he found the shower, a simple water tap surrounded by wooden walls outside, and rinsed himself down. The dirt, salt and sweat of the past four days washed away into a hole in the ground. A strangely refreshing sensation. He also took this opportunity to clean his dirty shirt. Using his rag as a towel, he dried himself and put his clothes back on. He had shopping to do.

He found a shop from which he could hire basic tools. These men were fishermen, not builders. They would not have the tools in their possession. A pick, a shovel, a saw and a hammer. That would do for tools. He also set out to buy a number of lengths of timber and nails. As an afterthought, remembering how dark it had been in there when he peeked earlier, he bought a lamp as well, along with the supplies to use it. He dumped all these supplies in the long grass above the abandoned cellar and hurried over to the bar in the inn.

The men were already there, talking quietly amongst themselves, and were relieved to see Dave walk through the door. "Follow me and we'll get started," Dave said.

They got up and followed Dave as they walked down the streets. People were up and about now, which made Dave a bit edgy. One of the men spoke up. "If you don't mind us asking, what work will we be doing?"

Dave carefully considered his response. "I need a helping hand for a spot of building."

They got to the site. From above it was overgrown with grass and weeds. Looking at the ground you could see the blackened outline of the base of a house and the remnants of charred floorboards. There was also a stash of tools and long wooden beams hiding in a patch of grass, courtesy of Dave.

Dave walked into the lot, reached down and opened a damaged trapdoor which would have hardly been noticed if you weren't looking for it. "Grab that stuff and take it down here."

"Wait, you don't own this place, do you?" one of the men said.

"I have everything sorted out, don't you worry," Dave replied, then quickly added, "Now, on to your payment. How about $50 each?"

((That's around $700 in today's money, by the way, although the value could be higher depending on how you measure it))

The men were quick to catch on that they were being paid not only to work but not to ask questions either. Burt one last smug question remained. "How do we know you've actually got this kind of money?" They had a reasonable pretext. Dave looked like a homeless person, with his unshaven face, poorly washed clothes and a sack. But from that sack came the answer. Dave reached in a hand, pulled it out, and coins showered down from his hand, clinking on the many more still inside the sack.

They seemed content with the answer, and began carrying the wooden beams into the cellar. Dave picked up the tools and carried them down there as well. Once everything was in, Dave closed the trapdoor and lit the lamp.

The room was black from the fire which had originally levelled this house. A thick layer of ash, up to their ankles, buried the floor. Around the walls of the room were supporting pillars made from whole logs. Although burnt on the outside, a bit of chipping away revealed that they were still strong on the inside.

"OK, here's what I want you two to do," Dave ordered, "I need one of you to clear the floor, and another one of you to build a small tunnel in that direction." He pointed towards the wall which would lead to the sewer, which was most importantly open to the sea. Noticing that the ash was being kicked up into the air, he took out his rag and divided it into three. "Take this. It'll protect you from the dust." They wrapped the rags around their mouths and noses to filter the air they breathed. As one took the pick to dig through the wall and another took the shovel to move the ash into a corner, Dave took the wood and started a spot of carpentry. A ladder would be helpful, as that was missing. It would be good to make the entrance more secure. A table and chair of some sort would be needed as well.

And so work began.


Davy Jones (alias Dave Johnson)
Location: Bay Bulls, Newfoundland, Canada
Resources: Two shirts, short pants, a rag, a knife, a wallet and a bag with a lot of money, a tiny magical crystal, a hired pick, shovel, saw and hammer, timber, nails
Forces: Two unwitting bribed hired workers

Sanguine strolled across the wheat field, keeping his distance from anybody else. He still did not understand the foreigners language, although he was trying his best. Some words he could recognise, such as 'yes', and 'no'; simple ones. Enough that he could live with the physician for a time. He did not understand why he was being looked after. He had no sort of currency, no way to pay the man back, because they could not effectively communicate. He was not living in luxury, but it was comfortable enough. Sometimes, a very well dressed fellow visited the physician, and paid large sums of money to him. Sanguine took this to mean that he was the owner of the farm, and that he had hired the physician out to be the on-site medical specialist. That was interesting. He had also seen far higher levels of technology than what had been used on Outremar, such as muskets that the farm owner - Sanguine decided to call him the Aristocrat - went out hunting with. As he passed the edge of the wheat fields, he came upon a field of turnips. That was another thing he had noticed. Rather than having all the land dedicated to wheat, or following the usual method of three-field crop rotation, the Aristocrat instead had wheat, turnips, barley, and cloves planted. This method of four-field crop rotation seemed to result in higher crop yields, which was an other indication of the higher technology/knowledge.

