Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Why am I so anxious?” Torric complained, bouncing between the balls of his feet. “I’m supposed to be the embodiment of peace.”

“No, you’re the embodiment of home. Stop fidgeting.” Dryx replied. 

“You’ll be fine.” Meidron added, picking a piece of fuzz off of his lapel. “You’re only meeting the ranking members of high society from across the multiverse and introducing yourself as a new God.”

“Not helping.” Torric replied through gritted teeth. “And having Desolation out there is making my skin crawl.”

“Yes and you’re making its skin crawl.” Liam pointed out. “You’re community and togetherness and it is emptiness and loneliness. You’re antithetical to each other. Desolation is leaving as soon as it makes its obligatory speech and then you’ll be able to relax.”

“Relax. Ha! Good one.” Torric said, rolling his eyes. 

“I think it's adorable that you can get so nervous over being in public.” Lily spoke up.

“It isn’t the being in public that’s getting to me. It’s the intrigue. The sharks circling out there are far from peaceful and there is no community to be found.”

“Just lean into your Aspect.” Dryx advised. “You’re surrounded by your home. We’re right here with you.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Torric replied, shifting again. He could still hear the queen making her speech on the other side of the door to the throne room.

Dryx grabbed his hand and pulled him close, his other hand cupping his chin. He brought his head down and pressed it to Torric’s forehead. “We’re with you. Just breathe. You’ll be great. Everyone loves you. How could they not?”

Torric closed his eyes, focusing on matching his breathing to his lover. His soul’s match. Dominion to his Sanctuary. Authority to Community. It had been two weeks since Torric broke the disguise that Deceit had placed upon him at the behest of Fate.  Two weeks since he had freed Dominion from the corruption of Tyranny and the chains that had bound him. 

Two weeks since he went from Celivor Veythari to Torric Sancti. When he went from B grade ranker on the Ladder of Heavens to S grade God of Sanctuary. 

Two weeks since he’d gotten engaged to Dryksarian Dominai, soon to be Dryksarian Sancti, though the official betrothal was set for three days from now. That was when his betrothal to all four members of his family would be announced. Nerve-wracking in its own right for entirely different reasons. His future in-laws, all of them, were on the other side of the door too. Moral support.

The queen’s speech was winding up. She’d given him the notes for it earlier, so he would be prepared to enter at the right moment. 

“Without further ado, please welcome Torric Sancti, the God Sanctuary, and God-king of the Refuge.”

The door to the throne room swung open to reveal his slender figure of silver and gold. He activated The Great Peace and the aura flowed through the room.

The Great Peace

When this aura unfolds, conflict cannot exist within it. All who step within its boundary feel their rage soften, their fear ease, their hearts drawn toward understanding. Hostile actions falter; weapons lower as a cosmic calm enfolds the space. While within the aura, all creatures are unable to initiate violence unless attacked, and gain +40% resistance to charm, fear, and compulsion. Allies gain Hope’s Blessing, restoring 2% of max health and mana every second, and purging emotional debuffs such as despair or confusion. Words spoken here are heard as truth, intent is perfectly conveyed, and falsehoods unravel. For the aura’s duration, no hatred can take root; only reflection and reconciliation bloom.

This too had been planned, an unveiling of one of his least intrusive branches, least intrusive but most used so far. If people got used to him always appearing as a source of peace and harmony it would make it a lot harder for an assassin to target him. The tactic had been devised during an early strategy meeting between him, Dryx, his uncle Kierical, and Queen Morrigan.

The power wouldn’t make it impossible to initiate violence, but it would make those who acted in a threatening or hostile manner quite obvious, and more likely to hesitate to bring a confrontation to blows. That hesitation could mean the difference between a fatal strike or a glancing blow. 

Not that he had to worry about dying. Not permanently, at least. At best his physical form would be discorporated for a few decades. With all of his lovers immortal or near immortal in their own right, the time it would take to regenerate his body would be nothing in the long run. He’d already lived without them for one millenia. 

There were a few exceptions to his Great Peace. One was the assassin hidden in his shadow. She was also his sister and chief bodyguard. Officially she was ‘on loan’ from the house of Veythor for the duration of the war that was to come. Most of the members of his former house were exempt from the power. As was the queen and select members of the royal guard. It would be stupid to pacify the guards needed to protect the gathering. 

Hundreds of people filled the throne room, both in the main floor space and in the galleries above. The glittering elite of countless noble houses and royal courts from across the multiverse.

Torric crossed the space between the door and the dais that Queen Morrigan stood upon, arm linked with Dryx’s, followed immediately by Meidron, who was flanked by Liam and Lily. His realm spirit cum familiar and his luminature. 

“Thank you, Queen Morrigan, for your heartfelt words and kind introduction.” He said, projecting his voice to be heard by everyone in the cavernous room. He gave her a peck on both cheeks before turning to face the assembled courtiers.

“And thank all of you for coming. Especially on such short notice for some of you. We’ve all gathered here for a momentous occasion. The birth of a new God, and a new realm. But there is so much more. My existence here, today, on this stage is the result of the planning and effort of so many people, and entities. For good and ill.

I exist because the multiverse was unbalanced. Because I was needed. Not just by the people, but because my soul’s mate, my cosmic balance needed me. He needed my safety. My security. He needed a home. A safe haven. A respite. 

And so I came. Because I was needed.

I was born the child of Oblivion. Born Celivor Veythari, the youngest scion of the House of Veythor. However my time with my house, my family, was stolen from me.

I was kidnapped by forces far greater than I. Cursed to be forever separated from my magic and then abandoned in the lattice between worlds. There I was found by a rhivian hellcat. She sheltered and nursed me until I was found by human adventurers from the brutal world of Praetoria.

There, at the age of 10 I was given two choices. Sell myself into slavery or be cast out of the orphanage that raised me to die of starvation or illness in the streets. Convinced my only value lay in chains, in slavery, I sold myself. I was a child without a name, without a home, without a family, sold the idea of slavery as the only choice, the best choice. And that in doing so I would finally have the home I yearned for. That in slavery I would find safety.

That was the naivety of a child, a child who knew no better. I know better now. I know that it was unlikely I would be treated with the devoted care I was sold. I know now that whoever bought me would have likely beaten me. Raped me. Humiliated me, all for their own pleasure.

I trained for years to become the perfect slave. A pleasure slave. A bed slave. They dressed it up with a pretty name, but that is what I was to be. A tool meant to service more powerful men and women. Then, the day that I was to be sold in truth, the day I was to go to my master to begin my life as little better than a captive whore, as I stood naked and collared on the auction block I was saved. Ambassador Andorel of Solstheen was there that day. She stopped the auction and kidnapped me. Saved me from a fate worse than death.

I had been shackled and chained, both literally and spiritually. My soul scoured. Convinced of my own worthlessness. A pale shadow of what I could and would one day become.

I was freed, both of my chains and from the curse that bound me. I was freed and discovered the truth of who I was. Not a misborn halfbreed beastkin, but a celestial tiger. One of the Luminari, children of the Celestines who rule over us all. I was not worthless, I was prized. I discovered my family. All three million of them, though I have not met all of my brothers and sisters, my cousins, aunts, and uncles. 

It was on the planet of Solstheen that I discovered the truth of who I was. That I breathed free air for the first time. That I found my home. Not in a people, or a planet. Solstheen was not my home, though I will forever regard it fondly. But it’s second prince, Limarillus. He became my home. My family. There too I found Meidron. Together the three of us became united as one.

That love, that peace, that home, was fated to be shattered. I was bespelled by three succubi. Enchanted by their Charm, forced to drink bespelled wine that made me compliant. My first taste of freedom was met with almost immediate violence. The forcing of my body to perform against my will, without my consent. That it was pleasurable through their magic made it no less of a violation.”

Torric stopped to take a centering breath as he remembered what happened. Waking up from being bespelled to find the corpse of the woman who had been raping him draped across his body.

“I was saved, in the middle of that violation, by the dragon Renethera. That violation brought me to the attention of my mother. My true mother. Oblivion. Until that moment I had been thought lost, thought dead, by her, by my family.  When she came to know the truth of what had happened to me, what had been done to me and by who and for what reason Oblivion stirred for the first time in millions of years. And when Oblivion moves, the realms take notice.” He continued.

“Fourty-six planets died because of that day. Obliterated from existence by the celestine who birthed me in revenge for what had been done to me. Including Praetoria, the planet upon which I had been raised. 

