“Forgetting is like a wound, the wound may heal but it has already left a scar. - Alice
Threads, endlessly knit and threaded through the dark ran through the shadows that were as expansive as space itself. Nearly lightless and soundless save for the intricate patterns and the threads themselves, at junctures they intersected, tied together then carried off along their way. Each joined in some way, fibres of scarlet tightly woven as they each gave off enough light to illuminate nothing but themselves. A hum from each like the static of a weary signal, though to those who could attune to it there was a song of destiny patterned within each.
At the centre of the chamber were the Three: Moirai, Graeae, or Norns, over many years and many lifetimes they had carried many different names but they were Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. Between them was Clotho’s spinner that she used to weave stardust to life, her red threads dispersed to Lachesis who determined the length, and last of which sat Atropos with her shears of the purest aetherial light. The pattern spanned in all directions connecting every life across every realm on the continent, every life that lived in connection to the Otherworld, its tributaries, and all versions of its reality.
One thread broke and a myriad of threads snapped as a result, its connections broke as a result as the pattern cascaded into a different shape entirely. Another vanished and it cascaded further, a third, a fourth, a fifth, and at last a sixth vanished just as Atropos meant to close her shears. About the Three the Six had caused a ripple effect, the pattern had changed, and chaos surrounded them.
At the top of the forum, the senate gathered before the Six as the city swelled beneath to pay their respects to those that had given everything for the safety of the city. Marshals littered the crowd, the surrounding buildings, and the ruins to ensure that nobody would use this as an opportunity to land a blow against the city.
The five covens of Rome had placed a formidable protection spell over Rome as a whole that would be sustained throughout the duration of the memorial. Guided in practice by Trivia, at the ceremonies closing she would announce the recent erection of her temple; a place for witches to gather, learn, and debate without fear of recourse. A sanctuary for the children that would no longer be able to channel her by invocation. Hazal announced definitively that the Amaranthus would continue to safeguard the most dangerous prisoners of Rome within the catacombs, though conditions would undergo reform in allyship with the lycans of Lupercal once more.
Elves had come to Rome and with them an unseasonable cold had followed, blowing in from the realm of Audulë where the elves had taken up residence. The procession was one of the greatest that the realm had ever seen as the elves and all fey like creatures gathered about the Forum to attend the city’s tribute to their fallen Queen. Robin heralded the end of the autumn season as she walked ahead, offerings of the harvest free of any rot delivered onto the doorsteps of the people. Her curse lifted, she and the chancellorship bowed to Titania and the Six before they stood among the senators.
Since Eden the druids had been the defender’s of humanity, for centuries their numbers had begun to dwindle, but Eren the Lion was resolved to take up the mantle once more. They would put down those that threatened Rome with absolute impunity, be they supernatural or human. Druids had gathered in the payment of their respects, Lucretia among them as she looked on at the Six who’d died in order to give her, and so many others, a second chance to do the right thing.
Halfbloodeds and eladrins emerged from around the world, in Rome their sanctuary had been built, Mutat Domun’s halls were filled to near bursting and the spirit of camaraderie between the two differing species was bolstered as the two were resolved to settle in their beliefs side by side. Cloe had built the home, now she led her people into the forest, and through it she’d brave the Otherworld and all manner of dangers to see those of her kin that had been lost, found.
From the depths of the citystate of Lupercal, buried in the Fey Forest, the lycans of what was once New Rome emerged. Many remembered the devastation they had levelled against the city, the chaos that they had reaped, and the brutality that had fallen from their claws. Lucas peed on a fire hydrant before Flora swatted him on the back of the head and told him to put his dick away. The lycans that lived in Rome, within the pack or apart from it, as well as those of Lupercal were under their protection and they would be watching. Lycaon laughed, distracted from the memorial as he scoped out a fine piece of real estate: a steakhouse that would be like no other.
Demigods had descended upon Rome following the absence of Titania’s protection, welcomed onto the senate, some remained while others took up residence or allegiances elsewhere. They had suffered greatly at the hands of the Great Old Ones and while Hyacinth sat upon the senate he was resolved to see to it that those responsible would be brought to justice. The Gods and their allies were without accountability, that would change.
