SCION: CHAOSIUM! "Awakening"

[Shameless]

Tenchi grunted with annoyance as the Cat was destroyed, he like everyone inside, held on tightly, and knew they'd have to fight.   "Everyone grab something as a weapon, they're not going to let us go without a fight.   We regroup with the others, find some way back to the hotel."   He'd left the smaller axe tool for someone else, Instead looking to use something better for him.    As he got out of the driver's compartment he noticed the large silver case, and moved to grab it.  "Can't be."   He moved to an area of the rear compartment that was empty, even as the others were in the process of getting up.   He unclipped the locks and opened the case, revealing a veritable armory of melee weapons, enough for each of them there to have one or two.   For his part, it was a katana that called to him.   It had a black and dark blue hilt and scabbard, and he lifted it gently from the box.   "This will do alot better than the pick or the axe."  

He looked up to the others, "Like I said, there's plenty.  This won't be easy, but these things aren't showing any mercy, and the troll damn sure won't.   We have to be ready."  With that he rose, and climbed out of the snow cat, ready to help whoever came next.

Edited June 4, 2021 by Shameless

[Nina]

As the remainder of the party crawled from the broken cat, the Half Giants stopped about twenty meters away form a line and raised their left arms across their

chests. As they held them still like that, shields of ice formed on their forearms and then as on the slammed their axes onto the face of their ice shields and gave out a horrid cry!

 

Spoiler

Initiative order

Stacy

The troll

Tenchi

Ali

Raiko

Juno

Tryfon

Kamala

Val

The Half giants

 

 

[Nina]

Swearing in her native Kurdish as she narrowly avoided getting concussed by the case, Kamala grabbed grabbed a baton from the pile of weapons in the scramble of getting out of the wrecked vehicle. And froze as she saw a battle line of giants forming up around a furred creature even taller than the warriors around it. Warriors who formed icy shields out of nothing.

 

Tenchi scowled at the blue army backed by the troll he saw outside the window.    "When did the Smurfs recruit a frost troll?"   He quipped, as he climbed into the crew compartment and saw the case the Kamala had opened. He knelt down when he saw what it contained, an array of weaponry, ancient and historic from every era and region.

 

Shakily stumbling to her feet, feeling unfortunately like a Tic-tac and distinctly displeased about it, Raiko shakes her head once, forcing the world to stop spinning quite as badly. Leaning heavily against the wall, she makes her way back into the back of the cat once more, coming to rest stand by Tenchi's shoulder as he raises a weapon out an open case, eyes widening at the cache now at their feet.

 

The blade Tench took from the case was exquiste. It was etched with a ryu on both sides, and it was dual-edged, something that was somewhat uncommon.   He idly wondered what its name was, if it had one.  He felt that it did.  ".... the hell did we miss something like that?", Tenchi finally registered his sister as she reached past him her hand idly caressing the glossy length of what appeared to be a saber, before lifting the weapon from the case herself, the inlaid hilt and pommel of the blade seeming to glint in the light. "I don't know,” he said, “Make whatever preparations you will quickly, they'll charge momentarily."  With those words he lept out after the woman he feared wasn't prepared for what was to come.

 

Kamala hit the ground took a few steps away from the cat and stopped as her mind finally registered this newest scene of madness. Well, that tore it. They were in full on myth country, the realm of Mem and Zin, the Dimdim revolt, Khej and Siyabend, and bald-headed Kecelok.

 

The fact the first three of those stories were tragedies was not lost in this moment of silent cacophony before a struggle for their lives, a fact that made her angrier than she'd let herself be in a long time of being terrorized by Turkish guards, Russian bombs, religious fanatics, and Syrian thugs. A lifetime of not being able to hit back without three-fold punishment and lost ground and lost potential and lost security and lost... At some point of her thoughts chewing themselves in circles, the Refugee midwife realized she had charged the line of giants, screaming 'No! Not Today!' over and over and swinging her weapon with the intent of finally hitting back.

What more could they do, kill her?!?

