"Well that went well enough. Was kind of expecting to get his name though." Skunk sighs before speaking again, "Guess it's back to work. Do you know how far the final archway and statues are?" he asks as he turns to face Mephitis, who is quick to shrug and shake his head. "Well, I best go check on it. Once that's done this path is pretty much complete. I have a few more rocks to enchant as well, but that won't take long." He pauses a while to think. "Alright, I'll go find the amethysts so long and check on the archway while you stay with the builders to finish up the rest of path," and quickly fires up a shield and portal. Mephitis makes his own shield to protect the workers as they come through the open portal. He may not be as powerful as his god, but he needn't defend against anything major so his protection will suffice.

Once in his home realm, Skunk is quick to retrieve the amethysts. He spends a small while sorting out a few things that he finds to be out of place. His home realm is very independent, but Skunk's obsessive compulsive behaviour takes over a little. Once that's all out of the way he heads over to check on the archway, which to his delight is complete.

A few miracles later and the archway is up with the statues carefully put in place. The workers have made their way to the base and are just finishing some touch ups. Skunk takes his time to charge up the last few rocks as the whole project comes to its completion. Once he's done he makes his way to the crowd of workers that has gathered at the base of the mountain to marvel in their creation.

"Now that's a pathway worthy of gods," brags the deity, "Well done men." A cheer erupts from the workers, and not without reason. The work was hard and the deadline tight, but it was a job enjoyed by all who took part. Skunk and his followers were no strangers to construction and took delight in the making of any monument, building, or even simple statue. But now that their work was done, the workers retreated back to their home realm with the anticipation of a grand feast - which they would undoubtably have.

But it was not so for Skunk and Mephitis, who were more interested in their 'prize'. With the path completed and the amethysts at hand, Skunk could finally be presented with his weapons. And without wasting any time he fired up a portal to the forge. In a sudden flash of realisation he turned to Mephitis who appeared to have had the same revelation. "Well, too late now I guess," he blurts out jokingly, "He probably would have asked if he wanted one anyway. Now, to the forge!" And with that, Skunk and Mephitis disappear into the shimmering portal.

---

[Lionhead Pub] [Good Read] [Photobucket]

Sorry to keep you waiting these past days. As you know, I didn't have a moment to spare, between finals and becoming an uncle. Added to that, I lost this post yesterday when I almost finished. (No time to check grammar, apologies to Ammy)

*The imp Fuyushimo picked up let out a surprised yelp and instinctively struggled to get free for a moment. Even as he stopped he looked around frantically, until he noticed he was deep enough into the complex to be surrounded by the characteristic steel walls and ceiling, filled with holes. As the imp calms down and discovers the god is here as a customer, he tilts his head and reveals a gruesome grin. Fuyushimo places the freaky creature down, also because it appears to be covered in some sort of greasy substance. As the imp skitters off to inform the others that they have a customer, the god wipes his hand on the wall, also taking note that the strange smell around also disappears as the imp goes away. Perhaps picking up an imp on cleaning duty wasn't the best idea. At the end of the hallway, the imp he released beacons him to follow, before running around the corner*

*Fuyushimo follows, arriving in a main hall. Strangely enough the room, obviously used as a greeting place normally, is abandoned. Even the forges in the large workplace attached to this room lie abandoned. A single chair, decorated in throne-like fashion, stands abandoned on a raised platform in this room. What Fuyushimo doesn't know is that practically all the imps are otherwise occupied at the moment, presenting Skunk and CooLAZ with their finished weapons in the designated project rooms. Cesparius is presenting Skunk with his weapon, and Asteron is doing the same for CooLAZ*

*The imp he grabbed at first is also gone, leaving Fuyushimo with little else to do but stare at the crafted items hanging from the walls, and wondering if this waiting is part of some sale's strategy. The silence is broken when a door creaks open and an imp the god recognises steps out, carrying a broom. Aspenar freezes for a second as he noticed the situation he is stepping into; there is a customer he recognises, and the chair is empty. No other imps are in sight. With a fast flick of his wrist the broom is thrown back in the dark room behind Aspenar. The imp steadily walks over to the decorated chair and hoist himself into it. He crosses his clawed little fingers before finally addressing the god*

Welcome to the best weapon place! You has found it quickly! We is not easy to find. Hmmm... must be why we is advertising. Aspernar happy to see familiar face again that isn't imp.
*It is obvious that Aspenar isn't the best salesperson around, and really he only has the raised chair working in his favor when it comes to deciding whether to take his presence serious. As far as imps go, Aspenar is one of the less creepy ones though, and he does seem to be excited to do business with the god. Another thing in favor of the imp is that the superior craftsmenship of the weapons Fuyushimo studied can not be denied*
So, is you here to order weapons, maybe? It also great if you here just to visit Aspenar, but Aspenar's job also important. You want buy a big magic axe? Maybe holy knife-shoes? Magic eyepatch? Me thinks those look cool!
How about teeth enchantment? I knew demon that had those! Always eating everyone. Heard he ended up eating self in the end! Maybe not order that one.

If you'd let me get some words into this conversation, I could tell you what I wish to order...
Oh yes, Aspenar sorry. You forgive him yes? No? Maybe? You can place order now. Aspenar give you deals for being friendly! We also have guarantees for quality of work. We have to be defending title for best forgers, yes. What you like us to make you?
----------------------

*Meanwhile Skunk is having his weapon presented to him by Cesperius and the team of imps that created it. He gets to test them out in a test chamber first. The daggers prove to be indeed resistant against damage, as the weapons and drill the imps use on it leave them undamaged. They fit perfectly in Skunk's hands and are indeed formidable weapons. Skunk makes sure to test if they have the desired protection against miracles, to limit the damage he takes from miracles*

*The moment he picks up the scythe Enva he had forged, he feels a connection with it. His aura extends around and its blade takes on a lightly holy glow. He swings is around a couple of times, and he is impressed by how natural it feels. As he attacks a test dummy, his focus on his own combat skills and knowledge seems to intensify, as his weapon helps him better use his skills. Skunk feels a strong connection to with the scythe already, which he would still be able to improve with time, as he learns to master it better*
Since payment has been received, nothing remains than to wish you luck with them. At least, if they are completely to your liking. I presume you have found them to your liking?

