Thanks go to all the people who participated (and continue to play) in the
game, which this story chronicles.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
It all began in the desolate lands of the planes.
A universe created by the Omnigod.
Using his masterful energy and power, he created a world from nothingness.
There was only one problem.
There was no one there.
The Omnigod did not have the power to generate life.
Bearing his frustration among those that would bear his wrath; he then set a new goal.
Dragging people from throughout the cosmoverse.
Exploring dimensions and other galaxy's he began to seize control of people and culture throughout the cosmos.
However those he did find were not willing to play his game.
Many of the beings that were brought across were powerful entities in their own right and were used to giving the orders, rather then taking it.
Making this conflict inevitable.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter the First
The Omnigod had brought his first. He grinned, satisfied, and spoke unto him thus:
"You are the first. You shall go forth and find others like you. You shall bring them back to this place. You will be rewarded if you succeed."
"Go forth and do as bid"
His new arrival stumbled through the frozen wasteland, barely clinging onto consciousness. He wore tattered, bloody robes and his face had pain written across it. He did not understand.
"Why am I tested? Where did I fail?"
He had so many questions. He stopped, breathing heavily, every breath a fight. He coughed, and coughed again, leading to a fit that made him lose his footing. He stumbled to the snowy ground, coughing up blood.
"I hope there's a village nearby - I can't take much more of this"
He got himself up, using his spear as a crutch, and staggered forward.
"Just a few more steps."
The Omnigod answered in a booming voice.
"You are tested because you cannot perceive your failure. You will succeed - if your strength of faith allows you."
The priest continued to drag his spear defiantly. He touched his chest where his symbol of faith used to be, as if it would keep away the bone- chilling wind. He mumbled to himself.
"Ah. You've lost it, priest - can't you remember? Your own troops took it away when you failed your god and was left for dead."
Another coughing fit cut into his ranting.
"Yes," he shouted defiantly to the sky, "I SHALL regain your favour and lead my troops again!"
He coughs again, spitting out more blood and a few more expletives.
The hooves of a horse became audible in the background. A ranger sat on the back of his steed, looking upon the new place in wonder. He saw icy crags and barren snowy hills surrounding him. 'What strange land is this?' he thought. He scanned his surrounds with his pale eyes, hoping to see some bastion of humanity. He raised his waterskin and to his lips, taking as small a sip as he could. 'I must be sparing,' he thought, 'I know not what the gods have in store for me now.'
Again his eyes scanned the distance, but this time he spotted a figure in the distance.
"Arturo," he said as he patted his steed, "let us go and find humanity"
He started off in the direction of the figure. As he approached it, he found that it was indeed a man - a wounded one at that.
"Good sir," he said to the stranger, "may I be of any assistance?"
The delirious priest turned to meet the ranger, clutching his spear in both hands.
"You . are not a another dream, sent to haunt me? No . I can smell your horse"
He grinned, and the spat out some more blood.
"Or, are you here to finish the job? Doesn't matter, I'm probably dead before the next daybreak."
The battered priest gathered the last of his strength and stood up straight. He looked up to the sky, cursing under his breath, and then back down.
"So, I'll live to see another day, eh? Be warned, stranger - accompanying a fallen priest might spell out damnation to you as well."
He coughed out another clot of blood.
"Well . as it is, you can call me Kadar of . no, just Kadar. We'd better get out of here, I feel a blizzard coming."
He turned to leave.
"I can pay you to escort me to the nearest settlement, stranger. But that's for tomorrow."
The priest shook his fist at the heavens.
"Hold the storm, Lord, or I won't be able to provide much entertainment to You!"
He laughs until another fit overcomes him, finally finishing with,
"Let's move"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A black-cloaked rider on a dark-coloured, red-eyed steed watched the pair from a snow-covered hill. An unnatural aura seemed to pervade the very air around him, having been the same aura that followed him in his past travels. He watched the scene, slightly amused at the insane cleric's ramblings. He decided that he had better keep an eye on them.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The ranger slid of his horse to aid the fallen priest.
"Fear not priest," he addressed him, "fallen or not, a man of the cloth is still a man of the cloth. And in the condition you are in, the fall does not seem premeditated. I am Dred, defender of the great Forest of Ardinon. I know not how I arrived here, but the gods must have had purpose. Believe me, brother, you shall not fall here tonight, I shall see to that."
Dred quickly began to tend to the priest's wounds. Bandage after bandage he applied to the seemingly endless wounds. After finally finishing, he begins to set up his tent and build a fire.
"We must be careful my friend. I am not familiar with these parts. I know not what could await us. If you do not have a problem then we will stay here so that you may rest and hopefully heal."
Kadar removed his mismatched gauntlets and sat by the fire the ranger constructed, resting his spear on his lap.
"Thank you Dred of Ardinon. It must be a couple of days since I saw another living being."
He coughed a bit, and then grinned at the heavens.
"How d'ya like THEM apples, Lord? You didn't scare them all off, did you?"
Satisfied with his words, the priest warmed his fingers by the fire, flexing them. He then examined his wounds.
