Faith and Hope
We return to Til'aris, and gather up a number of beleguered Korata along the way. It's been a hell of a day and I'll be glad for an opportunity to take a breather, although I doubt that I'll wind up actually getting the chance. The Imperium will be in chaos (or Chaos) following the death of their Emperor, and I'm not certain just what they might do now.
Caine and Vistri meet us at the Nexus. "What on Earth happened?" Caine wonders. "You two look like hell."
"Jackson's dead," I say. "I dropped a bridge out from under him and he got eaten by a shark."
Caine just blinks at me. "Wait, what?"
"Also, he had converted to Khorne and intended to diablerize Saulot and you," I add.
"That's insane," Caine says.
"That's what I said," Saulot agrees.
"Sadly, Ender's dead too," I say grimly. "Happily, so is Lilith." I sigh. "But all in all, this is just one huge mess, and I'd really like nothing better at the moment than to just be able to sleep for a decade."
"I know the feeling," Saulot says.
"It was just... kind of a brutal wake-up call, really," I say. "Running face-first into very malevolent and very real deities. How am I supposed to fight something like this? I'm out of my league here." I pause. "Don't tell Lorgar I said that."
"Of course," Caine replies dryly.
"Right now, I'm just going to... get cleaned up and sleep," I say. "I need to clear my mind."
"Sleep well," Saulot says.
I head off to my house. After a harrowing experience like that, it helps to do something mundane and calming. And it has been a while since I have actually slept, and not just meditated. During the earlier years I took the time to sleep a lot more, and somewhat wish now that I had spent more of that time practicing and honing my skills instead.
My sleep isn't very restful, however. I can feel Tzeentch in my mind still. He seems quite pleased with me, for some reason. I suppose I can understand that. Whether it was my intention or not, I've caused an awful lot of chaos around the galaxy recently. Still, it's unnerving. I'd like to bring about some sort of peace, order, and stability. But it's going to take a long time for that to happen at this rate.
It's become increasingly clear to me that I'm either going to need to find the support of a real deity, or become one. And I don't know how to go about the latter, at least not yet.
What about Gaia? She hasn't been very active in a while, and I don't know how to reach her, but perhaps the shapeshifters might be able to help me out with that. I'll go have a talk with the Garou and see what they can tell me.
I get up and head out of my house, to find Lorgar outside, as if standing guard. "My lady," he bows to me in greeting. "I hope that your rest period has been pleasant."
"Good morning, Lorgar," I say. "Any news?"
"I have brought the newcomers into the fold," Lorgar says. "The Korata that you brought here. Also, the Changers, Harmony and Amanda, came through, and I welcomed them into your service as well."
I blink for a moment in surprise, then say, "Well done, Lorgar. Keep up the good work."
I wonder if it's possible to actually become a true deity solely through acquiring a large number of soul bonds. At this rate, I think I might wind up finding out. Unfortunately, I don't know how to use them most effectively and efficiently just yet. I have a lot yet to learn.
I head over to Earth, and do some quick scans to get a feel for the current situation here. It appears that Zillah was also killed in the fire at the capitol building, and now the remaining Mevrasi are at each other's throats trying to consolidate power and see who might yet come out on top. I can't help but feel a little guilty for the state I've left the Imperium in, and have to wonder if there were any way I could have prevented this. But for the moment, for this crisis at least, it's too late to prevent it, and all that might be done is try to clean up the mess as best as possible and keep things from getting any worse.
I tap Caine to see what he's doing, and he replies, "Trying to sort things out and get things settled down. Jackson was in power for so long that the common people have forgotten what a real election is like anymore. I have no idea which of my descendants may yet be trustworthy or not."
Sadness carries through his mental voice very clearly and strongly. I return a flow of sympathy, comfort, and support toward him. I've never had any children, vampiric or otherwise, so I can't really imagine what this must be like for him.
Caine thanks me silently, and goes on, "Many people refuse to believe he's really dead, or are putting him up as some sort of holy martyr. I'm sure he'd be pleased as punch if he knew about that. The shapeshifters are coming forth wanting to put one of their own in charge now, and after all that's happened I can't say that I really blame them for being distrustful anymore. Why did I not notice Zillah's corruptive ambition sooner?"
"I think you did," I reply. "But you didn't want to believe it of your own childe."