---

*Fuyushimo rubs his temples for a moment as his mind processes the stream of words. The headache-inducing powers is strong within this young pada- I mean, imp. For copyright purposes too.*

*Then he decides it's time to get serious and get to work. He cracks his fingers, and then surprises the imp by actually taking his left glove off and holding it out before the imp.*
The first order which I'd like to place, is an enchantment on this glove. The - Pleaseholdonforamomentdon'tsayanythinguntilI'mfullydoneplacingmyorderpleasethankyou.
*This magnificent stream of words, no doubt something which Fuyushimo has learnt from a certain monk, comes just in time to prevent Aspenar from starting to ramble about the many curious ideas he has, such as the ability of making the glove automatically shake the hands of everybody the owner meets. Whilst no doubt for hygiene, it's also not very relevant, though highly amusing.*

*Fortunately, the imp takes the hint and covers his mouth with his hands as Fuyushimo recovers from the usage of high levels of oxygen. Then he continues where he left of as normally as possible.*
Due to my nature, I'd like the glove to be fixed to my prefered element of the moment. As such, I desire that it's able to do the following thing: summon throwing knives made of ice. Preferably as cold as possible, in order to achieve maximum effectiveness.

It goes without saying, but I do not want it to be possible for the resulting knives to harm me. Lastly, I want it to be usable only by me; in fact, it should be incredibly unpleasant for others to wear. I'm thinking of freezing their arms off the moment they're wearing the gloves for more than three seconds. That sounds like a fun way to prevent potential thieves from ever using it.

I also have a second order to place. If you'll give me a moment...
*Aspenar leans forward as Fuyushimo produces an item and hands it to the imp. Regretfully, the writer of this post does not wish for anybody to know what it is, and as such, it shall not be described until further notice.*
It's fairly obvious what it is, and what purposes it is meant for. I'd like to... Improve it a little for my purposes, I want you to - *At this point, there's a loud crashing sound coming from nearby, and Fuyushimo's voice fails to reach the metaphorical ears of the readers. The imp has understood it however, so there's nothing to worry about. Well, maybe there is, but you won't know about it until it's too late! Or something like that...*

Provided that this can be done, and that the results are favourable, I may place another order in the near future. That all depends on how pleased I am with the results however... And of course, with the price.

On that note, what would the price for this order be? I'm fairly curious as to what you ask for your services. Oh, and you may speak now. Need for silence ended. Just... Talk slowly.

---

"Absolutely," answers Skunk as he slides his hand over the daggers once more and places them in their respective sheaths. Although they are crafted with pure magnificence, his main attention is still drawn towards his new scythe, Enva. She seems to glow elegantly even in the dull lit, rough environment she is surrounded by. Her touch alone seems to enrich Skunk's nature - his fighting style; his virtues; even his clarity of thought. He can feel that their connection is still weak, but intends to change that in the very near future. If he is going to present any challenge at all to the new threat he will have to train himself with the utmost discipline.

After bidding the imps goodbye, Skunk sets off down the path. He turns to see if CoolAZ is anywhere to be seen, but catches not a glimpse of the young god. There is no time to spend worrying however, and he is quick to dismiss the thought of waiting for the god and so continues his descent.

As they wander down the newly created path, Skunk hands Mephitis the sample sword. With Enva and the twins in his control, he would not have any need of the minor enchantment the sample sword possesses, but Mephitis might still find use in it. Besides, the wolf has been trained to an extent on how to utilise a simple broadsword and might find it useful in battle considering his general lack of magnitude, and now would be the perfect time to hone any weapon skills Skunk or Mephitis can muster. There would surely be only one logical place to begin their training, and that would be with the ninja god, Battle.

---

[Lionhead Pub] [Good Read] [Photobucket]

                                                    “The Long Awaited Return of the Young God CooLAZ”

*After examining and practicing with his newly forged weapons, CooLAZ sets off to catch up with Skunk, who's had the impression that CooLAZ mysteriously disappeared.
He ran down the path that Skunk had created as quickly as he could, and eventually ran into Skunk.*

 

Heya, Skunk. Sorry for not staying in contact with you for so long. I was a little bit busy with the purchase of my new gear. I hope you weren't too worried about me. Anyway, check my new weapons, they're so cool!

 

*CooLAZ shows off his new weapons before Skunk, he's very proud of his choice for combat tools.*

 

As you can see, I have a one-handed weapon and a two-handed weapon. The lightning sword can strike the opponent with extremely powerful lightning bolts. What's more, it can generate a shield that can surround me by scattering some bolts in the form of a ring. Those bolts can injure the enemy badly if they're stupid enough to question their power. Another cool feature the sword possesses is the ability to electrocute the opponent the second they come in touch with it.
Now, the diamond sword is very unique. If you've already noticed, it is very shiny and glamorous. What's cool about it is the fact that it can be turned small or big whenever I want, like now. You see, now it's small because I'm not using it. However, now it's big since I wanted it to be that way. Now, let's move on to the more interesting part – its abilities. The diamond sword can impressively enough send showers of deadly pointy diamond shards in the direction the user wills. This overwhelming attack can pierce the target to death in its place within seconds. *A drop of sweat could clearly be seen on Skunk's left cheek. He was undoubtedly shocked. But, he instantly snapped out of it and continued to listen to CooLAZ carefully.* Moreover, an additional attribute it has is the ability to create diamond walls that can defend the user when an attack is used against them. These walls can endure damage for about 10 minutes, depending on the might of the attack.

