A Word To The Wise;
People like to think they're special, they like to strive to be at the top, to be the best like no one ever was. Every kid dreams of being superheroes, princesses, knights, fairies, kings & queens, you want my advice? Don't; being truly special is liable to get you and your loved ones killed, HE didn't like others playing on HIS level, we only survived through a combination of our partners, off-the-wall plans, sheer determination & bullshit of the highest order.
The Moral of the story; Put away dreams of being more than human, sure, you can be the best damn human in the world, but don't to be anything more, oh, and if time slows down & a weird voice asks you to be their Conduit; RUN!
School had just let out for the weekend, my friends Jace & Terry had clubs to attend, so I just headed home hoping to check Connect-log, talking of which...
*Ding!*
Connect-log - New Message From Anthony Sandricks said:
"Hey buddy! Can you do me a favour? Dad told me to pass by the Post Office to pick up the newest edition of his GreenWorld subscription, but I forgot & Tanya wanted to show me something online. So can you swing by and get it? I've already called ahead to ok it with them. Thanks.
Ugh, Tony was always like this, "asking" us to do stuff for him & then arranging it so that we'd look bad if he didn't, not that he is or was a bad friend, hell, we've saved each other's asses more than enough times since that crazy day that we're not sure who owes who at this point.
Anyway, I was walking down Alderberry Avenue, when I heard an
odd noise coming from the dark alley I just passed, being city-bred like I am, my first instinct was to just keep walking, it wasn't my problem, but unfortunately that day in sociology class Mr. Ferrow was talking about how communities that worked together were more stable. Well, I have three words to say to that if you'll pardon my french;
Fuck. Stable. Communities.