"I imagine you're right," Caine teps back to me. "I will not be so blindly trustful in the future."
I head over to the sept of that Silver Fang who had come to the meeting in Til'aris before, Ironheart, and ask if he's around. I wind up having to wait around a bit for him, but he comes out to see me in a bit.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Ironheart says. "It's been hell around here today."
"Yeah, I understand that," I say. "Sorry I left you such a mess to deal with."
"Don't worry about it," Ironheart assures me. "So, what do you need?"
"Do you happen to know how I might be able to meet with Gaia?" I ask.
Ironheart stares at me for a long moment. "Wait, you're serious?"
"It's been a long time since I've seen her," I say. "Several millennia at least."
Ironheart isn't sure what to say. "Well, congratulations, you've just rendered this Philodox speechless," he says after a minute. "You see, we don't normally interact with Gaia directly, or anything. Normally only through intermediaries and such, you know?"
"She's been keeping to herself a lot lately, I see," I comment. "Back when men were taking their first steps on the Earth, she walked casually among the mortals quite regularly, often in the form of a giant wolf or another animal. But she's become awfully withdrawn of late. I wonder why."
Ironheart stares at me. "You've been around that long, and you don't have a way to contact her yourself? I'm sure she'd be willing to speak with you..."
"Perhaps," I say. "But no, I don't generally deal with spirits and whatnot. As long as I might have been hanging around here, I really have no experience in this sort of thing. I couldn't even tell you how to deal with the simplest, most common sorts of spirits... or for that matter, even tell you what those might be. You shapeshifters doubtless take a lot for granted that I'd be clueless about, although the reverse is probably true as well."
"I imagine you're right about that," Ironheart says. "I don't know much about the Fair Folk myself."
So he thinks I'm one of the Sidhe? I don't bother to correct him about it. It's probably just as well. I don't know what he might think of me if he had any idea what I really am and my full history.
"But," I go on, "this is important, and the fate of the entire universe could hang in the balance. The Wyrm grows stronger with each passing day, and I fear removing Jackson from power is only the beginning of it."
"Well, I suppose if you're serious about this, there's ways you can meet with her, but it's not going to be easy..."
The Garou are reluctant to part with their secrets, and especially protective of Gaia. But I impress on them the importance of this, as well as regaling them of my tales of the early days of mankind when I saw Gaia regularly, and they finally give in.
Following their advice, I set off on a journey through the Ethereal Plane to find Gaia. I'm nervous about this whole business, and uncomfortable being here. This is the Mid Ethereal, just past the layer where dreams are reality, and it is here that the spirits make their homes. I'm used to dealing with the Deep Ethereal realms, which tend to be a lot more fixed and real. In this place, I have to stay focused on my goal, or I might find my very surroundings melting away and leaving me trapped somewhere that I did not intend to go.
But I am determined and patient, and the prospect of a long, difficult, and very strange journey does not phase me. Gaia is the spirit of the Earth, and I think I somewhat regret not having gotten on better terms with her sooner. I didn't think much of it, since the Earth is only one planet, after all, and there are countless planets in the universe. But this is a very important planet, and Gaia is a very important spirit.
I am calm and focused. I am walking through strange terrain that one minute looks like a prehistoric jungle, then I step into a boreal forest, and walk from there onto a tropical beach, then I'm shortly wading through a marsh, scaling a high mountaintop, crossing a misty moor, swimming across a river, striding through a sunlit meadow...
And there, at the end, there she is, magnificent. She turns a fragment of her massive attention toward me, like a single eye in a sea of stars. "So. You actually came," she says. "What do you want?"
Oh, right. I'd forgotten how cranky Gaia is. "My lady Gaia," I say reverently. "I am reluctant to disturb you were it not for matters of great importance. I came to speak with you about the threat that the Chaos Gods pose to all of creation."
"Fine," Gaia says. "I will listen."
"I'm trying to fight them, but I'm finding myself out of my league," I say. "They grant their followers abilities that I don't know how to combat. And I-"
"What? Are you, with all of your borrowed power, coming to me to beg for even more?"
"No, my lady," I hastily reply. "I'm not looking for power. And I never sought power for its own sake, regardless. I'm only seeking to help and protect..."
Gaia seems dubious. "And this is why you are portraying yourself as a god to all those people."
"I was only trying to prevent them from falling to Chaos," I say.
