A Simple Transaction I

Many of you may recall that I have been an active member of your Sidereals Service for some time now. I have categorized a large portion of the Sidereals Service's work into 5 areas:



Haves and Have Nots



Inheritance



Problems and Solving



Intervention and Resolve



All this time you diligently searched for and memorized the 5 areas in greater depth than me, but you did not find them all. That means that your guess is as accurate as the statistics of the Physical and Calibration Bureau. So, let's get to it.



The 5 Areas



Let's take the Immaculate Order. This has always puzzled you. Is it possible for a being of such essence to simultaneously defy and overcome the laws of the universe? Is it even possible for a being of such essence to use only common black magic? I understand we do not yet have conclusive proof, but I think we have a good chance it is a distortion of the truth.



The Principle of Immaculate Selection. When we consider the two elements in contrast, we come to the conclusion that they are identical. This is a non-trivial fact, of course, but it is not absolute; the limits of science are too narrow. In truth, the ability of a being of essence to project a single will or immutable pattern of values is a function of his or her relationship to the universe. It is easy to see why the Principle of Immaculate Selection would favor a being of essence who does not rely on this ability. As the Principle of Immaculate Selection goes against the dictates of common sense, we will soon know what we need to do to restore it.



Prototype of the Principle of Immaculate Selection. A ritual of some sort, recently discovered, in which the Immaculate Prince arranges for all of your Companions to die in a single act of self-sacrifice, so that the next incarnation of the Demon Emperor can live forever in harmony with the laws of the land. This seems to be the most likely outcome, and it will be particularly scandalous to your Physical and Spiritual Exalted.



Anointing Powder. To preserve the hydration properties of your body.



Resolve to Defeat Zaos Exalted.



Creationism! Creationism, taught by its central thesis, is a theological heresy that has been sanctified and demonetized by orthodox Christianity. Its root cause, the Creationism of Zao, has been thoroughly analyzed and disproven. The following methods will help you resolve the issue of how Creationism should be interpreted.



Use Exalts to Solve the 1,000-Year-Old Cult of the Demon Emperor. This heresy seeks to revive the memory of the Demon Emperor, who among other attributes, claims in Genesis 1,000-1,858 that God created the world as a living organism. This authority was not accorded to God He Dusted as an Immaculate. Instead, it is accorded to the Immaculate Order of the Celestial Three Moons, whose mandate it to fulfill.



Use Fire as a Fire-based Messaging Style. This heresy seeks to revive the original essence of the Fire Dragon, its anima, by means of a single, light-bulb, incantational style. The anima is a fire-based substance whose essence emanates from the central flame, and whose absence allows for direct contact between the two. When the Fire Elemental descends upon the mortal, he or she produces an efflux of essence that coalesces into a fire-based fire as fuel. Exalts can be relied upon to do its duty within this timeframe, and to act as analogous deceptions in the wake of a false start.



Use Creation Spheres as Perfect Hosts for Your Messengers. In this, you will learn, are arranged the birth points and dynamics of many of the Realm's major life events. These have a direct bearing on the Three Great Moons, as well as the Creation Spheres you will study.



Use the Dividends in Your Circle of Influence to Strategize Moons in a Dueling Realm. With the advancements of science, the Realm has been able to generate a more optimal amount of Moons and wield them in certain critical ways. This has allowed for the grouping, planning and governance of the major Moons, who are incentivized to defense and offense at the forefront of any contest. This has expedited the expansion and mastery of Creation, which in turn has prepared for the come-hither future of the Dragon-Blooded.



Use the Creations of the Realm to Establish Cultures of Their Own. This heresy seeks to revive the original life of the Wood Dragon, whose glory and primacy have been re-embraced in this Creation. The Wood Dragon is a living creature of pre-eminence and primacy, and so is central to the Creation

You need not worry about that at all. This is the Nation of the Crimson Throne. Treacherously powerful, tremendous in scale, and unprecedentedly dangerous. It is with deep sorrow and deep concern for your well-being that you bear witness to the grave state of our Realm and its citizens. That state has been declared a Martial Grand Strategy, declared a national emergency, and declared a nation-wide martial law has been declared. This, I hereby declare as the official position of the Martial Group of the Realm, declaring that the following conclusions have been reached:



The following statement was reached by the Exalted before the battle began:



I do solemnly swear, my peers and I, that the truth of this matter is completely independent of any external influence or influence other than the Celestial Host. The truth of this matter is the true one. The truth is that the Holy Sun, its members, and their commissars are no longer with us. It is the magnitude of the matter that counts. The truth is that, as the Immaculate Texts say, "Thou art the true God; and, similarly, my prayers are no less fervent than theirs."



I understand that it is my duty to assist you in this effort, Sesus Ulyssian. I understand that the truth is that, as the Texts say, all things are potential, and that, as the Host, Her Exaltation is No More. I understand that everything is possible, and the Truth is an Essence of infinite Power. And yet...



Then, you rise, the last remaining shadow. That one final hurdle remaining.



You do not have to finish the story. Save it for the part of the mortal slain by Ulyssian.



---



You are a talented and skilled young man. You have spent the past few months ignoring your parents and dealing with the unsettling reality of your surroundings, but the urge to learn has seized you. You have taken the initiative, setting yourself at a brisk 5' 2" tall.



All you can do is run, sprint, weave, and even as you sink to the ground you are enthusiastically pumping out of the opening in your stomach. It is a sound you are certain you have not experienced yet: the whetted husk of Mountain God. Just as you are about to perform the stretch limberly required to keep you upright, a sharp, wreathed pain hits your gut. An unfamiliar, unbidden, pain strikes your gut, and you feel heat build up in your stomach - heat that presses into you, pressing into your flesh, pressing into your soul.



It is pain you have not experienced yet, but nonetheless it grips your gut and pulls at you to your throat. You can barely keep your eyes open as the numbness around your throat seethes, and then you are teleported seconds away from your hand, into another dimension, and out again, into another dimension, and out again, and out again, and out again, and out again, and out again, and out again, and out again, and out again, and out again, and in return you are able to escape, and out again, and back into the Empty Moon.



And then the House of Moon descends, and yet another. And yet another. And another. And a third. And again, and another. And yet another. And yet another. And yet another. And yet another. And yet another. And yet another. And yet another.



And yet another.

You are a walking metaphor for all the things that exist below. All the things that are beyond the limits of those infinite, infinite, infinite. All the things that could ever be.

The Basics Of The Immaculate Order



Creation



Masonry is a biological process. Wood, stone, stone, steel, iron, brass, bone, glass, brass, brass, brass, brass, brass, brass, brass, brass. Relatively speaking, a stone or steel crucible is considered to be an architectural object. There are, however, exceptions to the rule. The Sword of Flames is considered a defensive weapon. There are, of course, exceptions to this as well.



In addition to the standard attributes of an Architect, a member of the Immaculate Order has five privileges:



All members of the Order descend from the same parents; that is, all the Princes of the Earth have had the same parents.



All Princes of the Earth have derived their powers from Immaculate teachings.



All Princes of the Earth are dedicated to the welfare of the world.



All Princes of Great Britain and the Uly are committed to interdependence.



All Princes of the Beast and Water look forward to interdependence as much as any other.



The Immaculate Texts



Genesis 1:



"Then the Lord said to Menachem: The Princes of the Earth - the Wood of Geminths - are the immutable gems of Creation, indispensable in the construction of all things. There is nothing so immutable as a Wood of Geminths, or a Water of Thorns."



Genesis 3:



"And yet there is still another Gem, a Dreamer of Ascent, but not of Creation yet. Looking down upon the once-unheard of Trees, I deem it proper I speak this truth now, for the Creation of the Wood of Geminths is at an end. All that remains is for me to speak of it."



Genesis 4:



"And then the Commandment was said, that whoever disposes favors tendeth to do" (Genesis 1:8).



Genesis 5:



"And whoever does not attain that goal finds fulfillment in themselves" ("Genesis 5, Part 2").



Genesis 11:



"And who can be more perfect than Menachem, and yet remain unchanged for long after the End Times"?



Genesis 14:



"And how can one be more perfect than another? For the past fifteen thousand years, all that has been written, and every written commandment has been fulfilled, has been written by a perfect and law-abiding and law-abiding man, not a man whose lot has been marred by his office."



Genesis 14a:



"And if we were to suppose that the future holds many general scenarios in which the Principle of Right and Wrong can be interpreted simultaneously, our perceptions would be correct. But the present is a more perfect and more impenetrable world, one in which Fate is more prominently and frequently invoked than ever before. When we consider the present in this light, however, there are brief, fleeting moments of joy and confusion, and all that is felt is the fragrance of vanilla and the crunching of clover."



Genesis 14b:



"And if the impermanence of the world is surrendered...to a mere knuckling of the jaw, our perceptions will be right."



Genesis 14c:



"And if the impermanence of the world is surrendered...to a greater being, who knuckles the body? Who creates the environment? Who educates children? Who saves the earth? Who saves the children from pestilence? It is not by necessity that we are told these things. It is by necessity that we be told them. And yet...There is yet one Conclusion to be Concluded."



Genesis 21:



"And that conclusion, I think, is that there are infinitely many such things, and that they all fall short of the Principle of Right and Wrong."



Genesis 21a:



"And that is the Conclusion. There are no More Suffering."







You're on the edge of your seat. Your mind is racing blank pages. If you had to guess, you'd say you were higher than all of us. Hawk. Moon. Cynis. Ivory. It feels like a lifetime ago you were the only one above Hawk. But, with the dawn of winter finally coming, it's finally here. All of a sudden you're not so sure.



"What is this you're feeling right now, Jael?" An old man asks, holding up a hand for silence.



"I have a theory as to why the Equinoxes are here, but it strikes me as completely out of step with the rest of the story. The answer, I think, is in the Fire Aspects. Pushing the 'Fate' issue forward

In this scenario, you will be fighting the Hero of the Shogunate, but not the Chosen One. The Chosen One will be your own Exalt and your enemy your own Nilul.



As all of you know, the Shogunate is a usurpation of the world's largest organized crime syndicate. They are the worst enemies of humanity; the Shogunate is the incubator for that very sickness.



The Chosen One will be the first to die in battle. That, and all the rest in the sanctum.



The sanctum, you remark, tracing a finger across the smooth stone. Circumstance is not a factor in this duel.



You will need a lot of magic, Ramethus says, casting a shadow across the arena. A single touch of your right palm will restore your hit points to their former levels. You will need to press F8 on your forehand and forefoot, where your toes touch. A single repel, four-sided attack pattern emerges, each of your forearms a target for your attack.



The shadow fades away as the attack is launched, and you are thrown into an angled sideways lunge towards the ceiling. Shifting, jolting winds lash your body, shifting angles to punish your less than optimal opening. The whirlwind can be felt across the arena, and your peripheral vision slices through cerebellar activity. You cannot see the Grand Library, but Ramethus is certain you do not already have a vantage point.



Still, it is not enough. You cannot win by your own abilities. The Dragon you defeated today is nothing if not stubborn. Completely destroyed. Your focus shifts to attacking.



Thats where my cunning ends - in my pocket. The last remnants of my essence - my sword, my bow, my staff - lie streaked about your body - in the robes you are carrying, in the debauched and trembling of your limbs. Can you see them? The marigold casket you are carrying is no more than a cloak over your eyes.



Yes, the Exalted say, handing the Scroll, you incline your head. It is a precious relic, but it is a possibility. All the more reason to bring it to our attention.



Then, the voice rings hollow within you.



Hey! Whats up, Im out! I have a question! A surge of emerald-green light floods your vision; you stalk towards it, anxious to strike. There is a gap in the wall of the Library, and your sword is vulnerable, but you manage to strike without incident. Man, Im so confident! Im so bored!



You grit your teeth. Unexpected. Bad impulse, but the one at the root of all our troubles is finding a solution. Im going to have to kill you now. Im going to get rid of you! You roll your eyes. Anhedonia? Oh my! That wasnt even there in the first place! Its only logical! You move your hand to the corner of your eye, and there is a shimmering of gold around it, an emerald light that pierce all clothes, leaving only the armor.



Gemini. That is the power of the Immaculate Heirarchy. Save it from me. Gemini is my key. Your Realm seal, in case you are worried. It will protect you even if I die. You press your palm against the bolt of blackness, and the blinding violet of the light pervades you. What is it that strikes you so suddenly?



Intercourse. Reverse clockwork. This is secret business, never to reveal it. It is at this point that you reveal your location. I do not own this location, but I understand that you are visiting the Holy of Holies. I will not enter or leave you any longer. Before I leave, you will need to bring me a present from your accomplice. I would like to see some traditional food. You have two choices; choose fresh produce or savory accompaniments. You can choose the delicacies I have prepared for you, such as cucumbers, onions, and garlic. I have prepared them in a savory, umami-laden wok that you can flip over and throw on the grill. You can skip the meat altogether and serve it with tuna and cucumbers. Over the course of the next few hours, you will be eating the cucumbers and the onions, savoring the cucumbers and the garlic, and reducing the heat to moderate to provide a pleasant, steaming heat to the wok. I will be reducing the heat so that it dissolves quickly in the puffs of mist, preventing the air from reaching your lungs. You will be smoking the divine smorgasbord, a liquid that dissolves easily when smoking, and drinking the divine liqueur, which dissolves easily when inhaled. The boil will begin, and I will introduce myself.

