Genesis: Light Beyond the End of Time

[Siriel]

It was a flash of light, a spark of flame, a note of music and a word spoken. Amidst the endless darkness that remained after the end, s great pillar of power rose into eternity, its beginning lower than the lowest and its end higher than the highest.

Divine essence, the power that could give birth to a new world, at the whim of the ones that would claim it.

Hundreds beheld its magnificence and vowed to make it theirs. They were the greatest of heroes, the vilest of villains, the myths and legends that had given birth to dreams and despair alike. All of them knew that its appearance meant the beginning of the new genesis, and that they would have to work together in spite of their differences to ensure that the ideology they followed became the center of the new world. All that was left now was to wait but a few moments and the first round of challenges would be announced.

A spiraling tower rose high into the heavens, and from its tip extended the heavens, marking the summit of the end of time and bringing a sense of direction to what had been nothingness. The nameless highest tower was the bastion of those who proclaimed themselves the Rulers of Heaven, and at its summit was the council chambers of those who had ruled over the members of their pantheons, those who refused to bow to anyone else and affirmed their supremacy. Presiding over the assembly today was Zeus the Thunderer, and he had summoned a handful of their members from the festivities that celebrated the arrival of the divine essence to discuss the first challenge.

Far from the heavenly tower was a city of lights and wonders, the summit of what had been achieved by humans in the previous world, the home of those who claimed the glory of Anthropocentrism. They were a less organized group, and the city was currently in a state of great activity as they too celebrated the beginning of the battle and prepared themselves.

Not far from that city was a grimmer sight as a fortress rose into the darkness of eternity, opposing the great tower that defined the sky. The bastion of those who had gathered, united by what they had suffered in the previous world and determined to make the next world one where only they would decide their own fate. It would be wrong to say that they were all disciplined, but unlike many of the others there was little rejoicing in the wake of the divine essence; they were among those who were the most desperate to succeed, and those who focused on victory at the cost of everything else caused an oppressive atmosphere that discouraged those who would have liked to celebrate.

The Reaper and Reudhos Wlewā: Heavenly Tower: You were among those summoned by Zeus, and it seems you are the first to arrive. The white chamber that is the top floor of the heavenly tower is empty save for the thunder god who sits on the throne that serves as its center, eight great pillars supporting the roof. As you approach he briefly glances at you but quickly returns to his thoughts, it would seem he wants to wait until everyone has arrived before speaking.

Adara and Charon: City of Men: Most of the followers of Anthropocentrism are currently in a state of festivities with the exception of Sisyphus and Prometheus who appear to be deep in conversation a few meters away from the party. What about you?

Skiá and Lucifer: Odin's Hall: The majority of the Defiers are present in the main hall where Odin presides on the sober banquet, flanked by his sons Thor and Loki. The few conversations that were ongoing are silenced as the trickster rings a bell to call for attention, and he rises to his feet before asking a question that many have wondered about.
"Comrades, the fated time approaches. Who among us dare brave the first challenge? Who are the heroes that will become known as the first to score a victory against the ever-tyrannical fates?"

[Airen]

Adara
City of Men

To many of the people here, the sight of human celebration must have been one of nostalgia, bringing back fond memories of the world before, the times of normalcy that were ever so common even in legends.

But to Adara, the sight of so many people celebrating, showing honest sincere energy, their hopes for the future emerging in a jeweled utopia of a city...

For her, such a thing is a new sight, far removed from the chaotic, despair-filled days that had appeared as the old world slowly met it's ultimate, inevitable fate. It's so new to her that she would almost call it out of place, and for a moment, she simply watches everything with a silence that soon becomes laughter, her spirit rising along with the others as they beheld the long-sought miracle with their own eyes.

Absolute power, a spark of omnipotence, power enough to topple the Gods from their ill-deserved thrones, and return the world to human hands. Even when the others continue their party, drinks and laughter bringing a warm sense of companionship to the city, the young woman keeps her eyes on that distant light far longer than anyone else, as if seeking to forever burn the sight of it into her memory.

"..."

However, eventually, even she turns her back to it, eyes moving back towards those she now called comrades. She had never once been to a party while alive, there had simply never been the time, or the occasion for such a thing in a dying world, but now that she was here, she had to admit that a part of herself would have liked to simply throw herself into the festivities for the sheer sake of experiencing what it was like to celebrate the present. There were many people here, some ancient kings, others famous heroes, all powerful in their own right, people whose legends made her outright nameless in comparison.