"How stupid do you think I am?" Gaia says. "And has this little plan of yours actually helped matters any? Or has it caused just as much chaos as you sought to prevent?"
I sigh and look sheepishly to the ground. "I've been a fool, and I know it. I thought I could some good, that I could change things for the better. I don't know where this course might lead me now, but I find myself stuck with it, and I can't back out now."
Gaia seems slightly mollified. Slightly. "Fine. You admit you're an idiot. That's not good enough, though. You still run around and flail about randomly, puff yourself up like you're the most important person in the universe, and what do you have to show for it? In your first real battle with your enemy, you'd have been dead if I hadn't bailed you out!"
"You?" I reply dumbly.
"Yes, me," Gaia says. "Who do you think it is that the Rokea know as 'Sea'?"
"I... well, thank you..."
"Don't thank me!" Gaia snaps. "Stop being an idiot for a change, for starters."
I sigh softly. "What would you rather have me do?"
"Try working together with others, and not as mere followers or sources of power," Gaia replies. "And stop trying to save the universe all at once and fight the battles you can fight. You aren't going to win anything this way. Or how about trying to actually protect something or someone, instead of claiming you're protecting it while wrecking it?"
"Yes, Gaia. I will take your wisdom to heart, and I shall try my best to do so in the future," I reply humbly.
"See that you do. Now, begone," she says. "And don't come back here. If I want to speak with you, I will contact you."
My surroundings fade away, and I find myself back at the Caern where I had started this trip. It's night, whereas it had been morning when I left. I locate Ironheart nearby.
"You've returned," he says. "Did you have any success?"
I nod. "How long was I gone?"
Ironheart says, "You've been gone for almost a year."
"A year? Are you serious?" I say, looking at him, but he doesn't appear to be joking. "Is that sort of thing normal?"
"Time in the Umbra can pass strangely," Ironheart says.
Well, at least I didn't get trapped in there for a hundred years while mere minutes passed outside. That happened to me once. That's where I got my Time powers from, in fact. But it was still a hell of an experience that I don't care to repeat again if I can possibly help it.
"And yeah, I saw Gaia," I reply, rubbing my neck. "Have you made any progress on getting this alliance going, or have you been too busy trying to keep the world from falling apart in the meantime?"
Ironheart nods. "The Imperium has been dissolved, but I'm the new leader of Earth."
"Congratulations," I say. "Now please don't go insane?"
Ironheart smirks. "I'll try my best, but if I do, it'll only be because of the mess I got left with and not because I suddenly decided to become a Black Spiral Dancer."
"So what's happened with the colonies?"
"They've gone independent, for the most part," Ironheart replies. "Some have formed small coalitions." He pauses, and gives me a hard look. "Your friend, Lorgar, has been busy, by the way. He's converted a number of planets into your cult."
"Has he?" I say, raising an eyebrow, and I check on my soul bonds. There are quite a large number more than I had before. My friends still appear to be well, though.
"Tell me that this was just a misunderstanding and you haven't actually been trying to convince people that you're a deity?"
My excuses about doing so sound lamer every time I give them, so I don't even bother this time and evade the question instead. "I didn't tell him to go out and start converting entire planets or anything, to be sure."
"You didn't answer the question," Ironheart points out. "What have you gotten yourself into, Aviel?"
"I'm not crazy enough to actually think I'm a god, if that's what you mean," I say. "And yes, alright, I did convince Lorgar that I'm a god. You happy? He would've gone off to serve the Wyrm if I hadn't stepped in when I did."
Ironheart shakes his head. "Why did you not just tell him to worship Gaia instead, if you were capable of convincing him of such a thing?"
"It seemed like a good idea at the time, and hindsight is twenty-twenty?" I say. "I didn't think things would go nearly this far..."
"I've been giving you a good deal of benefit of the doubt here," Ironheart says. "However you got there, you're now the leader of one of the major factions in the galaxy. You can understand if I'd like to be sure you're not Wyrm-tainted."
I nod in agreement. "Of course. I do not serve the Wyrm, and I have no intention of falling to corruption, even if it should kill me to reject it."
"There is truth in your words," Ironheart says, nodding slightly.
"Furthermore," I continue, taking a deep breath. "It's probably a good thing that so many people have flocked to this 'cult'. They all have a connection to me now, so if any of them ever fall to corruption, I will know it." I pause. "And if I did, I'd quickly wind up dragging them all down with me..."