As he reached what looked to be the edge of the farm, he kept going, still thinking about the situation he was in. In a couple of minutes, he reached a muddy road, which would have been all but impossible for a cart to traverse. The ruins of a castle could be seen in the distance. He was about to head back when he was stopped by a man wearing a tattered clothing and an honestly shitty musket. Sanguine noted the tone of the man's voice, and took this to mean it was a robbery. He said "yes" (He knew that much) and started unbuttonign his shirt. The bandit nodded in acceptance, and relaxed his aim for a second. Suddenly, the bushes which the highwayman had stepped from rustled loudly, and he turned his head to look at it. Sanguine darted foward, pushed the gun away from him, and punched the highwayman in the nose. Knocked down, he released the musket. Sanguine whipped it around, and blasted the highwayman in the face. He felt a powerful rush fill him, and the mind (and power) of the bandit rushed into him. Having just died, he wasn't in a sane condition, so Sanguine mentally blotted out the voice. Relieved - in the first few days of being alive again he could have died - and searched the body. He found a small money sack filled with two dozen gold coins, a small amount of ammo for the musket, and a tattered wanted poster. Studying it, Sanguine saw a rough sketch of the man's face, and some lines of incomprehensible gibberish. He undressed the man, and started the walk back to the cottage he had been living in for the past week.

Sanguine
Souls: Doviculous, Smit (Highwayman)
Location: Wheat farm near the town of Swanage, Southern Coast of England. Corfe Castle is a few kilometers away.
Resources: A clean white shirt, black bowtie, black trousers. his wits. Does not yet possess the gift of foresight.
Forces: Himself?
Allies: The Physician.

Bataar sat in his cavern, breathless, his body aching and his head throbbing with pain. Every hoarse gasp for air had him clutch tightly at his chest. His head ache and stung with each pulse of his rapid-beating heart. Nausea came over him in an overwhelming sensation as a burning in his chest and acidity in his throat. He could even taste the rancid taste of bile, and the smell of rusted copper filled his nose. The smell of copper… it was unmistakably the scent of human blood, slowly making its way down his nose to drip upon the sandstone terrain; Bataar had used, and become, far too reliant on magic on this scarce foreign world and it had taken its toll. This world was devoid of any wind, foliage, animals, and even magic. It was truly a deserted world, and he wondered if any of the other Keepers had any hope of surviving this harsh land. The only water he or any of his automations could see was in the river below, and even that was a long way down.

It took a good ten minutes after the summoning of the third automation to slow down his breathing and regain control of himself. Such weakness could only be found in mortals bodies such as these. As Bataar finally took a good look at his surroundings, he noted that his mechanisms have performed their job exceptionally. The cavern was at least thirty feet deep and in was about twenty feet in width, but had kept the opening the same ten-foot-in-diameter size, allowing a good sizable entrance that would still be subject to bottle necking if any of the other Keepers were to find him and invade with an army. It was a good start, and appeared to be a beginning to something great. But even beyond all this, the imps had found something very valuable. Right there, in the back of the cavern, was a glittering chunk of gold. As Bataar approached it, it appeared to be perfectly cut and spherical in shape, bulging from the back of the wall. It must have been dropped by a native years and years ago before the world wasted away.

It was perfect.

Bataar smeared the blood that coated the bottom half of his face that had run from his nose with his hand, painting it in a glistening scarlet color, making ribbons down his forearm. Bataar smiled devilishly, and pressed the extremity against the golden treasure in the wall. In doing so, the gem had been covered in the Keeper’s blood, and pulsed with a flash of wondrous light. The gem, now imbued with Bataar’s power, began to glow and hummed to life. The Keeper, with every intent and purpose, after smothering the precious treasure with the blood from his body, had created his Heart.

A Heart! A Heart, one that would be the primary source of his power during his stay in this dreaded world. One that would give him the potential to survive—no, to give him the potential to thrive. To flourish in this wasteland and to oppose any other Keeper that would ever DARE to challenge him. As far as Bataar was concerned, he now owned this canyon, he now dominates the desert wastelands. And to whoever would encroach on his territory…? They would be crushed like an old, aging seed under the boot of his might… but for this to mean anything, he must build up his power, and to expand underneath every inch of this desert.

He turned to see the three imp automations digging away at the cavern wall, attempting to form what was likely a tunnel to another room. Bataar smiled and ordered, “Directive override.”

The three automations stopped their primary directive, their next function in line to await the next command of their master. Far better and far more obedient than lowly, fleshy imps.

“Approach me.” Bataar commanded. They did so. The Keeper touched the dungeon Heart, feeling its power course through him like a magic channel. “Activate T-directive. Perform task, T.A.A. function.”