She was curious as to what they were really like, meeting those sorts of legends was not something a person could normally do, but...

Looking around, not everyone was celebrating.

Prometheus and Sisyphus, two of the bigger names in the faction, seemed to be discussing something, forgoing the party for the sake of something else, probably some sort of strategy talk, if she had to make a guess at it.

"..."

To be honest, that was probably the more intelligent course of action. As fun as it may be to celebrate, there were certain things that had to be decided upon, namely:

Which members of the faction would respond to the challenge?

Adara had no problems with going herself, if she was needed to fight, she would fight as many times as was necessary to secure victory.

"..."

Curious, the red-haired woman, tossing aside the lure of the festivities, starts towards the duo of King and Titan, natural curiosity of their discussion overpowering everything else.

If there was something she could do to help secure victory for this side, then she would like to be told of it.

If not, well...

There was a first time for everything, even enjoying a festival without worrying about the future.

[Rafflesiac]

Skiá
Odin’s Hall

Ahh, these are certainly a dour bunch, aren’t they?

Well, Skiá couldn’t blame them. Everyone here had seen the pillar of light, had heard the loveliest song, had caught a glimpse of the one thing they were denied - a second chance. In the face of that, there was little room for merriment. No one could forget about the desire that drove them now, at the world’s end.

Those who tried were silenced as Loki brought the hall to attention.

A call for arms, for the first challenger? There’d certainly be no lack of people willing to fight. That is for the best. After all, Skiá wasn’t suited to be a flashy vanguard or the face of a movement. It wasn’t tactically sound, it wasn’t desirable, and it wasn’t his purpose. His time to fight would come later; for now, reconnaissance was key in order to determine the best use of his abilities.

That shining light, that familiar, innocent laugh.

And it took Skiá everything he had to restrain himself from leaping upward and naming himself.

[You]

Charon
City of Men

Charon gazed in wonder, “So this what they called a saikou suteki na paati…poi”

Being in Hades his entire life, he had never seen anything like this. The beam of light from before paled at the sight of sheer happiness from the party-goers. If this is what it meant to be “human,” it seemed like he chose the right faction after all.

“But seriously though, where are the floats?” He grumbled.

Everyone knew that a party needed floats. Macy’s Thanksgiving parade for instance. He remembered one Chatty Cathy who was actually called Cathy telling him all about the great floats there – also in Mardi Gras. She was really chatty. That Cathy. Damn Cathy though, no one cares about your stupid cats and, no they’re not here either, this is the underworld for crying out loud.

Which is why it was so weird that the head honchos were talking with each other in such a subdued way, away from the revelry. Perhaps they were talking about the challenges ahead or something else. He had seen the two before as he had seen most people. He had even taken them across into the underworld when they died - which is saying something since Promethus was an immortal. Was.

A brush of fiery red hair, a woman was walking towards the duo. Perhaps she had the same idea as he did.

Yup, she definitely did. She was a comrade, after all. But Charon was closer to the two.

Charon quickly made his way to the two, well, as fast an old man like he could.

“Excuse me, great party and all but this lady and I both want to know the same thing,” He asked as politely as possible, “Where are the boats?”

[Tobias]

The Reaper
Heavenly Tower

"When the first living thing existed, I was there, waiting. When the last living thing dies, my job will be finished. I'll put the chairs on tables, turn out the lights and lock the universe behind me when I leave."

Slowly, Grim took stock of the situation. The final end had came and gone. At last, the ancient work had come to fruition. All lives ended in a final, blinding finale of sound and fury. Signifying nothing, true, but also adding a final valiant cry of pride and defiance by those whose night had come at last. A fitting, honorable, if ultimately pointless end.

Grim exhaled softly, pleased, the sound of air whistling through vocal chords no longer tight enough to trap the movement within.

"Game over." The reaper hissed, sighing once more contentedly.

"...I win."

...And yet...it didn't quite feel like that was the case. or rather, maybe it was just the opposite, and the sense of unease Grim felt was the sense one gets when he or she finishes a truly compelling book. A fleeting pleasure ended to suddenly, bringing with it a vague sense of loss as a sign of its passage. Perhaps that was it. the long game was over, and though Grim could forever more enjoy his high score...well...he was still a little bored.

It was probably no coincidence that Greatfather Zues had swept his existence from the flow of time. Why wouldn't he? This new utopia would once again need someone to institute the Plan. Atropos' threads must be cut, and therefor, someone had to oversee the work. Would the fickle Gods do such a thing? No, of course not. They would be to busy eating, drinking, and making merry. But Grim...