 

*After talking so much about his amazing weapons, CooLAZ notices Skunk's new gear. He was astonished by their looks and potency as well. Even so, before going into the interrogation part, he decides to ask about Skunk's and Mephitis' experience since the last time they saw each other in this realm.*

Well, then. How have you and Mephitis been doing thus far? I haven't seen you for a long time now. Tell me everything you can about your stay in this freezing realm. I'm very interested in your personal adventure around here, so get started! Also, after you finish with that, please do tell me about your formidable weapons.

 

*And so, the threesome sat down near a tall cypress tree, under the burning sun, and shared their stories with each other. Who could ask for a more beautiful day to tell experiences?*

---

My B&W2 fan fic: here.

The RP I'm writing for: here.


H&HRNU|C00LAZ

"We were afraid that you had either already left before us or were going to take a lot longer than us, CoolAZ. It is good that we are once again united. I am most impressed with your weapons. You seem to enjoy them greatly. As for what we have been doing..."

Skunk continues to explain to CoolAZ what they have been doing while apart. He speaks about the planning process of the weapons, the method of payment, the path and all the intricacies involved the making of it, the meeting of an older god, Solar, and then begins to show off his weapons.

"As you can see I have acquired two new daggers from the imps' forge," Skunk says as he removes the daggers from their sheaths. The daggers are no small knives. Their blades stretch the distance between the tip of his fingers and the corner of his elbow, with a further hand or so distance of extra hilt if ever the blades need to be used as two handed weapons; but more for the purpose of balancing out the weights for more responsive wielding. The usual grip is found behind the bottom edge of the blade to protect the hands from direct attack and again for balancing. "I didn't ask for anything special on these two. Just an indestructibility enchantment and strong miracle protection. They are more to be used as defensive, but are obviously more than capable of doing heavy damage if used correctly."

"Next is my new pride and joy, Enva." The scythe is as tall as Skunk. The handle is curved in an 'S' shape with a curved blade at the head and two small morning-star-like blades dangling from the base on chains. She is wrapped in cloth at various points where the wielder would grip her the most, with most of the cloth being close to the blade where balancing would be optimal. As with the daggers, she is designed for quick, responsive use despite her size and weight. She too has a small blade which extends over part of the handle to prevent direct attack on the wielding hands."For her enchantment I asked that she be able to change her form to the wielder's will, above which it should be as though she is made out of the wielders's power, while also increasing that power and adding to the wielder's strengths and weaknesses. And of course I asked that she increase the power of good while decreasing the power of evil, so that she may not land in the wrong hands."

Picture for your enjoyment:

*The daggers are obviously both identical, but reversed.

"Now as much as I am enjoying this chat, we must make haste. We do not have time for such pleasantries as chit-chat at this time, unfortunately," Skunk says as he rises to his feet, "I offer you the opportunity to follow Meph and I to Battle's village if you wish. We intend to get ourselves as trained as possible as quickly as possible and Battle seems like a very wise place to start with that." Skunk reaches out his hand to CoolAZ and asks with a small grin on his face, "But how about a nice little sparring session to test out our new gear before we head off?"

---

[Lionhead Pub] [Good Read] [Photobucket]

*The permission to speak comes just in time for Aspenar, who would not have lasted much longer holding his breath*
Just-Just one glove? What is you, a rock star? Is okay though. Aspenar can make. Also- *As Fuyushimo's other item is discussed, a loud mooing sound temporarily prevents would-be listeners from hearing what is said. Aspenar seemingly seems get his words across however. The cow, of course, is part of an earlier item payment that is stored in the building somewhere...*

*Aspenar seems to ponder for a while, considering payment. Cesparius always said to demand the most ridiculous prices you can get away with without offending your customer too much. The enchanting of both items would be a simple matter, really. He could do it in several hours. Since the enchanting didn't seem too hard, Aspenar decides discussing a price would probably best be done first. He looks the god in the eyes as serious as possible, removing his smile*

You asked for price. Price is high for this one, Aspenar fears. Work is hard, and we has to enjoy after too, you get? Yes? Maybe? Anways, could use fine drinks to be had! For first item, we like 2 large barrels of wine! Big ones!
*Aspenar uses his hands to try to indicate he wants barrels larger than his small arms can really stretch. After Fuyushimo agrees, the imp sits humming a creepy tune, seemingly so satisfied, he totally forgot about the second request*
Uhm, what of my second item?
Oh yes! Aspenar will determine price now!
No Aspenar, you will not!
Ach! Salesmaster Cesparius!
*The other imps are returning to the chamber now that the other gods have been presented their weapons and have departed. The first imp Fuyushimo spotted had of course informed them of his presence*
What are you doing in the chair? Are you trying to earn profit for yourself alone? Bad Aspenar! Only been days since we all promised to earn profit together equally! We should kick you out of the group! Apologies for the rudeness of leaving you waiting with this greedy moron, customer.
Actually, he did manage to help me come to an agreement, instead of having me wait. I doubt he was planning to deal under the table for his personal benefit.
*The thought of one small imp trying to drink 2 large barrels of wine by himself was nevertheless an amusing one to Fuyushimo*
The Great One is right! Aspenar think he make nice deal for group.
Still, you have not the language skills and barter ability yet to strike a profitable bargain. What was the deal you made?
He offered to enchant my glove with the ability to produce ice daggers, and some small added features, in return for two large barrels of fine wine.
*Cesparius looked at Aspenar, as the imp stepped off the throne. It was an impressive deal indeed. He had not considered trading for luxury beverages. Not to mention that two barrels would last them a long time, compared to the few measly hours the enchanting would take. He gave Aspenar a small acknowledging nod as he sat himself upon the throne. The imp in the slightly burned suit was ready to take over the negotiations*