My troubles were far from over when Oblivion’s temper cooled, though I did not yet know it. I, and my luminature of Liam and Meidron left Solstheen to come here, to Avalon, to attend Queen Morrigan’s Academy of Ascension. It was to be the beginning of a new chapter. A new life. A happy time. 

And then we were ambushed by the agents of the Gods of Praetoria. An ambush that resulted in my lumin, Meidron, taking a cursed blade for me. A blade that killed him. And in the grief that threatened to consume me, my Lily, my Lily-bell came to me. She became my lumin, joined my luminature. As hard as it was, we continued on.

 I broke the Legends of the Gods of Praetoria. I consumed the shards of their Divinity, and with it my own name was written into the Legends of the cosmos. 

I entered the Academy, though my attendance there was short. Within days of my admittance to the Academy my home was attacked again, as fellow classmates attempted to forcibly take my precious Lily from me. They attempted to wield their status and authority to take my bonded lumin, one of the lights of my life, and when that failed the prince of the empire of Plox tried to force me to break my Divine Vows and provide him with a slave.

He was unsuccessful.

I was threatened again, just days later, when Imperial Prince Karin of the Demon Empire attempted to have me assassinated in revenge for Oblivion’s eradication of one third of their empire, 45 of their planets.

Time and time again I was threatened and attacked by people far more powerful than me. Had my autonomy taken from me. Had people try to steal my lumin. Had people try to kill me for the actions of another. All perpetrated by nobility. By people who would ordinarily be standing right here, right now among you, assuming they had never acted. 

Though I was freed from my chains, I was not free from the oppression of the ruling classes of the multiverse. 

And even through that oppression, the death, the rape, the attempted assassinations, I still found my home. I made friends. I made a family. I fell in love.

Through all of that I still rose, again and again, pushing myself higher up the Ladder. Becoming the man I am today. The God I am today. And with my Ascension I became Sanctuary. I became the refuge of the downtrodden, the broken, the enslaved, and the oppressed. Though I am known as the Shackled God I became the voice of freedom. Of safety. Of home. 

I would not wish my life on any man, woman or child, not even my worst enemies. But I am the man I am today, the God I am today, because of, no, in spite of what I went through. I have been tortured and starved. Raped and beaten. Shackled and enslaved. Bereft of my home, my family, my people, my culture. 

But I did not let that break me. I rose above it. I met force with mercy. Cruelty with kindness. I stood for the people. I created community. I looked to the world for safety, and found none, so I became it. I became the Sanctuary I needed, for all the people like me. 

And in saving myself, in building my own home, I freed others.” Torric’s gaze went to Dryx. “I provided the home that so many need. When I Ascended I created the Refuge. A world of life, of hope, of family. Of love. I opened my doors to those who needed a place to weather the storms of life. I created Sanctuary. And I offer it to everyone, of every class and every level. Young and old. Rich and poor. Slaves and kings. All genders, all races. Mortals, rankers, Gods, and Celestines alike. For everyone needs a home. Everyone deserves a home.”

In the crowd Desolation snorted derisively. Torric met its eyes and smiled. “Even those who are antithetical to my existence know what it means to have a family. To know what it is to have a home. And what it feels like to be without one. 

Because we all need people. We need community. Through community we have safety. By banding together we have protection. Now, more than ever, do we need the ideals that I embody.

For billions of years we have existed in a system ruled by Authority corrupted by Tyranny, but I have freed Dominion from the chains that bound him. I have shown him what it means to build a home, a family. 

I offer a new way forward. A new choice. A world where people work together to empower one another, instead of work against each other in the pursuit of power. Where burdens shared are burdens halved, and strength shared is multiplied tenfold.

My very existence brings hope to the oppressed. To the lost. To the broken. I bring respite. I bring comfort. I bring care, love and rejuvenation. Strength through unity.

But there are those who are threatened by these new ideals. By mercy. By safety. By love. They would rather remain in power. They rule through malice, through hatred, through fear, through oppression. Through Tyranny.

And those people, those entities, will stop at nothing to destroy me. To destroy my ideals. To maintain the status quo where the rich and powerful oppress the poor and weak for no reason but they can. 

In the coming years a war will be fought. Celestine versus celestine. God versus God. Governments versus their people. Parents against children. Siblings against Siblings. A war for the very soul of the multiverse. It is my great hope that in the coming days you will support me. To support a new way. A better way.”

There was a pregnant moment of silence, then applause rang through the throne room.

Though he did not need to breathe, he let out a heaving sigh, the sound lost beneath thunderous approval.

+You did amazing, love.+ Dryx sent mentally, sending a caress of power down his spine. +I told you they’d love you.+

Torric turned to him, face flush with triumph, and kissed him.

If anything the applause grew louder.

Torric turned and drew Lily, Liam, and Meidron up beside him, one arm wrapped around Meidron’s waist, one around Dryx’s.

Morrigan stepped forward after several moments, motioning the crowd for silence. The applause slowly dimmed and eventually died. 

“Thank you, your eminence, for your eloquent and rousing words. And for sharing your story. Before we continue on with the gala and reception, Desolation also has some words to say.”

Desolation disappeared from the crowd, reappearing onstage, rising up ominously out of the queen’s shadow. 

“Thank you, your majesty.” It responded, voice cold where Torric’s had been warm. Empty of life where his had been full of warmth and love.

“Sanctuary and I will never be friends. For all that he was born from our mother, he is not my brother. We are antithetical to each other. Even now I have the urge to smite him from existence. Being in his very presence is physically painful. That said, he isn't wrong. 

It is fitting that the embodiment of Community, of home and life, was born of Oblivion. Was Elevated by Desolation. That the concepts of ending and destruction gave birth to new beginnings and peace. That loneliness gave birth to community. Though I will never call him kin, Sanctuary is still my blood. Is still the blood of Oblivion. And we protect our own to the very end. You have been warned.”

With that very short and to the point speech, he vanished back into the queen’s shadow. And not just to her shadow. Torric breathed a sigh of relief as Desolation’s presence withdrew from Avalon, returning to its floating space island before disappearing into chaotic space and the realm between realms that only the Divine could inhabit.

With the official speeches done, Torric came off the dais to stand at its feet and begin the very long and onerous task of greeting each noble, royal, or Divine guest one by one. Even for the embodiment of community it was tiresome. Not physically. With his stats he could stand in one place talking for hours without a problem. But personal small talk with over four hundred people, each one wanting their own moment with you was enough to mentally exhaust anyone. 

When the reception line finally came to its end Torric retreated to the hall that held the buffet. Though a good portion of the attendees did not, technically, need to eat, able to exist on mana alone, many of them still enjoyed the action, him included. For Torric not only was it grounding, it was comforting. Two of his four lovers used food and cooking to show their love, and so he would never give up food.

In tonight’s case, it also gave him a few moments to have a valid reason to not talk to anyone at all after the hours-long reception line. The quieter hall was a blessing. The hum of conversation here was softer, less demanding. People were actually eating rather than performing social choreography.

Once fortified they returned to the frey as a group, joining up with Aevyn. Thirty hour days made for long parties, particularly when the vast majority of attendees were so long lived that they were practically immortal. Or in some cases, were actually immortal. It was past three in the morning before they finally retreated, leaving the gala and returning to their new home. 

The moment they were in the front door Torric immediately kicked off his shoes. He hated them at the best of times. Being forced to wear dress shoes for literal hours was actual hell. It had taken Dryx, Meidron, and Liam together to convince him to actually wear the damn things, saying it was only proper. Since Ascending he had eschewed them entirely, using magic to protect his feet from anything…unfortunate he might step in when out in public.

He wiggled his toes against the cool stone tiles of the floor and sighed in relief. 

The only reason he didn’t leave a line of formal wear between the front door and their shared (minus Aevyn) second floor bedroom was because he would have felt terrible at making the servants have to clean up after him just because he wanted to be in more comfortable clothing faster.

Not to say his formal attire was uncomfortable. For formal attire it was quite comfortable. But it was still formal and he was, by nature, very casual. 

Instead of stripping immediately as he wanted to he made his way to the bedroom and carefully stripped, draping the garments over a chair in the walk-in closet for the servants to tend to in the morning. 

Some might have called it hypocritical, having servants when he championed so heavily for fair treatment and against the abuse of the common people by the wealthy elite, but the fact was, when dealing with as large of a property as he had been given he needed skilled help in maintaining it. So he hired help. They were labeled servants by society, and they did do the cleaning and (some) of the cooking, and tended to all the things that Torric just didn’t have time for, even with a 30 hour day and the ability to remove himself from the time stream at will.