Sure, Grin could hit the reset button and have another game.

Besides, if nothing else....Grim actually couldn't be quite sure the game had actually ended. After all...looking over the edge of the heavenly tower, other players were creating their characters and choosing their weapons. From that point of view...

"There are still souls to collect. At the very least, I should finish this bonus round." That sibilant hiss he directed towards Rwela, though even he, one of the few people left who remembered the great goddess when so many had forgotten, did not know if she would understand. After all, they were not friends. At best their relationship was the same as a tired employee, after a long weary day, punching out his card and nodding with weary relief at the other man punching in at his same time card slot. Where one's work ended, the other's began.

After exchanging simple pleasantries, Grim turned to the august presence at the focal point of the room.

"Greatfather Zues." Grim said, bowing respectfully to the godking. "With your leave, I would hear the rules of this new game."

[Tangerang]

Morningstar
Odin’s Hall

The silence was at last broken by a man standing by himself near the back of the hall, arms crossed. Staring straight back at Loki at the front, Lucifer spoke plainly but made sure his voice could be clearly heard.

"I have no objection with becoming the tip of the spear, the front of the vanguard. That is hardly an unfamiliar scenario for me. But before that, wouldn't it be more apt to share whatever information you know about this challenge? It is pure recklessness to charge blindly into the unknown."

Looking at the numerous gods and heroes both gathered before him, he could feel no emotion welling up within himself. Their wishes, their desires, their hopes- none of it mattered to him. The fact of the matter was, so long as they fought against the shackles of destiny and for a creation without predestination, he would fight along side them.

It has been one hell of a long journey, he thought to himself bitterly. He remembered from the beginning of everything, to his rebellion and fall and all the way up to now... all of it, every effort was still nothing but dancing like a puppet to the strings of fate. Even his opposition to the divine plan was a part of the divine plan, as frustrating to him as it was.

But at last that was ended. And he would be willing to fight against the rest of creation by himself to make sure something like that never rose again.

[Verg Avesta]

Reudhos Wlewā
Heavenly Tower

The grandiose appearance of the tower suit the White Ochre Goddess well. Though small in stature, she boasted such a majestic presence that she might as well been three meters tall. Honed body, oiled carefully and sculpted like finest piece of art, added its own flourish of importance to the chamber the Rulers of Heaven. Ironic as it might have been, the two who were first to answer the Thunderer's call could not have been more different. Whereas the dark specter almost blended into the shadows, Reudhos vanquished them with her mere presence. Therefore it was odd to see them act, if not in friendly terms, at least in cordial ones. As the Grim Reaper passed by the old, forgotten deity, she acknowledged his words with a quiet smile of her own.

"There are still souls to collect. At the very least, I should finish this bonus round."

"Thy work art the most demanding one, and with naught but peril to come with it," Reudhos spoke. "Thine efforts speaketh louder than the thankless words that art showereth upon thee. We looketh forward to working with thee, once more."

Her archaic words went perhaps unheard, perhaps unheeded. Nevertheless, she followed after the One in Black towards the large and imposing man sitting on the throne at the very center. The boisterous and foul-tempered Thunderer, son of Cronus, the Father Time. Though old by the standards of most, for Reudhos, the god she saw before her was but a whelp; Not due to his age, but due to his rash actions. She had much more respect for his brothers, Poseidon and Hades, for at the very least they had managed to reign in their destructive personalities. But Old Thunderer, Zeus... he had been spirit personified, rambunctious and wild, like a bull rampaging through streets of Athens. Oh the sheer passion he had, oh how his brow furrowed as he grew angry, oh how he smote those who insulted him with his spears of lightning. Though it might have made Great Zeus a mere whelp in Reudhos' eyes, that same passion was also what she respected.

"Worry none, Old Acquaintance. Child of Time doth surely explaineth it once the he art ready," Reudhos spoke as well as she sat gracefully in the air, letting her power float her as she conversed with the Foremost of Greek Deities and the Grim Reaper. "There art none who hath not seen or heard the call of our challenge. They art sure to be here soon. We suggesteth to hold our tongues, lest we speaketh before all ears are present. Indeed, it doth serveth us the best if we waste time naught, for our enemies are eager to see us fall. Dost thou not knoweth that hate doth make waste, Old Acquaintance?"

Leaving Grim with slightly teasing smile, Reudhos turned towards Zeus, eyeing him up and down with her calm, yet stern, stare.