"The Best Of You"



When I lived in the Ivory Tower, I was a wandering wandering ass. I could see only the King, discouraged, and his butlers, as well as librarians, farmers, and whack-a-mole men. Now, I see the world completely turned. Only the bravest knights and most hard-headed mothers remain. Without the blessings of the Palace, one can only imagine what it would be like to live in a world where only the most precious of possessions are ever yours.



In this, I see one of two scenarios. The first is far more likely. The Slayer has mastered the art of struggle, but the Flames of the Shogunate require only a rudimentary understanding of martial arts. The second is far more serious, and less likely: the Slayer has mastered the art of crushing, but the Flames of the Shogunate require only highly specialized training.



I would argue that the former scenario is more realistic in scale and scope than the former, while the latter is less certain. The former is the lower bound of life on Earth, and the mortal is a failure in hell. The Primordial Dragon, on that point, is a mortal who has not yet reached the apex of his potential. I would argue that the former is more certain, and less resigned.



One of the benefits of having lived in an Empire where the means of production are similarly distributed is that it allows for greater exploration of new and more powerful methods of production. And in a world where the wealth and power of the Realm is so heavily rooted in the rule of the Dragons, it is unsurprising that the Dragon-Blooded would regard the cultivation of their own Realm with loathing. But here too there is a pervasive culture of preoccupation; one that is identical to that of the Immaculate Faith in its dedication and impartiality. And on many of the most important issues, from taxation to resource development, there is an implicit directive to the delegation of power: the mastery of the Dragon-Blooded. As the power of the Dragon-Blooded extends far and wide, the pervasive culture of preeminence and preeminence without preeminence shrinks the field of study to a deeply unsatisfying pulp.



An Endless Flame



Interdimensional travel is a habit in which one adopts a life of leisure. Zao does not mind spending far too much time in the Realm, especially not traveling widely. You do not mind traveling so far that your essence penetrates into the very fabric of nature, which is why you are here. For all your training as a Exalt, you have never been particularly adept at drawing near to the mortals of the Realm. But there is nothing you cannot do simply by living in this Realm: if you are to ever be truly Exalted, you will have to overcome an Endless Flame of will power to traverse this hellish and inhospitable expanse.



Many years ago, you had a mortal close to you at the arm race against the Demon King. They were civilizations apart in class, and while superior to the Demon King in many areas, they had areas far beyond them, and they were competitors in the arm race. Years of practice allowed Zaos personal mastery over the two combatants, and in exchange he gave you two things: a mortal physique and the ability to rule without king or king state. With your physique, you could rule without the mortal, but you could rule with the mortal. That was the state of affairs in the Third Shogunate, a hundred years ago this century.



All of this had taken place under the Emperor Nellens Exalts rulebook, which had been greatly improved upon, with accurate and systematic access to all aspects of Imperial affairs. That program had provided the Dynasty with a potent weapon against invaders from all corners of the world. Though your physique was superior to Nellens men, you were nonetheless outnumbered. The strength of the defense was greater than even the speed and maneuver of the strongest of them all. That was why the armada of the generals and military officers was so overwhelmingly comprised.



A fight had to be won before the Immaculate Text would be revealed to the Realm. Only one man was agreed upon as the starting point: Zao.



In this you are certain, you concede, defeat. You have searched diligently and thoroughly for weaknesses and gained clear and total victory in your search. You have diligently analyzed every Gem you seized, memorized every section of the rulebook, researched every section of the Imperial Military Academy, and memorized every section of the Immaculate Order manual. You have diligently searched and memorized everyone in the Foreign Service, both inside and outside the Realm.



And yet...



No one is here to win - you groan, voice choked with emotion. No one. No one.



You had anticipated a great power mastering physical and mental strength, but...



Tepet Numida sighs. How

I dont know how to express my great-aunt's gratitude for the opportunity to serve us, but in the span of a few moments of peaceful contemplation I realize I have... read more Even as the sun sinks below the horizon, the moon rises again, giving a penetrating stare that nonetheless manages to mask the radiance of the room. It is a breathtaking sunrise, azure-blind as ever, but beyond its horizon is a darkening sea. Red-brick stone and black-and-white velvet curtains hang limp, like the walls of a demeanourless palace.



I had considered visiting you in person, you consider, but that is no longer the case. You are truly, truly special, every part of the - in and out of the room. I look forward to it. And every fibre of your being is at your command.



I understand that you will remain within my... mandate, you say, holding your hands in the air. I will endeavour to keep your condition under control, to no end. But, I must confess... I do have some concerns. How do you operate as a king in a society where every ounce of power is spent on improving the welfare of the common people? How do you manage a populace that has for millennia resisted change? How do you defend the common good against all those who would disrespect it? I am afraid the answer to these questions is very simply, I am Emperor. I have seen it all. Have you? Have you not been utterly defeated by your peers? But, the strength of the nation is without proportion. The common people have it rugged and strong. And if our common enemies fall on our heads head, what can they be compared to? The laws of nature? The majesty of the Earth? It is one thing to rule by the sword, nor quite another, to rule by law?



Im afraid you cannot answer that, but I will say that I am extremely interested in your abilities as a ruler. You will be expected to take action and be expected to act. Im sure you will have no problems accomplishing anything. But, as a ruler, you will be expected to act. Actual results will be announced shortly of when the actual battle is held. Much as you wish to minimize the impact of your actions, I hope you will refrain from acting if asked. In this situation, I will tell you simply that I do not wish to cause unnecessary suffering to any of the Princes above.



Well, then. I am free now. Headmaster Zao is free now - you can call him back if you like. We go about our daily lives today or tonight. He will remain unharmed.



All right, Ivory says, holding her hands up in the air. I will take care of you. Headmaster, what do you think you should do?



Its a good question, you answer, I have two choices. First, I will kill. I think it would be very hard to stop you, but you are mortal. Second, I will resurrect you. I think it would be very hard to stop you, but you are mortal. Alive.



No. You will die.



I know, Ivory says, I will defend myself. But...but sometimes you have to act.



All right, Uly. You will protect us. Do so, and I will keep you company. I will not kill you. I will protect you.



Yes, you say. Even if its impossible, I will tell you to move. That would be my very utmost strength.



And what would happen if I did not protect you? Do you remember what I said? I do not regret it.



Mhm. Well, then, I think you can take care of yourself. Headmaster.



Let me begin by saying that I admire your determination. Even if you are not my teacher, I would say that you have shown immense ability in life. I hope you have not forgotten that your passion is still stronger than any single moment in your life.



Ivory sighs, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. Then, what do you intend to do? Do you believe that you have the strength to endure all this and endure? I do not believe at all. Do you believe that you have the will to endure this?



Do you believe that you have the spirit to endure all this? Toil will do, but you will need it alone. Will you be able to endure this? This? This long?



Nope. This is not even close. This is not how the world is going to be. This is not how our world will be made. This is not how the world will be made.



Ulyssian.



Headmaster Zao.



I believe you have demonstrated the ability to endure great and small. I trust you can accomplish the same. At the end of the day, I do not know what

You can see the three of you walking out the door, the beginnings of a pattern that will follow you there...but...

No. That would have been a mistake. I would not have crossed that border if I had not left my mark on you.



Youre right. Nagazzer is a formidable foe, but Zaos mastery of the human brain does not blind him to his foe's true nature. He does not merely see into Zao's eyes; he literally penetrates them.



You are correct, Zaos Master. Resolute Flame responds. The Last Shogun died fighting the Great Fae, but in the last moments of his lives. We cannot underestimate his cunning, so long as he is not distracted. Neither can we underestimate your regenerative power. Though each stroke of strength allows you to fathom the full extent of his power, each stroke is accompanied by a pained gasp and a sharp nausea.



All right, Master says, we are all in this together. You nod. Oh, Im so sorry, Im so young~



U-Shouldnt- be- Alistair...



Sword art, Zao says, though you know he means a lot to you. You know exactly how many Dragons he has, and how many lives he has saved. He should know by heart that his death is a terrible loss. But, in your desperation to clear his mind, you have allowed him to slip past you.



Im sorry, Im so distraught Sesus Ulyssian, you are a mighty person, but Im going to have to force you out first.



Im going to have to kill you first, Master says, so you cant win.



Im going to have to kill you immediately, you tell him. Zaos planks are gone, but his are still there. Can you possibly defeat a greater being without his... teachings?



Enough. The last words you manage to utter as the door to the Dragon Throne closes on the deck of the Grand Palace is finally sealed.



Gods and dragons, there is much to see and do, but your stay here is at an end. Estaflor enters your thoughts solely as the water turns to clear.



This ship is a failure, he begins simply. Theres absolutely no science behind this craft, and even if youve somehow replicated it, there is still much that must be improved upon. In order to resolve the conflict, you must first ensure the welfare of the ship, and then of the people on it. Jael Unselden, the captain of the Seventh Navy, has resided in this ship for sixty years. He is regarded as the bravest man in the world and has ever since been enlisted. His determination, his tenacity, are hallmarks of the Seventh Shogun. As terrible as he is, he is also very much alive, and you wouldbe assent is required to grant him a second life. The only thing holding you back is despair. If you could simply flip the ship's course, land on a sunny day, and then plunge back into the ocean, youd be able to resolve this issue utterly.



All right, Jael says, as the rigging on the battleship twitches with the waves. We dont have much time. Lets get this thing built. This city is too dangerous, too small. Go and find something really useful here, not just a few hundred words.



Enough saboteurs! Emperor announces, all of us! Nilul nods. I understand that youve been discouraged so much, but there is nothing you can do but to follow suit. We know that you, like so many of your classmates at the Academy, enjoy being called the Hero of the West. You will no doubt be extremely grateful to us for intervening in this tragedy. But this is not a small price to pay. Save it for when you are ready.



If that is the case, then we are very much in need of an experienced astrological forecaster. Moon has contributed a total of 79 horoscopical observations so far this year, up from 79 in the previous update. We are particularly interested in the areas of the ship that sail directly in at night, such as the bow, the shoulders, and the stern. We will be able to provide greater accuracy at night, when the ship is most vulnerable.



Im not going to be able to interpret all of the data in full, but Im sure youve got some useful information. He nods. And that is all we need to know. Do you remember my salute to your shoulders?



No. Jael raises an eyebrow. Well, Im going to need to get a good look at your back.



A tattered scroll lays tucked under your arm - how many times have youve seen it?



Five, Moon replies. The king had a habit of lying about age, and he believed he could produce a boy with enough power

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - U.S. Naval Academy like any other is experiencing economic and social change. But social change can be fleeting, and for some students, a decade or longer has not even begun to heal the wounds.



That is why the Naval Academy is a breeding ground for talented, ambitious and, ultimately, successful students, said professor and former Naval Academy teacher Dylann Roof. In the meantime, he acknowledges, it is imperative for the school to grow as a productive, productive nation. That means supporting and investing in the needs of its students. Supporting and investing in our own economic well-being. Supporting and investing in our common defense. Supporting and investing in our defense against the greater evil of every age, class, and nation. Supporting and investing in the defense of the Earth from the outside. Supporting and investing in the defense of Creation from the inside.



There are good reasons why the children of our generation should be leaders. They deserve a chance to live up to the ideals of the Academy, and to be believed in. They deserve a chance to live up to the ideals of the Fathers and Prophets, of which they are a part. But there is one idealism and naiveté among the Fathers and Prophets that ranks as dangerously high as the others: the hope of a just and just world.



Child Caste No. 1: The shore is clean and free, and the sea clean and full of life. But the lives of the people are hard, and the riches and power of the world are slim. They are too few, too cautious, and too uncertain.



A nation cannot endure many long months without experiencing tragedy. Too many forget that the years are precious, and the months are just days away. Too many forget that life is the pursuit of potential. They must make plans and plan.



There are things outside the world that can be done. Things that have been done for millennia. Things that have never been done.



No. 1 - The truth be told. You will find it hard to believe that the world is full of mortals who would willingly die for the cause of a Family. Even the cruelty of the Terrors is tolerable. You will learn that few mortals can summon the strength of self-will so ruthlessly. Even the strongest will succumb to despair.



But there are those in power, and those in fear, and those in power, and those in need, and those in need who can protect those around them. Those whose lives are at stake.



One of the most common themes in your examinations will be the plight of the helpless. This one is particularly vulnerable. Ivory - the only daughter of a Shogun governor and a member of the Shogunate House of Creations - is one such person. Even as a child, she was helpless to begin with. Years of abuse, neglect, and even death forced her to endure. She would grow up without a father, no siblings, and no brothers.



She became the object of extreme affection, and became everything she had been. Now, though, she is the object of ridicule and even death from every corner. At every turn, she commits horrifically bad and often suicidal movements, and simply cannot seem to stay within herself. Over the course of two weeks in late May and early June, you study diligently to perfect your fighting style. On that point, you are prepared. Even if you are not the strongest, you can still defeat the overwhelming majority of the Exalted without ceasing. Even if you are the most durable, the worst-trained, and the bravest, you still will not be able to defeat the Most Valuable.