They were, however, well paid. Very well paid. Enough that they could support their families, save for the future, and live comfortably, not the subsistence wages common elsewhere. He had hired far more servants than the current size of his household needed, specifically so that he could help more people get good paying jobs, but also under the notion that many hands made light work. By having more servants than he needed he could give all of them more overall time off, outside of their job. And since they were in his employ, he knew that they would forever be safe from the predations of their masters.

It had taken time to housebreak Dryx after he regained his identity, so that he didn’t just leave clothes laying all over the floor, or set down a drink and walk away just expecting someone to pick it up after him.

While they all undressed and left their clothes with Torric’s to be dealt with later, Meidron went into the bathroom to begin filling their luxuriously large bathtub. With the spatial expansions on the room the bath ‘tub’ was more like a small pool, one large enough that Torric could almost swim laps in. 

When his wings had been a permanent feature on his back he’d had to be cautious of large pools of water for the risk of water getting trapped within his feathers and growing too heavy for him to stay above the surface. The risk of accidental drowning had been extremely high, especially when he’d been a mortal child with no magic whatsoever. 

Now that his wings existed as gold outlines on his skin when not in use he could swim and splash and play in the water to his heart's content without worry. And even if he did still have to deal with water-logged wings, he no longer needed to breathe so drowning still wasn’t a concern. Life was, however, quite a bit easier without having to plan around three sets of wings glued to your back.

Torric dove into the pool at a run, angling his body at just the right trajectory to slip cleanly beneath the steaming hot surface of the water without doing something stupid like break his neck on the bottom. The pool-tub was only 3 and a half feet deep, for all that it was 20 feet long and 10 feet wide.

“Show off.” Liam laughed, following at a much more sedate pace as Torric surfaced.

“I don’t know. I rather liked the view from the front.” Meidron replied from where he’d already been sitting in the water when Torric had dove in.

“The view from behind was just as nice.” Dryx added as he slipped into the water. He groaned as he sunk onto one of the built in benches, bringing the water level to a couple inches below his shoulders. “I’m so glad you’re not an ascetic who eschews such niceties as a very hot bath after a very long day.”

Torric not quite swam over to him, straddling his lap. “Oh is my hot bath the only reason you’re glad I’m not an ascetic?” He asked flirtatiously.

“Mmmmm. Not at all, my lord husband.” He replied, leaning forward to kiss his way up Torric’s throat.

Lily pressed against Torric’s back, kissing up the other side of his neck. “He’s our husband. Or almost is.”

“Careful, or this bath is going to get much less restful.” Torric warned, eyes closing in pleasure as he was sandwiched between his two lovers.

“Is that a threat?” Lily asked, her lips hovering tantalizingly close to his ear. “Or a promise?” Her tongue traced the outer edge of his ear, sending a shiver down Torric’s spine. 

“It’s an invitation, my sweet flower.” He replied, turning just enough to kiss her. “The night is still young, and none of us, technically, need to sleep. Why don’t you see how close you can get me to exhausted?”

“With pleasure, dear husband. With pleasure.”

Eventually they moved from the bath to the bedroom, and while they were all still awake when the sun began peeking over the horizon, they were all far, far too occupied with each other to notice.

Chapter Text

“So when are we taking our families to Refuge?” Liam asked when they were once again in the bath, this time to actually relax after a very, very pleasurable 8 hours of hedonism.

Torric had taken his lovers plus Aevyn to his new planet/divine realm once before, the day after his waking from the process that changed him from mere ranker to literal God. They hadn’t been able to stay long, as there was far too much to arrange for the reception that had just been held. The birth of a new God wasn’t common, but it also wasn't exactly rare. Being a God was merely the first rung of Divinity, and the easiest reached. It was also when true immortality kicked in. 

Almost every planet inhabited by a sapient race had a God, if not a whole pantheon. There were a lot of worlds, and consequently a lot of gods. His Ascension was notable in that it came when he was so young, and came as a result of the Sanctioning of a full fledged Celestine. That in of itself was not necessarily worthy of the introduction to high society he’d been given.

What garnered far, far more attention was the fact that he wasn't just a God. He was more than half the way up the Ladder to becoming an actual Celestine. That was notable, for anyone let alone a newly born God who hadn’t yet entered his second stage of life. It meant he was far, far stronger than the average newly born God. Especially compared to his relative and literal ages. 

He had done what no one had in years beyond counting. He formed a unique seed. And then several more in short order. Those seeds became branches, those branches would grow in time to become a Path. He’d also formed his Divine Vows, and had them be formally recognized and encoded into System Records by the celestines who controlled the multiverse.

He’d managed to, largely by accident and with no real guidance and in only  8 short months, do what billions of people had tried and failed to achieve with millennia of careful planning and training. 

He did not climb so high without help, the power fed into him when Oblivion went on her rampage was largely responsible for the vast majority of his levels and stats. But the formation of his Vows, the creation of the seeds that grew into the foundation of his Divine Core, that had all been him acting on instinct. That was notable. That was worthy of gathering the heads of states of dozens of planets and representatives of many of the Good aligned Celestines to greet him.

“I was thinking we could all go the day after the betrothal party.” Torric replied to the question. “Lily, your family is still planning on moving to Refuge permanently?”

“Absolutely. Refuge is going to be the safest place for them.” Lily responded. “Going from mere villagers to the in-laws of the God-king is going to be an adjustment for them.”

“Well no one will dare harm them or treat them badly in my realm.” Torric assured her. “And I will have one of my clones with them to ensure they’re happy and have everything they need. Plus I’ll get to know them better.”

“I’m so happy they’ll never need to worry about getting sick, or not having enough food or anything else.” She moved over to him in the bath, giving him a loving kiss. “And the fact that you are taking in my whole village is amazing. You could have just taken my blood family.”

“You sold yourself into slavery to save your village from a plague. As far as I’m concerned, the whole village is your family. And thus my family as well.”

“Gods I love you.” She replied, giving him another kiss.

He smiled up at her as she stood over him. “I love you too, my sweet flower. And I would do anything to keep you happy. It is nothing to me to keep your family safe, for they are my family too. And I will do everything to keep our family safe.”

“My parents finally decided to name my older sister, Emeiliara, as your ambassador. So she’s the one moving to Refuge too. Her, her husbands, and their children.” Liam informed him.

“And assuming the peace talks with the empire go well, then my parents will also be becoming your ambassador.” Meidron confirmed. “Though they’ve mentioned that even if we cannot come to a peace agreement with them, they will probably defect from the empire to move to Refuge to be with us. And a good portion of our family as well.”

“I’m happy to have your family join us in any capacity. And I have a clone on its way to the planet your family is on, in case we need to get them out fast.”

Because Refuge was his planet and realm, both Torric and his clones could instantly move people through space from wherever they currently were directly to Refuge. To leave the planet they’d have to go the normal route, traveling through the dungeon to the lattice between worlds, but as long as Torric was there to facilitate the move, getting to Refuge was as easy as blinking.

The population of his planet was growing exponentially by the day. Most of the people coming to Refuge had done so by activating the cosmic escape routes that he had established at his Ascension, and the vast majority of them were former slaves or indentured servants.

Anyone could instantly move from wherever they were to Refuge, drawing upon his divine power to do so, provided their lives were in immediate peril and they were not trying to escape lawful and just punishments. There were dozens of subclauses for what counted as peril and lawful punishments, but that was the general gist of it.

When they arrived in Refuge they would be given medical care and a temporary home and provisions while his agents helped them either find a permanent settlement and job or, once recovered, the visitors to Refuge could leave through the dungeon to whatever destination they wanted, with a sack full of supplies to help them get there.

Slavery and indentured servitude were illegal in all forms on Refuge and the punishment for even attempting such an action was extremely harsh. Since Torric was the God of Refuge, his awareness of the planet would tell him the moment someone attempted such actions and he would come down on the perpetrators. Hard. The same for any slavers who attempted to come to Refuge to steal back freed slaves. That had not yet happened, mostly because very few had discovered the lattice entrance to enter Refuge’s dungeon. That would change as the weeks and months passed.

Torric was under no illusions that his world would be totally crime free, but he had put in place programs and laws to hopefully reduce the likelihood of crimes due to lack of food and resources.

