language 5.0 History's Legacy

The Flame Flickers

The hearth's flame flickers, splitting in half. One half dies out and the other remains, dim. Ignia informs Atua.

At the same time, a corrupt, fractured Exi returns; Aile is murdered in front of Tomo, and Alwen is a witness to this. Dylan is informed by his son.

Tomo is never seen straying from Exi's side, though he is clearly mourning Aile.

Ignia: true god of the hearth
Atua: god of gods
Exi: ambassador of gods but hes also fucked up here
Aile: concept god of family
Tomo: knowledge
Alwen: child of dylan and alea (analog)
Dylan: ambassador of knowledge

Double Agent

Xiao works temporarily as a messenger, as he is the only one able to get close to Tomo at all. He hears Exi talk about the state of Ysbryd and how badly it needs to be returned to what it once was which means that concept gods, Calamity, and Anya must all die. He relays this message to Dylan.

Xiao: ambassador of memories
Tomo: knowledge
Calamity: karma
Anya: multiverse

Assistance of Permanence

Exi's return to life nearly cripples Calamity and Anya almost immediately. They are forced into hiding by Dylan, who asks Percy to grant him the use of the still-slumbering Castle of Cards to hide gods them. Gunther follows, but Sanna and Celia remain in the Nexus to continue to maintain the stability in mortal worlds.

After some back and forth arguing, Percy eventually agrees. Calamity and Anya are kept safe in the Castle of Cards.

Percy: permanence
Calamity: karma
Anya: multiverse
Dylan: ambassador of memories
Castle of Cards: domain of the old god of fortune
Gunther: ambassador of karma
Sanna: ambassador of multiverse
Celia: ambassador of multiverse

First Deaths

Hari's first victims are Gwyneth and Reglia. After their demise, Deyrnas Unedig is destroyed. Impressed with the ruthless efficiency from Existence in the execution of concept gods, Alistair joins Hari.

Gwyneth: concept god of A Good Fuckin' Time™
Reglia: concept god of reliability
Alistair: mercy and compassion
Hari: exi.

Is it repeating?

Dylan realizes that the slaughter of three concept gods in quick succession, along with a god picking sides, means that history is at risk of repeating itself. He goes to who he considers would be the turning point; Fate, which had originally been the reason he was locked up the first time. He goes to Misra to guarantee her co-operation. She steadfastly refuses.

Dylan: ambassador of knowledge
Misra: fate

The Prophecy

Ataxia and Entropy appear, and read a prophecy that Iona had told Dylan long ago - the words etched into the walls of the garden.

A LOSS
BETRAYAL
SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE
YOU MUST HAND IT OVER
WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT
WE, THE CONDUITS
SHALL DELIVER THE MEANS
TO END THIS STRIFE.

Dylan is forced to give Alea's page to the gate and key gods. Finally convinced that shit is going to go down, Misra promises her co-operation.

atua does not have the patience to train a new ambassador from scratch tbh.

Ataxia: gate god
Entropy: key god
Iona: fate (dead)
Dylan: ambassador of knowledge
Alea: ambassador of fortune (dead)
Misra: fate

Event Title

Exi targets Jamie and Charlie; Jamie is killed in the kitchen, which Charlie witnesses the ending of. Fortuity tries to save his son, but Charlie is temporarily killed in the ensuing conflict.

Fortuity's memories of the event are rewritten by Tomo to make him think that he lost both Jamie and Charlie. This breaks him.

In truth, Charlie is brought to the Castle of Cards for safety.

Xiao brings him to the garden, dylan brings him to the castle

Exi: its exi
Jamie: concept god of hope
Charlie: analog between fortuity (fortune) and jamie
Fortuity: fortune
Tomo: memories

Ambassador of Gods

Alea is reborn as Hari's true replacement. He is full of questions; but is ultimately directed to Misra to have his questions answered. Through her, he learns that Tomo, Dylan, and Xiao live. When asked about Alwen, Misra says she has never heard of that name. Alea assumes his son is among the death, and sees red.

He goes to the Castle of Cards, where Dylan is helping Gunther tend to Calamity and Anya - Sanna immediately tries to punch him. Dylan is quick to tell her to stop.

Alea has some choice words for Dylan; how dare you let our son die, how dare you be a cowardice, hiding away in the library while their friends bled and died. It takes some time before he is calm enough to listen.

He learns that Alwen is alive, and that Dylan/Tomo/Xiao were not sealed away by choice.

Alea eventually decides to remain in the Castle of Cards as his 'hiding' place. He is their trump card. Using a trick similar to Exi's from years past, he sealed the castle from the inside; no one can enter without Alea's explicit blessing, though they are always capable of leaving. Having it this way helps keep the castle hidden.

Why does he eventually listen? Is Alwen there? Is Xiao there? probably Xiao tbh.

Alea: ambassador of fortune (was), now ambassador of the gods
Misra: fate
Tomo: memories
Dylan: ambassador of knowledge
Xiao: ambassador of memories
Alwen: analog of dylan and alea
Gunther: ambassador of karma
Calamity: karma
Anya: multiverse
Sanna: ambassador of multiverse

Further Victims

Exi learns of Amir and Elliott, and he considers analogs to be abominations. The library is no longer safe for them.