Sorry if we may have come off as unprofessional before. You may rest assured such will no longer be the case. We take your business proposals serious here. Aspenar, you are best suited for enchanting this glove our customer wants. Better get started.
Now then, as for your second deal?
I already explained this to the other imp though. If it's all the same to you, he could finish our business, or inform you of what I wish to be created. I hate repeating myself.
Please, my apologies, but Aspenar is of simple mind, and though his enchantment skill does him credit, he cannot be expected to intimately remember the details of two projects.
*Sigh* Very well... What I would like you to- *As this point the conversation becomes only audible by Cesparius, as Aspenar is making quite a racket grabbing daggers and throwing knives from a cabinet and tossing them onto a forming pile*
-and so I would like to know what that would cost.

*It didn't take Cesparius long to decide on a price. With all the work orders and luxury coming in, what the imps could use next was some comfort. Even this "throne" he sat upon was hard steel, and had been very unsatisfying when it came to comfort*
We will require several rolls of silk and fine linen of the best quality. We can complete the project in two to three days. As you have seen, these are busy times. For just a small extra fee we are willing to make it a priority project though. We could have it done in several hours.
*It's just as Fuyushimo would expect from a shrewd businessman. No doubt the imps are aware something big is going on and he needs to be done here as soon as possible. No doubt they waited for this part of the negotiations to request an outrageous reward. Indeed, Cesparius is about to request something the imps couldn't possibly hope to get a hang off otherwise, but as before the reward demanded is nowhere near what the god could possibly grant them. Nevertheless, deals with demons are made cautiously, even when, or especially when, they seem to have an exceedingly high appraisal of what mortals would certainly not see as a "supremely divine reward"*
8 sacks of extremely soft feathers and dyes in at least 5 colours!

*Some imps chuckle under their breath when the foolish god agrees to their price. They would certainly not select another spokesperson to do the tradiing, as long as the imp continued to bring in tremendous profits without even having to haggle. As the imps proceeded to a special area to work on the god's second project, Fuyushimo is left with Aspenar who, since he has started to like the god somewhat, asks if he would be interested in watching the enchanting process. With nothing of urgent to do while he waits for his items, the god agrees*

*Aspenar lets him choose one of the daggers and throwing knives he had gathered, to serve as a base model for the knives the glove would form. Following this, the imp draws an elaborate ritual pattern with accompanying symbols indicative of a frost enchantment. The enchanting process itself takes over an hour, as the imp skillfully weaves the enchantment into the cloth, continuously strengthening it to the required level. Next the shape of the ice daggers is determined by transferring the essence of the chosen form into the enchantment on the glove. This process also takes over an hour, after which the original dagger disintegrates into fine dust, and Aspenar has plenty of fun demonstrating the glove's ability to Fuyushimo*

*The imp explains there is a protective enchantment in place to protect the wielder from the glove's frost. The last part of the ritual involves adapting this protection to extend only to Fuyushimo, by aligning it specifically to the god's soul. Fortunately this process is the shortest of the three, and it is finished at around the same time as the second project. The imps are ready to proudly present the items to their new owner, once payment is received of course*

Before I forget, here is CooLAZ's lightning sword:

Also Skunk, you should know that CooLAZ is back in the army for at least 16 days, and has asked if we could just let his character tag along until he returns, so I'd suggest you not wait for him to post his moves for the sparring match.
(I'll shrink down the picture a little later)

---

The Neutral gods I assume would be where Hammer went to study with those monks who believed one must study violence in order to understand or conquer  it. which is a very Tao like belief.   The thing about the people who make Fable, is they are very bright and creative. I am sure they will get around to it. 

---

CoolAZ promptly agrees to the idea of a sparring session and takes Skunk's hand to pull himself up. For the first round the gods use their lighter weapons, CoolAZ using his lightning sword and Skunk using his daggers. Throughout the fight, neither god seems to be over exerting themselves. In fact, neither of them are even using their full strength, making it difficult to even determine which is the better fighter. None the less, both show exceptional skills - all things considered - and their weapons prove to be formidable in battle.

For the next round the gods use their two handed, heavier gear. Once again, they take it easy and neither can be seen as superior. The use of powers and miracles has so far been limited, and only used in very experimental manners. It has become obvious that this fight is more for experimentation than anything else.

Finally, the two gods agree to use any means to fight. Skunk begins with only his scythe, but often resorts to the use of one of his daggers when one of his hands are open and he is required to defend himself while still continuing his offensive. CoolAZ on the other hand has defensive powers on both his swords and as such doesn't need to switch between them. Since Skunk's weapons do not have enchantments that grant them offensive powers, he instead uses old fashioned miracles in his trademark fashion to strike at CoolAZ.

After a fair amount of time has passed the gods cease their fighting once they feel that they have sparred long enough. Skunk once again offers CoolAZ the opportunity to follow Mephitis and himself to Battle's village. The younger god accepts and Skunk creates a portal directly to Battle's village which the four then enter.

On the other side, however, they face an empty village without a soul to be seen. There is no sign of any enemy attack and the whole place seems to be neatly arranged, but it is not completely still. Skunk hears the clinking of metal and follows it to its source, and there he sees a friendly figure which would be hard to forget.

"Noboru!"