 Currently, anyone who came to Refuge as a refugee would be set up with a free home anywhere on the planet, be it a farm in the countryside or a home in one of the rapidly growing cities. They’d also be provided with 6 months worth of tokens that could be exchanged for food, clothes, and anything else they might need in place of coin. 

Those who already had professions would be provided with the tools of their trades and everything needed to start a business, including a shop. Those who did not would be provided free training in whatever profession they wanted to take up, and their own kit out once they completed their training. 

Taxes were minimal, and fair. Those with families that included minor children would not only get tax credits but also a small monthly stipend and allotment of food tokens for as long as their children were minors, regardless of social status. Those who contributed to social services above and beyond the required associated taxes would get additional benefits and government subsidies. He wanted to set up a system where people got rewarded for generosity and community building, rather than hoarding wealth and power.

He also had clones traveling throughout the multiverse finding and recruiting soldiers and warriors willing to leave their homelands to move to Refuge, both to protect the fledgling world and to build up his armies for the war that was to come. It wasn't just soldiers and warriors either, but people who know how to run a country and govern wisely. 

Many of the Good and neutral aligned celestines already had temples in Refuge. Some might call the temples of Death and Decay to be evil, but they were natural processes of the world and not inherently evil as concepts in of themselves.

There was a temple of Healing in every major city and town, providing free healing to anyone who sought them, be it from injury or illness, and training for anyone  who had the magic and inclination,

“After we get our families settled in Refuge we’ll be making our way to Earth to establish my second World Hearth and Earth’s new capital.” 

The planet had suffered its own cataclysm eons ago after a nuclear war decimated it combined with the devastation of a climate catastrophe had sent the surviving population of Earth fleeing the uninhabitable planet for safer pastures. Most of the planet had healed from the damage done to it at this point, but it had become incredibly dangerous for those seeking to reclaim the planet. 

Morrigan was set on taming the planet and allowing the human descendants to return, now millennia later. The establishment of the World Hearth and his Eternal Metropolis on the planet was going to give human and fae settlers a safe base to work from to reclaim the planet from the wildlife and monsters that had claimed it.

He opened his status, looking over the powers needed.

The Eternal Metropolis

• Absolute Metropolis: Conjure a sprawling, living city within a 1–5 mile radius, built from divine stone, steel, and spirit. Streets, homes, temples, marketplaces, and defensive towers rise in minutes, seamlessly adapting to terrain and population. Every structure pulses with latent vitality, repairing itself and strengthening in response to threats or environmental strain.
• Authority Over Order: The city thrives as a living system. Crops flourish, rivers purify themselves, trade routes self-optimize, and crime is diminished by the invisible guidance of divine law. Citizens work in harmony, and devotion naturally flows toward you as if you were the city’s eternal patron. Festivals, learning, and creation amplify the aura, expanding the city’s protective and restorative influence further.
• Bastion of the People: Every resident, from artisan to farmer, is empowered by your presence. Mortals gain the strength to erect fortifications in hours, coordinate defenses autonomously, and fight with +50% morale when defending their homes. Even the weakest feel courage and resilience; the city itself imbues them with purpose and unity, transforming civilian hands into instruments of survival.
• Symbiotic Unity: All within the city are linked to its essence. SP, HP, and MP regeneration are constant, and defenses automatically extend to shield allies within 10 miles of the city’s perimeter. Fear and despair are nullified, replaced by an unshakable sense of community and resolve. Those who fall defending the city leave fragments of spirit behind, further strengthening the Metropolis’s walls, wards, and defensive constructs.
• Adaptive Architecture: Walls, gates, and towers shift organically in response to attackers, sealing vulnerable points or opening pathways as needed. Traps and countermeasures grow as extensions of the city’s will, and siege engines or spells below Mythic grade fail to breach its defenses. No two attacks encounter the same resistance, as the city itself learns and evolves.
• Divine Heartfire: The Metropolis radiates hope and courage, a beacon of civilization that inspires allies, unnerves enemies, and binds the population into a cohesive, nearly indestructible community. Every act of creation, every prayer, every defense strengthens the city and amplifies its living, cosmic presence.

 

The World Hearth

• Axis of Sanctuary: The Shackled God manifests a singular, world-bound sanctuary whose existence can never be replicated. The World Hearth radiates outward, encompassing up to 25 miles at its creation, and becomes a living nexus of life, restoration, and stability. Within its bounds, the air hums with vitality, fires warm without harm, springs flow with restorative essence, and even the faintest breath carries renewal. Those who dwell inside find fatigue, illness, and despair effortlessly undone, as if the world itself bends to preserve and protect them. 
• Eternal Resonance: The Hearth’s influence does not merely heal the present, it imprints upon time itself. Wounds knit and heal at impossible speed, age slows, and vitality is stored in both body and soul. Generations may rise and thrive within its bounds, each child born imbued with enhanced resilience, health, and longevity. Communities flourish, knowledge is preserved, and bonds of kinship strengthen naturally under the Hearth’s benevolent aura.
• Verdant Continuum: The World Hearth actively reshapes the land it touches. Crops ripen with unprecedented abundance, rivers purify themselves, and tools, weapons, and machinery gradually repair without intervention. Nature bends in harmony with life and growth, while entropy and decay retreat from its domain. Vitality, prosperity, and stability persist for centuries, as the Hearth imprints its essence upon the very fabric of the world.
• Divine Nexus: Only one World Hearth may exist per world, anchored to the divine spark of its creator. Those attuned to its power find their own strength, resilience, and understanding amplified, their bodies and spirits harmonized with the Hearth’s eternal rhythm. The Hearth cannot be extinguished by natural disaster, war, or decay; it is a perpetual axis of life and sanctuary, a mythic monument to divine care and protection.
• Living Legacy: The World Hearth is not static, it grows as its world grows. Every act of kindness, every child successfully raised, every community nurtured adds to its strength. Mortality is softened, despair vanishes, and even the echoes of sorrow are transformed into the potential for renewal. Its presence ensures that life itself never falters, and the world it protects carries the mark of its creator for eternity.

 

He’d used the same combination in Refuge to form his own capital city for the planet. It was the most heavily populated city so far on his planet, and the area around it full of farming communities to support it. 

Setting Earth as his second World Hearth also took him one step closer to completing his requirements to become a celestine in truth. He needed to have 3 established for a year and a day. With Earth’s hearth’s creation that would bring him to 2 of 3. He was in negotiations with both Queen Morrigan to potentially place a World Hearth on Avalon, as well as setting one up on Solstheen, or even all three planets that made up the tiny empire of Sol’Feyra. Liam’s parents, the queen and king of Solstheen would have agreed immediately, but they were beholden to their empress and emperor, and so Torric had to negotiate with them. Both he and Dryx’s clones were on Sol’Feyra to negotiate with them even now.

The negotiations, however, were not just with the rankers who ruled each individual planet, or in the case of Sol’Freyra, their empire. He also had to get the cooperation and approval of each world’s Divine rulers. Earth no longer had any Gods associated with it, they abandoned the planet when their peoples did. By setting his World Hearth on Earth he was also becoming, essentially, its patron Deity. 

That would not be so for Avalon and the Sol’Feyran Empire. The same pantheon ruled over all of the Empire, and he would have to get permission to operate on any one of their planets. The same was true with the Gods of Avalon, many of whom were also Earth refugees. Odds were the Gods of Avalon would agree to his negotiations sooner than those of Sol’Feyra. Especially since many wanted to return to Earth when the settlers set up on the planet.

Torric stretched, then leaned again Dryx, the other man possessively wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “I know I don’t need to sleep, but I could just fall asleep right here. You make the best pillow.”

“You can sleep on me whenever you want. Or with me.”

“Some of us aren’t Gods or celestines with unlimited stamina and energy.” Liam groaned. “I don’t think I could survive another 8 hour orgy so soon.”

Torric chuckled. “Dryx and I are currently having sex across a dozen or so worlds right now. He doesn’t need to fuck me again on this world.”

“But this is where our main bodies and consciousness are stored. It’s so much better in person than as clones.” Dryx complained good naturedly. 

“A dozen worlds?” Meidron laughed.

“Oh like we aren’t almost always fucking in Refuge with at least one pair of bodies.” Torric shot back.

“Are you constantly horny as a god?” Liam teased. “Why are you having so much sex?”