Ironheart looks grim at that. "How did you manage such a thing?"
"I didn't, at least not intentionally," I say. "It appears to have been an ability of Lorgar's. I don't know how he came by it, of it were just an inborn talent."
Ironheart sighs. "So whatever I think of the situation, it's imperative that you do not fall to the Wyrm no matter what."
I can't blame him if he doesn't trust in my willpower. I don't trust in my willpower, either. "Well... they'd be fine if I were killed before I could do any damage, I think," I say. "But it's good to have a contingency and all, but I've no intention of making that necessary. I will not fall to the Wyrm. I swear it."
It's as much to reassure myself as it is for him. Ironheart gives a reluctant nod, and says, "Very well." He puts his hand on his chin. "That said, we need to discuss the matter of an alliance. I wanted to wait until you returned to solidify anything, of course."
"Of course," I say. "What do you require of me?"
"Mutual assistance when needed," Ironheart says. "Especially against the forces of the Wyrm. I'd bore you with details of trade agreements, concessions, other political crap, but you don't strike me as the sort who is interested in that sort of thing."
"You'd be right," I say with a smirk.
"Don't worry about it. I'll have my people talk to your people and we can work out the details. Let's make it a pact and shake on it, shall we?"
"Agreed," I say. We shake hands.
With that, I return to Til'aris.
The place has changed since I was last here. Before, people weren't quite certain yet of their place in things. But now things have settled down, and the place is intent, organized, purposeful. It's strikingly different from the Torn Elkandu I remember, where everyone was laid back, listless, and wayward.
Thousand Sons make up the majority here, but there are also a number of El'dari, vampires, Word Bearers, gnomes, ordinary humans, and a smattering of zephyli. They're all working together in perfect cooperation as if it's only natural. They've taken up residence here, set up businesses, engaging in trade and production, all focused around furthering mystical knowledge.
People greet me reverently as I pass. They all know me. I've never seen most of them before, but they all recognize me instantly. They're all bound to me, each and every one. Their souls resonate to me with life, and I can feel their thoughts and emotions if I focus just a little on one of them. It's kind of an eerie feeling, really. All these people have more faith in me than I have in myself. I had better not disappoint them.
I pass shops set up to create and exchange enchanted items of various sorts, magical gemstones, materials, as well as mundane items like food and clothing. Harmony and Amanda have set up a changing salon. There's a hospital staffed primarily by Korata ready to heal any illnesses or injuries they can. Everything appears to be running smoothly.
This is what Torn Elkandu should have been, I think. Vastly different people all cooperating in the name of a common purpose. These are not the Elkandu I intended, but they are the Elkandu as they should have been, nonetheless.
I go into the school, and find Sardill and Magnus discussing a bit of magical technobabble at length. They pause and Magnus looks up at me in a bit of surprise as I enter. "Ah, Aviel! You've been gone for a while."
"Heh. I wasn't really planning on taking that long... it seems Gaia had other plans for me. In my mind, I only left yesterday. Imagine my surprise when I found out it had been almost a whole year. What have I missed in the meantime?"
"Things have been going pretty well around here lately," Magnus says. "Til'aris is running smoothly, and things even settled down on Earth. However, with the death of the former Emperor, most of the Space Marine legions went off out into the galaxy back to their Primarchs' homeworlds. Only the Blood Dragons stayed on Earth - they're being led by a fellow called Bean, after Ender's death."
"Has Chaos made any advancement lately?"
"I fear that some of the Space Marine legions may be heading in that direction, but it's hard to say for sure. The Emperor was the only thing holding the Imperium together, and now the colonies are mostly just a haphazard collection of planets with little contact with one another. Earth's new leader doesn't seem inclined toward trying to rule anything but just Earth, and I'd say he's got his hands full even with just that."
Maybe this is all just Gaia's way of telling me not to worry so much about people, and the universe, falling apart but for my direct intervention. These people are perfectly capable of carrying things forward on their own. I should trust them and rely on them more.
I find Lorgar in the temple, meditating quietly in front of the altar. I send strength and encouragement along my bond with Lorgar, and tell him, "You've been doing very well."
"I'm glad you are pleased with our progress," he says. "My Word Bearers have been busy spreading your holy word across the galaxy. We've already brought the Seven Planes under your banner."