With an inarticulate warcry, the half giants charged to meet the lone woman, most streaming past her toward the frozen vehicle and the targets emerging there. The two that slowed to attack Kamala were meet by a ferocity they had not expected. As one raised his hand and the ice of a wicked blade began to form Kamala swung her baton in a vicious uppercut catching the blue skin under its jaw snapping it head back with a sicking sound as its neck snapped from the force. The  death of his companion caused the other giant to forgo his own blade instead ramming the woman with his shield knocking the breath from her and throwing her to the ground. Only then did the blue horror pause, standing over Kamala, to summon his own ice blade.

 

The rest of those on the Sno-cat grabbed the weapons which seemed most fitting for themselves and followed the rest outside to meet the enemy who, now with swords of ice growing from the right arms, were upon them.

 

Beset by two of the of the half giants, confident, Tenchi went on the offensive, now armed with a type of weapon he was intimately accustomed to.    He lashed out lighting fast with a powerful slash as his opponent shifted his shield, the blade slicing clothing and blue flesh as easily as paper.   It was enough to end the life of one of his attackers in a moment, as the half giant fell back, lifeless, and Tenchi spun away from the strike his dead foes companion returend at him.

 

Finally stepping from the wreckage of the iced(heh) cat, Raiko couldn't help but feel far more comfortable with an actual weapon to hand. The shovel was useful, but it didn't quite fit her palm the way a saber would, after hundreds of hours of practice. Facing the giants, she settles into an unorthodox stance, shoulder on and leaning towards the oncoming giants, undrawn sword held in one hand with the other resting on the hilt. The world falls away for a second as she counts her heartbeats, remembering. Distance is an illusion. If she draws her blade, it is not because she intends to strike, but because she has already struck. The blade flashes from it's resting place, and for one second, she and one of the giants are connected through then length of her blade, the Giant gurgling in surprise as her strike takes him in the throat, the head tumbling away into the snow as they are once more seperated by some meters, the body continuing to run several more steps before dropping like a marionette with it's strings cut.

 

There is something almost viciously satisfied in the set of Raiko's features, despite the stoic set to her countenance as she settles into a more traditional fencing pose, unperturbed by the ice-blue line of ichor now trailing the length of her blade to drip into the snow, the only evidence of the impossibility that just occurred.

The troll had started it's own charge at Tenchi, the human it figured was the biggest threat, then Raiko worked magic, and the troll sniffing passing scent of the divine altered his course!

 

Raiko saw the huge beast man bearing down on her brother as she ducked under the swing of the Half-giant that had continued on at her as she spun back to strike at him she saw that the monster had altered course and with astonishing speed was almost upon her. The troll swung its club and she dodged but too late she realized the club had been a feint as the monster dropped the end of the club into the snow and used it as a pivot to spin around and catch her with one of it's huge feet. The impact knocked the breath from her lungs and sent her flying back toward the Sno-cat!

 

Ali had grabbed a hammer and launched himself from the cat right into the face of two of the menacing giants with skill he didn't know he possessed he managed to fend off the charging giants with wild swings of his hammer to gain space, but little else.

 

Try had grabbed an interesting two-handed warhammer from the unending supply of hammers in the case and hefted it, feeling it's weight. He smiled a slightly manic grin as he moved forward. Once the giants attacked after forming their shields, Tryfon ran up and met with one pair in the middle. He began to swing the hammer, but a bit awkwardly. His timing was off, and thus his shots focused on the shield and not the body of the giant. The sheer weight of the head of the hammer along with Try's strength managed to knock the giant back a few meters and damage the shield a little bit, which cause some ice to fly into the giants eyes. 

 

Juno and Stacy were the last to grab weapons from the case and were the last off the cat and stacy emptied her pistol at the four coming toward the two women putting two of them down before they arrived to deal with the two women.

 

Spoiler

The troll struck Raiko and knocked her flying. she has one wound condition and is in the air heading back to the sno-cat.

 

Ali and Try have two giants each on them still, Raiko has the troll following her. everyone else has one giant, The giant that was attaing Raiko will insteda head toward Juno and Stacy so there are technically three on those two.

 

next round do your defense rolls and your actions I will edit it all together after. go!

 

 

 

 

[Nina]

Tenchi saw Raiko get sent flying as the others engaged, and almost growled in anger.   The troll had hurt his sister and be damned if he'd give it another chance to do more.  With another single slash, he downed the remaining blue-skinned half giant he was facing, this time, a slash that severed the head from the body, and began moving to interpose himself between Raiko and danger.   She would be mad at him probably, but a big brother, even if by only ten minutes, was still going to act like one. 