---

[Lionhead Pub] [Good Read] [Photobucket]

*The god was more than a little impressed by the craftmanship which the imps have shown, and was not entirely capable of supressing it. Payment was due, and it was definately worth it. In fact, it was worth a lot more, but he wasn't going to tell them that much.*

*Gesturing a few of the imps to follow him, he walked out of the smith and into the open. A few quick gestures later, a shield made of wind whirled into existance, followed immediately by the roaring sound of a vortex opening up. Fuyushimo didn't waste any time, and gracefully decended into the portal, which then largely closed, leaving only a tiny hole in the ground, through which the prayer power was provided to keep the shield intact. In the meantime, the few imps which had come with the deity were wondering a little anxiously what was going on.*

*After a few minutes, the portal opened up wider again, and the deity majestically hovered out of it, landing gracefully on his two feet, with a small bag slung over his shoulder.*

To be sure I didn't make any mistakes, the payment was to be 2 large barrels of wine, several rolls of silk and fine linen of the best quality, and 8 sacks of extremely soft feathers and dyes in 5 colours, am I correct?
*The imps respond by eagerly nodding, their eyes shining with greed. The deity can't mask a smile as he then uses his godly powers to guide the bags which are rising out of the portal one at a time to create a tidy and orderly pile right in front of the imps. When the last of the bags has landed, the silk and linen follow, softly landing next to the feathers and dyes. Lastly, the barrels of wine land, effectively being a lot larger than the imps are. For a moment, Fuyushimo wonders whether he shouldn't help them bring the barrels into the forge, but then he figures the Imps will find a way somehow.*

*As the light fades away, the shield disperses, allowing the imps to take their payment and hand over the newly made items. As they lay their hands on the items however, Fuyushimo gestures at them to wait for a moment.*
Before we continue, I'd like to express my gratitude for the excellent service I've received. In particular from Aspenar, who's been kind enough to not only forge one of the items I desired, but who also was willing to entertain me while I was here. As such, I feel that an additional award is in order.

*The deity drops the small bag which he had been carrying ever since he had stepped out of the portal in front of the surprised imps.*
Spices. *Fuyushimo explains.* I reward those who I deem worthy generously. Deliver excellent craftsmanship and service, and you'll do quite well with me. Please keep up the excellent work in the future.

Sorry Battle, giving you work again.

There's no rush however. I'm not sure if I can find much time before the next weekend to post again at any rate, so you can attend to other more urgent matters first.

Note to people: If I don't post for a while, just nudge me on MSN. I kind of get engrossed in my studies at times and forget about the RP; just occasionally bothering me about it will do wonders for my activity.

---

*If he had not been among the imps for a while now, their jubilation might have freaked out Fuyushimo. Fortunately, among the demons, the presence of the imps is probably easiest to accommodate to, and their excited shrieks as they hop around in celebration is not very disturbing to the god anymore. Not every imp is equally excited of course. Driven by greed and also apparent enjoyment of work, some are quick to dive upon the profits and begin transport of it to other areas. As Cesparius gracefully ascends his "throne" behind the god, Aspenar approaches to shake the god's hand before he leaves. The imp's hand feels like a rough and very warm version of a child's hand, with much colder sharp nails. A reminder that, though seemingly Neutral, the demonic nature of these little smiths is ever present*

Aspenar was honoured to work for the Great One personally! You come visit again sometime, yes? no? maybe? Aspenar could throw in nice free signet ring for the Icy One with next purchase!
*Cesparius rubbed his little claws together under a greedy smile, behind the god. Indeed the god had been a cash-cow, delivering a difficult payment for such meager items. He hoped there would be a second time where they could do business with this god. Soon they would live like kings! The wealthiest of all imps!*

Indeed, we would be more than happy to be of service to you again, if you would bless us with more orders in the future. It has been a pleasure doing business with you.
It is possible I may require further services in the future. For now, I am quite satisfied. For now I will be off. These items are not worth their price or craftsmanship if they are not put to use, after all.
Bye bye!
*With that, the god leaves, possibly more satisfied than even the imps*

---

*The deity follows the road leading down Mount Doom for a while, until he's out of sight of the imps and any other watchers. Then, oddly enough, he makes a sharp turn for the left and leaves the road. Walking here is quite a bit harder, but the deity nonetheless manages without much trouble. After a few minutes, he starts decending. Not carefully watching his step or cautiously climbing down, oh no. He does things casually. Sliding, jumping and at times almost running over solid and loose rocks alike. If anything was below him, it'd be showered by the stones and dust kicked up by the deity. It doesn't take him long to reach the base of the volcano. What was the use of this unusual manner of descendence? Probably none, beyond removing the potential boredom which would inspire Fuyushimo if he did things in a completely unspectacular fashion.*

*In what would have been the shadow of the volcano and thus out of sight of the average passer-by (though it should be noted that this isn't much of a great feat, with the artificial darkness in place), the deity picks up a stone. Curiously, he looks at it for a moment. Then he casually throws it away.*

*A second later, a small dagger made of ice has been materialised and thrown in the direction of the rock which he had thrown. It missed by quite a bit more than a hair's lenght. Unmoved by his not-so spectacular failure, he repeated the process, again and again. Before long, the patch of rocks on which he was standing on was devoid of smaller, normally throwable stones, and he moved on to the next patch.*

*He continued like this for a while, practicing his targetting. Pretty soon, he became capable of hitting most of the pebbles he tossed away. Allowing himself a short reprieve, he fingered his newly enchanted glove. It worked excellently; now he had to ensure he because just as efficient as his equipment. His experience with throwing knives and other ranged weapons had been limitted: He had practiced their usage in the past, but never really needed them in combat due to the fact that he could just as easily toss a miracle in the enemy's general direction. In a day where the gods had returned and gotten used to the new situation however, speedy throwing knives might well be a better way to quickly dispatch of enemies. It was a much more silent method as well as opposed to throwing fireballs, electrocuting people, tossing meteors on them or just defenestrating them. Yes, the last wasn't a miracle, but we all know it's simply hilarious.*