The three imp automations appeared to have momentarily deactivated, before once again bursting into life. In a blink of an eye, the mechanisms of each imp happened to have conjoined together, gradually inking themselves together. Bataar approached and picked up the three automations together and pressed them together, as well as transferring the magic provided to him by the Heart, into the developing device. Forming what shows to be a brass colored, two foot tall device, that’s two feet in diameter (almost spherical if it weren’t blocky), the fiberglass lenses had shown to be on top. Four blades sunk into the dirt to ground itself, and there was a single blade on every other upper corner of the device. On top of the device were six fiberglass lenses, one in the middle, and five evenly surrounding it. Bataar grasped the middle lens and twisted it open, where the Keeper then dripped a couple drops of his own blood into the machine, and it then buzzed to life.

“Fantastic!” Bataar laughed as he threw the now irrelevant fiber glass lens out the cavern. Thanks to his brilliance, and the efficiency of his imps in finding the gem, he created what would likely be one of the most efficient tools he could make at this time: the Tertiary Automated Assembly was a valuable tool indeed, a tool that would help him produce imps at a faster rate, and without at the expense of magic… well, sort of. It needed a fuel source, magical or otherwise. Since there was no oil of any kind around (preferably crude oil), it had to run off some sort of magic: his blood. A couple drops was all it took, and if anything, that proved to be more efficient than oil. Not quite so much when you have a dozen of these things though.

The Keeper turned his head towards a shaded corner of the cavern, one where three slices of cactus were piled up. Oh, that’s right. He sent one of the automations to fetch some of those. Frankly, it was a welcoming sight. A bit of celebration never hurt anybody after all, especially after what he has gone through to get there. He staggered over to the corner and sat down, picking up a cactus slice which he had bit down eagerly into. He felt the cold, flavorless water roll down his neck relaxing his burning and tightened muscles. He stretched his back and his arms and leaned back for a bit of rest after a busy day of innovation and advancement – cheers to flourishing!


<-::-!-::->

Location: Southwest United States – Grand Canyon
Forces: (none)
Resources: A (small) dungeon & Heart, 1 TAA(s), 2 cactus slice(s)
Progress: 0/3 in making an automated imp (TAA), 0/5 in gaining some much needed rest.

It had taken most of the day, but the cellar was now almost ready. The ash had been shovelled aside and debris was cleared from the floor. Once that had been done the makeshift dust-masks could be removed. The tunnel was almost complete, with some of the wooden planks being used to support it. With a bit of carpentry Dave had reconstructed the trapdoor and ladder and was busy working on some simple furniture. He was not a carpenter, and neither were the two workers, so the work was of very poor quality. Hardly fitting for a house, let alone a Heart. But it would have to do.

"Hey, I've reached a brick wall," called the worker digging the tunnel. Turns had been taken in doing the digging, as it proved too laborious for just one person.

"Good, you're almost there," replied Dave, "Break through and be sure to step back."

He did so, and the wall broke outwards into the sewer. He scrambled backwards as very dirty seawater flowed in. It soaked into the dirt at bottom of the tunnel.

Dave let out a laugh. "The job is finished! In record time, too. I'll get you your payment and you can go home."

He handed $70 to each of them straight from his sack and they left. When they had gone, Dave pulled out the crystal from his shirt pocket. Now that he had a room, he needed to get the magic going. He dropped the crystal in the centre of the room, and buried it partially so it wouldn't move. A few high-tides later and this crystal will be big enough to grant him Keeper-like powers.

Dave returned the tools, as they were only hired. He then decided to celebrate a bit. He had gathered that a visit to the bar can also be done as a celebration. After a serve of fine rum, he retired to his room and went to sleep, dreaming of all the power he would have.

Davy Jones (alias Dave Johnson)
Location: Bay Bulls, Newfoundland, Canada
Resources: Two shirts, short pants, a rag, a knife, a wallet and a bag with some money, a tiny magical crystal, an abandoned cellar
Forces: Himself

Jin'zul moved with an air of dignity and power through the jungle and towards the village, despite the previous days' tolls. His pitiful form had been worked to the extreme. Insects had ravaged his skin, the vegetation had rendered dozens of gashes in his flesh, and the spot where the gunman's bullet had grazed now smelled putrid, having festered. The warlock, caked with sweat, dried blood, and dirt, and adorned with his macabre necklace of bone and painting ritual mask, looked like death and decay manifested in the form of man.

As the Keeper abruptly burst forth from the vegetation surrounding the village, which upon closer inspection seemed to be more along the lines of a camp, the denizens jumped in surprise. Never before had they seen such a sight - the strange charcoal colored man dressed only with a mask, loincloth, necklace, and a hundred wounds, and the little imp with horns and skin the color of blisters was a strange sight indeed. Jin'zul walked straight to the center of the settlement, right outside the large hut that was home to the leader of these peoples.