 

 "You won't touch my sister again."

 

The Half Giants now armed and protected by shields were a much more daunting foe than they had been before and fought ferociously as if bolstered by the presence of the dreaded Ice Troll. The mortals were hard pressed, put on the defensive as they were pushed back toward the wrecked Sno-cat, only Ali who saw Tenchi charging the troll abandoned defense and instead launched himself at the troll.

 

Ali dodged around the Giants and called out the troll, he swung at it to draw its attention. It had been turning to engage from the sword wielding maniac screaming at it. Astonishingly it worked! The feint Ali made drew the trolls attention giving Tenchi an unguarded flank to attack as the Troll turned to face this new threat swinging its giant club at Ali, missing him by a hair!

 

Spoiler

Next turn. 

 

[Nina]

With Ali giving Tenchi an opening,  The young warrior leaped into battle against the Troll, knowing that despite the daunting difference in size, he could reach wherever he aimed his strike.   Aiming as he would normally, for a slash across the lower back or higher, Tenchi brought his blade up in a powerful stroke, and grinned like a madman.   He wasn't sure how, but he wasn't about to question it either.  Protecting the others, and surviving, that was what mattered now.

 

The troll recovered from his missed blow at the sprightly Ali, only to feel the slash of the razor sharp blade on his  exposed back. It forgot all about Ali and the girl to its front and spun on its new attacker, raising its club to smash Tenchi!

 

There was a moment of stunned inaction as Raiko recovered from the blow, both from the completely unexpected flying heel kick as well as the impact of the snowcat against her back. That.... had hurt. But a few quick movements seemed to imply nothing more serious than bruising. Both to body and pride. Eyes flick over to Tenchi, and she lets out a tsk, straightening up and taking her stance once more, she lunges forward with the saber, leading with the razor point and rejoining the fray. Another bellow of pain and splash of blue ichor announcing her arrival.

 

Before the troll could swig down another jolt of pain in it lower back as Raiko drove the point of her sleek blade into where she thought its kidneys, if it had kidneys, would be. The troll bellowed at the sharp pain and smash down wildly with his club, Tenchi dancing easily away from the fearsome weapon, and the troll spun back to face the stabbing girl only to find another woman a red hair demon with a hated Viking shield lunging at him. Stacy’s fencing classes and her time at reenactments proved useful as the sword felt good and real in her hands and the shield witch she had used before was balanced perfectly. Her blade sang in and out. nicking and poke but doing little dame but great confusion it bellowed again and this time the bellow cause  hesitation up and down the line as the giants glance at their great weapon and saw it being pummeled.

 

The mortals took advantage and pressed their attacks against the distracted giants.

 

Tryfon, still struggling with the unfamiliar warhammer,  swung with all his might. His attack swung wide, and he went too hard, throwing himself off-balance. He stumbled forward a few steps. And the giant he had swooshed at felt the air and spun back swinging it’s axe! The blade slicing his coat and drawing a tin line of blood along his stomach as he lurched back from the giants

 

Ali found his balance, and then swung the hammer, smashing through one giant's chest, then braining the other on the chin from the backswing. Then finally, something in him released energy and he found himself throwing the hammer right into the leg of the troll. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was quite sure he should not be able to do this, bio-mechanically speaking.

 

Juno had paused over the box to reach inside, flinching, and brushing at her face as a flurry of snow blew across her. The hand she reached inside with closed around a haft, a tough rod of polished wood. Pulling it out, she saw a spear emerge...a long handle with a very dangerous looking blade at the tip. She knew how to knife-fight. She even figured she might be okay with a sword if it came down to it. A spear though?

 

And yet...it felt right in her hand. She found its balance point instinctively, experimentally jabbed at the air, then twirled it around like one might a staff. Well shit then. Maybe it was a good day to die. Hopefully for them though.

 

With a defiant shout, Juno had pushed herself into a fast sprint across the field. Even though she was facing giants with long arms, she was able to drive the spear ahead of her, dipping it under the monster's guard and slamming the weapon through its primitive armor of skins and through a gap in his ribs to pierce something deep and vital.