At the end of the first two weeks you spend in training, analyzing data. Drawing up plans. Scrivening contingency plans. Formulating an opponent. Taking action if necessary. Judging the capabilities of the foe. Establishing objectives. Sustained but unproductive effort may be wasted.



Every phase of the study is subject to change without warning. The corridors of the classroom are assigned a specific time and place of day, and students are expected to report for class at that time. In addition, all students are required to adhere to the three-dimensional plans in their temporary storage facilities. When a student leaves the classroom for a period of time during which they can observe and evaluate the activity, they are taken back to class and assigned a point of departure. For every point they reach within the points of departure, they are given another point assigned an upper limit on the number of hours they can observe and report for class.



The timetable for their departure is assigned by the Headmaster. If the students depart at the same time on each day, they are taken to the time zone assigned by the Headmaster. The students in question are then assigned a period of time on which to study. Circumstances of this moment are assigned into the periods of implementation. All students are required to adhere

You can see the three of you walking out the door, the beginnings of a pattern that will follow you there...but...

No. That would have been a mistake. I would not have crossed that border if I had not left my mark on you.



Youre right. Nagazzer is a formidable foe, but Zaos mastery of the human brain does not blind him to his foe's true nature. He does not merely see into Zao's eyes; he literally penetrates them.



You are correct, Zaos Master. Resolute Flame responds. The Last Shogun died fighting the Great Fae, but in the last moments of his lives. We cannot underestimate his cunning, so long as he is not distracted. Neither can we underestimate your regenerative power. Though each stroke of strength allows you to fathom the full extent of his power, each stroke is accompanied by a pained gasp and a sharp nausea.



All right, Master says, we are all in this together. You nod. Oh, Im so sorry, Im so young~



U-Shouldnt- be- Alistair...



Sword art, Zao says, though you know he means a lot to you. You know exactly how many Dragons he has, and how many lives he has saved. He should know by heart that his death is a terrible loss. But, in your desperation to clear his mind, you have allowed him to slip past you.



Im sorry, Im so distraught Sesus Ulyssian, you are a mighty person, but Im going to have to force you out first.



Im going to have to kill you first, Master says, so you cant win.



Im going to have to kill you immediately, you tell him. Zaos planks are gone, but his are still there. Can you possibly defeat a greater being without his... teachings?



Enough. The last words you manage to utter as the door to the Dragon Throne closes on the deck of the Grand Palace is finally sealed.



Gods and dragons, there is much to see and do, but your stay here is at an end. Estaflor enters your thoughts solely as the water turns to clear.



This ship is a failure, he begins simply. Theres absolutely no science behind this craft, and even if youve somehow replicated it, there is still much that must be improved upon. In order to resolve the conflict, you must first ensure the welfare of the ship, and then of the people on it. Jael Unselden, the captain of the Seventh Navy, has resided in this ship for sixty years. He is regarded as the bravest man in the world and has ever since been enlisted. His determination, his tenacity, are hallmarks of the Seventh Shogun. As terrible as he is, he is also very much alive, and you wouldbe assent is required to grant him a second life. The only thing holding you back is despair. If you could simply flip the ship's course, land on a sunny day, and then plunge back into the ocean, youd be able to resolve this issue utterly.



All right, Jael says, as the rigging on the battleship twitches with the waves. We dont have much time. Lets get this thing built. This city is too dangerous, too small. Go and find something really useful here, not just a few hundred words.



Enough saboteurs! Emperor announces, all of us! Nilul nods. I understand that youve been discouraged so much, but there is nothing you can do but to follow suit. We know that you, like so many of your classmates at the Academy, enjoy being called the Hero of the West. You will no doubt be extremely grateful to us for intervening in this tragedy. But this is not a small price to pay. Save it for when you are ready.



If that is the case, then we are very much in need of an experienced astrological forecaster. Moon has contributed a total of 79 horoscopical observations so far this year, up from 79 in the previous update. We are particularly interested in the areas of the ship that sail directly in at night, such as the bow, the shoulders, and the stern. We will be able to provide greater accuracy at night, when the ship is most vulnerable.



Im not going to be able to interpret all of the data in full, but Im sure youve got some useful information. He nods. And that is all we need to know. Do you remember my salute to your shoulders?



No. Jael raises an eyebrow. Well, Im going to need to get a good look at your back.



A tattered scroll lays tucked under your arm - how many times have youve seen it?



Five, Moon replies. The king had a habit of lying about age, and he believed he could produce a boy with enough power

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - U.S. Naval Academy like any other is experiencing economic and social change. But social change can be fleeting, and for some students, a decade or longer has not even begun to heal the wounds.



That is why the Naval Academy is a breeding ground for talented, ambitious and, ultimately, successful students, said professor and former Naval Academy teacher Dylann Roof. In the meantime, he acknowledges, it is imperative for the school to grow as a productive, productive nation. That means supporting and investing in the needs of its students. Supporting and investing in our own economic well-being. Supporting and investing in our common defense. Supporting and investing in our defense against the greater evil of every age, class, and nation. Supporting and investing in the defense of the Earth from the outside. Supporting and investing in the defense of Creation from the inside.



There are good reasons why the children of our generation should be leaders. They deserve a chance to live up to the ideals of the Academy, and to be believed in. They deserve a chance to live up to the ideals of the Fathers and Prophets, of which they are a part. But there is one idealism and naiveté among the Fathers and Prophets that ranks as dangerously high as the others: the hope of a just and just world.



Child Caste No. 1: The shore is clean and free, and the sea clean and full of life. But the lives of the people are hard, and the riches and power of the world are slim. They are too few, too cautious, and too uncertain.



A nation cannot endure many long months without experiencing tragedy. Too many forget that the years are precious, and the months are just days away. Too many forget that life is the pursuit of potential. They must make plans and plan.



There are things outside the world that can be done. Things that have been done for millennia. Things that have never been done.



No. 1 - The truth be told. You will find it hard to believe that the world is full of mortals who would willingly die for the cause of a Family. Even the cruelty of the Terrors is tolerable. You will learn that few mortals can summon the strength of self-will so ruthlessly. Even the strongest will succumb to despair.



But there are those in power, and those in fear, and those in power, and those in need, and those in need who can protect those around them. Those whose lives are at stake.



One of the most common themes in your examinations will be the plight of the helpless. This one is particularly vulnerable. Ivory - the only daughter of a Shogun governor and a member of the Shogunate House of Creations - is one such person. Even as a child, she was helpless to begin with. Years of abuse, neglect, and even death forced her to endure. She would grow up without a father, no siblings, and no brothers.



She became the object of extreme affection, and became everything she had been. Now, though, she is the object of ridicule and even death from every corner. At every turn, she commits horrifically bad and often suicidal movements, and simply cannot seem to stay within herself. Over the course of two weeks in late May and early June, you study diligently to perfect your fighting style. On that point, you are prepared. Even if you are not the strongest, you can still defeat the overwhelming majority of the Exalted without ceasing. Even if you are the most durable, the worst-trained, and the bravest, you still will not be able to defeat the Most Valuable.



At the end of the first two weeks you spend in training, analyzing data. Drawing up plans. Scrivening contingency plans. Formulating an opponent. Taking action if necessary. Judging the capabilities of the foe. Establishing objectives. Sustained but unproductive effort may be wasted.



Every phase of the study is subject to change without warning. The corridors of the classroom are assigned a specific time and place of day, and students are expected to report for class at that time. In addition, all students are required to adhere to the three-dimensional plans in their temporary storage facilities. When a student leaves the classroom for a period of time during which they can observe and evaluate the activity, they are taken back to class and assigned a point of departure. For every point they reach within the points of departure, they are given another point assigned an upper limit on the number of hours they can observe and report for class.



The timetable for their departure is assigned by the Headmaster. If the students depart at the same time on each day, they are taken to the time zone assigned by the Headmaster. The students in question are then assigned a period of time on which to study. Circumstances of this moment are assigned into the periods of implementation. All students are required to adhere

As I write this, Sol Strider is on the run from his village elders, and his enemies are on the loose. Is he just an outlaw or is he on the prowl?



I am speaking to you as the Exalted, not as the Saviour. I know you will be disturbed by my remarks. But I fear that my words bear fruit. The Immaculate Order has today declared a major theological shift - that the existence of God is concomitantly opposed to the ever-increasing divisiveness of the cosmos. This is a major shift from the teachings of the Order, which hold that there is nothing beyond and without Creation. It is a major shift from the dogma of the Academy, which upholds the divinity of the divinity.



In other words, after three millennia of dogma, a shift has occurred. The divinity of the cosmos is no longer concomitantly associated with divinities of lesser order. Rather, it is concomitantly associated with divinities of greater power. This is the shift into higher ideals, a power that pervades every aspect of your existence.



And, you say, the Order has finally come to grips with its own futility.



I see. Okay. It has... I understand.



But you do need to think hard about what you are doing. You have been entrusted with some very important work by your teacher. But what would happen if the teacher told you that you were nothing compared to all those Creation-minded people you know? Would you be spared the prospect of a life of constant struggle to save Creation?



Would you be saved, of course. But you would never be saved alone.



You feel your heart race as the words come to you, and your throat twist in place. You do everything you can to protect Moon, but you can hardly keep her from being saved. You cannot protect her only by her will, but also by her mind. The will to save Creation cannot be satisfied simply by your will. It cannot be satisfied simply by your will.



You cannot save me alone. You feel the urge to call upon the Empty Moon, but she does not appear to be holding back at all. You offer your hand but she continues to defy you. You stroke her hair, trying to smooth it, but she cannot bring herself to speak. Even if you could save her alone, would that be enough?



You cannot save all Creation people. Think of all the other houses you could save. Have you really built this? A hundred and fifty years of age.



It would be completely useless, you say. There would be no civilization to be found today. Even if you had stopped at nothing to save Creation, the Immaculate Order would continue to exist and reproduce. Even if your mother and father survived you, the Hierarchy would be rapidly dying out, and the last remnants of the House of the Violet Caste would be dispersed all over the world. There would be nothing left of the House of the Violet Caste to unite around a common goal. None at all. Only an isolated, hopeless failure.



Moon chuckles. Now that you think about it, if you had not stopped your life in its wake, all the House of the Violet Caste could have done was give you a heartbeat counter and a funeral present. That would have been absolutely nothing. You would have died fighting monsters, undressing in the street, or dying in the war. All of them. None of them would have been able to save you.



You would not have been able to save all Creation people. Not even the Dynasts. Not even the All-Seeing Eye. Even the Accursed. There would not even be a localized apocalypse, much less one in forty thousand years.



But you do have some options. Demon and All-Seeing, Immaculate and Savant.



Dysfunctional. The only way to maintain an Immaculate or Savant is for your family to be saved. That means having a plan in place, developing it with your children as friends, giving them the resources you want, and having your enemies distracted from your goals.



Moon chuckles again. Yes. Well, it worked in school. Now you have to monitor your subordinates carefully. They will have to endure you every step of the way. Moon is very competent. She knows the full range of the mortal's options; the brute, the mental, and the the seductive. Even if she is not nearly as potent as you, she can still defeat you if she wants.



It is time. You have no more plans.



Moon smiles. I think I should try again.



Uly... She purses her lips. Then...perhaps we should come up with a plan. Something that works, at least.



Moon takes your hand. Now! It is so much more than just a dream. It is

So, I had hoped to learn more about the seven Immaculates. The Blessed House does not seem to have any such secrets at all.



I merely wish you luck. The Twelve Immaculates are among the few nations within the Realm who do not require immortality for any of their members.



And so, I have learned, the blessed housewife observes, unaffected. I do not suppose you two would be able to resolve the common issue of marriage officially?



The two Houses have not exactly been strangers to each other.



Oh? You are temporary residents of the Realm, you say, and their levelheaded Exalts are in your place? Jagged edges of white-black-black swirl in the wind.



No problem. She points out, and you nod.



Now then, is this the most peaceful year of your life?



Oh, no. I mean, you have students. I really like the way youdo. But you lack the intellectual fulness of the intellectual elites of old. I mean, you are going to be the lucky couple in the tournament. And the lucky couple in the world. Luckily you have the resources to revive a civilization that was destroyed in seven glorious days. But... you should be grateful you have no plans of your own. Otherwise, you would be trying to revive a civilization that was destroyed in seven glorious days. I can guarantee you that.



I think I see something. A bright spark of genius permeates every nerve and muscle of your body. You glance at each other. Savory red powders glittering in the sun. Are you certain you saw this spark?



I see you have no plans to revive a civilization that was destroyed in seventh place in our previous survey. None at all.



Let us hope you are believed. If you have any information on a member of the Order, we invite you to contact the Flag Commander Bureau at (817) 536-8477. Please be very careful.



You drop your report on the table. Ivory seems to have recovered somewhat, and you sense a degree of commonality between the two of you. Though you are somewhat distrustful of the Flag Commander, you do not resent him. Despite your Loom-era scars, you have not forgotten about him.