"As for thee, Child of Time, We art curious... how dost thou feel, now that time hath come?" Reudhos asked from Zeus. "Thou wereth eventually forgotten aswell, were thee not?"

[Siriel]

Heavenly Tower

Zeus' frown deepened at the question, though it was a pensive expression that adorned his harsh features.

"Forgotten? Perhaps not, but I may as well have been."

The god, that she may have known as he was young but who now seemed older than she, rose to his feet, and from him came a divine radiance that spread like the beating of his heart.

"Yet even as they proclaimed that they had tamed the skies mankind feared ever more heaven's wrath, ever more they relied on my thunder, and of that I am satisfied. I shall not begrudge their forgetfulness; the fault was mine for failing to properly teach them the meaning of my name, a mistake that shall not be repeated anew."

Soft footsteps sounded out just behind the two, their approach so quiet that they had ascended the staircase unnoticed, and a moment later a man stood before Zeus, humbly presenting to the Thunderer a rolled parchment. As swiftly and silently as he had come, Hermes the Messenger vanished again. As he passed by them once more, the two of them sensed the slightest of hostilities from him; a faint sense of jealousy.

Zeus, who had stopped paying attention to the messenger entirely, observed the scroll in his hand.

"And here is the answer to your request, loyal one. The rules to the first of our contest, which even I shall not go against. That is why I have called the two of you to my presence; your hard work during the last moments has not gone unnoticed, Reaper, and though others may have forgotten you, ancient one, we have not. In honor of your long services, we have granted you the right to be our first representatives."

He unrolled the parchment, and as he gazed upon it he smiled thinly.

"A childish game...but an accurate representation of our task. Hear me then, for these are our divine rules!

A sphere shall be placed in the center of the arena, which shall be a flat, even field a kilometer wide. The two teams, each consisting of two representatives, shall begin on opposite sides. By no means may the sphere be removed from the field, on penalty of defeat. Once the hallowed hourglass has been emptied three times, whosoever holds the sphere shall be deemed the victor, and will received the divine essence within."

The words echoed through the chamber with an authority that surpassed even that of the god of gods, for they were unblemished Truth.

Odin's Hall

A harsh silence fell on the hall at Lucfier's words, until a shrill sound shattered it as the trickster laughed.

"It is! That it is! Very well then, I shall speak in the Allfather's name and share with you, Morningstar."

The old man by his side sent him a glare and Loki hastily coughed before continuing in a more subdued voice.

"Hear then, the message that we have just received;

A sphere shall be placed in the center of the arena, which shall be a flat, even field a kilometer wide. The two teams, each consisting of two representatives, shall begin on opposite sides. By no means may the sphere be removed from the field, on penalty of defeat. Once the hallowed hourglass has been emptied three times, whosoever holds the sphere shall be deemed the victor, and will received the divine essence within.

Simple, no? Even a child would understand these rules!"

Yet the mockery seemed half-hearted, for this was one matter that even the trickster took with the utmost seriousness, and when he spoke next his voice contained nothing but grim resolution.

"Loki Lie-smith nominates himself."

[Tobias]

The Reaper
Heavenly Tower

"Just so, First." There was a certain intonation to the title the Reaper used to refer to the Goddess who was called Rwela. All those truly worthy of the title of God were worthy in the eyes of the Reaper. Even Grim himself was not sure why. Maybe it was just the long years of service to so very many, the uncounted and uncountable years following the path of the Game. The Reaper was death. It was the Gods who ordained death. Therefor, perhaps there was no reason he should not willingly bow to those who set in place the dimensions of his work.

Still, the title of First... meant something. Though what that could be had probably long since faded into time.

Heeding good advice, The Reaper settled himself slightly to wait. the Greatfather's pleasure.

Well, even the most fun games still occasionally suffered a loading screen or two. Perhaps this was no different.

When the approach of the Fleet Footed Messenger, it seemed that it was time, if not to begin, then at least the board could be fittingly arranged.

"And here is the answer to your request, loyal one. The rules to the first of our contest, which even I shall not go against. That is why I have called the two of you to my presence; your hard work during the last moments has not gone unnoticed, Reaper, ..."

The black hood that shrouded the Reaper's true face nodded slightly at the compliment, though such words of praise were not the coin of his payment. Nor was it, as many said, the purpose of his work to sweep aside the old so that the cycle of life could continue, the unfortunate dead a necessary sacrifice by which the fertile ground upon which new life could be grow was created.