*For a moment, Fuyushimo ponderously looked at the sky, devoid of light. Soon, it'd finally be time to get to work. The deity was anxious to finally get to business; all this waiting was getting on his nerves.*

*He took up another rock, studying it for a moment. Then he he threw it away; not casually, but violently and at high speed. A dagger followed it, narrowly missing. Gods were fast - if these knives were going to be used on gods, practicing on slow-moving targets wouldn't exactly help. Casually lifting a rock into his right hand with a wind miracle for the next attempt, the deity continued his target practice.*

For those wondering why it took me so long to post again, it's more a matter of having been a bit clueless as to what to do next as opposed to being overly busy (though I haven't been completely devoid of work either). I'm kind of waiting for stuff to happen, but I'm still alive!

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Ack! Double post! Ah well, so be it!

*From nothing, wind came. It rushed over the land, picking up lighter stones in the area and lifting them into the sky. It was no natural wind - it whirled around a single deity, who controlled it masterfully. He studied his handiwork for a moment, looking at the somewhat chaotic flurry of rocks flying through the sky. Then icy daggers began to streak through the sky. Some missed their target, but many did strike their intended targets. Those which were hit were cast out of the wind and fell harmlessly to the ground; those which were missed were hit in a second attempt.*

*For some time, this scene continued. Then, an unusual and rather majestic event occured...*

TheKaiser:

*A streak of illuminating lightning arches through the thick black clouds of the Shades, stirring memories of the moon among those oppressed by the darkness. The accompanying clap of thunder resonated across the imprisoned world. It effect was like that of a horn on a battlefield: it gave orders. Somewhere far from the Gods, the clouds swirled and tighten, opening a great circular gap in the sky through which the light of the sun rushed to penetrate. A great column of sunlight now bore down upon a plain in the south of the Thread. It golden hue was fitting, for lack of it had truly made it as precious as the metal.*

*Arcs of lightning weaved across the clouds, and formed an orchestra to play a symphony of thunder. As the echoes superimposed, a voice could be distinctly heard amongst the boom.*

Gods of Eden, The Jade Emperor would parley with you. Come to the light, or forever know darkness as denizens of the void. Where the Emperor leads, all follow.    

*Fuyushimo could not supress a smile at this grand display of power. A truly dramatic act of theatre, which felt fitting for the Jade Emperor's character. It was time for the deity to heed the call, and to start with his work.*

*The winds immediately died down, and for a moment, the air was only filled with the sound of pebbles colliding with the cold, rocky earth. This silence was quickly broken by the sound of an opening vortex, which bathed the area in majestic golden light. The deity flexed his muscles, and then strode towards the portal. Energetically, he jumped through. If anybody had been there, and if the sound of the portal hadn't drowned it out, one would have heard his voice, murmering softly...*

Where the Emperor leads...

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*From his time in the Aztec jail, Oda can already tell that they work to a strict routine. Almost everything he has dealt with is bound by regulation, presumably to avoid any possibility of the guards ever succumbing to corruption. Harsh and bureaucratic, perhaps, but designed to ensure humane treatment at all times.*

*And from what he knows of the routine, Oda knows that a cry of "You aren't supposed to be-" followed by the thud of a collapsing body is definitely not a usual part of it. There are a few clicks, and the cell door swings open. A tall, black-robed figure strides in.*

Hello, Lord Oda. I expect that you want your freedom. I am here to provide that.

Not quite with a gun in his hand, but this probably falls under Chandler's Law... oh well...

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As the sun travelled down, Amaunator crossed the border of the alignment threads and moved up the imperceptible slope towards the Neutral plateaus. In the twilight, the rocky plains were deadly silent, with but the stamping of boots bringing life to the scene. Amaunator ran in silence, contemplation and with a faded aura; the sun had had its time. This was more Battle's environment and time of day, he thought, but enjoyed recovering from the day in such a serene exploit as running. While the human aspect of a god did not need sleep as such, his divinity dwelled on tranquility to restore and repair the mana, to guide it into miracles. Especially now that portals were a risky undertaking, the flow of prayer power came slowly.

At times, Amaunator could experience inside him the swirl of prayer power that made him as it did on his own planet, and more and more he could feel it separately from the bodily aches and corporeal misgivings of a body. The more he had interacted with the Tree, the more he could feel the two merging together, but the latest violent upheaval disrupted something inside him. If only he knew what exactly happened, he thought. There was a tangible connection between himself and his humanity, and in a way, the Tree Temple was just Nature's "humanity". After all, he didn't understand how he could commune with the Tree like he did. But he was sure that humans could appeal to the Tree all the same. And maybe that was wat powered the Tree!

A funny image of a "God Above Gods" floated into Amaunator's night-sky mind, beaded with budding starlight and lulled by a southernly gale. His mind's eye could paint a flying hand whizzing across the countryside, helping trees grow, shaping rocks and putting them in specially organised structures or figures, building hovels and rabbit holes for the creatures that prayed to Nature by living their day-to-day lives. It was a night of ideas, because not only had Amaunator found a way to stall Fei's hypocritical march of conquest, but maybe - the kind of "maybe Skywalker-proof" they put on Death Stars  - he had remedied the lack of firepower the gods had been struggling with since they had zapped in from the past.