I might feel worse about all he's been doing for me, but I've given him unlimited access to the full strength of my powers whenever he requires it, so it's not like this isn't benefiting him as well.
"I went to speak with Gaia, the spirit of the Earth," I say. "I've made an alliance against the forces of Chaos with her followers there."
"Who is this Gaia?" Lorgar asks.
"Another god, and one that's somewhat pissy at times," I explain. "The shapeshifters on Earth are her followers. So probably best to avoid any unwanted incidents and don't try to convert them or anything. She might get offended."
Lorgar nods. "Understood."
That was easier than I thought it would be. I was afraid he'd end up like he was with the business with Jackson, and trying to force all my allies to worship me. But I suppose he sees the idea of two gods cooperating as fundamentally different than a mere vampire thinking he's my superior.
"Have you noticed any signs of spreading Chaos corruption on the worlds you've been visiting?" I ask. "In particular, the other Space Marine legions?"
"We've located and eradicated a few questionable cults in our travels," Lorgar says. "As for the Space Marines, I do not know. I wanted to try to speak with some of the other Primarchs and convince them to join our cause, but I have not had any luck thus far."
"Do so," I say. "Either sway them or determine that they are corrupted. But they are too dangerous to leave open to the possibility of falling to Chaos. Just be careful."
"As you wish, my lady."
Things are peaceful for a time, and I step back to relax a bit and observe, watching what my followers are doing and meditating upon the state of the universe. Lorgar manages to bring three more legions of Space Marines under my command by his charisma and convincing arguments.
But the peace isn't to last, and Lorgar finds clear evidence of Chaos corruption among some of the legions. Mortarion and his Death Guard aren't even trying to conceal their affiliation with Nurgle. The plague god's followers are actively attacking remote colonies, some of which have already turned into pestilent hellholes because of it.
"Just what we need, a galactic plague on our hands," I mutter.
Humanity has been spreading rapidly across the galaxy, in a stage of uncontrolled, decentralized expansion. They've encountered a number of new alien species along the way, most of them less advanced than humanity.
Now, that freedom of movement is making a direct threat to the well-being of humanity. Plague-bearing individuals move from planet to planet, many of them not even realizing that they're infected. Before anyone realizes what is happening, billions of people are becoming ill.
I send the Korata out to try to stop the spread of the plague as best as they can, while many worlds quarantine themselves in a panic. We don't keep anyone out of Til'aris, but everyone coming here is double-checked to make sure they're clean. As it is, we use Til'aris as a choke-point for the Seven Planes, and allow people to come through and take refuge on the planes if need be.
Many people flock to worship of Nurgle for salvation from the plague, but ironically, far more of them flock to my own cult instead. I have so many healers under me that I can readily grant cures and protection from this particular disease. I'm just afraid that Nurgle will decide to unleash something unnatural and virulent that I won't be able to deal with. But this is nothing.
Holding billions of soul bonds is exhausting. It's straining the limits of my soul, ones which I had thought would be reached long before now. I feel as though my very soul will be torn apart, pulled in every which direction. I go to discuss the matter with Sardill, hoping that he might have some advice on the matter.
"You need to expand your soul," Sardill replies.
"How am I supposed to do that?" I ask.
"You will need to take in more magical energy," Sardill says. "Consuming the souls of others would be one possible solution."
"I'm not going to do that!"
Sardill shrugs. "You don't need to devour them all at once. That would be inefficient. Taking a little off the top will allow them to replenish themselves, and hence give you more energy over time than simply swallowing them whole would."
"I'm still not too sure on that idea," I say.
"You need not take more than they would even notice, but suit yourself. You can do the same with inanimate objects that contain a large reserve of magical energy, such as gemstones and luminite. Likewise, strongly magical locations will work as well. Nodes, caerns... Til'aris would be one such place."
"I think the shapeshifters would slaughter me if I started trying to suck the energy out of their caerns," I comment dryly. "And I really wouldn't want to drain the mana level in Til'aris. I wonder... is it possible to soul bond with a place as well as with a person?"
Sardill tilts his head, thinking on that for a few moments. "I see no reason why you could not create a bond with a location or an object. A soul is merely a concentrated form of magical energy. It should be possible to bond with anything that has magical energy in it. As for the consequences such an action might have, I could not tell you. It could be very risky."