No, the Great Game aside, the work of the Reaper was to define that which died. It was impossible to judge something until it was completed. no matter how breathtaking the work of art, now matter how mouth watering the meal or enjoyable the book, nothing could be judged until it had three things. A beginning, a middle, and an End.

The last moments the Greatfather spoke of...

Underneath the cowl, lip-less lips spread over empty white in a rictus few would call a smile. That last play...adding definition not to a life, but to Life. That...that had been a moment worthy of all the work that had gone into reaching it. The finality of the Game had been a reward far greater then the praise of the Greatfather, rare as such an honor might be.

But it was the next words that caused the robes of the Reaper to stiffen in pleased surprise.

"In honor of your long services, we have granted you the right to be our first representatives"

Bliss! Bliss and ecstasy! Grim had always allowed his opponents to make the first move. The reasoning was simple. There was a slight advantage to advancing your piece first, but since his opponents often had to deal with the fear that comes from literally playing for their live's grim felt it evened out the odds. But the chance to take the field first, harvest bright and powerful souls, even those souls of gods, a pleasure he was afforded only rarely...

Grim effected a full bow from the waist in response, the hem of his cowled robes hitching slightly over white shins unmarred by flesh or sinew, even as Zeus explained the rules to the match.

"This reward," Grim hissed in response "will result in power accruing in accordance with your will, Greatfather. The divine essence shall be used by you to fashion the new Game." After that, Grim reached out a skeletal hand to his side. for a moment, as his right fist seemed to pass through a shimmer into the air. From within, the haze, soft wisps emerged, hesitated...and reached with half formed hands towards the arm of the Reaper, only to recoil in fear and withdraw. whether the spirits within had sought to pull themselves out, or had desired to pull him within....either way, they had quickly realized their error.

The Reaper had no fear of the dead.

After a moment, Grim's hand returned from the portal and withdrew...what for a moment must have appeared a simple rod, almost thin enough to be a reed. It was simple, perhaps the inches in thickness, brown, and made of unmarked wood, the age of which was indiscriminate. But the head...the head gave the lie to the unassuming base. The Scythe of Time was jagged, with uneven grooves at the top and bottom so that a single swing could cut through a great deal of chaff without slowing or catching. The black blade for which Grim was named.

Armed in several ways, only some of which were apparent, the Reaper turned his cloaked head.

"And you, First. Allow me to be the container for your essence. Whether you intend to take a hand in shaping the new Game, or you have simply decided that a reminder of who you are is warranted, it doesn't matter to me. I believe it has been to long since you and I worked to shepherd a soul."

[Tangerang]

Morningstar
Odin’s Hall

The man's eye's narrowed slightly at Loki's provocation, but he took no further action than that. He considered the contents of the message, the nature of the challenge, and then gave a slight nod. It would appear that he had no objections to Loki's declaration.

"Very well. If you have faith in yourself, then go well Loki Lie-smith. Become the rock upon which our enemies break."

[Verg Avesta]

Reudhos Wlewā
Heavenly Tower

"And you, First. Allow me to be the container for your essence. Whether you intend to take a hand in shaping the new Game, or you have simply decided that a reminder of who you are is warranted, it doesn't matter to me. I believe it has been to long since you and I worked to shepherd a soul."

"Nay, 'tis no longer a place of Us to speaketh for creation or what shalt or shalt not be. Indeed, We art but a humble being of forgotten time that offereth her wisdon in thine time of need. If Gods with power more willfull so wisheth, We shalt assist them to best of Our ability", Reudhos spoke, smiling quietly to her old acquaintance. "Whether it be of telling tales of warning and strife that followeth the disappearance of thine name... Or desire the see Our earth rageth once more, coil and boil liketh the very lightning Child of Time doth useth to rend apart sky. Whichever the aid required, We art more than happy to oblige..."

Though there was nothing but kindness on the face muscular, small girl, something in her demeanor changed for a second or two. It was a pang of flash freeze, a cold snap that drained the warmth from her smile, leaving behind just a warning as she glanced after where Hermes had disappeared.

"Of course... We art proficient in teaching in more... Primal manner as well. For some lessons the foolhardy doth learneth only through suffering the consequences of their actions, in good or bad", she quietly said, before looking back at Grim.

"As for thee, Old Acquaintance, We art more than honored to fight by thy side, if that is thine bidding and wish", she said, warmth returning to her expression. "Unless, of course, Child of Time hath a plan of other sort?"