 

As that giant coughed blood, Juno heard a heavy footfall behind her and ducked low on sheer reflex, narrowly avoiding the swoosh of something heavy over her head. She yanked the spear out so violently that the butt end of it lashed out and sharply struck the giant behind her directly on his knee. He roared in pain and anger, and the leg buckled, dropping him to a kneeling posture. As Juno turned to follow the blow through, she spun the spear in her hands and sent its tip skimming up...plunging directly into the kneeling giant's neck, ripping through the windpipe and arteries there. He fell, eyes wide, gurgling and drowning in his own blood.

 

The field was littered with dead or dying giants and the troll was besieged with foes on three sides. The remaining giants faltered and turned to flee dropping shields and blade of ice. At the corner of the house the Giantess came upon the scene and seeing what could only be a rout and her failure cursed and raised her arms calling out in her strange tongue. A sheet of multicolored Ice lifted her into the gray sky and beyond the clouds before shattering, raining shards of ice all over the town.

 

Spoiler

Round ends .  the remains giants 3 or 4 of them are fleeing the troll is besieged bleeding and badly hurt and it is a forgone conclusion that you can kill it next round and I al read roll for it an dit will miss.. So i will give y'all the last round of battle to conclude it in epic fashion. 

 

 

[Shameless]

With three simple humans on it, the Troll could sense its doom.  The giants were fleeing, and Tenchi stood squarely in front of the Troll.  That human man became its sole focus, much as it was Tenchi's.   Tenchi gripped his sword with both hands in a ready stance before him.  Grasping the massive club it had wielded since the beginning, it lift it up and then brought it down looking to splatter and freeze the human who'd first hurt it so.   In the cold it could see the breath freeze as Tenchi exhaled, and the club missed smashing into the ground to the side of Tenchi.  The troll grinned as the freezing effect caused spikes to explode from the ground, they would slay the irritating human for sure.

 

Only Tenchi wasn't there.   He'd leapt into the air, towards the troll, and his blade flashed in the light.   Then the Troll's vision seemed to tumble, and it could see it's headless body fall backwards, as the human's feet came into view.  As the Giants all fled, the last thing the Troll saw before darkness claimed it was the human male flick the blade, cleaning it of blood, before rehoming it in the scabbard.   

Tenchi, sensing the fight was over, moved to check first on Raiko and Juno, then everyone else.   "Is everyone alright?"  His voice was warm, and concerned, a marked difference from the level of merciless cold during the battle.

[SalmonMax]

"Fine," Juno replied tersely. On looking around she didn't see anyone mauled or missing body parts, which was...amazing actually...

 

"We need to get everyone back on the snowcat and head back to the hotel. I have no fucking clue what happened here, but there's no way to tell if that thing can't come back with reinforcements, or how long that'll take."

 

She shook her head as she checked her gun and muttered, "Last time I leave home with less than five clips."

[Nina]

The band stood adrenalin seeping from their veins, their breath coming in clouds before their faces, they looked around at the carnage, the blue blood splattering the snow.

 

Juno broke the dazed silence and Stacy who had been staring at the severed head glanced back at her then at the wrecked Sno-cat, “I hope that other cat still works I don’t think this one is going anywhere.”

 

Tenchi, who had moved to his sister, looked up and was about to say that he didn’t think the other one was in much better condition, when as sound like the crack of lightning shattered the night. Bright light, in beams and rays shot towards them from the center of the road a good ten yard away and the single beam, as bright as the sun, stood in the center of the snow-covered blacktop, the light and sound coming from it.

 

Almost as one the assemblage gripped their weapons and fell into defensive postures to meet this new threat! But at first nothing happened then the beam of light began to widen when it was about three feet wide the crackling lessened and something, a shadow moved beyond, then out strode a Samurai!

 

He took three steps and glided to the side, from directly in front of the door. His swords were sheathed but his hand rested on hilts, ready. Juno recognized the armor immediately and Raiko instinctively knew it was Yojimbo. Then out of the light stepped more people men and women, blond Aryan, it looked like the staff from the hotel! But how? Why?

 

Last came the tall dark-skinned figure of the concierge. He stopped a few feet from the blazing doorway of light and raised his arms like he was about to hug them all, “Well done!” 