When Xiao goes to relay this information to Misra, the goddess of Fate falls into a trance. "History will repeat itself if nothing is done." is said in front of Xiao and Rhys.

is that line necessary or just edgy?

Amir: son of misra and tomo
Elliott: knowledge
Xiao: ambassador of memories
Misra: fate
Rhys: ambassador of fate

Massacres

There is another string of massacres. Several more concept gods die before they can be taken to safety (or convinced, really).

(Name, Senya/Lukas) is turned into a puppet.

Hari uses the book of Fortuity's dead companion to control him as well. Fortuity is gone.exe.

Response

In reaction to the string of murders and the extant threat to his god, Dylan copies Kerra from years past and formally declares his opposition to Hari and Alistair, publicizing the return to Exi.

As Alistair 'picked' a side, Kayra contacts Dylan to offer her support. She does not care about Exi's actions, but she does care about Alistair's.

While Amir remains with Misra, Elliott is moved to the castle.

Those in danger unequivocally support Dylan's side, but cannot voice this as they remain hidden; to other gods, the only one who seems to have openly taken Dylan's side is Kayra.

Permanence realizes what is going to happen. He forces the return of most of his soul which had been with Prie, leaving just enough to keep her existing. What remains of her slumbers deep within the castle of cards, which is still considered 'dormant' so that it can remain hidden.

Dylan: ambassador of knowledge
Kerra: karma (dead)
Hari: ambassador of the gods (not anymore!)
Alistair: mercy and compassion
Kayra: strength and resilience

Guaranteeing Sides

It quickly turns into an arm's race. Xiao informs Misra that Amir is likely to become a target. Informally, she does support Dylan - formally, she declares neutrality.

Exi confronts her on this, and reminds her of the "stay in your lane" policy. This backfires on him, as he threatens her son's life; she retaliates by formally opposing him. (Important reminder: she's basically the Ysbryd matriarch).

Cairdeas, Cillian, and Cirina declare neutrality. Cirina hides her ambassadors.

"You are threatening my son."
"Your child's life is that of an abomination that must be extinguished."

More Death

Few people are thinking about rescuing the concept gods, when there are higher priorities, so to speak.

Cai is killed while trying to save Senta.

There is a surprise attack on the 'redundant' (read: they took Exi's job) true gods. Senare has his soul fatally cracked while defending Brice, who is then rescued by Alain. Sturgil is injured protecting Roderich.

Kayra and Misra appear; Alistair is injured by Kayra, and Hari and Alistair retreat. They decide to pick on weaker targets instead.

Calamity's Grief

Despite her nearly-crippling weakness, Calamity refuses to remain in safety while her concept gods are being slaughtered.

She is too late to save Henna. She makes it just in time to see Exi grinding the ashes of her first born into the ground; the proximity to Exi forces her to lose all of her strength and she falls to the ground, paralyzed and an easy picking.

Gunther quickly follows her, getting there just in time to see Exi harshly kick Lamie and send her rolling a little bit. He is at his god's side instantly.

Exi looms over them before deciding not to kill them right there. He is having fun hunting concept gods; and if Lamie dies, then so do all the concept gods. He lets her go.

Nexus Lost

Instead, Hari visits Nexus. Sanna refuses to tell him where Anya is. Ultimately, Celia is killed and Sanna is horribly maimed.

Furious but paralyzed, there is nothing that Anya can do. She ends Sanna's life so that her ambassador does not suffer.

Knowledge

While Dylan is busy helping Calamity and Gunther return to the castle of cards, Elliott realizes he glossed over something about an 'Exi' in the Kieli book at one point in time. Convinced he can grab the book and return to the castle in no time, he goes to his old mortal world to fetch the book.

There, he is ambushed by Hari.

Amir saves him, but becomes gravely injured in the process.

Confronting Memories

Alea takes the chance to visit Tomo while Exi is busy. He is disgusted by his cowardice, and tells him such. Tomo, who's been struggling emotionally this entire time, suddenly tenses up when he feels Amir being attacked.

Tomo finally, formally, 'switches' sides. He and Alea go to where Tomo felt Amir getting attacked.

aka he grows a pair

The Elder Perch

As a distraction, the Elder Perch is attacked by Fortuity and Alistair. Kayra and Misra respond to this attack.

Misra leaves early when she feels damage done to Amir's soul.

Kayra ends up overpowering Alistair and seals him down in hell until his soul passes. She could not bring herself to kill him, no matter how pathetic he was. He was not granted that final mercy.

Final

Dylan rushes to save both Elliott and Amir, getting there right before Tomo and Alea. As the one who has not stopped, he is exhausted and spread thin; a direct hit from Hari, intended for Elliott, nearly kills Dylan on impact. He is only saved by Alea's interference.

Tomo is directed to keep the others somehow safe while Alea faces off with Hari.

Ultimately, Alea kills him.

DA END

where's xiao in this?