“My love. I went a thousand years without seeing any of you, or touching you. Sure it was all in chaotic space where time passes differently. For you I was gone for a couple days. I was separated from the four of you for a millenia. Of course I’m going to want to spend as much time bedding you all as I can.”

“Well I want to do things with you outside the bedroom, too.” Lily replied. “Sex is great, but so are dates and trips out.”

“And cuddling together to watch projections of live entertainments in bed.” Liam added.

“And hanging out with Ae.” Meidron added. “We can’t leave them out. We’ve all been so busy preparing for the reception and the betrothal party and everything else that we’ve barely had any time to just relax and spend time together as a party.”

“I know. And I’m terribly sorry at driving everyone so hard. Or abandoning most of you for endless meetings with dignitaries that would have been insulted to meet with one of my clones. And I don’t want to leave you with a clone while my main consciousness is occupied. Sure its still me, but Dryx is right that it isn’t the same as being there in person.”

“Well the formal betrothal is almost upon us.” Dryx replied. “And then we’ll have time to relax on Refuge with the whole family. The core of my luminari are already here or on Refuge, waiting for us.”

Just as Oblivion had the celestial tigers of house of Veythor, Dryx as Dominion had the house of Dominai, made up of the luminari he had created over the eons or those descended from his luminari. His children were known as the Imperians. Tall winged humanoid beings with skin like marble and bones made of titanium and veins made of celestial iron. They were strictly hierarchical as a people and were as yet still struggling with the changes their creator had decreed once he had been freed from Tyranny’s control.

“What are the plans today?” Lily asked from where she lounged in the water, soaking all the way up to her neck, hair messily piled atop her head to keep it from getting wet. “The day is almost half over.”

“We have a final fitting for our clothes and shoes.” Meidron answered. “That’s all though, Torric and Dryx have no official meetings scheduled. Tomorrow will be spent at the spa getting skin treatments and massages and everything else in preparation for the betrothal party. Then of course, we have the party itself the following day, which means we’ll be at the palace early to start getting ready. Since you, Liam, and Ae actually do need at least some rest to keep going, we scheduled time for the three of you to have a five hour nap during the night before we go to the palace, so that you’ll be perfectly refreshed the day of.”

“I was thinking we could spend this evening at the theatre. One of the play houses is running the second tetralogy of Earth’s famous playwright Shakespeare, about the ruling of some of their kings, in honor of the reclamation of Earth that is going to happen. They sent me tickets for all of us, but I was thinking of inviting all our parents to join us. Or in your case, Dryx, the head of your house and whichever of your children you want to take. Ill be inviting uncle Kierical and Senshia as part of House Veythor.” Torric offered. “I’m certain they’d be thrilled to accommodate the extra people.”

“Oh I’d love a night out at the theater!” Lily exclaimed from her seat.

“My parents would be thrilled by the invitation.” Liam acknowledged.

“As would mine.” Meidron agreed. “I know they’ve been living here in the city with us since we arrived, but we’ve been so busy with our own problems I haven’t gotten to spend nearly as much time with them as I would have liked.”

They quickly agreed to the plans of going out to the play, and Torric had one of his clones start sending out the invitations, as well as send a servant to the theatre in question to ask for additional tickets for their family and the guards that would have to come as escorts. It was all a formality, the theatre would be more than happy to accommodate such a large party, even as last minute as it was, and their families would be equally eager to go out.

Finally they stopped lounging in the tub, climbing out and drying off, then dressing for the day. After a very late breakfast the small army of tailors and seamstresses who had spent the last two weeks in time dilation chambers feverishly sewing their betrothal garments came to the house to begin final fittings. Torric wasn’t allowed to see any of his lovers’ outfits, not out of any tradition but because they had apparently devised some sort of surprise for him when it came to their clothing. 

He wasn’t even allowed to know what his garments looked like. Dryx had asked, and Torric had agreed, to blind his senses during all his fittings. He kept just enough to be able to put on the garments without damaging them, but had no actual idea what they were, beyond layers of some kind of top and a pair of pants.

Once their fittings were all finished they dressed for their day at the theatre. The entire performance was supposed to be 12 hours, with food served throughout to match the plays. It would take place into a dilation spell, so that what was 12 hours inside was actually half that time in reality.

With everyone’s parents and family coming it took multiple carriages to get to the theatre. They’d been put in one of the large viewing boxes to accommodate Liam’s, Meidron’s, and Lily’s parents, Torric’s uncle and sister, and Dryx’s three luminari descendants, plus the six of them. 

The plays themselves were fantastic, and the food was just as delicious. As the performance had been starting the director of the shows had come on stage and thanked Torric and his party for taking the time to come out to their performance in the midst of the week-long celebrations that the queen had set up in his honor. 

Beside his official reception the night before, there had also been a royal feast for select attendees, and of course the upcoming betrothal party. Torric had also set up the Festival of Kinship.

Festival of Kinship

• Festival of Kinship: When invoked, a radiant aura spreads across the chosen domain, declaring all present as part of a divine family. Rivalries, grudges, and disputes dissolve instantly; even natural enmity cannot endure against the power of shared purpose. All participants feel a deep, ineffable connection, as if their spirits have always been entwined. During the festival, the air itself hums with joyous energy, amplifying creativity, fertility, and morale by +25% for a full year. 
• Forge the Family: A group of individuals may formally swear the Bond of Kinship and family. The bonds forged here are recognized by mortals and gods alike, impossible to sever by mundane or magical means. Those connected by the bond will always know the general status of their family (healthy, wounded, critically wounded, diseased, cursed, poisoned, dead, undead), their general direction, and the rough distance between them.
• Eternal Banquet of Abundance: For the length of the Festival, hunger and thirst vanish. A cosmic feast materializes, capable of feeding, nourishing, and invigorating countless souls regardless of their number, species, or origin. Each morsel carries restorative properties, healing wounds, dispelling fatigue, and purifying toxins. Health, mana, stamina, and morale regeneration increase by +30%, while all hostilities automatically cease; no participant can harm another while within the aura. The banquet adapts to each person’s deepest desires and memories, providing not only sustenance but comfort, joy, and spiritual fulfillment.

 

People had come from all over to swear themselves as a family under the auspices of the Festival, gaining the blessings that not just Torric offered through the Festival, but blessings from many of the other celestines whose representatives had come to Avalon. The magic levels on the planet had surged with so many cosmic beings that had come for the week-long celebrations.

Morrigan had been quite happy for him to set up the Festival, as had many of those who had come from high magic societies, as the more magic inherent within a race the harder it was for them to conceive. Blessings that increased fertility meant that people who would ordinarily have to spend thousands on potions or spells to get pregnant would be more likely to conceive naturally. Avalon would be having a much needed baby boom, and quite a few of the visiting nobles and royals would undoubtedly be attempting to conceive as well. Love was well and truly within the air of the city. 

Which was also why they had magically blocked Lily from being able to get pregnant. No one wanted accidental babies while so young.

After the play they retired back to Torric’s manor to play games. Even spatially expanded, his manor was overflowing with guests. All of their immediate families were staying in the manor for the time being, minus Torric’s blood family, who had their own manor a few properties down the street. Meidron’s extended relations were camped out in the mansion that his parents had been renting for the last few months, and a good chunk of Dryx’s own house was also renting a property nearby. 

Even those that were sleeping outside of Torric’s personal manor, everyone was using his place as a gathering point throughout the day and night, so it was overflowing with people of various ages. He’d hired dozens of extra servants and cooks, paying them 2.5 times the traditional wages, just so that they wouldn’t be overworked tending to the needs of so many extra people. The kitchen, for instance, had been staffed pretty much around the clock, and would continue to do so until they all left for Refuge.

They retreated to their shared bedroom at 3 in the morning to relax after the chaos of the day’s entertainment, after the majority of their guests had retreated to their own bedrooms, or domiciles, as needed. 

Liam threw himself onto the bed, yawning. “Hosting so many people is exhausting.”

“For you maybe.” Torric teased. “Being surrounded by so much of our family has more than energized me.”

“Well yeah, you’re an immortal God whose Divine aspects are centered around family and community. I’m just an ordinary ranker.”

Torric pounced on him with a mock growl. “You are far from ordinary, my lumin, light of my life.” 

“I love having my family around me.” Lily said with a happy sigh. “I haven’t seen them in over a decade.”