As you speak you slip out of the way, and with a burly twist of your hair you slip into the back of the pavilion. With a last nudge you slip into the crowd as the semifinals of the Tournament of Power are announced.



Winner by Tiers of the Tournament! You raise an eyebrow at yourselves. No, not at all. There is no merit in that. The sheer volume of Tournament questions and the well-being of the Host nation makes it impossible for us to draw any firm conclusions. But, at the very least, it is a forerunner. Lets get to work.



Your duty as a Host is to defend the Realm, Ivory says, and you have the luxury of assuming the duties of house and state. The true workload is greater than even your most dedicated defenders would be capable of giving you. The more time you spend in silence and contemplation, the more thoroughly absorbed your inner thoughts become. You have been taught not to let them control you, and that is a fact. It is the only comfort you have been able to derive from these recollections.



The qualifiers begin. The Ranking Tournament is today. Who will win the tournament? Who will advance to the Finals? Who will advance to the Jotun Ranking?



You relax. You have been trained so that you will not be distracted. Today is today.



Winner by Tiers of the Tournament! You smile sadly. God, you really made this...



Oh, thank you! Ivory says, holding up a hand for us to respect, but, you have exceeded all those around you already. Today is the day! Today is the day!



Winner by Tiers of the Tournament! You snuffle. I am very satisfied. I have searched endlessly for precisely this moment, and have not come anywhere near this far. I understand that your sleep can be a struggle, but this has been the only hope.



Winner by Tiers of the Tournament! You sniff. I hope so. I understand that you have not forgotten any of this. But, what do you think you will be able to achieve today? What will you be able to accomplish tomorrow?



Winner by Tiers of the Tournament! You snuffled. All right, Ivory. I think I can help you. I think you can pick up the pieces and do the impossible.



Winner by Tiers of the Tournament! You sniffles. I think you can pick out the right parts of the puzzle, so that when the battle begins again, everyone knows who is on the field.



Winner by Tiers of the Tournament! We are in the

Oh, you are so talented, Saery! A bird calls you from the distance, and the two of you nod agreement. With your rumored cure for Zaos disease, I thought I would try my hand at friendship. Well, you may have to go a few places, Uly... Well, maybe not here, I suppose.



You smile enigmatically, and move into the cupboard. I still have your number, Geminth.



You nod again, and close your book. I suppose you should keep in mind who receives what share of the fortune. Also, I have access to all the affairs of the Realm, including to all members of the staff. It will never be complete, but you should be able to rule without interference.



All right, I will check it out, you say, handing the Numidians a scroll. The Synagods have already given us a hefty exchange rate for our services. Is the House very competent?



Yes. We have enough scandal in the office to handle any number of major scandals, but the one in front of us is our own. Outrage is a seductive spice.



Youve never been particularly adept with words, Saery says, tone sombre in tone. I do like patience.



Well, Im getting old, you respond, and there are still a number of days remaining on your contract. Next time, host.



We seek your cooperation in this matter as often as you like, the Synagods leader says. I will ensure that the Ivory Tower Defense Grid maintains its critical infrastructure, and that of its citizens, maintains a constant monitor and response plan. We must keep in mind that the Tower is a fragile system; the tides can shift quickly and shifts in the tides can easily be reversed. A civilization suffers only when its enemies are at its mercy.



All right, so the shifting of the tide is a function of the weather?



Not at all. The Dynastic Flagship sends a Marine every day to ensure a safe and stable harbor. And I am completely certain that none of my compatriots are anywhere near as safe as I am here.



Do you remember my last statement, the facade of neutrality maintained over the real truth, you ask?



Of course, my friend. I am going to keep this an open book, and you can keep what you want, but only if absolutely necessary - that is my absolute highest priority. And, of course, I will be held to account for any omissions.



Youre right, the Immaculate Order is troubled by an abundance of mind. An abundance that leads to little, and much. But a corrupt power lurks in every corner, and I see evidence of that in you. Isnt it clear that the Masters subconsciously tried to recruit you?



By all means, but you are much too ruthless. Dont underestimate me. But, Professor Ivory, the Order has always believed in the righteousness of its members. If their death is in the family tree, then my colleagues in the Academy must be thankful. I have not seen them act this way in years. Their courage and commitment has always been second to theirs. That is why I have placed them under the protection of the newly formed Bright Sun Division.



Haver. You have been asking for this for a long time. We have not met once before.



I understand that you will not be coming to lecture or anything, Ulyssian. But, if you are, I cannot rule anything. You are already Exalted. All of you already deserve a shot at the title of Commander.



I understand that you will not be attending any combat school. But, I would recommend that you do the honors youve been denied. Do your part to the nation and its people. Flag



Im taking a break from studying to be more productive and get some sleep. Its been so incredibly challenging and nerve-wracking. So much that weve not even begun to finish the story.



You and your classmates will be up for an all-day, all-night strike against the Infernal City, your teacher has told you. The students of Im taking a break from studying to be more productive and get some sleep. Its been so incredibly difficult and so much work, but you are moving forward. The days leading up to and including this strike are very very long. I am certain you will not be able to finish the story completely, but you are close to finishing the main characters.





Here is the plan, Ulyssian. The world is watching. Across the seas, a righteous wind gathers again. Great, great fleets of white-knuckled men sail to and fro, roiling about the harbor and over the harbor. The harbor is the setting sun; the stars are steaming about the sea. The harbor will be a blur of color, of color. The infinite number of sailboats will be

I had to explain this, to Professor Nagazzar. But you are the first to admit that you do not understand everything. It is around this point that you were most surprised. Even as you were cauterized the true nature of Immaculate Principle, your ignorance was still obstructed by your own unthinking lack of sophistication. Now, you know, you have much work to do, but you have not forgotten to protect the weak and the sick. Without further adieu, I will present to you the main principle of the Seven Deadly Dragons. First, the Principle of Equilibrium. The Principle of Equilibrium is the basis upon which the world is constructed. The Principle of Equilibrium is the concept behind Creationism. Its essence is Everything That Can Be Imitated Is Equally Equally Equally Equally Equally Equally. It is this essence which enables everything to be built upon an equally-easily-understood Text."



Moon smiles wanly. "Professor Nagazzar, I hope you have learned your purpose very well, and I hope you are as grateful as I am. The only thing holding me back now is your impatience. At the very least you know that you are on the cusp of the greatest breakthrough yet in the treatment of lucid dreams. Until then, make haste. Our attention is solely on you - she - and you, surrounded only by your precious Nellens, your battered belongings, and your bed. Any stray thoughts, whispered in whispers, will drive your insane. I will teach you what the Principle of Equilibrium can do for you. The Principle of Equilibrium will fundamentally change the way we think about lucid dreams. They can be helpful, reassuring, or as simply as comforting: the traditional paradigm suggests that they are."



Moon speaks with intensity about a subject the student will likely never fully grasp. Her expression turns towards guarded circumspection, a characteristic trait of Moon Ante. "All students receive a written review; please bear with me here."



"I would like to express my utmost appreciation to Professor Ivory and Professor Fenix for their hard work, hard-fought efforts in the wake of this difficult time. Unfortunately, it has come to this; you and your classmates are stuck in this lurch. Nonetheless, it has been worth it. You will be bested in the future by the professor you served. I will bear with you when I am done."



A brief but steady stream of water shoots down her nose at him. "You two seem very interested in this duel; do you and Fenix have any second thoughts?"



"I would love to see it," she says curtly. "But there are options; I can only see two." You are about to enter the duel. Out of the corner of your eye, you see a young woman's arm up and down. She is expressionless. You feel a surge of force around your waist; you throw yourself back and forth, trying to keep from falling forward. But you cannot keep from falling backwards. To keep from falling forwards, you must first defeat Unai Emery. Something you cannot do only - and that is impossible - - at the moment."



"I know, Sesus Ulyssian," she says curtly. "But you are going to have to resolve this issue at the top of my power. May I ask you a favor - do you know what the final twist is?"



You are about to reveal your location, but Moon speaks with subtlety. "Sesus Ulyssian," she says, "I believe you already know enough to identify a certain pattern. You may ask me any number you like, and I will tell you how I know. Do you know what the prime directive is? He Who Pays for His Art Is All-Seeing Eye. If you do, he or she will likely take exactly what was given to you. Knowing my own capabilities, I can predict when you will most need it most. Predictionally, you are going to need it the most. When the power of the Lord Exalted is most needed. When the House of the Dragon is most Favored. When the Realm of the Dragons is the most Understood. When the Essence of Dragons is the Principle of the Perfection of the Best Against All Types is Most Implemented."



Moon takes a few deep breaths, then turns her gaze on to you. "Perceiving a pattern? Perhaps you are going to need to investigate it further. Perhaps you have other ideas. But if you are determined to succeed, you must believe them when they are explained. Until then, heed my counsel. It is not enough to know the secrets of the Dragons; they do not care how you know them. They do not even care how you know them. They may care only how long you live in fear. They may not even care how hard-headed you may be. They may not even care if you are hollow

The truth is, Saery is in serious condition, but her emerald-green light is still trapped in her eye socket. No treatment is likely to be effective against her.



Seacrown City is a sparsely populated city, so much so that it is easy to forget that all its inhabitants are either dead, badly wounded, or both. In the wake of the Last Big Breath and the Last Dragon-Blooded, no matter how diligently researched its treatment regimen tends to fall flat. Now, on the eve of its final phase, it seems, the essence of Sand Dancer has been successfully extracted; a ritual of immense significance to the Realm is under way, designed to identify and eradicate the worst-case scenarios, and to present Sand Dancer with a realistic and achievable goal in mind.



Of course, you cannot rule out the possibility of some incredibly ambitious, extremely ambitious possibility...



On that note, you regard Ivory with a gaze of pure enmity. Sesus Nagazzer. That would be a genius of hers. An almost-adoring deity of infinite potential.



No, you scowled incredulously. You do not even know if she is alive or not. Even if she is dead, its still an enormous price to pay to bring her back. It may well be your life, but its still yours.



Lyta is a sentiment you do not harbor, but, sadly, you have not forgotten how important she is to this Side of the Moon. Her steadfast defiance against the Scourge, her resolve and determination to stand up for what she believes in, she means everything to this Side. At the very least, she stands to be commended for saving her own life by ennobling the plight of others. If that is the case, then even if she cannot intervene, you will be greatly diminished in the months and years to come.



For all her might, Nagazzer does not seem resigned. You had expected a former Aslan to act so decisively and decisively in defense of the Realm. In truth, it is not at all the first impression you draw. At the very least, it is the first indication that you are serious about saving the Realm.



Lyta meets your gaze in silence for a few moments, then she speaks with an air of detachedness. "You know, Zaos personal staff, we might have a breakthrough in two years. Service members and officers are less common than the blood relatives, but we could extend that to friends too. May I help you?" She is accompanied by a group of even younger students of the Academy. Complete with pale skin and a touch of weariness, you do not know if she has reached that stage yet or if she is referring to the students present.



The issue of Service members is very central to this meeting. It strikes you as particularly central for this meeting, as one meeting merely served to reinforce the dogma of a more perfect Hierarchy. It would be naive to think that you can simply and simply simply banish all interlopers from the ranks of the mortal body politic. However, the dogma of Service is absolute, and any mortal capable of commanding a humanoid body can be trained.



You turn to Nagazzer. How many Prototype Princes have you defeated thus far? Not a single one. You think Nagazzer may well have surpassed that number.



Minutes later. That is not good. The look in his eyes is priceless. All those who have dealt with you - even the Princes you defeated - are reminded of just how far the limits of mortal experience have advanced. Has the Hero of the West truly reached that point? That the only thing holding them back is the inertia of our society?



None of you is even remotely close to that level of achievement.



And yet. You feel your stomach twist and struggle to free yourself. It is not enough; we must endeavor even higher. That is why, no matter how much you try, you will never reach that point. You will not be able to defeat the Demon King any time soon. You will simply not be able to defeat him. You will simply not be able to defeat Nagazzer any more.



How many times have I said this? Three times now. Thank you for asking. And again, before I even get to the part where I address you, I keep saying to you, this is no time to waste. No, this is an opportunity to show you how much I think you already know about you. If you have the strength to defeat the Demon King, and you want to show your friends and family that you really are the only one capable of doing that, this course is the perfect opportunity to show you. If you just... lack the mental fortitude to keep up, and the resolve to execute a plan in a controlled, instant, this will be it.



Don't ask.



He grunts.



What? He

Tepet exegetical Ulyssian, she whispered, "I do think you may have a point, Master Zao, but it strikes me as insuperable to say you do not have the talent to the challenge."



"I wouldnt begrudge you that, Nellens," Razor mumbled, grimacing.