Having knowledge of these natives' language, names, and beliefs from the memories of the man he'd killed would make manipulating or dominating these fools an easy task for Jin'zul. From the memories of the outlaw, however, the Keeper knew that these peoples' leader was a hard and cruel warlord who was like to see a newcomer trying to gain leadership as a threat that needed to be culled. The easiest solution would be to simply kill the chief and make an example of the fool. In the natives' language, the warlock shouted out the name of the village's chieftain and the traditional words that the tribesmen used to challenge one another to a duel.

By the time the man emerged from his hut, the men of the village had grabbed their spears and rushed to the village's center, surrounding Jin'zul. There would be no turning back; the Keeper would have to either kill the village's leader and subjugate the populace, or die and return to the wretched Nether as a ghost once more. The choice was obvious.

The chief was a huge brute of a man with war paint on his face and an iron pike no doubt stolen or bought from some of the Portuguese settlers on the coast. All village's warriors laughed when their leader boomed, "An old man covered in filth encroaches on our lands and demands a battle with me, who has never lost a single fight! Tell me, weakling, why should I dirty my weapon impaling you? Why should I not have my men hack you into a hundred pieces to feed the jungle beasts?"

To the confusion of everyone, Jin'zul remained silent and still for a moment as an evil grin appeared behind his mask. Then, the warlock suddenly cackled at the thought of this pitiful human trying to fight a Keeper. When he was done laughing, Jin'zul replied in a hoarse voice, "I am the Brazen God of Death. Let any man foolish enough to raise his weapon come forth, and die a horrible death, and any person who wishes to live kneel and swear themselves to my service, and enjoy my favor."

"Liar! The color of your skin speaks for your truthfulness, the gods cursed you so that all with eyes could know you for a witch and a trickster," the chief roared as he pointed his spear at Jin'zul. "Do you really think you could defeat my best warriors and I?"

Nearly all the other men stepped forward and pointed their spears at Jin'zul, but the young, fearful, and godly of the villagers did as the Keeper bid and knelt, swearing oaths that would bind them, body and soul, to their new master for all eternity. Feeling empowered after using soul magic to enslave nearly twenty humans in seconds, Jin'zul replied, "Oh, but I already have."

The imp, who had stood faithfully by his master throughout the whole exchange, summoned a fireball and hurled it at the chief. Before any of his loyal warriors could so much as blink, their master's clothing had caught fire, and their seemingly might ruler dropped his spear and writhed on the ground like a maggot, howling in pain.

Jin'zul, fueled by the power of Soul, called upon his Black Magicks. The smoke rising from the chieftain's burning corpse was suddenly infused with the shadows of the warriors who had not knelt, many of whom were now panicking and contemplating kneeling themselves. But before any of them could do so, their shadows rose up from the ground, manifesting themselves as humanoid figures composed of swirling, black ooze. The shadows tore open the throats of the very people they had companionably followed for years, before diffusing into the air like mere puffs of smoke.

The twenty villagers who knelt, exactly one fourth of the village, did not so much as blink when their friends and family fell to the ground as bloody corpses, murdered by their own shadows. The twenty had been bewitched, their souls devoured by Jin'zul. All that remained were lifeless husks that would serve Jin'zul dutifully, without need for food or drink, until they collapsed from exhaustion. This was a small labor force, and one that could not last for long, but this would be enough to build at least a small dungeon. Jin'zul put the twenty to work immediately.


Forces: One imp, and twenty sluggish, zombie-like laborers that will soon die.
Current Projects: Clear out area of jungle to make room for dungeon: 0/5
Location: Southern side of Amazon Rainforest, near a tributary to the Amazon River

Sanguine returned to the cottage, and dumped his findings on his bedside table. The wanted poster fell out of the tattered jacket, and Sanguine glanced at it. The note detailed the crimes of the man he had killed, his suspected location, and a reward of... 70 pounds? He recalled that was quite a lot of money for the time, and then stopped. He could read their writing! He wondered why, and then recalled the man he had killed. Did he possess that old power in its entirety? He looked for a book, and looked at the title. There was a pile of loose papers, with a title on the front. Monty Python and the Holy Grail? Well, that was an odd name for a book. A python called monty searching for a cup? Dismissing that, he dressed and went into the hallway. He came upon the physician, who remarked to him "How are you going today?" The language was still unfamiliar, but he understood every word. Stopping, he thought, and spoke "I am... good." His accent was incredibly heavy, and it almost sounded like gibberish. But it was the English? language. The physician stopped, and said "What is your name?" Sanguine replied slowly. "Sang-uine." The Physician smiled, and directed Sanguine to the dining room. He indicated the Keeper should sit down, and he got two glasses of whiskey. He gave one to Sanguine, and then sat down. The physician contemplated his words, and then said "Tell me about you." The keeper raised an eyebrow, and slowly said "You w-ant to-o know?" The physician nodded, which was one thing both worlds had in common; nodding was a sign of acceptance. Sanguine spoke, but his knowledge of the English vocabulary was rather limited, due to the fact that Smit was rather uneducated. Of course, he had to lie; an ordinary human would not be able to process the information. "I... Don-t know. I cann-ot remember who I am, and I only just remember-ed enough to speak. What's your name?" The physician smiled, and said "Calvin Corfe. My family used to own the castle near here, but we went down here when we couldn't afford to upkeep it. I believe there may be a family there now, but I don't care. They can suffer in the brutal winter. What do you want to do when you leave?" Sanguine replied "I want to earn money in a way that befits me. I don't want to work in a field..." The physician nodded. "I believe I can have you set up with some work. Come with me."