For demons, everything had changed and while Bebe would always grapple with enforcing the proper usage of emojis in the group chat, she wouldn’t stand for the mistreatment of her kind. Stigma surrounded them but for centuries demons had been whatever those who held their contract needed: a parent, a sibling, a best friend, and so much more. In cooperation with the five covens and the spirits, she worked to liberate those that she could, or see them pass on peacefully. Her years in the Alstroemeria household allowed her to recover a ring that had been in their reliquary ages ago, just as a vampire could walk in the sunlight with a daylight ring, a demon could walk in the mortal realm with a ring of solomon. In time the spell in its creation was replicated and distributed amongst the five covens. The ring would prevent an abomination’s host from breaking down, would allow an incubus to remain without feeding, and it would allow familiars or manifests to remain in this realm if their tether was broken.
While most of the Court of Drow remained within the Otherworld, some of the drow appeared in the shadows, watching with their own quiet observation. The Otherworld had become incredibly dangerous, Titania’s death meant that this realm would never be safe again, that burden now fell to the dark elves in exchange for a home beyond the Underdark and the agreement that they would be left alone. Drow were used to hostile terrain, protecting the realm from the likes of beasts like Koh or Machin Shin was an easy task. Nyloth and some of her priestesses were in attendance, for too long Ayi’ig had permitted the presence of men within the priesthood, never again. Those who attended to Lloth’s darkest devotions would be women and women alone.
While The Eye had been irrevocably changed, they would remain as a force to monitor the state of Rome, to study the supernatural world, and to prepare them for whatever threat would come next. Ariadne knew that The Great Old Ones had turned their gaze upon the mortal realm and that would not be forgotten. Stood side by side with Horus, their warforged and the former overseer Ephraim, the humans of this city were under their protection
Vampires from the four bloodlines had gathered to honour their fallen brother, Xerxes, The Speaker, addressed the crowd on behalf of the senate. For the first time in thousands of years he spoke without Romulus’ influence, his ring broken, the strength of the original vampires or the magisterium would not be held over them any longer. Rome was independent, apart from the monarchy, and apart from those that had lorded their strength over them for too long.
“Quiet friend who has come so far, feel how your breathing makes more space around you. Let this darkness be a bell tower and you the bell. As you ring, what batters you becomes your strength. Move back and forth into the change. What is it like, such intensity of pain? If the drink is bitter, turn yourself to wine. In this uncontainable night, be the mystery at the crossroads of your senses, the meaning discovered there. And if the world has ceased to hear you, say to the silent earth: I flow. To the rushing water, speak: I am.”
As the ceremony closed, snow began to fall.
That evening as the procession cleared out, others filed in elsewhere.
Scarlet, churning rot bubbled like a great lake at the base of the unfathomably deep pit that had formed where the City of Dis had once stood. Into the bedrock of the Otherworld but above the Abyss, this vast wasteland of decay had arisen. Offshoots of catacombs led into the Underdark’s many depths all the way up the chasm and it was here that the necronomicon had fallen. In the darkness, Lilith cackled with Remus at her side: every seraphim in creation out to destroy her, and she had still pulled it off, she still fooled them. She fooled everyone. Priestess of the Abyss, chosen daughter of Persephone, traitor to all and loyal only to herself and Remus; from the midst of the lake she watched as the ashes of the destroyed demigod gathered across the surface, the true master of the book rose.
Across Rome, the mark of the Asphodel burned hot, burning and searing as if engulfed in draconic flames. They awoke screaming, but at the beach of the scarlet lake, Octavian, joined in secret by his necromeras Sonny and Atlas, appeared and took a knee as he knelt for the only person who had ever deserved his fealty. Resolved to join ranks with those who still considered him a patron, The Ivy, his ultimate goal had finally become clear to him. Those who remained loyal to the necronomicon up until its destruction departed for the Lake of Scarlet Rot, Efigenia, Bastien, Tepiltzin, Nashoba, and more. Those who had turned their backs on the book were not free, they would never be free unless they paid the ultimate price. Until then, the members of the Asphodel both former and current would remain a thrall.