In the absence of thought - and the onset of glee - Amaunator kept his body active and agile. A dozen of cartwheels later he focused on doing quick routines of martial arts, moving like a shadow between the beams of moonlight that glared past the placid clouds. As soon as he had found the main pass leading into the first plateau of the Neutral Thread's geography, he kept an eye out for wild beasts. He had felt them roaming when he had scoured the Boards a while back and didn't have the time for a friendly bear-tussle.

Passing the ruins of Solar's gates, the remiss kicked in: how could I have forgotten him so completely? Where is Solar? He likes concocting mischief in mystery, but there had been no clue of him throughout the months. An unsettling thought, considering the treasures and artefacts still lying around in this abandoned land....

The moon would set soon. The fourth-quarter moon had shown beast nor human the way, but luckily Amaunator's eyes were several times better than those of humans and he was approaching his target - his feet could tell. Oddly enough, a path had been erected at the bottom of Mount Doom. It can only go one way, he reckoned, since it went up. The imps certainly took care to pamper their customers. The doors beckoned.

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Bathing in eternal sunlight...

{Sig Made By SenileSkunk!}

I've been writing and keeping this post for a week now, hoping to get Amaunator's input for this post. I haven't succeeded in getting in touch with him, and this post has grown too long awaited, and frankly way too large, to delay any further.

*Mount Doom stands in contrast with the rest of the land. With the absence of influence for hundreds of years, and the recent removal of the former Thread fortress from these lands, the green life and fresh air of the Neutral plains had dared approach the monstrosity. With the portal to Hell in its center closed by BattleF08's former sword, the volcano isn't as active as it was in ages past, but its slumber remains very restless. Boiling lava and a plume of smoke and ash are still produced by the volcano, but the winds usually shift it away from the land towards the sea. The imp's workshop is build deep into the mountain, about half-way up, no doubt making use of the magma's heat in the forging process*

*Amaunator sees that the workshop is built up strategically, on a place potential lava flows would be naturally directed away from, giving the workshop relative safety, unless of course it fills up with magma from the inside, or the mountainside explodes during a violent eruption... Satisfied that the volcano is unlikely to explode at this specific time, the god approaches the metal gate. Above the entrance it reads
"The Imp Workshop"
"fast, reliable, unbiased".
It indicates to Amaunator that there are at least imps around that have a better grasp of the common tongue than the one gave him his free sword and flyer*

*The god ventures into the workshop, but the curved entrance hall is empty. He is greeted however with the unpleasant smells associated with the use of forges, heavy metals and chemicals. Mixed with it though, was the relatively much nicer smell, resembling a barbeque. As he walks on, Amaunator hopes he isn't enjoying the smell of an imp burned to crisp in molten metal. As he rounds the corner he comes into what was probably the main area where sales take place. Other than what seems like a very luxurious throne, bulging with soft cushioning, and a table displaying some impressive work of the imps, the building seems sparsely decorated. The room has several doors, and one large circular opening leading to the forging areas, in a way that you could look out over them from the throne*

*As Amaunator approaches the main forging room, he can finally spot where the smell of food was coming from. Above a flow of molten metal, an imp is roasting several pieces of meat. Uncivilized but effective, the god can imagine the imps always preparing their food above whatever heat source was available, if any, before gorging themselves. The imp was the one that had accompanied the bad speaking on his previous encounter. The imp, which had referred to himself in the third person as Darial repeatedly last time, surprises Amaunator by taking the meat from the fire, walking over to a table, placing it on two plates accompanied by golden goblets of wine, and adding seasoning to the meat*

Hurry up then, Derph! We're already late with dinnertime. The others will be getting back to work soon.
*Another imp approaches, surprisingly carrying an anvil on his back. Its crooked misshapen face reveals it to be the imp from Amaunator's nightmares*
Yeyesh, me iz old-moss dun. Fud iz smell-ink gud!
*Amaunator is faced with the terribly choice of having to make himself known or sneaking away to find some other imps. He wastes a bit too much time wondering how the broken voice of the misshapen imp can produce such a cacophony of low grumbling tones and high-pitched tweets at the same time when speaking though, and the choice is taken from him. The imp, referred to as Derph by the other, notices the god, enthusiastically yells "God-man!", trips and falls flatly on his face, becoming pinned between the grated floor and the anvil on his back. Fortunately the other imp is quick to come to his aid and the imp is saved from the weight crushing down upon him. The imp limps a little, but seems rather less hurt than Amaunator expected. He attempts to straighten his hunched back and hops excitedly towards the god*

God-man! You's haz kum to finds uz! We'kum to Imp Wurroks-hop! Can we'se be-ink take-ink you's order? We'se be-ink have-ink gud dealses! Wut you's want-ink we make-inkz fur you?
Euh, I should probably take your order, Great One. Don't get Darial wrong. Derpharus and me go way back, and he has crazy strength for an imp, but he isn't the master crafts-imp he used to be. Too many anvils to the head, you see.
Huuu! Bad Darial! You's agan break-ink promiz to dun be tell-ink peoples da anvle stary an'more! Onez more an' we's no longa be-ink friends!
*Darial's eyes open wide, as if something blasphemous or weird was just declared. There is a slight panic in his eyes as he looks over Amaunator and his reaction, before turning to Derph*
We is not friends! Why would Derph say such thing!? *What begins as a faltering of elegant grammar flows over into a few sentences in what Amaunator concludes must be the demonic language most natural to the imps. Derph ends the discussion by crossing his arms, turning his back on Darial and raising his crooked nose in the air. Darial tries to recover his composure and makes a small cough in his fist, before turning back to Amaunator*