Upon entering the mansion - that was the best description for the large house near Calvin's cottage - Sanguine noted the lavish decorations. He had refined his use of English, which was a testament to his knowledge and ability to learn more. Rich wood and marble decorated the walls, and a staircase ran up the left wall, giving access to the second floor. Ascending these, the pair soon found a plain door, with a brass plaque saying "Albert H. Mueller". Calvin knocked on the door, and a quiet voice said "Come on in, Doctor." Calvin opened the door, and said "Bert, you feeling better since that last checkup?" A large leather couch was situated in front of a roaring fireplace, and it was on this that the owner of the mansion spoke. "Indeed I am, Calvin. I finally get to talk with your new patient." Albert turned around, and smiled. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr No-Name. I hear you are looking for employment outside of the usual range." Sanguine replied positively. 'Bert' shrugged, and said "I own a farm, my good sir. Most of the work I have to offer is naturally with the farm. However, I do have an idea. There is a family, whose farm borders ours. Despite decades of mine and my family's attempts, those stubborn peasants have not moved. I've given up, and need a thug to move them out. Are you interested?" Sanguine slowly nodded, and Albert began his explanation.

Sanguine
Minds: Doviculous, Smit (Highwayman)
Location: Wheat farm near the town of Swanage, Southern Coast of England. Corfe Castle is a few kilometers away.
Resources: A clean white shirt, black bowtie, black trousers, 2 dozen pounds, really old musket, some ammo, tattered jacket and trousers, wanted poster for Smit. Does not yet possess the gift of foresight.
Forces: Himself?
Allies: The Physician (Calvin Corfe).

The last few hours of travel were peaceful for Ordine. Nothing but the sound of her horse's hooves disturbed the forests she rode through. The ride was a bit rough on her body, which still carried bruises here and there. But it was definately a step up from walking. At last, the forests faded into rocky, cliff strewn terrain as she approached the feet of the island's small mountains. According to her information, the temple was atop the shortest. Apparently the locals thought it'd be a 'scenic' location for the place.

The path up the temple varied from soft green slopes to sheer cliff faces. At times her steed became nervious from the height, but her firm command over the animal pushed it forward. I was a long and winding trail dotted with benches to rest on here and there, likely for those that used to travel the path by foot for prayer. After another hour or so of riding she finally came to the summit of the mountain. Before her was a great paved plaza decorated with potted trees lined in two rows on the sides. Behind the plaza lay her destination. The temple rested on a tier of four steps A single row of carefully crafted columns lined all four sides of the structure. Ordine strode up the the temple and dismounted. Passing by the columns, she entered a grand room that was mostly empty space. Another row of the marble columns lined he sides of the rooms. At the end, two giant braziers sat adjacent a huge statue of a woman. She was expertly crafted, wearing robes and then a helmet atop her head. Though it was built by humans, Ordine was quite impressed with the place. She had not seen a design of such symmetry and order in eons. Approaching the statue, she found that towards the end of the room on the wall were pictures, display cases, and descriptions of some sort. She decided to take the time to investigate. The wall displayed many views of ancient Greece and its architecture. It was all so uniform, even the peasants dressed in such similar fashions to eachother. Their overwhelming legions of soldiers a force to be dealt with. Why any civilization would stray from such perfection she had no idea.

The images stirred on her purpose. She would end this chaos around her and build her dominion of order and singularity. From what she had seen of the world already she knew that freedom was too abundent. Freedom only leads to laziness, for people loose motivation and purpose when left to guide themselves. She would correct that and forge a new prosperous empire from the ashes of this one.