Coming out of the alley was no human or other alley-dweller I've ever seen. The vague shape was humanoid & that's where the similarities ended; Skin the colour of luminous paper, ensconced in golden armor that seemed to reflect every possible light-source in the world directly into my eyes without blinding me, from it's back sprouted two great wings covered in feathers of the purest white, each of which emitted its own radiance, at it's hip was secured a sword with a blade made out of crystallized fire held in a glass sheath. All in all, the iridescent figure was so BRIGHT that I had trouble making out any other defining features.
For a good few seconds we just stood there staring at each other, until the part of my brain that thought itself witty reasserted itself, "Bright out today isn't it?" Why brain, why?
After that attempt at humor was smothered in the crib, the being snatched it's not-sword, spread it's wings and roared in a positively non-human language, "F̵ͦͧ̒͜͠҉̬̪̝͇̗̰̞̻̱o̴̶̢̪̗̝̠͙̼̮͎̣̫͚͊ͨͭ̏͌͊̎̊̀͌ͬ͊̍ͦͮ̋̌̕͠r̷̅̿͑ͥ̿̇͐ͥͣ̒̌̂̏ͤ̍̒͏̝̠͔͍̰̲ ̸̨̨̱̰͎̘̗͚̹͇͈̪̮͉̱̅̔ͬͣ͋͊̐͒̈ͯ̔́͜Ţ̤͔̫̱̰͙̦̜̞̫͉̫̫͓͔̲͕͑̽͛͂͑ͮ̔͡͞h̶̸̻͈̮̯̣̰̪̩̝̺͖̯͖͈ͧͯ̑̎̊̊̇ͧ͌ͦ̊͐̇̇̓̓̌͑̀ȩ̷̶̹̯̮̬̲ͯ̉̽̎͒͌͌ͣ̇͛̏ͣ̊̈́̃ͤ́ ̄͊ͤ̌ͦ̿̉̓ͩ̎̋͐̂ͮ̇̇̕͏̜͕̙̘̱̣̕͢F̶̴̨̙͖͔̥͕͕̠̥̞̩͖̄̋̎ͨͤ̉̊̕ͅa̴̛̖̣̱͚̰̗͙̺͉͖̱͎̐̑̒ͧ̄̒͆͂͊ͩ͂̽̒ͯ̌̌̉̚c̢̘̥͕̬̰̤̻͋ͦͬͮͧͪ̓͋͌ͨ͒ͯ̏̄̋ͩ̚͟è͊ͮ͐͐̒͋ͯ̑ͬͥ͏̷̨̘͎̙̯͓ș͓̱̰̥̰̭͇͕͖̒͐̍̋ͫ͌͐̅̃ͧ͋̓͋̄ͬͧ́͘͘͜ ̡̿̎̌̆̍ͬ̑́ͩͥ̋͝͝҉̳͎̗̱͈͙̮̬̹̟̰̱̯ͅͅo̲͇̮̪͙̳͒ͥ̌ͭ̽ͭ̏̅̀̕͢͠f̴̠̳̩͌̅ͯ̍ͧ͘͡͝͠ ̵̵̨̱̖̱̪̤̪͚̭̗̺͕̱̯͙͕̮̟̱̲̐ͭͥ̊̋̾ͧͭ̍̋͌ͧ̐̿ͩ͊ͮ̾͘͟H̺̼̯̹͎̹̪̙̘̣͍͐ͧ̌͛̊͘͜ę̴̸̴̹͎̼̹̙͙̪̜̗̘̬̱̳̈͂̓͊̓ͨ̿̍̓͋ͫ̃͌ͬͯa̓̈͗ͧͭ̽͒̐̎̐́͏̡̳̮̜̮̱̹̹̻̠̘̖͈̺́͢͝ͅv̸̢̢͕̦̞̮̝͎̞̲͙̣̺̖̯̄͐ͧ̔͐̽̏ͧ̌̀ͤͬ̕e̛͕̼̳̹̰͓̘̯̰̺͍͙̐̋̽̿ͬ̔̈́ͧ͆̿͑͛͊ͬ̇̒́̕ǹͪ͆̈́͐͐̇͊̂̎͌ͬ̎̚̚͝͠͝҉̠̤̩̮̜,̵̢̻̼̮̖ͩ́̈ͤͪ͗ͧ̕ ̵͚͍̦̰̖̗̯̗̦͙͕̫̜̞͈͈̃̊̐͊͗ͤ͐̅̉͑̓ͨ̑͘ͅD̸̪̼̝̰̤͉̯͙͉͍͓͇̲̠̤̻̱̤̃̒ͪͪͨ̃ͭ̇̀͠ͅi̴̡̡̤̣͓̩̞̮̱̱̜̺̬͎̜̥̭̘͕͋̃̅͛̀̕͝ͅe̢͆ͭͤ̓͋ͦ̂̇̎̊̌̊͂͂͂̊ͧ̚͜͠҉҉͙̫̮̟̠͈̼̟̮̳̥̖̘̠ͅ ̷̦̠̣̳̯͍̠̼̠̥̘̣̫͙̩͔̈̐ͤ͑̎̒͊͟͝Ḩ̲͈͚͉͚̟̭̜̜͈̱̣̱ͯ̇̆͆̿̂̈́ͯ̃̉̉̎̐̅ͯ͑͜͜͞ę̻͚͕̘͕̻̦͎̥̞̏̐͆̈̂̏́̚ͅr̖̣̦̖̮ͩͪ͋̑͂̊̆͂̓̎̉͞͠͠ͅạ̛͖̲̥̼̔ͪͨ̅͌̋̅͌͗͒̿͊̅̍ͥ̈͠͝tͥ̍ͬͭ̏͏̶̢̨̧͙̮̠̞͇̮̞ͅi̴̳̣͙̟̎̄̉̍̄̍̀ͅc̥͎̭͉̱͇̰̼͙̹̘̠̘̣̻̖̿̎ͬ̀̊̏ͨ̈́̅͘!̵̧̡̰̺̬̤̫̖̘̬̼̥̜͙̋ͭ̎͌͑̎͗̔ͬͭ͐ͩ̔̿̽͜͜" I
may have ran.