Her personal family was sleeping in the manor, spread out across three bedrooms, while the rest of her village was set up in temporary housing until it was time for them all to leave for Refuge.  The queen had created practically a whole other town outside the capital to house the influx of visitors to the capital for the celebrations. Every inn was full, and many people were renting out spaces in their homes to visitors for a bit of extra money.

“Well now you can see them whenever you want.” Torric promised her. 

It would be child’s play for him to transport her to Refuge, no matter where they were in the multiverse. He could send her to refuge in a blink, and return her when she was ready, so long he had a clone body at each travel point. 

Dryx could also move them through chaotic space without using clone bodies as transport locations since he was a full fledged celestine, several billion years old. In fact it was largely due to Dryx that they’d been able to bring everyone they wanted to Avalon in enough time for all the celebrations. 

Despite Liam’s social exhaustion, none of them were actually ready to go to sleep. Instead they cuddled together in bed taking turns reading aloud and softly playing music. The room was magically insulated so that they wouldn’t interrupt anyone outside the bedroom. In fact all the bedrooms were magically sound proofed, which was just as well because Torric could sense many people in the house were taking advantage of the increased fertility to attempt to create siblings, nieces, and nephews, for his lovers. 

He wasn’t intentionally spying on the manor occupants and their activity, but as a deity centered around community and family, people attempting to procreate so close to him was like someone blasting a trumpet directly outside his open window.

They ended the night in meditation, Meidron beating out a relaxing tempo on a small hand drum. 

Chapter Text

“I’m stealing our lord and master now.” Meidron announced as they were nearing the end of breakfast.

“Gross. I am not your master.” Torric replied, making a face.

“If anything I’m the lord and master.” Dryx laughed.

“Wrong.” Liam retorted. “Torric is definitely the one in charge in our relationship.”

“Yeah, he has you wrapped around his finger.” Lily laughed.

“Very funny guys.” Torric replied with an eye roll. “Why can’t we all be equal?”

“We all equally love you.” Lily replied.

“Hey.” Meidron said, snapping his fingers. “The party starts in eight hours and it will take hours to braid Torric’s hair. We have to start now.”

“I mean we could do it in a dilation chamber.” Liam suggested. “Then we’d be ready in just a few real time minutes.”

“No, we can’t.” Torric replied. “With so many people coming to the party, dilation chambers will be going all over the city today, the queen has requested that everyone who can get ready in real time do so to lessen the strain on the continuum. The last thing we need is a chrono crisis where people get trapped in time bubbles because the field that Avalon exists in collapses.”

“Which means we have to go.” Meidron again insisted. “It won't take nearly as long for the rest of you.”

Torric allowed himself to be carried off by his familiar, teleporting the two of them to the palace. When they appeared at its entrance one of Dryx’s clones was already there and waiting.

“I’m going to keep you company." He announced.

One of the palace servants quickly led them to the room that Torric was supposed to be getting ready in. He stripped naked and reclined on a ‘chair’ of air to be immediately surrounded by servants. Since he was sitting on air they could reach every inch of his body without having to deal with actual physical furniture.

Meidron, flanked by four additional servants, immediately started in on his knee length hair. The complex set of braids would take the longest to do, even with the four servants being specialized in braiding.

While they set to work the other servants began slathering his skin with lotion, not that he needed it after spending the day before being exfoliated, massaged, shaved, given a mud bath, wrapped in seaweed, and all manner of concoctions at the spa the day before. His skin was already perfect and flawless as a God, but that had not stopped everyone from spoiling him to make him, and his lovers, perfect for the day’s festivities.

He kept up a running conversation with Dryx while they all worked on him, Meidron and the servants too intent upon their work to keep up any kind of real conversation beyond what they needed to say to each other as they coifed and prepared him.

After the lotions his silver-blue skin was brushed with powdered kinduriav pearls, giving it a luminous pearlescent luster. The thin black lines that marked Refuge’s constellations on his skin were painted over with thicker black paint that was mixed with gold dust. When that layer of paint dried, thin delicate brushes dipped in gold paint recreated the original lines.

His face was dusted with the powdered pearl as well, but the only paint upon it was the black and gold that outlined and highlighted his eyes. His lips were also painted black. A thick line of gold ran down its center, with two small stars painted on either side of the line on his lower lip. Four stars for his four lovers, matching the tattooed stars under his eye that he, and they, each wore permanently emblazoned upon their faces.

Finally the complex weaving of braids was done. The braids were different thicknesses, some woven through with ribbons of various combinations of gold, black, and silver. Others were beaded, or had gemstones threaded through them. Each braid was tipped with a tiny silver or gold bell, each one carefully tuned so that when he moved he would be surrounded by harmonious tinkling. The braids were tightly woven to his skull until they reached the back of his head where they flowed in a curtain down his back.

Finally it was time for him to dress. Loose and flowing black silk pants, hand sewn with gold and silver embroidered stars mimicking the same constellation patterns they covered. Each star, however, was set with a sparkling citrine.

He was draped in a flowing robe made up of a silk so fine and light it was utterly sheer, but also sparkled in the light as if woven from pure starlight. The sleeves billowed outwards in a waterfall style that extended far past his fingertips. It was easy to see the toned outlines of his arms, the painted constellations on his skin, through the sheer fabric.

Over the light silk robe came a solid black silk vest. It buttoned shut with exactly four buttons. Each one was a cameo of his lovers’ faces in profile. The stars embroidered on the vest were also constellations, but from the sky above Dryx’s home planet, Imperius.

Gold arm bands encircled his upper arms, while jeweled cuffs encircled each wrist. Dryx was the one who affixed each belled anklet to his ankles. His ears were, for the first time in quite some time, bare of any jewelry. His left ear would be repierced with the gold betrothal hoops as part of the ceremony that was to take place.

Finally he was finished getting ready, which meant it was time for the party. Meidron vanished from his side, going to join his other lovers. Dryx’s clone also vanished. In their places came Liam, Lily, and Meidron’s parents, plus his uncle, and Dontellian, the head of house Dominai, and the eldest of Dryx’s Luminari children.

They too were bedecked in silver, gold and black, either wearing the constellations of Refuge or Imperius, save for his ‘uncle’, Kierical, whose clothing was entirely black as the representative of their shared mother, Oblivion.

He entered the party in the royal gardens, Liam, Meidron, and Lily’s parents going ahead of him, his uncle at his side, and Dontellian towering at his back. Traditionally it was always Dryx who stood behind Torric whenever they made a public appearance. He looked around the gardens, which were overflowing with guests as he followed the procession to where the queen waited for him..

His inlaws splintered off to their seats, while he stood alongside Morrigan at the head of the assembly.

“You look amazing, your eminence.” The queen greeted him softly.

“Thank you, your majesty.” He replied, coming to stand next to her, facing the audience, and the aisle that his beloved would soon be coming down.

With a trill from the orchestra the procession began, Lily at the front, followed by Liam, then Meidron, and last of all Dryx. Each of them were wearing identical outfits to his, all the way down to the body paint copying his constellations. The only difference was Dryx wore the constellations of Imperius upon his skin, rather than Refuge.

The music from the orchestra swelled as they proceeded down the aisle.

Torric met Lily first. “You’re beautiful.” He greeted her, then dipped her body back as he kissed her. She was breathless when he broke the kiss going to stand next to the queen while he greeted Liam with the same relish he had met Lily.One by one he met and kissed each of his lovers.

Traditionally a betrothal party was meant to be just that, a party before the official wedding. Their betrothal party, however, was going to be more like a wedding. And was the entire reason the Festival of Kinship was going on. For they would be using it to bind themselves as one, forever and always.

Torric turned towards their arrayed guests with a smile, his four lovers standing behind him, but before the queen.

“Once again we all gather here, and for far more felicitous tidings than we did mere days ago. Then we gathered to introduce a new God, potentially a new celestine to the world. We gathered to announce a war that will cause the death of millions of lives.

We gather today for another reason. A better reason. We are here to formally celebrate our betrothal, yes, but more importantly, you have all gathered to witness the bindings of five souls into one. We will be recognized as family now and forever, by mortals, gods and celestines alike. It will become encoded into the very System that governs us all.

It is not an action to be undertaken lightly. We will forge a bond greater than marriage, for marriage contracts can be broken. A bond greater than family, for families can be split asunder.

Today we celebrate not the nuptials to come, for those are but words on paper, easily torn and easily erased. Today before you we forge five souls into one unending link, from now until the destruction of the very System that governs us all. There will still be a wedding and everything that entails, but in many ways this will be more of a wedding than our actual wedding will be.”