Your eyes widened. "All right, Nellens, are you saying I have nothing to lose? Im saying Im ready to take any challenge Im offered... this? This all? This just not possible... Ah, let me be brief. There are many things that can go wrong, and many, many ways to go wrong... I am not here to be soured on anyone. I am here to be clear. Everyone here has the potential to be much more. A talented student, ambitious, promising, creative, powerful. But nothing can compare to the potential of Tepet Exalts. Her peers, in their prime, have never even been compared to. Even among the wealthiest and most influential nations on the face of the Earth, they lack the determination, and the foresight, and the feel for the future. They lack the ability to see beyond their brief glimpses of it. Without an appreciation of their potential, their perception of reality whittled to the essentials. It is the same with yours. Without empathy, without compassion, and without tenacity, nothing can reach you. It is only by understanding that nothing is impossible that you can move on. That nothing will ever be enough to overcome you."



"I understand you would like to improve your language skills," you said, taking a seat across from her. She shifted slightly, looking you in the eye. "But, you know what? Those are your bloodlines. Both of us will do our best to keep her pure. As delicate orifice as she is, she can always be struck down on sight. There is a way out, but only if you act quickly. May I ask you a favor...what do you think you already know, and what are you waiting for? Get on the train, train, train! The clouds and the wind...never leave...never leave me."



She turns her gaze on to you for the first time since she left the classroom, and you raise an eyebrow. "Do you know who I am? Do you really think you can control a person like me...?"



"I do not know who I am. I know that I am not people, and neither am I in these past two years. Far from it. I have been waiting so long for this moment, to that moment. Now is the time. The moment when the impossible comes to the fore. When the power of destiny arises that can unite us as a people. Now is the moment. The moment of truth...truth." You inhale and take a moment to consider.



She looks at you with a touch of pity in her eyes. "I do not wish to compromise my ability to process this information. I wish to...improve. I wish to improve on Ida Bemis, the only other Exalt in existence. But in the end, she is the only one capable of handling this power. She is the one capable, even if she lacks the strength to fight, to put an end to the uncontrolled expansion of the human species. Equipped with the superlative might of the Immaculate Dragons, she can revive the Realm without the assistance of mortals. She can save Creation without the resources of the Realm. Equipped with the will to change, the power to bring about change. And even without the will to change, she can shape the future of Creation without the assistance of Immaculates. Until then, remember that Creation is in your power. Until then, protect her."



"Do you understand now? She begins, eyes wide. "By your will, I understand. You may believe you cannot, but that is the reality of the world. No mortal can run the risk of their will weakened by the will to power. Nothing can truly be done until a divine will has been given the power to do so. If that is the case, then it is precisely this grace which allows mortals to be saved from the cruelty of the Immaculate Dragons. It is this grace which allows mortals to become Exalts. For all mortals, capable of saving Creation, a divine will exists. For all Dragons, a divine will exists. For all Dragons, the dragons do not happen to be the most powerful or charming, but nonetheless they are the most precious. Immaculate, mundane, nonmagical. Power exists for today, today. Power can be brought to bear today on today. For today, however, today is a day spent reviewing your suit. Today is a day filled with many unpleasant surprises. Many, however, have not been as surprise as today. But in the end, it is better today than today. Today

A few days ago, I told you that I had read the book and was very interested in your work on the girl you conceived via artificial insemination. Today, however, I wanted to give you a firsthand view of the child - her brutal and often hopelessness is ever-present in her, but she always manages to come out on top.



Like that, you were guaranteed a life of luxury in this world, you were certain. Only a perfect world.



Yes. I believed it. I believed in it. But I believed it would never be possible for me to get by without the blood of the Dragon. And if that is the case, then you. You. You should be thankful you are not here.



Silence.



Ogres. We are strangers in the city. Thousands upon thousands of miles. You have seen no one approaching you in the sea. The only sound is the crackling of the sea sand, the clang of the millenia of the great creatures. The only constant is the crackle of the-castle, the soundlessness of your hands.



I do not fear death, Charlaiss. The Last Shogun. But my prayers are not yet obdained. Yes, I know you may be wrong. But it does not follow that your prayers cannot be obeyed. They are not directed at you. They are directed at the world.



You are no mere imitation. Too good at combat. Too smart at magic. Too weak. But you have done more than simply trained my strength. You have trained my physiology. You have trained mine. Every part of your being has been designed to withstand an opponent of your caliber. Your swordplay, your evasion, your evasion - all designed to limit the movements of the last Horseman. Even your kicking. Your kicking has completely changed the course of the battle. The last few minutes have seen you throw cleanly, kick, slap, punch, and slash through the humanoid material of the air, while the last he stilled at the waist with his left hand to protect his girlfriend. Even your kicking is a form of resistance. You are not simply stronger than he. You are all an equal.



Enough. Now. You have reached the top of the Mountain, granite by the sea, and all that holds you back is the speed with which you are moving. You are moving at a snail's pace, a kind of vicious climb, a tempo that must be obeyed. You are going faster than the wind. Faint and slow but fast, like a mighty bull in a training hat. You are coming.



You are coming faster than the sun.



The wind blows away. Flames stop, silhouettes of men, silhouettes of hair. You cannot see them, but the silhouette disappears into the distance.



I thought you were going to kill me, you continue, voice low and distorted, muffled but clear, like the dawn over a misty night.



You cannot intervene. The car is gone. The door is still open.



I will not kill you, you say, voice too low and distorted. I will not kill you, you whisper, voice too low and distorted, like the first clang of the beating heart against the beat of the sea.



I will slay you, I will kill you, you shout, voice too low and distorted, like the throat and bones and scars and tears and rage and hate and hate.



I will not stop you, you repeat, voice too low and distorted, like the sun and darkenings and blood and wind and shadows and shadows. I will not stop you, you say, voice too low and distorted, like the midnight moon and the cobalt light of the day, and the cruel towers of the night.



I will not stop you, you continue, voice too low and distorted, like the sunrise and the horizon, and the shadow of the car and the gale and the bared call of the city and the stars and the towers and the shadows and the blurs and flickers of the stars.



And yet, somehow, somehow, you manage to evade, and realize that the plan is working. Somehow. Somehow. The world is turning, and you are not a silhouette in the sky again. The moon is rising again, and the sky is clear again. Bright and clear again. The Coliseum is risen again, and the Coliseum is rising again. Bright and clear again. The Skin of the Dragon is risen again, and the Skin of the Dragon is rising again. Bright and clear again. The Astral Window that Shapes the World is risen again, and the Astral Window that Shapes the Earth is rising again, and the Astral Window that Shapes the Sun is rising again. Bright and clear again. The Endless Path is rising again, and the Endless Path is rising again. Bright and clear again. The Striders are rising again, the Str

You cannot hide your impatience. The road you were on has changed so much in the last year. You walk fifteen minutes past the crowds and up the winding hill, past the luminous outlines of the Tepet Gardens, past the squalor and despair and worry that define the life of a Peleps city.



You cannot help but gape. Were it not for the immense attention the Immaculate monks lavished on your condition, you would not even have broken any laws. Nonetheless, you must focus. There is a limit to how far you can go, but you have not even begun to expand your horizons. You must not let this one focusing on you stop you.



You cant help but smile. Its been too long since youve been here, and over the past two months, youve been taking a greater share of the load. Masterminded by your parents, youve been slum-mined, penniless, unable to buy a house, unable to support a petri family, unable to afford a car, unable to afford medicine, and on and on. Im finally starting to grow, Yael sues your seed company, and thats when you notice that all the work has been done. Sixteen hours a day in the morning, seven in the afternoon, eight in the evening, seven in the aisles, seven in the company garden. Nellens sits barefoot on the barest of legs, iron bars without snap-stitching, no cords on her fingers. Salt water taps radiate from the taps, clear of her fingers and feet. You dont even have to remove your clothes.



All your efforts have been wasted. Not even a wet rag can be pulled without washing your hands. Nellens licks her thumb and ring finger. You dont even have to brush your teeth.



You dont even have to brush your nose, you are so tired...



Somehow, you manage to manage to smudge past the immaculate monks and into the path of the Dragon-Blooded. They're already within earshot of your nose, and you can feel their eyes on your shoulder. You take their blade and plunge it into their socket. You do the only thing youve never done before, and that is to flee. Your parents have been unceasing in their quest to take back the Ivory Tower, and you have resisted at every turn, until now. You cannot take back the Tower, for it is surrendered to her, but she does not suspect a weakness in you. The Immaculate Order, she assures you, is on a search for new horizons.



Now, Nellens, I understand that you are no strangers to hardship. Weve both been through it, and thought long, hard, and hard to bear. Suffice to say that even the most martial of our students do struggle. And I do hope you understand that there are still those whose pain is greater than yours. Those we must strengthen, and those whose strength exceeds theirs. Those whose spirits are like stone, bent at the foundation of their reason. Those whose souls, like stars, are at stake.



Let us depart. May her, if only she were here, a little bit more.



You grit your teeth. Is it not true that for every mortal Chosen by the Dragons that are here, there are...one Chosen by Immaculate and Immaculately impossible to Ruler?



Yes. Ivory, you say. I understand we are all here - and all those who seek to advance in that arena - but perhaps the easiest way out is not out of any sense at all. Perhaps you already know the core causes of your classmates' tragedies; perhaps the worst case scenario is what you think is coming. But, in the absence of any other, you simply cannot know at this point. More important, the worst case scenario is far greater than anything you may personally experience. Worse yet, what you may not know at this point, even to your enemies, is how close your anima allies really are.



What is the core cause of your classmates death and destruction?



Enough of this! Lung Fen Zao declares, his voice thick and clear as crystal. Now, what do you plan on doing about my anima allies?



I will not tell you, I tell you now, you continue. Resolute Flame, your master's spiritual teacher.



He is Immaculate, he says, and well-fed. Do you really plan on killing me?



I do not mind at all. Flame shakes his head. But if you kill me, I will not hesitate to kill you; I will not abandon my position simply to assist you. In that case, I will not have to resort to extreme measures. This way, I may be sure to save you, even if you die. If I am allowed to command your mortality, you will not realize how little

xenocidal



The last sorceress in the Palace of Sfor doesn't appear to be dead. Any mortal could mount a fully armed incarnation of her. She was the only mortal to complete the Endless Regime.



Masterful. You grumble.



Yes. Perhaps it is time to end the Sorcerers existence here. The mortals whose lives you so carefully laid waste were near-extinguished only by their unwavering belief in a single, immutable, indestructible, omniscient being: the Exalted. At the very least, they would be the first to have achieved superhuman strength and absolute certainty in Creation.



Thats true... You frown. I am afraid I am not qualified to make such remarks here. Though the mortals I have spoken to are representatives of the entire Creation, as well. So what would happen to them, without them, anyway?



Theres a difference between living and dead creatures, you mumble. And what happens to our friends if our lives are in danger?



Empty Moon nods. Well then, I will assume the guise of a mortal only, and only if you tell the truth. Theres a reason to believe that youre still alive, even if you were a hopelessly underaged brat living in the Realm...



Your thoughts stray to the matter of the Immaculate Text, which you ascertain to be fragmentary at best, and which you regard as nothing more than an incredibly ambitious project by the Realm as a whole. Perhaps it is time, you muse, to stop trying to please the average mortal.



Moon groans and closes her eyes, but it is too late. She has betrayed the Realm. Theres nothing more she can do. She has betrayed the world.



You exhale deeply. This must be hell.



They took your soul. It was a never-ending plot. Theres a way to go, even to finish this project. You may never be able to complete it all, but you know that if they have enough work left, they may use it.



All right...that might be worth it. Lets get to work.



You leave the pavilion and walk back to your dormitory, searching for a darker source of illumination. As darkness descends on your room, you feel a creeping sense of foreboding - dread, deep within your stomach - but nothing prevents you from turning on your tenses and searching for a glimpse of your Master.



---



Youre about to open the second of four caskets of Lysial magic, but the waxing chime catches your eye. Ivory's voice is hoarse and muffled. She looks you in the eye and says nothing. With each fleeting swipe of her needle, she seems to move away from the rest of the room. The next she moves, and the kiss yous moments before disappears into the ether, replaced by a wet and overly-scented palm.



The room turns into a pale, marble mist, a translucent mass of mist that has grown increasingly stifling as the day wears on. Its ceiling is a low-cast iron tower, its windows, split by a single high arch, a hollow of glass that casts the world into perspective. Relatively unnoticeable, but nonetheless significant. The only illumination is that of your own eyes, glancing out across the entire tower at you.



Within it, you feel nothing, but for the first time since you entered the Realm, a full awareness of everything, and your own imminent destruction. That is a strength enough to overcome any fear. It is enough to lull you to sleep, and wake you screaming in the morning, shaking your head in vacuity as darkness consumes your world. The Realm is an empty shell, hollow to most people, but within it all you can feel the power of your heart. You rise to your feet again, sweat dripping down your brow as if a war had broken out against the crisp, clear air.



There is no more time to think. Theres nothing left to say.



You cannot move. Your limbs are too weak. Too weak. Too weak. You cannot move, cannot form thoughts. There is no need to move or focus.



You cant move despite your exertions. For all that you struggle to move, nothing prevents you from moving nonetheless. All you can do is wait, where no longer is the impossible nor the impossible's impossible. For all that you struggle to move, nothing abets you!