She once again turned to the statue. As she drew close to it, she could taste the faint spirits of the past that used to worship it. Their prayers were almost audible in her mind. Yes, their was power that still lingered here even after all these years. All she had to do was pull it to a point. She quickly fetched her sword and shield from her horse outside and rentered. Infront of the statue, she began a fluid dance. Her sword flowed through the air with her hand motions. As the dance continued, a marble sized white glowing orb formed at the tip of her sword. A white tail of light followed the orb so that a trail was left behind the sword's every motion. The orb began to grow. It continued until it was the size of a child's kicking ball. Then it detatched from the sword's tip and hovered in the air by itself. With the last movement in the dance ordine slashed the orb in have. A wave of light flashed from it and charged through the whole room. The two halves of the orbs fell into the braziers and formed two columns of light to that bent and connected together again at the center of the ceiling, over the statue of Athena. From this singularity three more beams diverged. One landed on Ordine, gifting her some power to absorb. In her hands, her weapons changed. The brass turned silver on both. The shield lengthened until it was a stretched out diamond with two cut-out curves in the upper half. The sword also stretched into a saber with jagged teeth at the end of the blade. A second beam landed on Athena. The statue's helmet also shifted from marble to silver. Protrusions grew from the sides of it as it fell off the statue's head. When it landed and rolled to rest at Ordine's feet it had shrunk to fit her head. The last beam struck between the statue and her. In it formed three little confused demonic figures. After that the light disappeared completely.

Ordine lifted the helmet onto her head and eyed her work. The three imps eyed her back. One spoke, "Who calls us? A strange human woman? What is your purpose?" She meerly smiled back,"Simple. To be the last Keeper standing in on this strange world so that I may raise a new empire. Your purpose however will be whatever I desire."

"A Keeper!" the imps exclaimed. "In the guise of a human?"

"An unfortunate situation, but one I hope to correct sooner over later. Your forms however, I can improve now." With that her sword was sheathed and her hand stretched toward the little monsters. All three screeched together as their spirits were sucked out of their skins. Their bodies collasped behind them as their ethereal souls stood before Ordine. Needing to be bound to something, she smashed open the display case with some armor. Brass bracers and leg guards did well for now. When she was done the hovering pieces of armor protected a core of light each, its soft glow froming the shapes of three little imps. "Physical bodies are such a hassel. They scratch and bruise easily, require sleep and nutrition. I perfer ethereal forms that only require a bit of a recharge here and there. Now lets be off! There is much to start!"

Location: Greek Islands
Resources: A sword, a helmet, a shield, a pair of man's slacks, a shirt, and a vest, a summer dress, a map of the country and surrounding areas, some food and water, a knife, a horse, and some spare coins
Forces: Three ethereal imps.

Compendium: Ordine - A keeper obsessed with order and perfection. Commands over the ethereal which she believes to be the ultimate form of existance.

Exhausted from the day's activity, Uekaru slept while his imps labored in the mines. He had knelt, swordpoint buried in the earth and his hands upon it, in front of the entrance. Any imps that tried to escape would awaken both him and his wrath, but he doubted they would try. A confusing life on Earth seemed infinitely inferior to servitude. His body required rest, however, to function -another delight of being human-, so here he slumbered. The vigilant position did not provide much comfort, but Uekaru fell asleep almost immediately. A few hours passed, in which he awoke only once as an owl hooted in the nearby woods.

It was early morning when a few of the imps came before him. Having had enough rest, Uekaru's eyes slid open when they approached. They still thought him asleep. His grip tightened on the Yanmaodao sword, preparing to wield it against any of the creatures that tried to flee, but they appeared to be debating among themselves the best way to rouse him. Swiftly, Uekaru rose to his feet, plucked the blade from the ground, and flicked it into his belt. Any dirt or other such impurities on the blade simply slid off, courtesy of its oily coating. "What is your progress?" The biggest imp, obviously the leader of the small pack despite a grotesque deformation over its left eye, spoke up in a deep, gravely tremor. "We done cleared the mines of everything but the supports and piled it up in one of the rooms. There're about eight of 'em. One full o' water, one resources, one ores, rest empty. One...er..." Another imp piped up, "Basalt!" The leader cuffed it on the ear and turned back to Uekaru, who was growing impatient. "One room got basalt 'n black sand, not rock. We built pit there." After a very brief contemplation, Uekaru decided that that room would have the honor of containing his dungeon heart. Sensing he was about to get going, an imp handed him a torch. "Take me there," commanded Uekaru.

On the way into the mines, Uekaru paid special attention to the layout of the place, taking note of every turn and every chamber. The walls were speckled granite, quite hard to mine out, especially for humans. That would explain why it was less extensively mined than he expected. Still, it would likely suit his purposes--or so he thought, until he entered the soon-to-be heart chamber. Then, he knew that this was the place. Already he could feel a certain vibe pulsing through the mines, as if it cried out for him to lay the final piece of the puzzle to convert it into a dungeon. He approached the pit with his feet sinking into the black sand and snapped his fingers at the imp closest to the urn of oil, which had been set aside. It hauled the urn over, careful not to spill a drop of the concoction within. Breathing heavily despite its enhanced brawn, it hoisted the urn and placed it in Uekaru's hands.