Torric turned to face his four lovers, smiling at them, love in his eyes. “We have only been together for a few months, but in those months we have experienced great hardship. We have bled together. One of you sacrificed your life to save me. Another needed saving. One of you has been by my side since the very beginning and gave up his title of prince to be with me. And one of you came to me in the midst of one of my greatest sorrows, giving me comfort when I needed it most.”

He stopped to caress each of their cheeks in turn. “When I was broken and abused you held me. When I cried, you comforted me.” He turned his attention to Dryx. “When I raged over what was done to me you brought me to safety and let me vent it on your body. The four of you are the supports that have held me up when others sought to tear me down. You are the wind beneath my wings, my comfort, my safety, my loves. We are a family, bound by pain, by blood, by love, by hardship. So now, today, we will bond through magic, becoming one. Becoming whole.”

They joined hands in a circle, and Torric’s magic began to run his power through them all, passing his energy to Dryx to his right, and traveling from hand to hand, body to body, until the power came back to him. His magic continued to grow and swell with each circuit through the circle of their enjoined hands. Golden light began to radiate out of their bodies as the magic bound them together.

They were glowing as bright as the sun in the sky when the magic hit its peak. If flared one last time, blinding the audience for a moment. When the light filtered away and the spots faded from their eyes, the five stood together, The painted constellations on their skin now permanent marks, glittering black and gold.

He could feel the four connected to him, buried deep within his soul. He was theirs and they were his. From now, stretching into eternity. He knew that Lily and Liam were now just as immortal as he, Dryx, and Meidron, drawing upon his and Dryx’s Divinity and incorporating it into their own bodies.

They turned to Morrigan, the circle moving to a line, their hands still holding each other’s. The queen smiled at the five of them. “You five have done what few others have, what few others are willing to do. You forged your souls into one before us all, before the System itself. It is my great honor that you chose to do this here, on Avalon, rather than Imperius or Refuge. It is my greater honor to fix the rings of marriage upon you, so that all will know you are one.”

One by one she punched the five golden hoops through their right ears. One set with ruby, another with emerald, another with moonstone, the fourth with morganite, and the fifth a rare golden aquamarine. Each stone symbolized family, love, and unity. The hoops were enchanted, unable to be removed short of physically ripping the earrings from their bodies.

They turned as one, facing the crowd once again. The queen spoke from behind them. “It is my great pleasure and honor to introduce to you the foundation of House Sancti. May they grow and prosper together.”

The royal garden burst forth with applause, whistles, and cheers. Someone released thousands of multicolored butterflies, the insects swirling through the air around them. They bowed before the crowd as one, exhilaration on their faces. When the cheering and applause slowly died down Torric smiled at them. “We thank all of you for coming on this most auspicious day and sharing in our joy. Please stay and celebrate with us. There are tables laden with refreshments throughout the gardens, and the queen has graciously provided as much as we can drink from her personal reserves. Throughout the gardens there will also be entertainments set up. Musicians of all types, actors performing plays, jugglers, acrobats, dancers.”

The official ceremony over, they rejoined their families, sharing joyful hugs and kisses. Lily, Meidron, and Liam’s mothers were all crying, carefully blotting happy tears from their eyes so as not to ruin their makeup.

Servants brought around glasses of wine and a round of toasts began, each speech within their group celebrating their love, their union. Torric and his bonded lovers stayed where they were while their many, many guests filtered by them to offer personal congratulations to the five. The party held more than just the noble envoys from the other important families in the multiverse, but also Lily’s home village, many of their classmates that they had befriended during their time in the Academy, priests from the temples who he had befriended, and even some of the servants he had befriended over his time in Avalon.

The ceremony had started in the mid afternoon, and the celebrations lasted well into the night. When the sun set and the sky darkened they gathered for a firework show in the sky above the capital. At midnight the five snuck away from the party, quietly teleporting from the palace gardens back to their shared home.

They carefully hung up their betrothal garments. They would be preserved for all time, a symbol of their union. Once undressed, and very, very tipsy, they made their way to the bathroom, washing their makeup off and the pearl dust from each other’s bodies before sinking into the hot water of their prepared bath.

Dryx snaked his arm around Torric’s waist, pulling him onto his lap. He nuzzled Torric’s neck, One hand reached around to play across his nipple. Lily was there in an instant, kissing Torric as Dryx held him, their tongues entwining. Nearby Meidron and Liam were kissing just as fervently.

Heat washed through his body, unrelated to the temperature of the water as lust grew between them, echoing across their soul bond and amplifying as it spread through them. They kissed and groped each other in different combinations, raising each other’s bodies to a fever pitch of desire and devotion before retreating to the bedroom, and their massive shared bed.
They didn’t fuck, they made love. Savoring each other’s bodies, every caress, every gasp, every moan, their minds bleeding together until they were not five individual people, five individual bodies, but one body, one group mind, five pleasures blending into one.

Only when they could take no more, when their bodies became too exhausted to continue did they stop, the sun having well risen by the time they retreated to the bathroom again to clean up. It was noon by the time they emerged for a very late breakfast. Most of the house was silent, their relatives still asleep or otherwise resting, having not come home until close to dawn.

Slowly they trickled downstairs, having their own breakfasts or joining the five newly bonded lovers in the large parlor where they had gathered many times to play games and spend time together as a family.

It was 5 by the time everyone had woken and gathered together at the manor from their various housing throughout the city. The courtyard of the manor was overflowing with people, all crammed together. Lily’s village of 200 were there, Liam’s entire family, a good portion of Meidron’s family, several of Dryx’s luminari children, and even members from Torric’s former house, back when he had been Veythari.

“Is everyone here and ready?” Torric asked the assembled group. When he got the affirmative he wrapped the gathered people in a bubble of rose gold aura then connected with the planet that was his. His creation. His safe harbor for his family. His Refuge.

They appeared in the massive bricked courtyard in front of the palace he had built. Servants from among Refuge’s ever growing population had gathered to greet them, warned in advance that the group was about to arrive from one of Torric’s many clones. As they were part of him, they knew what he knew and had more than enough time to get everything ready for their arrival.

Torric gave them all a guided tour of his new palace, one he’d only slept in for one night in his main body, they’d had to spend so much time on Avalon preparing for the welcome reception and the betrothal/bonding ceremony. Afterwards they had a welcome feast in the palace, all almost 300 of them, before Lily’s village was led into the city and shown the many homes that had been prepared for them. The entire village was settled into a large neighborhood in his expansive capital so that they could remain together in their new unfamiliar homes.

Their direct family stayed in the expansive palace, though permanent residences had been prepared for them in the noble’s district that surrounded the palace. Their parents had their own permanent private rooms in the palace, but Liam’s sister and her husbands had wanted their own home to raise their family in. Houses Veythor and Dominai also had their own separate manors in the noble’s district.

They stayed on Refuge for a week, showing their families around the massive planet, and exploring the capital of Haven. The population was growing so much and so fast that many of the shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues they visited were entirely unknown to Torric.

Once everyone was settled into their homes as best they could be, Torric and Dryx transported Liam’s family who weren’t staying back to Solstheen, before they all returned to Avalon. The empress of the demon empire was on her way, and would be arriving in not quite a month and half and there was much to do before then.