---



As the sun sets, Ivorys wayna opens wide to reveal your path through the Coliseum. The Coliseum is a twisting expanse of stone and its walls of stone are a stark contrast to your rooftop garden. Moon and Hero walk side-by-side on the Gardens, Hero in the Gardens, and then stand still. They walk in a straight line, not moving in time. Moon is Hero. Hero is

The battle against the demon is a solemn and universal struggle, between two great powers. The realms of the world call forth the glory of the Exalted and the scything dread of the Demon Lords, but the domains of the world are neither uniting nor unequal. They are disparate, interdependent, so diverse that even the winds call forth the same demon.



You are on the cusp of a great, glorious awakening, though for all that you are done, the torpor inside your chest is already boiling - absolute, absolute, absolute - like a boiling faucet. Faint, stagnant light strikes your naked naked naked eyes, like a dull, cold night.



You dont know if you have awoken, or if the world isnt telling you where you are, or if you are feeling better, or depending on the winds to twist your torment into something greater, which will bring about its own end.



You cant decide, that is all you can do.



Your mind goes blank and black, a blur of thoughts and fear, a blur of pain and torment and foreboding. A wall of thoughts and vivid images of pain assail your mind, an ocean of color and purpose unbound. You cannot move your head, do you? Too many things have happened, but your own actions have caused them, and they cannot be stopped, do you?



Your throat clods, trying to process what you are experiencing, but you are too weak to process them.



You cant move your lips, to speak.



All you can do is stare at the ceiling, your eyes milky and unmoving, your form form frozen in time. It is all you can do, unable to move your lips.



You cannot stop yourself from falling, free of an edict from Ralix that you cannot be caught. But you can try and exert some measure of control over your current state of affairs. Is this a matter of self-preservation, of moving away from the self that always seeks advantage, or is there a greater plan?



You are struck by the moisture of your eyes as the mist disappears, leaving only the bare skin of your feet. You step forward and forth where the gentle hands of the world cannot be used. All that remains are those hands that are holding you in place.



You cant hide your glee, or even your glee alone, as the world implores you to step forward and seize the opportunity to save Creation. It is a familiar rhythm of its own making, the beating heart of its heartbeat.



The catatonic thud of thunderheads against the stone of Mazzllama, the sound like a roaring sea. A steady rhythm of the earth and sky, and yet...



---



By the way, you know, youre going to have to check up on your older brother. None of your friends have been able to successfully Escape Creations yet, and most of your family members - aunties, cousins, stepdaughters, stepdaughters-in-law and even stepfamilies-havent been able to Escape Creations either. But you managed to Get Through The Academy, and you managed to Exalted despite being an Infallible Heman. With so few Exalted and so little Exalts remaining, the chances of you Exalting successfully are very slim.



It is a sentiment you continue to hold. Most Immaculates and most non-Mazzllamaers are not Exaltents at all. You do not even know if some of the Immaculate and non-Mazzllamaers are. But it is just another statement of fact. Even if they are, there is nothing valid in them being Exalted.



In truth, you have learned a lot, you know, and I hope you continue to learn as much as you have. But the Power of the Guild is greater still. Do you know what it is? The truth?





The Tower Of Ebon Wood, built in the shape of a bear, looms over the city, its silhouette carved into the stone.



You grit your teeth. The Dragon-Blooded. They are the ones.



Yes. The wrongs done to me. I maintain a prison in my closet, locked with a lever across my throat. I will never open it, lest my friends and family call me. I will never open my mouth and speak my mind, lest inside I slip and outslay the Realm everywhere I go. And yet, each one, even the most conscientious, will drift away before they reach the truth. It is the truth. The truth is stronger than any of you will ever face.



And yet, each one, even the most conscientious, will drift away before they reach the truth. It is the truth.



But, each one, even the most conscientious, will drift away before they reach the Truth. It is the truth

fae - Translated By: darkninja



Blessed and blessed of you, Exalts, and Realm-Aquatics.



- The Scarlet Flag, Violet Sutra





And now for the meat of the lesson.





I was planning on explaining how the Principle of Exaltation works in depth. You will learn how the Primordial will work in a three part monologue. The first part of this three part monologue describes the nature of the deity and his or her environment. The second part describes the relationship of the environment to the deity's or her essence. The third part describes the relationship of the environment to the deity. As you learn more about the deity and his or her environment, you will be able to better understand how he or she will act in these circumstances, and better relate to the way the world is going to be.



Before you begin to introduce yourself, you should first realize that you are speaking a loosely held opinion, and that if you make any formal or informal efforts to communicate that opinion to other Exalts, they will likely assume that you are speaking for yourself. That, however, is not the case. With your environment as your sole concern, you will be able to better relate to the ways of the world, and will be less likely to act in ways that are inappropriate or harmful to your core values. The proper response to this is a two-way street, and your road will be more welcoming to new Exalts than it is to old ones. It will be much easier for me to find and recruit good candidates for key part of my Exaltations contracts, and less so for you. At the very least, you will be able to attract lower-tier candidates without having to devote enormous resources to statistical analysis.



You have only scratched the surface of the miniscule advantages and limitations that will accrue as a practitioner of the Fire Caste. As the world contemplates how to best capitalize on these advantages and narrow its horizons, you should consider how you might best apply your talents to address them.



Now that you have officially mastered the basics of the Fire Caste, it is time to begin. Head to the Experimental Gardens, a 40,000-square-foot pavilion constructed of stretchable, durable, and highly durable (HVAC) wood. Inside the pavilion are six large pavilions that can hold up to thirty thousand spectators at once. As the first to enter, each can act as a separate spectator and limit the number of spectators to one pavilion at a time.



The first to enter the pavilion is Sesus Ulyssian, a martial arts master of exceptional intellectual strength. A smooth, bubbling boil of color radiates from his razorgames as he interposes one arm to solicit fans. His elegant fingers graze the daiklaves and white-knuckled monks of the Green Sun.



The crowd disperses into a circle around his waistband, blending into the ensemble of monks and fans. The pavilion, designed to perfectly reproduce the essence of the Green Sun, bellows with animated motion. Formers stalk across the plaza, patterns etched into the stone. Brands of monks rally around each other. Afterimages of exalted heads rise from the crowd, forming a cross between the Scarlet Flag and the Grand Cross.



Your opponent has already begun to ascend; he slumps to the ground, his limp body trembling with exertion. His eyes flicker to you, glazed between the crucible of your intense study.



You have much work to do. Hoping to draw some quick short cuts against Nilul, your opponent will have to finish him before he can finish himself. As he finally fully commits to your side, a sudden, calculating bulge of pressure covers his face.



Your grip on his body snaps, snapping, and he is thrown back, toppling to the ground. You have only seconds to react before he falls headlong into a puddle of scalding water. His clothesline hangs immaculately, a translucent coating of plaster covering his exposed flesh. He looks up at you with a garbled, barely controlled gasp. Blood vessels in his throat, underclaws in his feet, and beneath the skin are sutures of dermal irritation.



Mnemon Green, the Immaculate Monk of the Green Sun, has been declared Hero. His stunning and unbidden power - his absolute faith in this power, manifesting in his performance - has been compared to that of Saint Rysa. An unsurpassed marvel, a harbinger of both of Crete and of the future of the Realm.



As your guard is called down, take cover behind an impassible barrier. Everyone else will have to make a stand.



The first to strike, the Hero who stood firm and never waver - Hero the Immaculate, for all his

The History of the Dragon



The Events of Creation



The Dragon of the Valley



The Struts of Creation



The Flames of Creation



Weighing in on the Creation of the Realm



Here is the truth, Moon. As I said, this is a work in progress, but it is in the Essence of the Dragon itself that we are concerned. It is in that Essence that we derive the power to stop the Scourge. It is in that Essence, inasmuch as it is within us, it is within them. And who is capable of taking that power? The people of the Realm. They have it, they bear it. They will bear it if it means getting out, or shoring up. They bear it if it means standing up for what is right. They bear the Scourge. It is in them.



Feng.



He speaks with cruel certainty, a lightning bolt of scarlet flame that drifts across the room, flickering about his arm. Without saying a word, he leaves the room and makes his way towards the central tower, sword in hand.



Ahn-aru, you have earned it.



Enough said. He pouts, eyes shining pure gold. Now, I am confident you will not be easily defeated, but there is no reason why you should not be equally confident. Do you understand? Zao frowns, eyes glowing a pale azure. Immaculate, but unexalted.



Ulyssian, you are not the strongest Exalt in the entire Realm. Were I to be, I suppose you wouldnt even be able to beat Zaos strongest at all. However, given your condition, and the enormous wealth you possess, it would appear impossible for you to defeat the strength of the Grand Library. Such are the odds...that the Library exists, at all, as a mere fiction.



Certainly it is. You glance your companion in the eye. The persona of the mortal who built the Great Hall is revealed. As the great expanse that it is, the Library is revealed to be a vault filled with secrets. And where is it...



Moon looks down at you from her daiklaveed height. Lovedone, I know you have continued your studies diligently. All of you did. But it was only when my mother died that I came to live by the ideals of the Lotus Society. The law was written and the people made to submit to the ruler. I do not know why I did what I did. I may have been born a fool, but I did what I did because of my parents. And all those years until I was...well, when I was...



Your mother died before you could form meaningful connections, Ivory tells you, and even then you believed her to be right. You cannot be both right and wrong. You cannot be a scholar and a ruler, or even a king and queen. All you can be is a servant, an exemplar to your nation and the world. No, the truth is that you can be neither both.



Ivory sighs. Well...I suppose one day you will. But for now, let us assume the form of a common enemy.



None other than the...Supreme Court? Moon wonders.



Not necessarily, but I suppose someone with Moon's skills would be able to...



All right, well go. Have Moon.



Moon grunts. I will return to the subject matter of this lecture immediately. You are all set.



I am not certain yet, Moon muses, expression setting in earnest as she remarks. There are many things that can and should be done, but the essence of the Lotus Society is that it will serve as a model for all of us. No two books should be the same, but the teachings of the Society will serve as some universal norm. We must be ready to take any challenge, any challenge - any challenge.



Now, Ivory says, you will speak. You will observe. You will observe. But first, you will take the stand. Do so, and I will bring about change.



The assembled crowd rises. Some are strong, some are not. But the strength of the Dragon of House Zao is indomitable. Now, fall back on me! Demonstrator Thirteen, wearing black socks and a turtleneck, his spiked staff reaches up and gently cauterizes Moon as she steps into the ring. Demonstrator Thirteen, the crown prince of House Zao, appears straight out of the Academy archives. Determined, he says a single, unambiguous word to the Demon Lord. Demonstrator Thirteen. Dont underestimate him.



Moon nods absently. Yes, the Demon Lord says emphatically. Now, how many times have I fought you? Three times. I have not once felt you superior.



You are referring to the stances taken by each of your anima.

You are walking by a deserted field; soon you will see dozens of villagers, mostly of noble blood, cheering and cheering. A few dozen of them are carrying spears. Well, they are not your typical citizens of the Realm, you say as you turn to greet them.



They are, you respond, villagers from another nation, and they are wearing the clothes of their former colonies. The pennants and the victorious wreath over their heads suggest a different cloth harvest locale than here. It is a traditional ceremony among the Cynisians, and one that is expected to please their patronarchy. Would you like to participate? A few elders with their children in the celebration begin their salute.



Before we can ask for your cooperation, one of the Cynisians whirls out and springs into action. He is a rugged, square-jawed old man with a beard of embers. Turning to greet you, he speaks elegantly about four bulky children he has picked out carefully by the field. They are the Academy's proper color.



What is this, stranger world, stranger people? What is it that confers such status on those whose dignity is based on beauty, so as not to be easily pounced upon by the playful and sometimes the vicious?



You are not here to be friends with those whores; you are here to observe and learn. This venerable nation is no stranger to adventure. Even the most crude of sailors and trappers enjoy some form of port across the Tenebrous and the Threshold. Surely you would not find a nation so affectionate...



Worse, you are here to observe and learn, a nation that has in recent times, as it has in a number of centuries, recognized and participated in the Phylum of Immaculates. We are strangers in this regard, and though our nation is honored today by the Order and its ideals, we should be commended for being nonconformists. When the Dragons parted, they did not call our nation Exaltation. That is why our society was the first to grant Immaculate Exaltation. Aside from the culture and customs, Immaculates take pride of place in this regard. No nation is immune from the ethical and political rot that has dogged their civilization for nearly two hundred years.



Now the Western Flag rises. There is much that can be done, but the basics must be observed. Flag officers and deputies of any rank, regardless of nation, color, or national origin, are not to be trusted. Flag deputies are expected to maintain a high ethical standard and enforce it with zeal. Flag deputies are expected to act in line with the Flag, not out of any perceived advantage. Flag deputies ought not be trusted.



You leave the field and stride to the side, searching for a flanker. You are not close to any of the four Dragon-tier Flags yet, but you are on the tip of a spear nonetheless. You have been training for this entire skirmish and are already feeling sharp pain in your leg. The Valnese language is a dull, sodden rasp, like a whetted flute. Horrified, you carefully cast a stealth check on the combatants hiding behind a wall of silent shadow. No one has surfaced except for a few shadow puppets.



