An Indefinite Rest

[Didos]

Silence. For a long time the city of mist had been in sepulchral silence, the undead legions were gone.. Yes, the presence of the Lich's servants diminished. Nothing happened, nothing changed and not even its ruler was seen anymore.

 

Did something happen?

 

For some he had just disappeared, but for others closer to the undead king - they knew there were causes for it, which had led him to a state of dormancy, a weakness that had consumed his vessel - causing him to take time to become to recover.

 

Even him.. Had a limit.

 

And the absence of his servants in the city, occurred because in his castle the defenses had increased exponentially. Yes, he was prepared for eventualities, his abominations were on the line to defend their home.. But even so, it wasn't enough.

 

"There are so many things that could still be done, as always.. So much work to do, but.. There isn't much resource left, the land of Esshar is finite like many things in this world - and my strength has been exhausted in the process of trying to bring progress..

 
For now.. The time has come, to rest indefinitely, to return in the distant future.. Yes.. Another.. Day.
  
After all, time is under my control.
 
And for now.. We leave one last request, for a certain person.. To finish a last work."

 

What was it? Little matter for now..

 

And with one last saying being spread among the masses of Pauper, which has seen better days in a distant past - coming from their undead Overlord.. Now, the immortal fortress of the Eternal would rise, moving upward and beyond in the clouds, until its shadow vanished from those lands..

 

Leaving nothing behind.

 

And not even a soul would be seen, not even signs of where the structure had gone - but it was clear that eventually it would return.. But when, that was the question that would remain.

 

( This is not the end in itself for Nidaz, but rather a retirement - a way of saying that he will no longer interfere with game progression.. If anyone wants to talk to him, you can always hold an event to try to find him - similar to Ryker! Just contact me at the discord to discuss this first.

 

If anyone want to hear the motivations behind this decision, you all can look at Venting Thread. )

[Folian]

Beneath the polluted skies of what remained of the city of ruin, one man would watch as the Lich's fortress ascended heavenwards, disappearing above the opaque veil of the clouds.

"Strange how things end this way."

Crimson smoke trailed from the cigar that remained placed between his lips, a solemn expression upon his face as he watched.
Yet there ain't no rest for wicked.

His final will hadn't quite been enacted.

...

Looking down, the figure would gaze upon the ages-worn key card that sat grasped in his hand, its identification credentials just barely legible.

Councilman Nidaz Vanreth
XXX XXX XXX
Security Clearance: OMNI

Stepping down into the depths of the ancient fleshcrafter's laboratories, the figure would descend and descend... Deep into the dark where few had ever traveled.

Step... Step... Step... Step...

Flight by flight, step by step, he continued with his goal resolved in his mind.

The final will of the man who'd set him upon his path.
The one man who'd earned a fragment of the immortal Baron's true respect.
His mentor.
His father.

"WELCOME COUNCILMAN."

As he reached the ancient gate that separated him from his goal, a hovering drone approached, quickly scanning the surface of that which he held.
With that, the towering doors began to swing open, the very air contorting underneath the power of what lay behind it.
A mockery of the very sun itself, fueled by a fragment of divine power.

The Phoenix Chamber.

Truly one could only look upon it in awe.
A testament to the past of what this city HAD been.
A testament not to Pauper: but to Achyon.
To the city of progress; of the many genius minds who had built it from the ground up in the name of the Empire so long ago.

Step... Step... Step... Step...

...And their secrets would die today...

The figure at last reached the control console, standing in the full glory of the Machine's efforts.
...Before the card would be slipped into its slot, buttons glowing faintly alight as its capabilities were unlocked.

...LOADING...
POWER OUTPUT: > MAXIMUM
SAFETY PROTOCOLS: >DISABLED
...LOADING...
ARE YOU SURE?
LIKELIHOOD OF SPATIAL MELTDOWN 98.99%.
Y/N

"..."

>Y
...Loading...
...Loading...
...Loading...
Input accepted.
Glory to the Empire.

With a frightening pace did each of the mana spherical cores begin to twist and contort...
All the while, the figure raised his hands into the air, calling upon the full power of the Void at his disposal.
Reality contorted as a pair of rifts were conjured, reality shearing at the seems as the they grew in size... the lifestream crying out in agony all the while.

"...Soma, was it? I guess we'll see if that old trick of yours works when put to the test."

Sirens blared all around, a piercing shriek as it filled the air--

...Before the two rifts were slammed forward onto the central core of the Chamber, crashing against the infernal Spire Shard with an explosive fury.

Immaterial particle met immaterial particle as sparks of ethereal energy crackled and snapped outwards violently.

!!!CATACLYSMIC MELTDOWN IMMINENT!!!
!!!EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY!!!

...

The very earth around Pauper shook and rumbled as if the very firmament of the earth had been possessed by the wrath of a God.
Buildings collapsed at their foundations under the force as it grew in intensity with the passing of each second.
The fury of a man-made sun sent rampant miles underneath the earth set loose.

Pauper had been sentenced to its doom.

Little would be left of the once-Machine City.