The Keeper began to hum a monotone, deep reverberation. It strengthened in volume and intensity as he lifted the urn above his head and began to pour. Within seconds this pottery should have been empty, its contents only serving to line the bottom of the pit, but miraculously it kept flowing. The imps marveled at the magical trick and watched the amber liquid glisten as it cascaded into the well. Not a word was uttered nor muscle moved aside from the hum and the oil until the black stone pit was full to the brim. Moving slowly, as if a sudden fatigue had overcome him, Uekaru placed the empty urn by the pit's side before putting both hands on his chest. His fingers gripped nothing, but when he started pulling, something appeared in the vice. A thousand tiny steel wires he coaxed from his being, and when he had produced their full length he began to weave. Painstakingly and clumsily at first, Uekaru fashioned the wires into the form of a six-chambered, star-shaped heart. Faster and faster his fingers worked, with tension mounting. Imps held their breath, and time stood still. Uekaru's digits became a blur, whirring ever more swiftly, until the metal heart flew from his grip and splashed into the pit.

For a deadly moment, silent reigned. What few imps that dared to look at Uekaru's face saw an inhuman visage, with yellow eyes and angular features. Nobody moved until the Keeper exhaled in suppressed frustration. All imps now searched his face, which had reverted to its normal human state, for guidance. He turned away partially from the pit, disappointment etched on his features, only to hear a queer sound:

Thum thum

Thum thum

Thum thum
Thum thum
thum thum
THUM THUM

The metal heart submerged in the boiling, bubbling oil beat loudly and powerfully! Awash with relief and triumph, the imps raised a cheer, only to be outdone by Uekaru's baritone laughing. Oily veins, neither flesh nor metal but a blend of the two, extended from the cracks in the pit buried in the sand and wormed their way through the chamber. They coursed through the walls, emerging every so often and swelling to form a sort of amber light. Some of the veins on the ground formed clusters before sprouting into very odd saplings that were a living blend of plant and alloy. They would not grow for some time, but Uekaru was ecstatic. His magic was strong; his heart had been built and his imps would be loyal to him forever because of the event they witnessed. An exuberant energy built up in his belly and was released in a colossal yell that echoed through the dungeon. He then sank to the floor, elated but weak from manifesting his essence to complete the heart.

Imps crowded around him and pulled him to his feet cautiously. He pushed away from them and stepped up to the Heart, which frothed from the heat and energy generated by the locus immersed in it. Without a second thought he stepped into it, finding that the surface of the liquid hardened beneath his feet. Unsheathing his blade, he plunged it into the oil, where it stood as still as if it had been jammed into a solid surface. "Begin full construction of a spawning chamber," he spoke as he raised his hands, magic emanating from the oil beneath his feet and starting to form shapes in the air, "Two of you, guard this room. Nobody disturb me until I'm done."

-=-=-
Location: His dungeon, in Metal Town Quarry, Western China
Forces: 11 slightly-empowered imps
Resources: An enchanted Yanmaodao sword, a half-full canteen, a few tons of stone, some metal and wood from the quarry along with tools.
Progress: 12/12 to build a heart and a basic dungeon. 0/3 Tengu blueprint

Compendium (Dungeon): Metal Town Quarry - a lengthy system of tunnels and chambers and dominated by a huge chamber full of basalt stone and black sand where Uekaru keeps his Heart immersed in a vat of sacred oil that fills the dungeon with part-metal, part-living veins.

Jin'zul rested in the house of the slain chieftain. Through sheer willpower combined with his being unused to the constraints of a mortal form and the dangers of overworking it, the warlock had ruined his body and used it far beyond the limits of what any sane human would do. But now, despite his Keeper soul and the power he had slowly been gaining, the warlock's countless wounds and nasty infection had left him sickly and unable to do much.

For the past few days, he had entrusted the imp, his only true follower, to oversee the efforts of the mindless thralls as they slowly cleared out an area of the jungle located on top of a nearby hill. In an attempt to think of something other than his currently pitiful state and the impact it would have on the loyalty of his imp, the Keeper thought once more of his plans.

Once the thralls deforested the large hill situated on the river bank and moved all the lumber back to the village, they would be put to work erecting a small stone structure at the very center of the hill's top. Most of the thralls would be dead by then in all likelihood, but it would make little difference. At that point, Jin'zul would be able to create his Dungeon Heart within that tiny room, assuming his ailments didn't kill him first. After constructing a Heart, summoning more imps would be much easier, and Jin'zul would become powerful enough to use his magic to permanently enslave the next humans to cross his path.