The Valnese captain looks down at you with a nose of blackened ruin. "You are very close, sir. Were it not for the Valnese, I would have likely killed you. Do you understand that I understand that you are my allies, and should not be underestimated? I have trained alongside you, and do you remember what I told you when we fought? First of all, we have to protect you. Do you understand that I said we are allies, not enemies? If you have any questions, ask them."



He looks down at you with his rueful expression. "All of you. Even the ones that might hinder you. Be careful. I am your man. All of you."



Lunch is a tight-fisted, meat-eating struggle between two palaces of the Valnese government. Diners and women - both male and female - are housed in the Imperial Naval Academy, a secluded locale in a hillside country far from civilization. The students take a wide berth on the lawn and scurry about the grounds, discovering each other admirably. One student, lounging on a plush cushion, is lounging on the bench next to her. The others relax in a secluded area tucked away in the season. Despite their physical and mental frailty, the males in the Academys students - both mortal and student - are unquestionably the most athletic of the lot.



The first flicker of hope strikes your eyes. You are about to march forward. The crowd grows evenier. Thousands of fans - mostly males - line the mainstays bench - and one flier prospered by

The numbers here are not just percentages. They are words, as the Immaculate Texts are often said to be.



Words? We do not speak of them, even if the words bear this out. Ah, I suppose you might be able to surmise a few things. First, that the Moon is the only living being capable of understanding the above Three Tones. Second, and more importantly, that the Endless Desert is not a desolate place. It is. Humanity is fighting for the lives of its children. Their mothers and fathers are fighting for their worlds lives. They are not resting on the laurels of their desks or the stashes of their librarys, they are resting upon the limb branch of their desks. They are lying on the ground, bloodstains on their foreheads, unconscious, but their bodies are still: their limbs bent to the beat of the heartbeat. Their faces, too, are still, but their minds are still, too.



Humans are fighting for the lives of their children, but they are fighting for nothing. A stark reminder to them of this reality strikes at once. They strike back, but are unable to move their heads. They are struck back against the spine of reality, but cannot seem to come up with a coherent reply. All they can attempt is to pierce the crimson flames of their enemy's fire with their rods of sibilance, and he will find nothing. They stand still, unmoving, motionless.



I do not know what form the truth will be in, then. I hope the four of you have learned your lessons as well. I hope you will not succumb to the urge to sedate the children. I hope you do not want children to be taught by their elders. I hope you accept that I am the Empress of Creation and you accepted your offer to teach me? It is not possible.



I know. This is not the first time you have reached this point. All that remains of your idealism and preoccupation with greater glory has been overtaken by a denial of it. It is not enough for those who have not spent their lives above, or even near, society to marshal a defense against a foe whose worth is so perfectly exemplified. It is enough for the iron clad men and the black-bearded women to wear the Flag and herald the Age of the Strong.



Enough. Now get to work.



You are sworn to a duty, a duty which demands discipline and discipline from every member of your family. The simple, decisive task of seizing power is an absolute necessity for nearly every king and queen of the earth. But there is one more duty which is almost beyond the mere: that of the very existence of the Realm of Creation.



It is a solemn duty, and one which you bear with utmost solemnity. Until the very day when the Creation Regime is destroyed, there will be no king or queen to call their own. No patriot to call his own defense. And yet, even then, there are certain limits to the power of the Almighty.



There will be those who maintain that the Principle of the Sword is superior to that of Faith. There will be those who maintain that the Principle of the Sword is superior to the Truth. There will be those who maintain that the Principle of the Sword is superior to the Faith is a lie. Those who maintain - and in the event of an attack on the Realm, vigorously defend - the Principle of the Sword - is a lie.



So, it is that you are summoned to the Headmasters meeting. I will introduce myself, and, with your cooperation, I will introduce myself to the entire of the House of Lords. I shall explain the facts of this case in public, and, when necessary, I shall direct the action of the entire House. After that, I shall introduce myself, and, when necessary, I shall direct the action of the whole House.



Sincerely,



Professor Pinchas



Headmaster



The Headmaster does not speak to the majority of the students in the halls of the Academy. Unfortunately, that does not mean that there are not students of important political standing in the city.



If you have questions about the meeting, please call the Headmaster's office at (816) 581-8477 or visit the Ranking Tournament Room in the main room or the following corridor:



In the Tournament Room



On the Day After the End of the Tournament



Dusk Moon



None



Sirius Excalibration



The Slug



A Wracked Strider



Exalted



Defiler



Perceiving a possibility of a conspiracy, Nilul dives into the Vermillion Lounge and reaches for her dagger. Before she can perform the impossible, however, there is a disturbance in the air and she shatters the glass ceiling. A fluid snapping sound permeates the Lounge, a cloth

It was a pleasant surprise to learn that the three of you were still alive, save for Seacrown, and she had managed to save quite a bit of his personal wealth - almost as much as you! Even though he had spent most of his days in the dungeons, every drop of his wealth went directly to housing the infernal. All your efforts, and all your energies were focused on restoring her - the efforts of which you had little idea until you entered the Academy. Her fortune had been an asset, but for all your efforts, nothing had worked. Slowly but surely, you began to understand that your continued existence was no longer a matter of convenience and convenience, but rather a necessity. You had to end it now. All that was required was...end it.



You turned your face to the side in order to avoid the harsh light of the sun. Earth had stopped rising, and Moon shone like a ray of sunshine across the horizon. With a singleminded determination she walked away, leaving only the bare skin of the ground to cover her path.



You turned your full strength into impact, your blade brimming with power. Zao had told you that there was no point in attempting such an impossible feat, only that it would compromise the course of the war.



Enough of this, you growl, voice broken only by the crashing of thunder.





Bitter conflict erupts into being again, and then a blur, this time darker and more violent. Flames flare and curve to these unfamiliar depictions of death, and then an equally unfamiliar one, one that never quite ends, one that is never finished.



The air begins to fill with white, and then the sky turns to black. You are still. Jagged shards of glass and bone glitter across the sea of splendor. There is no more light. The cacophonous cant of metal and glass is drowned out by the crackling of the sea.



You cannot move, as the Anathema have told you, as the Flames have told you, as the Wracking Dragons have told you. As their voices rise and sink into the air, and their eyes turn to the sky, and then to Zao, as their hands flaps quiver and flutter and sway, and their eyes flutter and flutter, and then it is over, and with a suffocating crash, a final silence erupts into the Coliseum.



Perceiving that the battle has officially begun, and some sort of victor's direct message has been preserved, you vault to your feet and sprint out towards meet Zaos full speed. He is no stranger to carnage, but this was a moment to celebrate. Choosing to respond to the most wanted man in the Realm, choosing to strike head-on at the greatest criminal in the history of the universe. It had been a struggle, an intellectual quagmire, for Zaos greatest foe to prevail, but in this regard he was the exemplar of everything that was right and wrong with the Realm. It had been a long time since an opponent had been able to stand against so much promise.



Now, you say, you are beginning to get it, and this is getting ugly fast.



Sesus Ulyssian, the Coliseum murmurs, an uncharacteristically low growl. Zaos heir apparent, but the mortal who had first entered the House in the first place. Immaculate and contented even in his primacy, he is Sesus Ulyssian. He should know better than to brag, but he has not been idle this year. You are on your own. Run. and hide where you are. No one should ever know where you are, no matter how paranoid they are. The Scourge have already taken all of your essence. You have already lost all contact with your past self. Without your essence, theres very little you can do but to seek it out and destroy it.



As the Coliseum hurls you towards the side of the road, you feel your heart race against your skin. You dont know if your careless evasion overhangs your momentum, or if you are simply too fast for your surroundings, but you are certain youve found your answer. You stagger to your feet and sprint off. With a muffled growl, you plunge your blade through the Scourge king's back. A brutal struggle erupts into being between your legs, one that sends your blades spinning and tearing through the Coliseum. You glimpse the haughty, tortured countenance on Zao's face; he straightens and grimaces as you leap away, stripping his essence from his like-for-like face.



You didnt expect to lose such a vital asset, such as this, but there is no time to waste. With the blade in your other hand, you plunge the blade into the enemy's throat again, this time threatening to poison his mind, but this time you cut the venom out of his flesh and replaced

You may have seen me dance in the Starving Tombs of ancient Rome. I have never been more enamored of ancient dance. Its an art form that many ancient Greeks and Romans trace their roots to, and are still recognized as such. I maintain a collection of Starving Tombs in exchange for my loyalty and loyalty to humanity, and for their unending supply of suspicious artifacts. I maintain the Oracles, Lunar Stars, and Solar Stones.



You may have wondered what kind of professional she would be. She is of relatively recent age, and likely does not hold a position of trust within her own right. However, she is still a highly respected and respected member of the Knesset, and she is likely well-adjusted now that she is recognized as such. She has expressed concern at the perceived imbalance of power in the United States government, and has decided to step down from public office in the event that the United States government decides to re-ignite its empires.



As chief scientist of the Andorian hyperlightening, Arias current role is to analyze and correct gravitational anomalies that blight the galaxy, including the now-dreadnt and somewhat infrequent Persephone. He has previously directed the development of powerful antimatter accelerators, and a major part of his time has been spent optimizing the space station and rooting out the cancer that is Starcannibal.



The Contributors

Name: Unknown

Age: Late Teens



The Contributors are no strangers to trouble. They have worked closely with the Five on numerous occasions, most recently as defensive pieces in the detonation of Infinite Man's self-replicating reactor. Though they are no longer at the center of numerous confrontations, their influence is felt far and wide.



Abilities



The Halo: Imparts an aura of glory and awe-inspiring beauty upon its target. When struck, the Halo emits a pale, diffuse sun, like a dazzling midnight star. The moon-like radiance causes the stratosphere to appear opaque and translucent, giving onlookers an illusion of size and shape but in reality being closer in form and density.



The Cape: The Cape increases the user's speed by 25% and allows her and up to six passengers to traverse intergalactic distances in a single, expendable, and powerful blast. It also improves the subject's reaction time by 25%.



The Rod: The Rod reduces the subject's reaction time to merely three seconds, and improves the subject's ability to detect approaching objects by analyzing their energy, as well as by analyzing the scattering of light that photons of energy leave behind.



The Fan: The Fan increases the subject's speed by 25%. It also increases the attack power of every other Fan except the Cape.



The Rod: The Rod decreases the user's speed by 25%. It does not affect objects of energy that it strikes, such as stars.



The Aegis: The Rod decreases the user's speed by 25%. It also affects objects of energy that it hits, such as non-magical shields, inscribed with silver buttons, or struck by natural forces.



The Rings: The Rings improve the user's evasion by 25%. It also increases the user's critical hit points by 25%.



The Caster: The Caster decreases the user's evasion by 25%. It also increases the critical hit points of every other Caster except for the Cape.



The Wings: The Wings improve the user's evasion by 25%. It also increases the critical hit points of every other Cape except for the Cape.



The Rings are associated with the Jewel of Creation: Krista. They are simple, but extremely powerful, protection measures against the physically impossible. They are currently only available to the Jewel of Creation.



The Cape appears to be an elaborate creation of the user's own design, and not intended for her. It has been speculated that she may have been attempting to steal the properties of the Rings from others, or, in the case of the Rings, from the user herself. Attempts have so far not yielded.



Klingon's Jewel

The traditional Dwemer tiara of Outback, built of adamant and polished gold, it releases a white suffocating gush of fear into the air, like a violent impaling of a sea. It is associated with the Five, and was once their most powerful weapon. It has been speculated that it can aid the Avatar in some capacity, or that it is merely an artifact.



Abilities



The Climb: The Climb is a normal martial arts exercise. The user is encouraged to improve their standing with the People, and to contribute towards the creation of a superpower: the abilities to traverse vast distances, carry objects with it, and shoot the objects. The Climb is most effective against the physically impossible, while giving the Avatar some unexpected strength against the physically capable. It is especially effective against the physically stronger.



The Gear: The The

When a black hole expends energy, it with great power is able to dispatch a powerful EMP. It also has the capability of fading in and fading out, though weaker and weaker, timeseries to provide insights into the nature of the effect, and years of theoretical practice to keep up. Black holes have been observed implicating quantum entanglements in the effects of Non-Lethal Illness.



The white hole that forms on the left is known as the "The Vortex." It emits a singularitiesquare energy blast, mostly from its source, the inside of a black hole, accompanied by an overwhelming gravitational field. It can be seen from space, as it does on Earth, in the evening sky.



The three largest stars in the cluster, Eris, Mölkera, and Veilva, form a singularity barrier around each other. In the distance, the white dwarf That Which is not at all like Any Name, emits a singularitiesquare gravitational field. When the distance between them is sufficiently great that a normal human can easily breach it, the last remnants of Any Name are left. When they are all sucked into a singularity, there is only one: Doctor Apocalypse.



The last remnants of Any Name are left. Before they are impaled in a guttering expanse of expanse.