A sickness churned in Nettelia’s stomach, she had known for weeks now that something was off, that something had gone wrong. It didn’t matter how strong the seraphim had been; when Michael struck the necronomicon with his seraphim blade it should have killed him. Pythia, drawn towards the lake as well, the fallen seraphim had come to realise that she had been fooled, but if she had been privy to the plan then it would have spoiled everything. She needed to fight to defend the book with everything she had in order for it to be convincing: Lilith had planted the seed herself, one in Nettelia’s mind at the book’s first inception, and then another within the arrogant thoughts of Michael. An idea that grew and festered for thousands of years, they both wanted the book gone so in the end it was easy. She spread this thought to everyone that heard it, she visited their dreams and removed any doubt. Uriel, Azrael, Dumah, and Adatiel. The entirety of the senate and every archdruid drank it down like fine wine.
In the shadows, Pythia was joined by Lucifer, Beelzebub, Sathanas, Asmodeus, Abaddon, Mammon, Juno, Aeacus, and Megaera.
The necronomicon had been stitched together, Nettelia had used the countless bodies of druids and supernatural creatures, but it had a will and a mind of its own, one that had been corrupted unequivocally by the dark forces of the Abyss. There was only one among the Gods with the draconic nature that necessitated this power, only one with the ability to seal the dark, and only one with the ability to fan its flames. Nettelia had taken His soul before the Asphodel could get there, then in the inverse they took it before she could reach him the second time around. Two halves of the same whole united within the necronomicon. The dark aspect of Oztalun waded through the tide of scarlet rot, The Infernal Seal, if his golden half had been The First, then he would be The Last.
ooc info:
Oracles will no longer be given, any visions are suspended until further notice and cannot be acquired in any way.
Pretty much every page has been updated, including species pages to reflect the lore changes. I'd recommend reviewing the pages for the species you play along with the pages under further reading.
Necromancers have to be on good terms with Daddy Oz to do necromancy, the rules surrounding it have also changed.
New species have been posted: High Elves, Dark Elves, Daemonfey, Aasimar,
Important species updates were done to: Demons, Humans, Seraphim, and Spirits.
We have thirty-eight skeletons in the queue (barf), I'll be playing thirty-nine of them. JK but there are twenty-four skeletons, I'll queue 8 a day with the last being posted at 4pm EST on Sunday. At which point you are welcome to DM the main to reserve 1 skeleton, first come, first serve.
For the taken species page, a slot marked "To Be Chosen" means that there will not be a skeleton, but much like the troupe event I'll eventually pick a character to have a species change and approach the player ahead of time. So, I'll be watching who I think might be a good fit :)
Additionally, Lupercalia will be in February, who will be the next alpha? I'll be keeping an eye on the dash and ignoring what people want ooc, it matters to me more who's supporting who IC, and who is advocating for themselves.
Elysium is gone and the Inferno is gone, I imagine there'll be some homeless aspects showing up soon. Your divine characters don't really have anywhere left to go, so settle in. Demons, demogorgons, etc are all over the Otherworld now, so the dark elves have their hands full and it's very dangerous to travel within.
No one but those that were loyal to the necronomicon know about Daddy Oz or the Cave of Dis etc. They'll know the Inferno broke down and Elysium is gone but why is a mystery.
The one sort of exception to the rule above are druids, archdruids will know that Oztalun has returned, and that feeling of dread/despair druids have been under since his death will finally lift.
Daddy Oz isn't really a bad guy, he just wants to kill some Gods :cozysip:
The limit is now 17, have fun :kisskiss:
I'll post a very small blurb on December 15th for our holiday event, then a little wrap up January 5th. The event will just probably have some details about the solstice, maybe some fun little tricks from Krampus, and the usual holiday market to create some backdrops for players to use in their threads.