 

He pointed off to the sides and spoke in a language none of them had ever heard before and the blond hotel staff spread out and began moving the giants’ bodies. The Concierge looked over at the band of travelers and smile, “Come, come, it is cold, and you all deserve food and drink, and a warm fire. There are some who are eager to meet you in person. Come!” He gestures them forward toward the light.

[SalmonMax]

"God fucking damnit," said Juno as her shoulders slumped. "I have a tumor, don't I? This is brain cancer."

 

She holstered her gun but kept the spear handy, then made her way to her charges, Tenchi and Raiko.

 

"Assuming I don't suddenly wake up from a coma in a second, I think I'm going to go on in. If I'm going to have a mental breakdown, I may as well not be freezing my ass off while I'm doing it."

 

And with that Juno headed towards the concierge, giving him a wary nod as she passed him to enter the light. Maybe it was death, she didn't know. Whatever it was, she wasn't going to start flinching now.

[Shameless]

Tenchi looked to Raiko who was motioning that she was fine.   Trusting his sister to know her condition best, he was about to check on Kamala and Valentine, Juno came over to him.  "I don't think it's a tumor or a breakdown, we all seem to be seeing and experiencing the same things.  Speaking of, are you okay?"   He smiled at her.   "I think rest, relaxation, a good meal and a full explanation will help immensely."   He was concerned with the sudden appearance of Yojimbo and the Hotel staff.  "Why do I feel like we just put on a grand show for others?" he muttered.  Raiko looked over at him, and he shrugged.  "God forbid this was some sort of Audition., or Initiation."

Edited July 6, 2021 by Shameless

[Kaoleth]

Raiko snorted, nodding at Juno "I think that's the most sensible thing I've heard since we landed." Mentally she had just thrown her hands up at the pillar of light. Why not, given everything else that had happened this evening. She starts trudging towards the pillar, taking her customary place by Tenchis's side, answering his glance with an almost invisible gesture. Nothing significant to worry about. A few bumps. Nothing that will last. "An interesting way of hazing new recruits. Particularly unknowing ones. One imagines those involved would be more sensible than to do such a thing, however...." their minds simultaneously flickering over one of their fathers favourite sayings ""The only thing Rarer than Common Sense is Common Courtesy" and a wry grin is shared. Speaking of which, however.

 

Raiko pauses by Ali, Kamala and the others, offering all a slight bow. "You have our thanks for the help. I dare say tonight would have been a lot more unpleasant had you not been here for it. What's say we get in out of the cold." He glance flicked over to their... "hosts" she supposed was the best word. They held all the cards as of now, but she'd rather have as many friendly faces about when the reveal of whatever was going on came as was possible. "I'm sure we could all do with something warm to drink."

[Gabe OOC]

"Stacy and I had reason to believe something was going on before we got here." Ali commented, though that was all he intended to say on the matter. "So yes, let's go to where there's warmth, comfort and answers."

[Nina]

The Neutral Void

 

One by one or in twos the band stepped through the tall rectangle of light. Many of them had half expected to step through back to the hotel, after all that was where concierge and the samurai bartender had been, but they were disappointed instead hey found them selves standing upon a wide disc of a silvery grey material seemingly floating in, not the air, but rather the cosmos!

 

The had emerged near the edge and could see stars and galaxies, nebulae, and other cosmic accoutrements all around. Either the outside was slowly revolving, or the disc was. Once all the band was through, the concierge followed, and the light door shrunk and closed.

 

The Concierge walked past them and waving his hands in and intricate pattern and speaking in an unknown tongue then a table seemed to grow from the surface of the disc then another gesture and chairs appeared in the same manner. “Please take a seat and refreshments will be served your patrons are coming.

 

[Veral]

Tryfon sighed at the appearance of the concierge, his mind racing. His hand gripped tighter on the haft of the warhammer. He looked over at the rest, shrugged his shoulders, and headed through the light door. When he finally could process what he was seeing on the other side, he let out a gasp. 

 

His knees went weak, and his shoulders slumped. He nearly lost his grip on the hammer. When the table appeared, his mouth gaped open like a fish. While this may not have been the most dangerous thing he had encountered this evening, it seemed to be the most mind-boggling to him. When the chairs appeared, he gingerly sat down in one, half-expecting it to vanish out from under him. When it didn't he put his full weight down upon it. At that point, what the "concierge" said broke through his wonderous stupor. "Patrons? What do you mean by that? Are you telling me that someone set this whole situation up?" He shook his head. "Where exactly are we?"