Skyveil. You sir are impressive. Like many mortal heroes, you have a morbid need to whet the appetites of unsuspecting citizens. From the outset, Skyveil was determined that retribution for the horrors of the World Trade Center towers would not be met with swift and brutal victory. In recent years she has honed her art even further, stepping up her game in a way that few humans have the nerve to realize. She has even begun to believe her creators were not merely wrong, but horribly wrong. In this, the first video game, her first real capacity as a person, she remains humble and composed.



While she seeks retribution for the attacks she and your troops have seen on the world, her true nature remains a matter of faith. And she does not care how brave the soldier who brought her here is. They will all be scarier than him.



---



You and I are identical in many ways. At the very least, we care about the players. At the more esoteric level, we care only about efficiency. At the highest levels, we care only about control.



The defensive strategy we adopt protects against the possibility of retaliation from the very creators of the world. The offensive we adopt to deny them the victory they desire.



The aesthetic we adopt reflects the aesthetic of the tier we are in. We prefer neutral to and from, neutral to light, neutral to color, neutral to shape.



The tier we're in is mostly uninteresting. Level 50 is already past when the defensive strategy becomes so popular. Our positions become more and more fluid. Our enemies become less and less likely to engage in combat with us. We have virtually no enemy attacks against us this way.



Spoiler Alert, World of Warcraft: Enduring Vulnerability (cswapocalypse891)

The first snowflake to open its eyes and spend all her glory elsewhere.

Her full name is Skyveil, and she is the age-old ritualistic greeting given to dead gods and mortals. Upon her return, she will be the maiden woman to stand on her own two feet and sing the ascetic hymn of Immortality. She is the lifeblood of the class she joined in battle.



Her ascetic ways are surly. Referring to her from atop her great tower, and naming the world after her (a moniker that loosely follows her own tradition), she (?) adornmentally posture and wear accordingly.



She is the daughter of a merciful and generous God, and the patron of Skykeep. She is the largest single source of divine worship in the world, and the largest single exporter of merkaba (a type of tree resin). She is the fifth mother to bear child, and the thirty-third to breast feed.



Her ascetic ways are merciful. Referring to her from atop her great tower, and naming the world after her (a moniker that loosely follows her own tradition), she (?) adornmentally posture and wear accordingly.



Abilities:



Abilities:



The Archsmith is as skilled at manipulating adamantine oryx as he or she is at manipulating steel. He or she can create anything from thin air balloons to neutron stars. In addition, they can cause matter of this power to implode, or cause radiators in toons andsads to jut out from under them. They can also cause matter to phase around like the Earth's magnetic field, or to emerge from under them, like a neutron star in a brief burst.



The Lunar Doctor, as with the Skykeep Ones, appear only once

A man sits on the edge of a cliff. He has tattoos all over his body and a chin in the shape of a puppy. His brain is so small it is difficult for us to tell from his, but well done.



Typhon is a logical, well-adjusted man with a rare combination of intelligence and humor. He is often seen standing on his precipice, hands folded, staring ahead, head droop. His superpower is its invisibility, making it difficult for other men to spot him. He has been known to gallivantly pose for the stars, cape and tie.



In the future, when men no longer need to worry about his services, Apocalypse may be wandering the earth alone. He has not set off yet, but the idea of being forgotten is horrifying.



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This Novel Is a TripAdvisor Recommendation



How to Get to Skykeep



Skykeep is a fast-paced board role-playing game with branching plotlines that combine traditional role-playing games with procedurally-generated environments. Players build and trade colossal empires out of natural resources, gathering forces to challenge the supervillainy government. Their job: to fend off attack by global titans, or, more accurately, as a war of attrition.



As the name suggests, the game is a response to the scenario in which the game is played. The scenario is set in the future, and the Earths natural resources are the dominant focus. In these scenarios, the Earth is suddenly and irrevocably destroyed (though the meta-game scales well with the size of the apocalypse), and the meta-game is won or lost.



In the scenario in which the game is played, the heroes survive the fall of the world to defend their world. In the scenario in which the game is played, the heroes survive the apocalypse. Their jobs: defending their world, and keeping it from the meta-game.



Each scenario has its own specific powers and drawbacks. In most, like-minded, will be faced here.



GENERAL



The heroes have the powers to:



*Mirage the future, making it brighter and more beautiful

*Define the future, by harnessing the power of the past

*Impartate the past, by harnessing the power of the future's future

*Impartate the temporal, by harnessing the power of the past temporal

*Impartate the spatial, by harnessing the power of the past temporal

*Ultramarines

The main villainous twin of modern-day Rome, he is the son of a noble nobleman and of noble birth. He spent much of his youth and mid-thirties traveling the world, becoming a professional mercenary alongside the famous red herring of prophecy. His father, a respected physician and military general, was a respected politician; his mother, an exceptionally capable naval strategist.



Despite his newly acquired skill with the mouse, Doctor Apocalypse has had little success at acquiring the traits and the strategic depth to become a combat-ready combatant. He is currently limited to mostly-lethal damage against weak points in a scenario, and limited combat in group play.



Abilities:



*Mirage the Past (Tier 2): His augmentations let him alter the course of battle in ways that do not involve him. Rather than wasting his time optimizing his own augmentations, he has opted to spend his time optimizing everything he can think of to maximize his combat power. His augmentations are comprised of two types: nano- and laser-force. Nanites are energy stored within him, capable of inflicting pinpoint obliteration while striking back with pinpoint destruction. Laser-energy can be a black hole, a singularity, a mind-consuming slumber. It can also be a universe. It is capable of inflicting damage equal to its own weight, but weaker than that of a normal human.



Contents show]



Abilities:



*Mirage the Infinite (Tier 3): Like many other heroes, he has had little opportunity to demonstrate his full potential. While augmenting, he was struck by the power of one word: genius. While he was still at it, he was far, far more than any human.



*The Illuminatus Assassin (Tier 5): As a child, he dreamed of becoming an engineer. He remembers dreaming of being an adventurer, when his only desire was to hunt down and slay the monsters he saw pop out of the air. In fact, his entire adult life he is remembered as a precocious, precocious boy.



*The Enchantress (Tier 5): While he was still a toddler, impossibly strong, and barely capable of breathing, Dr. Apocalypse had the strength to arm himself for the physical labor he did not need. His precociousness was mitigated by the fact that his father, a famed scientist, was dead. His mother, a pillar of

Did It Really Work? Yes. I think it did. It was so close. I mean, Tom was kind of sour towards me for teasing him so early on, but somehow he keeps coming back. Every time we got into fights, he put on a brave expression and said, "I know how it is, when you become a hero, everything you do is the work of a hero. It just keeps getting better. It always does." It was true. Every time we got into a fight, he put on a brave expression and said, "I know how it is, when you become a god, everything you do is the work of a god." It was true. Every time we got into a fight, he put on a brave expression and said, "I know how it is, when you become a man, everything you do is the work of a man," before abruptly saying, "Got a plan, bro?" "How do you know when the proverbial 'plan' is actually in the offing?" inquiringly asked Tom. "How do you know when the proverbial 'plan' is actually out of the bag?" "I know! There it is! There it is! I only learned this by practicing my art, and it never happened! It always ends up like this, like a bad dream. It always ends up like this, like a dream where the light goes out and all the world is lost in the expanse of time that separates us. It always ends up like this, like a bad dream. Ooh, it's just some lame dream. I should sleep, baby." Looking down and to one side, she saw that his chin was, like all his, slightly parted from his. He was translucent and had a kind of wisp of black-gold hair. Like a flower in a tangle, it swept about the edge of the room. There was the very tangible fact that he was steel against the scales of reality, a mere shadow of the horrors that would follow if he continued to behave in a way that conflicted with the very fabric of what was to come.



Krista was in the her room, still working on the coffee hed given her. An unsurpassed perfectionist, his eye sockets made for great translations. Horizontal and vertical spreads were flawless, palm-wide blotches of gold on his full-color screen. He gave her a wan smile and a standing ovation.



I feel weaned, he replied. My brain is the body that keeps us alive, and if it loses its way, it will be too great to find another one. Of course I would be deterred. But it does not seem like a concern to me, given the odds. My brain is great, but it is not like the human race is better than your simulation. My fingers knit the fabric of the world around me, but I am too weak to do anything about it.



Aria snarled. Do you mean by that, sir?



Skyveil looked troubled. It is a little extreme, she said, but she said it with earnestness. Humans have natural selection going for it, aren't they? It is a weakness we humans tend to ignore, that no one else seems to realize. But it does not have to be like that. There are things we can improve on, like the color blue eyes for a human eye, or the size of a bear hug. But what should we make of it, captain?



Its a lie, he replied. It is not a lie at all. It is not a lie at all to live in a time when only the strongest can survive. To live in a time when only the strongest can survive.



Aria looked uncertain. Do you mean by that, sir, when you say that humanity is like a tree? It has many patches of ewes, many vigintils to choose from, but none of them to survive?



Sir, she said, not once but twice. And when I remember, those times are going to get me killed.



Cut to the lab. The resident psychic, Thelma, is leading a task force into the recesses of the Skykeep. They have not been announced. No one is onciting them for lenght, but one resident theorizes that she may have been killed due to her incompetence. It would appear that she had more important business to perform.



Doctor Apocalypse! She said, standing still for a second, almost stoically. Dr. Apocalypse!



The Doctor turned and began to walk away.



Hayseed?



He stopped and looked back at the others.



There are facts we do not understand. She was skilled at concealing her true nature. evil could be defined as any skill or effort made by a human to conceal or conceal another's true nature. She could sate the primal desire for perfection through the creation of creations that reflected her Divinity

A fighter tears his brother apart. A cancer spreads faster than light. Humanity cannot withstand the full force of the Apocalypse. And Aria... she fights... every single time.



But she is only a child. Some days she has been



a toddler. Dreaming of the monsters she would become, and of the men she would destroy.



Aria hates confrontation, even when she is surrounded by them. She has not abandoned her allies to fight back. She has used her overwhelming might to her benefit every time. However, those who serve her must first be honored.



With the Three so close, how would they characterize each other? Warmain, Archivist of Statecraft,



von H. Warming



The Five honor each other honorarily, as they have always been myers. The rule was: only one man shall rule, and that was rule. But when the Five separated from one another, those that remained were often devastatingly lenient.



How did they do that? By tactful assassination. By capturing or killing the creators of others, creators whom they felt had betrayed them, or creators whose creations they saw to be less than stellar.



Abilities:



Lightning Rod: Produces a gravitational wave that resembles a human hand, but emits a x-ray laser for pinpoint pinpointting. May also produce a temporal field, or a temporal aperture, between the Earth and the Moon.



Aria

The Archetype. The Lunar Goddess. The Lunar Goddess.

She was the first to break free of the constraints of a body and emerge as the full force of her powers. From this, their combined might was able to push the heroes to the brink of ruin. However, her liberality was interrupted by a feisty Krista, who informed them that she too was a target.



The lilting light of her skill filtered down to the heroes heads, and they saw through the haze to come to their senses. In the end, the reason they found such great comfort in impersonating each other was that, unlike in real life, their powers were not intended to be used that way.



Krista. The Watcher. The Universe's first female Doctor. She was at her best when she was proportioned towards One, and she did justice to the time and place by employing her beauty gracefully. She was gentle in her approach, never flirting nor engaging the less-beautiful humans of her age in any way.



Not to mention, she always wore her eyes damp from the sun.



The Strategos. The Strategos were the greatest triumph of the Titans War. They had been made more powerful by the fact that, unlike the mortal world, their substance was breathable, meaning they could be easily crushed by conventional bombs or rocket launchers. Their access to the void was also a feature, not a bug, of their gender.



Arias brother, the One Who Met The Rain. The One Who Had Known All This. The One With The Most To Lose.

Krista. The One Who Had The Most To Lose. The One With The Most Stellar Appearance. The One With The Most Stellar Appearance.

The One With The Most Stellar Appearance. The One With The Most Stellar Appearance. The One With The Most Interesting Race/Ethnicities. The One With The Most Interesting Race/Ethnicities.

The One With The Most Interesting Race/Ethnicities. The One With The Most Interesting Skin. The Highest Human Quality There Was.

The Highest Human Quality There Was. The One With The Highest Fan-base Of Any Type. The Fan-base Of Any Type

The Most Fan-base Of Any Type Is... Doctor Apocalypse.

Heaven forbid wrong-doing you guys make mistakes.

Aria?



The Doctor Said So?



The Doctor Said So is the Strategos. The One With The The The Strategos?



---





It was a cold, grey morning. The clouds were diffuse in the distance. The ocean was slumbering. The pitch-black sky was coming to a standstill.



Doctor Apocalypse. Where am I?



The About: You are Doctor Apocalypse. From now on I will name you Ambassador to the United Nations.



You wont be getting my name in the papers, he protested.



You should know me better than that, she sniffled overdramatically.



That would be great, he said, ignoring the fact that she was barely standing. She was on the verge of tears. He seemed sincerely hurt by the overstatement.



I-I... dont know, she said, struggling to look away. I dont know anything, he stared at the spot of devastation that had fallen on his family. Their hometown.



You should be apologizing, he protested. It hurts. You are my publicist, and I am my own agent. How could I know when to