"These aren't so bad - it's the gut wound that had me a bit worried, though - with than infection and all."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
It all began in the desolate lands of the planes.
A universe created by the Omnigod.
Using his masterful energy and power, he created a world from nothingness.
There was only one problem.
There was no one there.
The Omnigod did not have the power to generate life.
Bearing his frustration among those that would bear his wrath; he then set a new goal.
Dragging people from throughout the cosmoverse.
Exploring dimensions and other galaxy's he began to seize control of people and culture throughout the cosmos.
However those he did find were not willing to play his game.
Many of the beings that were brought across were powerful entities in their own right and were used to giving the orders, rather then taking it.
Making this conflict inevitable.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter the First
The Omnigod had brought his first. He grinned, satisfied, and spoke unto him thus:
"You are the first. You shall go forth and find others like you. You shall bring them back to this place. You will be rewarded if you succeed."
"Go forth and do as bid"
His new arrival stumbled through the frozen wasteland, barely clinging onto consciousness. He wore tattered, bloody robes and his face had pain written across it. He did not understand.
"Why am I tested? Where did I fail?"
He had so many questions. He stopped, breathing heavily, every breath a fight. He coughed, and coughed again, leading to a fit that made him lose his footing. He stumbled to the snowy ground, coughing up blood.
"I hope there's a village nearby - I can't take much more of this"
He got himself up, using his spear as a crutch, and staggered forward.
"Just a few more steps."
The Omnigod answered in a booming voice.
"You are tested because you cannot perceive your failure. You will succeed - if your strength of faith allows you."
The priest continued to drag his spear defiantly. He touched his chest where his symbol of faith used to be, as if it would keep away the bone- chilling wind. He mumbled to himself.
"Ah. You've lost it, priest - can't you remember? Your own troops took it away when you failed your god and was left for dead."
Another coughing fit cut into his ranting.
"Yes," he shouted defiantly to the sky, "I SHALL regain your favour and lead my troops again!"
He coughs again, spitting out more blood and a few more expletives.
The hooves of a horse became audible in the background. A ranger sat on the back of his steed, looking upon the new place in wonder. He saw icy crags and barren snowy hills surrounding him. 'What strange land is this?' he thought. He scanned his surrounds with his pale eyes, hoping to see some bastion of humanity. He raised his waterskin and to his lips, taking as small a sip as he could. 'I must be sparing,' he thought, 'I know not what the gods have in store for me now.'
Again his eyes scanned the distance, but this time he spotted a figure in the distance.
"Arturo," he said as he patted his steed, "let us go and find humanity"
He started off in the direction of the figure. As he approached it, he found that it was indeed a man - a wounded one at that.
"Good sir," he said to the stranger, "may I be of any assistance?"
The delirious priest turned to meet the ranger, clutching his spear in both hands.
"You . are not a another dream, sent to haunt me? No . I can smell your horse"
He grinned, and the spat out some more blood.
"Or, are you here to finish the job? Doesn't matter, I'm probably dead before the next daybreak."
The battered priest gathered the last of his strength and stood up straight. He looked up to the sky, cursing under his breath, and then back down.
"So, I'll live to see another day, eh? Be warned, stranger - accompanying a fallen priest might spell out damnation to you as well."
He coughed out another clot of blood.
"Well . as it is, you can call me Kadar of . no, just Kadar. We'd better get out of here, I feel a blizzard coming."
He turned to leave.
"I can pay you to escort me to the nearest settlement, stranger. But that's for tomorrow."
The priest shook his fist at the heavens.
"Hold the storm, Lord, or I won't be able to provide much entertainment to You!"
He laughs until another fit overcomes him, finally finishing with,
"Let's move"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A black-cloaked rider on a dark-coloured, red-eyed steed watched the pair from a snow-covered hill. An unnatural aura seemed to pervade the very air around him, having been the same aura that followed him in his past travels. He watched the scene, slightly amused at the insane cleric's ramblings. He decided that he had better keep an eye on them.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The ranger slid of his horse to aid the fallen priest.
"Fear not priest," he addressed him, "fallen or not, a man of the cloth is still a man of the cloth. And in the condition you are in, the fall does not seem premeditated. I am Dred, defender of the great Forest of Ardinon. I know not how I arrived here, but the gods must have had purpose. Believe me, brother, you shall not fall here tonight, I shall see to that."
Dred quickly began to tend to the priest's wounds. Bandage after bandage he applied to the seemingly endless wounds. After finally finishing, he begins to set up his tent and build a fire.
"We must be careful my friend. I am not familiar with these parts. I know not what could await us. If you do not have a problem then we will stay here so that you may rest and hopefully heal."
Kadar removed his mismatched gauntlets and sat by the fire the ranger constructed, resting his spear on his lap.
"Thank you Dred of Ardinon. It must be a couple of days since I saw another living being."
He coughed a bit, and then grinned at the heavens.
"How d'ya like THEM apples, Lord? You didn't scare them all off, did you?"
Satisfied with his words, the priest warmed his fingers by the fire, flexing them. He then examined his wounds.
"These aren't so bad - it's the gut wound that had me a bit worried, though - with than infection and all."