Left, right, cut the traffic lights, barral through a crowd or three, double back on myself, throw stuff behind me, right, shit; dead-end. As I turned around to go back, it was there blocking my path. "Ǐ̯͔͈̯̰̳͙̜̼̻̖̥̱̃ͣͪ̽ͦ͊ͧͫͯͣ͞ͅ ͭ̄̂͛͐ͪͪ͟͏̨̡̼̭̝̫̰̫͎̮̦̘̰̕a̵̪͙̩͋̆̎̐͊ͧ͗̓̓ͩ̿̄́ͨ̑̾ͬ͒̔̀͘͢m̷̛̪̜̘̄̓ͧ̌ͭͮͯͮͮ͋͜͢͞ ̨̨̣̠̤̬͓̱͕͓̗̜̺̩̦̗̥̳̣̥͐ͩ̀ͤ̃ͪ͊͂ͧ̍̏̃̾̿̕s̋̀͋̐̽̓͑̆͊͐͒͐ͪͨ̑̈́̊̚͘̕҉̙̟͇͉͍͕͚̪͍̼̦͍̫o̢̮̖͎̙͉̳̰̣̳ͧ̅̐̈ͨ̎̊̃ͩ̾̀̀̕͟r̳͉̱͉̺̥̹͈̗̻͕̲̳̦͔̝̤ͣͤ͒͠ͅr̅ͦͩ̓́̍̊ͥ̍ͣ̓ͧ͊̅҉̧͏̥̙̤̠̬̺̖y̴̠̫̥͔ͬ̉ͤ͊̚͢ͅ ̶̖̠̲̣̙̼̗̻̤͍̻̩͚̜͇̑̒ͭ̓ͯͩͩ͒ͤ̆̕͝M̨̌͆͛̾͐͋̇̾ͩͬ͑͗̍̈ͧ̑͏͖̣̥̼̙̟̫͎͟ͅo̵̹̮̲̪͖ͥ̓̓̾ͦͪ̅̿̾͊͛r̸̡̛̳̠̥͉̜̫̤̜͕̹̭̝̲͎̣͍̀̐̇̀͜͠t̵̋ͬͩ̈́ͩͭ͆͆͐͑̂̈̇̽̓ͫ̏̓͠͏̥̣̙̭̝̘̥̙̟̖̦̘ą̼͙̜̲͙̬̮̳̭̙̤̩̦̤̗̖͚̓̊̄̅̄͑̂̈́̓͜͜͝ͅͅl̶̵̻̦͇̝̩̟͖̪̭͉̪̩̭͖͍̾͗ͯͫ͘͝ͅ,̠̪̥͕̹͓͖̭̯̟͖̓̈́̾̉ͧ̏̈́̽̓ͤ̕͢͜͠ͅͅ ̸̨̟̬͓̒͗ͣ̀̑ͯ͆͌͆̌ͧ̇͋͟b̷̶̯̝̻̣̦͒ͤ̑ͤͬ̃̾̇͒ͪ̈̓̿́ŭ̡̃̐ͪ͂͆͌͋̑̊͗ͩ͏̬͚̜̣̠̠͖̹̲̘̺͍ţ̷̨̮͚̟̻̹̞̭͎̠̺͕͔ͫ̓̒̃͑̈́̂͋͘͠ͅͅ ͫ́͋̇̑̄̃͆̈́̌̚͏̟͓͕͞ͅṉ̴̢͇̙̘͔̮͎̬͔̺̤̤̠̭͍̐ͣ͒ͪͦ̄̅̊̄͑̅ͣơ̢̛̇ͩ͒͐̈́̽ͥͥ͌͗̃̃̈̈̂̄͏̷͎̭̭͔̙̜͓͉̟̱̝̜̣ṅ̵̸͓̱͔̯̝ͣͥ̂̐̒͗̕e͉̞̮ͤ͐ͥ̓͒̊ͩ̄̓́͟͠ ̠̘̖̝͕̗̗͔̹͔̱̞̮̟͚̅ͣͯͫ́̕m̨̲̫̜̩̣͙͓̮̙̳̤̥̩̝̠͋̈͗̃ͮ̍̅̆͐́͢͟͟ḁ̸͉̣͚̬̩̰͍͔̭̰̪̱̖͔̦̲̌̇̔ͥͦ̃ͭ̊͗̾̂͝y̢̡̪̻͓̲̖̬̖̥̹̥̠͈͌ͥ̉ͨ͐ͧ̿̒̀͘͠ ̷̢̯̮̞̗͈̙͎̲ͣ͗͛͊ͨͨ͒ͩ͛̃ͦ͆̆ͬ́̚͢͡b̧̛̗͙̣̺̯̲̯̯͆̐͛̓ͩe̛̤͎͎͈̩̍ͦ͂̈́̈́̑̄̌̈̚̕ḁ̡̡̭̞̘͓͈͚͙͕̥͎̯̱͚̦̠͓̗̋ͧ̌ͬ͆̿͊̅̑̑ͥͥ͊̊̂̚͟͞r̷͖̼̹̅̇̆͑̋̾̄̊͠͡ ̵̵̷̯͈͎̭̝̳̪͕͖̦͉͓ͤͬ̒͆̉̾̓̉̐̎͒͐̇̿͌̽ͪ̐͜͡w̴̢͊ͯͪ̌̃̃ͩͦ͂ͣ͋͏̥̞̟͈̝̻̰̫͎̥͇̩̪̦͕́ĭ̷̺̜̪͔͙̺̫͓͉̠͇̖̳̮̗̥̙̿̐͗͐̽̂͐̓͛̉̃͋̿͆̀t̷̨͔̠̺̲̮̭̼̤̞̙̻̜̖̙̻̬̠̻ͮ͛ͬͤͦͦ̅ͣ͑̇͑͟͠n͐̔͗̉̊̐̀̌͒͑̍̉̚͜҉̙̥̯̭̝̙̪̕e̶̥͖̫̹̱̠̗͖̫̓̔̔ͩ͆̑̉̉̔́͐ͮ͢͞s̴̀͌̀̓̑̇̆͂̌͗͆͗̔̓̚҉͏̵͕̝̣͈̭̰̳̼̱̜͇̮̺̙͜ͅs̵̸̗̳͖̣͖̳̞͈̲̭͍̟̰ͧ̋͂̒̌ͬ̐ͭ̿̏ͭ̈͢͢ ͨ̅̊ͥͮ͗ͤ̀̋ͣ̈̍́ͭ͊҉̟̺̮̥̻̳̘̪̟̝͔̖̯͖̻́ͅţ̢̘̮̠̗͓̤̼͔̞̞̪̩̈́ͬ̐̋ͫͫ́͜ǫ̴̢̲̲̺̟͎̽̍͂͒͑ͭ̎̋͋̊̐̍͘͟ ̛̽ͦ͑̒̍ͩ̿ͧ̄̉̈̈̆̂ͧͩ̈̿̚҉̷̢̮̠̹̳̱̰̘̥͈̫͈͈͕̬͇̖̰̬͔͟H͌͒͗͆̀͑̏ͣ̈́̐́̋ͣ͌̄҉̵̘̯͔͇̮̩̱͙̙̬̱̙͇ę̟̣̲̻̰̰͎͑̽̎ͬͣͣͩ͑̀ͭ̂̑̇͘ͅą̷͈̘̰̪̭̲͇̼͚̝̞̥̯̬͂̌̌͑̔̈́͒̅̀̌̅ͣ͌ͤ͂ͮͦ̂̚͢͡ͅͅṿ̷̢͖̻͕̲̰̬̬̺̩͍̮̖͚̰͖̰̐̆̓ͩ̌̊͑̐̓ͤ͆͊̈́ͨ͝͡e̸̴̛̺̪̞̠͍̣̜̾͛̌ͬ̋ͫ̏̽̂͑͗ͥ͆͗̄ͮ͢͠n̛͓̙͙͔̝̩̣͎̱̱̘͇͇̘̗̣͂ͯͫ̎́̒̂ͦ̾̐̅̐ͦ͂ͯ͜'̩̮̦͚̺͇̥̤̤̤̞͆ͥ̅̇͋̚͟s͇̤͎̪͚͇͙̣̪̥͇̱̬̫̲͍̹̽͌̀͛ͩ͐ͪͭ̍ͩ̄̕͢͝ͅͅ ̧̡̗̖̬̜̭͈̦̺͔͆ͦͤͫ̂̃ͧ́̔͒̌̚g̷̸̟̜͙̞̙̻̪̭͍̭̤̞̜̯̮͑̆́͛̋̾͑̑̓̈͛̎ͯ͑̑͊̚͘̕͠l͍̜̜̫̘̺͔̳̺̃̑̾͌ͤͨ͝o̶̴̲̣̦̭̼̤͖̱̲̼̩̜͉̪̰͈̗̽͑ͦͭͮͥͤ͗̌̈́͟͞͞ͅr̝͚̟͕̙͔̟̺̺͑ͯ̉ͭ͒̇ͭͩ͘͢ͅi͒ͯ͋̂̇ͮ́̚͡͏̛̭̮̞͖̗͕̀ë́̎ͩ̐̆̇̒̌̏́͜҉̟̦͔̺̝̘̩̦̪͝sͩ̂̎ͥ͑͂҉̢̕͡҉̰͖͎̺̞̫̤ ̴̜̪̝̤̹̥̪̦ͥͦ̅ͮͧͣ̈͊̏̌̚͢ͅą̸̶̘̜̱̰̤̬̠̦͙̯̦̜͙̲͎͍̘͍̞̇͋͒ͫͧ̍́ş̺̹̩͕̩̫̤͙͖̭̱̟͇͔̩̻̲͍́̎̒̋ͮ̉͗͌̍ͬ̕i͌ͧͭ̑̄͘͏̡̰̤̙͍̖̹̫̩̟̻̜ͅd̸̸ͮͨ̓̒ͥ̍̔͂̔̒͡҉͖̮͖̻̥͇͕͈͖̬͙̻͖̮̪͕̼̲̻e̷͔͙͕̤̬͖̔̓͑̄̃͂ͥ́͘̕ ̶̛̠̹̰͉̮͎͓̬̭̯̜̪͚̲̘͇̟̻͉͑̿̓ͥ̑͛̉̔ͪͩ͌̿̄ͬ͗ͭ̍̽̉f̸̴͙̖̰̱̪͔͕̻̩̜͆̎̿ͫ̊ͩͧ̅̈̓̇̅̒̅͒͢r̙̟͍̟͖̱̠̭̰̗̣̞͖̮̻̘̫̥̪ͨ͂̓͒̉̆ͧͫ͋͌̅͆͟͟͢͝o̵͉̝͖̙̭͈̬͐̑̄̉̅̈ͤ̈́̋̀͜͝m̴̵̵̰̮̼̰̬̹̝͓̭̔̓ͬͤ̽ͦͦ̈́͆ͫ̾͟ ̴̛͎̹̜̦̖͕͚͉̪̞̯͚͙̹̟̗͉̀̏̍ͪ̑̋ͣͩ͛̀͒͂̕͘͞ͅS̶̸̵̙̱͍̣̣̣̦͚̞͔̬̜̤̼͒͆̓̽ͦ͞a̧̖̥̜͙̼̲̜͚͙͎͖͍̠̪̗͎̘̞͑̿ͬ͑̆̉̍́ͩ̕͟ĩ̧̢̯͕̰̙̠̻͈͚͕̗̬́̏ͭ̏ͭ̓̒͑́͒̈́̚͠͝n̵̯͉̭͓̺͖̘͔̮̦̮̳̦͉̩̲̽͆͆ͭ̌̑ͬ̆ͭͥ̑̑̅̓͌ͧ̔́t̶̢̢̙̰̺̦̭̜̑ͩͯ͗ͫ̌͗͑ͥ̊̇̒ͨ̏͐̃́̚͘s̴̋̈́ͤ̍̿̄ͯ̄͐̂̄͡͏̥̯̜̙̼̱̰̩̱ ̴̸̨̡̮͉̖͙ͫͥͥ̓̎̄̋͌͊̄̔ͩ̐ͮ̐̉̀a̓̍́ͤ͒̀ͪͤ͏̪̯̙̜͚͓̣̠͙̫̱̠n̵̹̦̗̱̼̖͍͖̬̦̾̑͗͐̒ͥ͆̂̏̿́͘d̶̥̫̠̲̮͓͆̑͌͛ͣ̈̅͐̀ͣ̅͊̿̈͑̈͒͛͟ ͌̀͐ͮ̓͐̒̊ͪ͗͏̲̥̰̬̭̳͞P̢̼͙̙̙͙͉͔̼̞̺͕̆̈́̂ͪͨ͗ͫͯ̾ͭ̑̊͒̍͌͘͘ŕ̨̞̩͔̼͈͉̖͚̜̠̻̓͂̐ͣ̉ͧͧ̾͊ͭ͂ͥ̎́̇̈́͗̚͘ǫ̶̛͉͙̬̗̻̟͙̼͈͚̥̞͓̩̔́̊ͤ͘p̵̶̴͉̞͎̯͚̲͈̟̰͔̻͍̗̰̱͉̿̃̌̈̑́͋̀͞h̛̭͉̯͖̙̭̭̟̜̣̜̫͇͕̱̹̄ͫ̓̇̍͑̂ͬͤͦe̴̟̮̫̹͓̬̞̘ͥ͋͂ͮͬ̈ͤ̆͛ͭͩ̍ͬ̂̑ͦ̑͘̕͜t͉̥̼͔͈͈̥̙̭̙̙̪͉̥͚̱̻̖͑͒̏͌̓̓ͪͮ̐̈͗̉̇ͪ̆ͫ̽ͮ̀̚͘͝͠s̽̈͆͋̐̅̐̓͂̿͋ͣ̾̃ͦ̑̄̐҉̺̩̗͘.̛̹̳̺̦̞̩̣̜͓̟̯̅ͤͬ̎͆͛͒̃̋̐͗̎̇̌̌̈ͧ̽́̚͝" with that it pointed it's sword-fire at me and rushed forward.
I stared petrified at my incoming death, why? Why? Why? Whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywh-- huh? Why wasn't I dead yet? It looked like my would-be-killer had frozen in place, no, scratch that,
everything had froze, like someone had
paused time! Then I heard a voice. "Ç̵̨̗͍̻͈̝̝̮͚̫͎̯͕ͣͭͬ̊ͧ̍ͮ̆ͤ͊̑̄̎͊ͤͨ̀́ͅa̰͔̪̣̯̼̼̭̜̰̳̗̗̞͚̘̺̐ͧͭͭ͌̀ͮͤ̽ͪ̂ͣ́ͩ̌ͨͩ͒̀́͟͠ͅ-- Can you hear me…
[] ..boy?"
[]...girl?"
"Um, uh...yes? What's going on? What's that language you both spoke? What is this thing? Who are you?" Well, at least I
asked stuff, right?
The voice sighed. "Good, you haven't completely lost your head, look, we haven't got time to explain, just know that I am the Pagan Deity of…
[]...Hindu religion...
-[]...Write in Hindu Deity…
[]...Egyptian religion…
-[]...Write in Egyptian Deity…
[]...Greek religion…
-[]...Write in Greek Deity…
[]...Roman religion…
-[]...Write in Roman Deity…
[]...Shinto religion…
-[]...Write in Shinto Deity…
[]...Norse religion…
-[]...Write in Norse Deity…
...and without me you won't survive the next 5 seconds, but if you want to live state your name and pledge yourself as a Divine Conduit."
Of course I wanted to live! Are they crazy?! "I…
[]...First Name…
[]...Last Name…
...pledge myself as a Divine Conduit to my sacred patron, so mote it be!"
"So mote it be.
THE BARGAIN HAS BEEN STRUCK!"
I wish I'd run.
GM Notes: Hello people & welcome to my first original quest!...well, I
say it's original, but it has been heavily inspired by 2 franchises; The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan & the Geist: The Sin-eaters gameline from White Wolf's Chronicles of Darkness, however, I''m only taking the concept of "Gods using human avatars," from them; the characters, universe, lore & mechanics are all my own.