[Nina]

The Concierge walked around to the far end of the table, there was no chair there, so he stood, which left him looking down as the band found seats. “Set up? No, let us just say it was an opportunity taken advantage of. What happened in the town would have had a much graver outcome for those who lived there had you not been sent to test your mettle.

 

And it was a test which all of you passed,  which is surprising, not one of you even lost a limb. This is a good sign that Fate has more in store for you.”

 

In the distance, as out of place as it was with the disc seemingly floating in space, flapping could be heard. The sound of great wings beating grew louder and all eyes were drawn in the direction it came from. In moments, the band could make out tiny specks which grew in size with each beat of the great wings. The specks grew into white horses with huge wings, each bearing an armed and armored woman warrior, and in their midst a jet-black horse with eight legs keeping pace with the winged mounts even though it had no wings of its own, it’s rider male, bearded, with one eye, where the other should be a plain patch. This man and the women on the winged horses, were armored as would the Vikings of yore but there was something unworldly about their accoutrements that set them apart from the styles of Hollywood most were accustomed to.

[Malachite]

Valentine's mind was half numb from shock of the night and half racing in a hysterical spin. Nothing made sense. Surely she was dreaming? Or hallucinating? Still, her body moved on as if it had never really needed her mind to guide it. She followed everyone into the wall of light - how much weirder could that be than the ruins that had brought her half-way around the world in a trek of maybe a half hour. On the disc floating in space she just stared. It was beautiful and it made her heart ache even as she wondered if she were dying of radiation poisoning still back in Turkey or if she were already dead and the whole afterlife thing was way trippier than anyone had thought. 

She watched the pegasi fly towards them, eyes wide. After a moment her mind made the connection to some of the myths she'd learned about as a child. "Odin," she breathed softly to herself. "That's Odin." She bit back hysterical giggles and scooted in close to those around her for some semblance of 'safe'. 

[SalmonMax]

"So what is this?" Juno demanded as she reeled under what she was seeing. "Are we dead? Is this supposed to be heaven or something?"

 

"Because first there was this very suspicious hotel meetup, then a convenient blizzard, in which we fought blue GIANTS that escaped on RAINBOWS...and then we walked into the light, and now we're in heaven!"

 

She threw the spear down and spread her arms. "When is someone going to explain all of this?!"

 

[Nina]

As the flying horses came close and landed on the edge of the disc there was a flash of blue white lithe on the edge of the disc away from the horses followed by an immediate crash of thunder which shook the whole disc. 

 

The band as one looked to the flash and saw a man with a white beard, who looked almost exactly like the one eyed man at the other side of the disc just sans the eye patch his left hand was crackling with electricity which faded as the watched.

 

"Show off," boomed the voice of patch man.

 

The new arrival chuckled,  he also wasn't alone, with him were two men and three women all wearing fairly normal clothing, but exquisitely tailored and from the looks of the highest fashion.

Odin/Zeus     Hephaestus    Hestia 

 

 

Aphrodite      Apollo   Athena   

 

 

The women on the winged horses remained mounted while the patch man dismounted and approached the table. as he came toward them the his two eyed twin came as well his companions following, but stopping severl yards back while the two look alikes approached each other and the Concierge. "Where are the others, Architect," asked the one with two eyes.

 

"They come Lord Zeus," He inclined his head to the one with two eyes and then to the one with the patch, "All-Father. I thought that since neither of you would be giving patronage, that you may wish to address the Exemplaries, before the arrival of the others

11 minutes ago, Juno Reyes said:

She threw the spear down and spread her arms. "When is someone going to explain all of this?!"

.

One-eye  glared at Juno then burst into laughter "I like her, who does she belong to? Don't worry young one all shall be explained and then you shall be given a choice. Which is more than I can say for the rest of us."

 

The other one glared at One-eye, then nodded to JUno, "I am Zeus, Lord of the Gods..."

 

"Some of the gods," said One- eye after an exaggerated cough, "and I am Odin, All-Father, perhaps you have heard of me. I mean us," he smiles at Zeus.