We're very sorry. You have caught us at a bad time. You are the customer of course, and this moment should be all about you and the wonderful purchase you have come to make. Darial fears we've made a horrible impression just now. Rest assured we have already provided our forging services for many gods since we began and all have left as very satisfied customers! We'd be more than happy to provide you with the services to bring your vision from your mind into your hands. Shall Darial take your order now?
*The smooth talking imp before Ammy places some emphasis on his own name, indication clearly that he wants to be the one to carry out the rest of the procedure with the god, rather than exposing him to the other imp overly much. Amaunator of course would rather that be the case as well. The appearance and speech of the mangled imp makes him very hard to pity*

Well, I don't mean to be rude...
Oh you's not be-ink rude. Darial willst undurstan you's giving fordge order to whoes be-ink give-ink you's betar dealz. We's be-ink friends afta all, yesh God-man?
I have a name you know. Amaunator the Revealer. You can stop calling me "God-man".
A-man-eater da Ref-eel-air?
...You know, on second thought, better stick with God-man...
Okies God-man. So what be-ink you's want-ink to be-ink order-ink?
*With a small voice in the back of his mind wondering how he ended up giving his order to the wrong imp, he tells Derpharus, or Derph as he is more commonly know, what he wants the imps to forge for him. He spends 10 minutes relaying the specifications, which he has obviously given a great deal of thought. It is not hard to see that the weapon, a great boomerang weapon with gloves bound to it that help to charge the weapon and block miracles, already exists completed, within Amaunator's mind. The weapon itself would be forged with the finest mithril and have adamantium edges. It will be decorated with red jaspers, sunstones, gold red diamonds and have Nordic runes spelling out two inspiring phrases. As final decoration the weapon, which carries the powers of the elements of wind, fire and lightning within it, will have motifs of the five Nordic elements*

*Gliding on divine winds, the weapon is enchanted to return to the gloves of the wielder and accumulate searing heat through friction while in flight. The heat and miracle-resistant gloves will be a necessity for wielding it, even for its divine owner. As a final enchantment, the nigh-indestructible weapon will be able to carry an electric charge, to be released at the will of the wielder. This metal master of the skies will carry the name of Rapheyr. After Amaunator finishes his description, he asks the imp if he got all that, to see how much of the incredibly thorough first description was actually retained by him*
Think-ink sho yesh. You's want-ink boom-ar-ank with Woosh! And Zoom! And red stones, an' uhm, catch-ink glovers? Catch-ink mittens? No, that be-ink silly.
Uh, and in the likely case he didn't catch all of it, Darial wrote it all down when you were talking. We will draw out some final designs later. For now, let's get a skilled team together. You are welcome to observe the creation of your artifacts, should you feel so inclined.
I would like that yes. It will be most interesting and I would like to at least feel somewhat involved in the creation of my weapon.
You will get the opportunity. The best source of the elemental power enchanted into your divine weapon will in this case be that brought forth from your own miraculous power.
I understand.
This would also make the a little easier and should lessen the supernatural resource cost. Speaking of costs, the making of your weapon will be-
very expensive!
*Amaunator looks behind him to find the Throne of Extreme Fluffy Comfort now occupied. Apparently an imp had managed to sneak to it while the god had been preoccupied recalling and detailing the exact specifications for his weapon. The imp seems sly in appearance and is grinning from ear to ear, with one eyebrow ridge slightly raised. He is wearing a tuxedo with some slight burn marks around the edges and has his hands in front of him with just the clawed fingers touching. Amaunator concluded this must be "salesmaster Cesparius" mentioned in the flyer. The public face of the imp's trade operation*

Apologies, I should introduce myself. I am salesmaster Cesparius and I will be handling the establishing of the required transaction for your purpose. You wish for us to place the furies of the skies themselves into your hands, through a vessel of the most costly materials available in this plane of existence, forged using the best craftsmanship and enchanting skills available to beings as timeless as yourself. You've come to us, and so you will have all of this! What it will not be however, is cheap. Of course I will not insult you by assuming you have come here for some bargain magic trinket. You're obviously a god of who values quality and grace. You have my word; you will not leave here with just another artifact. You will be leaving with a truly magnificent work of art. Rapheyr will be a weapon worthy of song, legend and depiction on canvas. Now, let us discuss the manner of payment.

*The elaborate and fluent language use of Cesparius, not to mention referring to himself in normal first person, didn't go unnoticed with Amaunator. The imp was obviously a lot more learned than the others. Cesparius was trying very hard not to start drooling. The god that was shopping now was an ideal cash cow. He wore elaborate clothing, had exact specifications of a named weapon planned out, and was requesting use of the most expensive materials known to mortal man. The decoration and forging would put the skills of the imps to the test, but the enchantments were straightforward and would require no new rituals or methods to be invented. Best of all however, was that he had been pitching his designs to Derph, the most retarded imp available. The god was obviously an idiot. Sure, immortality had given him the time to become well-spoken, knowledgeable and charismatic, but he obviously lacked any sense of reasonable judgment. Their payment was going to be Legen... wait for it... dary!*

*The god and imp talked a bit about the obtaining of the necessary materials for the forging of the weapon, with Cesparius all the while assuring the quality of the work to be delivered and subtly stroking his customer's ego. A technique no doubt adapted from keeping satisfied cruel masters, to giving customers a comfortable feeling or assurance and slight superiority. Amaunator was able to reduce what he felt could prove to be a very steep price, finding out the materials the imps were still lacking, which in this case were most of the gems described, and promising to deliver the uncut rough gems for the imps to craft their needed gems from. As the actual payment height and method began to be discussed, Amaunator was quick to discover they weren't so much looking to claim a king's ransom in gold, but were willing to trade for just about anything that would increase their standard of living and make it more luxurious, giving Amaunator the option to become a lot more creative with his considerations for a suitable reward...*

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