The Keeper had been tempted at first to simply use the village as the starting point to build his dungeon, but doing so would be foolish. The nearby hill was far more defensible, and allowed easy access to the small river, which could then provide access to the Amazon and then eventually the Atlantic Ocean, with Portugal and all the other strange lands beyond.

Closing his eyes, the Keeper fell back into a deep slumber, thinking of the fortress he would soon enough rule. In his dream, he saw a great walled in city, with countless hovels, barracks, workshops, and warehouses. The tiny village had been expanded a hundredfold to house thousands of creatures. And at the very back of the city, the land around the hill had been quarried out and turned into a moat deeper and wider than most rivers.

But there was no island behind the moat; the entire hill had been carved out and turned into one massive, terraced fortress, with a great pyramid rising up from the uppermost tier. The fortress, with the river at its back, high walls and moats to its side, and the hovels that housed a horde of creatures located right outside its doorstep, looked to be the very definition of the word 'unconquerable'. It was glorious.


Forces: One imp, and twenty sluggish, zombie-like laborers that will soon die.
Current Projects: Clear out area of jungle to make room for dungeon: 3/5
Location: Near a tributary on the southern side of the Amazon River, within the rainforest of the same name.

(out of conern of other people the orb has a cooldown of about

You apes wanne live forever

Terrenum and his linewalkers were crezting the Temples with aid of the Gara's and the other creatures.

The Linewalkers had taken a break from all the work in their new luxerious rooms to sleep and eat.
But Something was Alis , Terrenum felt something intruding upon his small domain he didin't know what.

Untill the sound of thunder Happend with Ground Sppating up near one of the Temples. The Gara's shivered in Fear bbut an dissapointed / angry look at the Gara's quickly brouhgt them back in line.

Terrenum tried to deflect some of the Cannon balls with stone walls while his Linewalkers rushed to his side.

3000 Infantry and some Cannons were aiming their weapons towards the temple.

Terrenum tried to get the savage Gara's ordered in a group atleast. He gave them the command not just to change uyp but use their ability to swim in the ground and Jump up at thhe soldiers.

His Quetzals would fly in the sky and strike at the cannons or atleast disable them for a bit.

The Orb had luckly had enfough time to recharge Since Uru Had used it. There cannons could in a good shot take down an immortal with how strong the orb currently is.

A flying immortal would be best since the cannons aren't realy usefull in the sky.

Earthbound Immortal Aslla piscu could be handy. Since he is a huming bird his wings can fly incrediebly fast and with his size he could use it to wipe out a little storm of dust before striking in.

The Plan was ready , hopefully it would work.

Terrenum distracted the soldiers by forming rock wals as cover to draw theri fire. After some shots the Gara's went in to jump up between the soldiers. The Gara's were ofcourse greatly outnumbered but had luckly some better skils in melee fighting.

Quickly the Numbers of Gara's decreased and most of them got quickly overrun. But it won the flying creatures to pick o nthe Artillery crews.

Terrenum quickly Hastend towards the Humans. Terrenum sproud 4 extra clawarms from the middle of his body.

He began swinging heavily around trying to get as many people as possible. Whne they gather up in a line ot release a volly he quickly retrearts in the earth. Eventualy the Linewalkers Are able to summon Aslla piscu

As The keeper was fighting as hard as he coudl to drive back the Humans. Aslla began flapping his wings so fast a large wall od dust came upon the soldiers.

After the Immortal swooped in taking out a couple dozen of soldiers , some loud repeating sound was heard . When the humans heard it they quickly dropped their back packs and began running away.


Aftr the bodies of Humans were gathered in piles by the remaning Gara , Terrenum felt a feeling of fear , happines and something else.

The Immortal had eaten souls and such to replesnish itself as it went back in its prison .

Creatures
EarthBound Gara , level 1 : 6
Earthbound Quetzals , level 2 :2
EarthboundLine walkers (earthbound immortal priests/imps) : 19



Terrenum Project
(find atleast a few thousand souls for immortal orb improvement)

Level 2 flying serpant , earthbound Quetzals 5/5 *complete*
the Immortal temples 9/10 *interupted*

Immortals
Uru the Spider immortal , color red.
Ccoshbar the Dog Immortal with color dark orange
Immortal Cuauhcoatl the snake with color Dark Red
Aslla piscu the hummingbird color orange
Cusillu the monkey Yellow
Ccarayhua The Lizzard color Green
Ccapac Apu the giant , color blue
Chacu Challhua The Killerwhale , color purple
Wiraqocha Rasca The condor , color violet
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