[Shameless]

Tenchi beheld the spectacle before them all, they arrivals of the Deities, and Juno's reaction.  "Juno relax, we're not dead yet.  We're just abit out of our depth I think."   It was a remarkable mental elasticity on his part, being able to be hit with everything they had so far.  Tenchi had slipped the sword's scabbard through his belt, not relinquishing it, still on guard.   He smiled over at Raiko.   "More and more, this really is feeling like a job interview or Audition.   Been awhile since we were on this end of either, hasn't it?"

Unlike the rest, the Shirahara twins were very used to moving through higher circles of status and power, though that was very much limited to merely by mortal standards.   "They'll tell us their purpose I'm sure.  Deities don't descend from up on high for no reason, and just from what I've heard, we were all definitely called together here, for this."  His tone was respectful and warm, almost abit mirthful.  The manners of his upbringing coming to the fore, though tempered by the experience they'd all just been through.


"There will be others arriving, as in other Deities?"

[Kaoleth]

Raiko huffs. "I can't say that I care for it overmuch, if I'm being entirely honest. Disconcerting is one word for it." she reclines back, fingers drumming a quick tattoo against the scabarded blade sat across her lap, thinking. "And no, I dare say you're right. You don't go to that much effort unless you wanted something, so I daresay we'll see in short order." she lets out a sigh, some of the tension leaking out with it, before sitting up straighter, attention focusing on the Gods.

 

".... if you'll pardon the impertinence, are you actually related or is it pure happenstance that you're the spit of one another? I don't recall any Mythology where Odin and Zeus were Identical twins." focus on the little things first. She can freak out about the existence of gods in her own time. Apparently this was just how her life was now.

[Nina]

“Yes, there are other...,” begins the Concierge, but then Raiko interrupts.

 

".... if you'll pardon the impertinence, are you actually related or is it pure happenstance that you're the spit of one another? I don't recall any Mythology where Odin and Zeus were Identical twins." focus on the little things first. She can freak out about the existence of gods in her own time. Apparently this was just how her life was now.

 

The ones who claim to be Odin and Zeus look at each other and frown. Odin lens close to Zeus and says, “Told you they'd notice,”as he holds out his hand toward the other god palm up.

 

Zeus growls and drops several coins into Odin's waiting hand, “Its their own damn fault.”

 

He turns to the Concierge, “Architect, you explain it to them, then we can get this pony show on the way.” Without another word Zeus spins and stomps back to where the rest of the Thioe who are present wait.

 

Odin Chuckles and turns to head back to his Valkyries, mumbling, “It is dog and pony show you old fool.”

 

The Concierge sighs and faces the band seated at the table, “It is an honor to finally be able to reveal myself and our mission to you the chosen ones. To begin, I am Imhotep, and once I was like you...”

 

“What did he mean it was our fault,” asked Stacy interrupting the Concierge.

 

Imhotep falters and looks at Stacy and then back at Zeus' retreating back. “Um... they look the way they do because it is what mortals expect. While it is true there is no intrinsic connection between the two Pantheons, or any pantheon for that matter, there are certain similarities which arise do to mortal expectation. Worship is the ultimate food of the gods, the more mortal worship the more ascendancy the god. However worship also places certain, expectations upon the god. When the gods stopping walking among you and their cults faded, worship changed for them changed, art and artists replaced temples and sacrifices. Thousands of paintings, statutes, and portrayals have placed their stamp upon the gods so that the most popular tend to resemble what you, mortals, expect them too. And for whatever reason, Zeus and Odin, have always been portrayed as being very similar in appearance although in fact in the days before they were nothing alike.”

 

In the distance out in the shifting stays and columns of cosmic gasses, what had looked like stars began to move to grow closer, some became strange looking craft, others weird shimmering lights or mounts, and some revealed themselves to be winged being out of a nightmare. All were heading toward the disc.

 

“Now if I may? As I was saying, I am Imhotep, and once I was mortal like you. My gods were pleased with me and I was elevated and t day I am one of them, not a greater god such as these who have chosen you but god none the less.

 

All of this is real. The gods of old are real, the myths and legends while sometime exaggerated and many time not nearly so, are real and true. The reality you have lived in for more than two thousand years has been manufactured. Why, you ask?

 

To keep the peace.”

 

The rest of the gods began to arrive at the edges of the disc. First those of the Deva,who came in great ships of strange design, as they disembarked their incredible figures shifted to a more acceptable human form for the monstrous visages they wore naturally.

 

Kali       Agni 

 

A single goddess arrived next, at the edge where Odin stood, she came in a viking sail boat and stepped off alone, clad in armor like the Valkyries who bowed to her, she joined Odin.

 

Freya 

 

 

Next came the Annuna though few they were terrible to behold, monstrous inhuman winged and fanged, but they two assumed a human form as the touched the disc.

 

Ninhursag         Ishtar        Ereshkigal         

Nergal  

 

Other gods came to, in similar vein, and as those before assumed a pleasing human form. Soon the edge of the disc was lined with gods all looking inward at the table where the band sat.

 

Imhotep had been speaking the whole time the gods took their places.

 

“The gods were born of war, most of them, strife against those that had come before, the primordial, and once they were vanquished the gods each in his own pantheon, or family turned on those other families and war began anew. It was terrible war lasting millennium, fought god to god pantheon to pantheon, and tragically, worshipers to worshipers. But it was a war that could not be won.

 

Eventually the gods realized this and made a truce and an agreement. They would separate and only influence the world through proxies, find other means to gain mana from alternate means of worship. In essence the gods left the earth to its own devices. Peace, at least among the gods reigned.”

 

 

Het-Heru    Aset/Isis    Bast 

 

 

Haoma      Ītzpāpālōtl    Oya 

 

 

Pukawies       Morrigan       Susano-O  

 

Ōkuninushi        Sun Wukong  

[SalmonMax]

Juno, at a loss for words, scanned the incoming panoply for someone who was conspicuously missing. Part of her was still stubbornly insisting this couldn't be real. Why were a shit-ton of gods showing up now? For them? They'd fought off a few...blue giants?

 

She shook her head and said, "Look, uh, no offense, but I was raised Catholic, you know? I'm not exactly practicing but...shit I don't even know where to start with all this. Why are we here? Why are you here?"

[Gabe OOC]

Ali stared as well. "Speaking as one raised part Catholic, part Islam, I have to doubt. Are you truly claiming Allah is, what, some delusion? I could say there is as much evidence of that as you all are what you claim to be. Supernatural beings, perhaps. Gods? When all the tales each say how the world was created a different way, describe the sun as Ra's boat or Apollo's chariot? I'm afraid that's a contradiction, let alone the multitude you posit."

[Kaoleth]

"Feeling less and less like an interview and more and more like a hazing now." Raiko comments to Tenchi in an undertone. Idly, if somewhat hysterically she wondered if the word for a Collection of gods of different groupings was still Pantheon, or if they needed a new collective noun. This was utter madness.

 

Juno's outburst allowed Raiko the brief moment to compose herself once more, nodding carefully in agreement. Her gaze was flitting over each of the present gods, mentally trying to associate Pantheons with names and faces.

 

She almost had to wince at Ali's question. This was going to be an interesting conversation. Not every day you got to discuss Theology with actual divinities... or being approaching it, anyway. Though she doubted 'I don't believe in you' would hold much truck with their current audience. "Maybe the Chariot is Amphibious and they have a Time share" she returns, sardonic and head shaking. "It is certainly hard to believe, how does one reconcile the various creation myths when they were all so wildly different?" she was personally Agnostic and so was open to the idea of a God or Gods, but this was something else.

[Shameless]

Tenchi nodded to Raiko.  "You're not wrong."   He looked at the assemblage of deities and pondered.   "I see many Deities from various pantheons, so either you're about to tear up the peace accords, and start directly intervening which I have to admit, sounds absolutely terrible.   Or There's a situation happening, or about to happen on Earth, and we're gathered here to become their proxies, to prevent the situation.  What we just went through, was to see what we were already capable of."

He smiled.  "I am defintely hoping the latter is the reason, though that brings up many other questions too."   

"How are you so calm about this?"   

Tenchi shrugged.   "I just beheaded a troll three times my height, using nothing more than an ordinary Katana.  You survived being hit by an attack that would have flattened anyone normal.  That thing was tossing the Snow Cats around like they were toys.    Clearly we aren't normal, and I imagine that holds for all of us.   Besides, with all the other strangeness that's been happening, I have to admit, I am curious to see what exactly is next."