Chapter Text

Name: Torric Sancti

Race: God

Bloodline: —

Class: God of Sanctuary

Grade: S Sub Grade: Bronze

Level 1

 

Primary Attributes: Presence, Intuition, Spirit, Charisma

Secondary Attributes: Dexterity, Insight, Wits, Arcana

Tertiary Attributes: Intelligence, Reflexes, Vitality, Resolve

Divine Attributes: Faith, Judgement, Grace, Transcendence

 

Level Bonus:

+75 all Primary Attributes, +60 all Secondary Attributes, +50 to all Tertiary  Attributes, +40 all other attributes +75 free points +100 Divine Attributes

 

Free Points: 181,600

 

Legends: 21

Legend Points: 20

Celestial Branches: 7

Spiritual Domains: 2

 

HP: 181,740,000

MP: 182,040,000

SP: 181,620,000

DP: 181,500,000

 

Physical Attributes

Strength: 60,540

Dexterity: 60,660

Agility: 60,720

Reflexes: 60,720

Toughness: 60,540

Endurance: 60,540

Vitality: 60,600

 

Mental Attributes

Intelligence: 60,600

Wisdom: 60,540

Perception: 60,540

Wits: 60,660

Creativity: 60,540

Resolve: 60,600

Insight: 60,660

 

Social Attributes

Charisma: 60,540

Presence: 60,720

Manipulation: 60,540

Composure: 60,540

Empathy: 60,540

Charm: 60,540

Leadership: 540

Magical Attributes

Intuition: 60,600

Willpower: 60,540

Focus: 60,540

Attunement: 60,540

Affinity: 60,540

Arcana: 60,660

Spirit: 60,720

 

Divine Attributes:

Faith: 60,500

Hope: 60,500

Peace: 60,500

Grace: 60,500

Sanctity: 60,500

Transcendence: 60,500

Judgement: 60,500

Traits

Physical Attack Power: 75,705

Physical Attack Speed: 9,102
Accuracy: 30,300

Dodge: 91,080

Defense: 90,810

Speed (Ground): 7,885

Speed (Flight): 7,891

Evasion (Ground): 12,144

Evasion (Flight): 15,176

Crit Chance: 99%

Critical Damage: 6,204%

Casting Speed: 24,234

Spell Power: 106,110

Spell Save DC: 1,514

Spell Crit Chance: 99%

Spell Crit Damage: 6,204%

 

Class Features

Divine Clones

• Sanctuary may split his spiritual body into multiple clones, each one possessing the strength, knowledge, and abilities of his main body. These clones can travel separately from the main body and share all knowledge with their source. Sanctuary can teleport between clone bodies regardless of distance, designating any clone as the new ‘main body’ at will.

Divine Creation

• Sanctuary may tap into their Divinity to instantly create nonliving items of any rarity and type. These items are permanent, but may be dismissed at will, erasing the objects from existence. The more Divine Power imbued within an object the more powerful it is.

Aura of Sanctuary (Passive)

• A divine aura radiates from the God of Sanctuary, soothing hearts and tempering conflict. Hostile entities within range must resist Sanctuary’s Calm or be unable to initiate aggression.
• Allies within the aura gain resistance to Fear, Despair, and Charm effects. Sanctuary can selectively exclude enemies and allies or suppress the aura’s effect to allow combat when needed. The aura increases nearby allies’ mana and health regeneration by a scaling percentage based on Faith.

Shared Burden

• Sanctuary can absorb or redistribute suffering among their faithful. When allies take damage, a percentage can be redirected evenly among the group. Sanctuary can choose to personally shoulder this pain, converting it into Hope Points, a unique resource used to empower healing and barrier abilities. Each time pain is shared, allies’ morale rises, granting stacking buffs to defense and willpower.

Shelter the Soul

• When an ally would die or be erased, Sanctuary may intercede. Instantly transports the ally’s soul to Sanctuary’s spirit realm for safety.Their body fades into light and their soul cannot be targeted or harmed. After the battle, the sheltered soul can be restored without cost. Using this ability drains a portion of Sanctuary’s Divine Power.

Radiant Concord

• Harmony breeds power. The more allies fight beside Sanctuary, the stronger his light grows.For every ally actively aiding in battle, Sanctuary’s divine stats increase by a small percentage. Allies gain a buff that increases skill potency based on physical proximity to Sanctuary and shared intent.

The Living Haven

• Sanctuary’s existence itself stabilizes reality. Reality within a radius equal to .5 miles per 1,000 points of Faith cannot be warped or corrupted. Time distortion, spatial collapse, and void breaches are suppressed. Sanctuary’s presence anchors souls to the world, making resurrection easier and afterlife transitions peaceful.

 

Blessings:

Blessing of the Divine Lineage

• Channel Healing’s power to restore health, cleanse debuffs, or grant stat boosts to one or more allies. Scales with Attunement and Willpower. 
• May also be used outside combat to bless land, forge alliances, or consecrate sacred spaces

Blessing of the Cherished Child

• Channel Healing’s grace to heal wounds, cure diseases, calm fears, and fill the recipient with warmth and joy. Removes all harmful status effects and debuffs, bolsters resilience against fear, and grants a small permanent boost to Vitality and Spirit when used on children. It also shields them from detection by hostile spirits and curses until they come of age. 
• May be invoked outside combat to sanctify nurseries, apply protection wards, or inspire courage in the young.

Blessing of the Eternal Aegis

• Invoke Sanctuary’s protective might to shroud an ally or allies in an unyielding barrier of light. Significantly reduces incoming damage, reflects a portion of harmful magic, and grants immunity to forced movement or displacement effects. Scales with Willpower and Resolve. 
• Outside combat, may be used to ward a location, fortify structures, or create sanctified boundaries that repel evil or corruption.

Blessing of the Unshackled Path

•  Channel Freedom’s roar to break chains both physical and spiritual. Removes bindings, compulsions, or enslaving contracts imposed by magic, curse, or oath. Grants the recipient resistance to domination effects, mind control, or forced servitude. If used on those recently freed from bondage, permanently increases Resolve and Presence, and marks them as Unshackled, making them immune to being enslaved once again against their will.
•  Outside combat: Can be invoked to consecrate sites of liberation, sanctify the breaking of chains, or imbue tools/weapons used in uprisings with divine resonance. It radiates a palpable aura of defiance against tyranny, inspiring others to rise.

Blessing of the Dawning Flame

• Summon Hope’s inner fire to rekindle hope in those whose spirits have been dimmed. Restores morale, dispels despair, depression, and spiritual numbness. Fills recipients with renewed courage, clarity, and the will to keep living. Grants a regeneration effect to Willpower and Spirit, and in combat temporarily boosts Accuracy and Crit Chance as Hope’s Edge sharpens their strikes. 
• Outside combat may be used to uplift the downtrodden, heal trauma-scars of the soul, or bless communities suffering hopelessness. When invoked on gatherings, it creates a Lumin Hearth, a lingering aura of warmth and safety that restores emotional resilience to all who remain within and provides a minor regenerative effect on HP, MP, SP, and morale.

Blessing of the Radiant Oath

• Swear Justice’s light upon a cause or promise. Allies bound by this blessing receive stat boost when fighting for that cause and can share resources (HP/MP/SP regeneration) among each other. Betrayers of the oath suffer divine backlash.
• Outside combat: Used in diplomacy or alliance-forging, sanctifying pacts that cannot be broken without divine consequence.

Blessing of the Silent Vigil

• Hope’s quiet watch keeps the vulnerable safe. Blessed allies gain enhanced recovery during rest, immunity to ambush surprise rounds, and a protective ward that triggers if they are attacked in sleep or prayer.
• Outside combat: Can sanctify safehouses, hospitals, or nurseries, ensuring rest and recovery are uninterrupted.

Blessing of Hope’s Renewal

• When despair swells, Sanctuary steadies hearts. Blessed allies immediately shed fear, confusion, and berserk status conditions, and gain increased resistance against coercion and despair, improving morale and calming the anxious and fearful.
• Outside combat: Can pacify riots and panic, prevent nightmares, and anchor ceasefires, granting steadiness to councils, shelters, and refugee camps.

Blessing of the Soul’s Mending

• Channel Sanctuary’s deepest compassion to soothe the hidden scars no hand can touch. This blessing restores harmony to fractured spirit and heart, easing burdens of grief, despair, and trauma. It may cleanse corruption of the soul, heal madness or spiritual poison, and knit together bonds of trust broken by betrayal.
• In combat, it can stabilize allies afflicted by fear, charm, confusion, or spiritual corruption, purging psychic afflictions and restoring clarity. 
• Outside combat, it may be invoked to mend relationships, reconcile foes, ease mourning, or consecrate sacred ground against despair and hopelessness.

Blessing of Home

• Sanctified priests of Sanctuary may designate a location as a spiritual Haven. Within a Haven, hostile entities cannot enter without divine-level permission. Crops grow faster, illnesses decrease, and mana flows pure. If Sanctuary ever visits a Haven personally, it evolves into a Refuge, permanently raising the location’s ambient spiritual harmony and lowering ambient spiritual corruption.

 

Divine Branches

Sanctuary – 0%

Community – 0%

Sovereignty – 3.3%

Restoration – 8.3%

Ascension – 11.3%

Retribution - 0%

Protection – 0%

 

Divine Powers:

The Eternal Metropolis

Absolute Metropolis

Authority Over Order

Bastion of the People

Symbiotic Unity

Adaptive Architecture

Divine Heartfire

Sanctity of Travel

Absolute Passage

Authority Over Travel

Divine Assurance

Symbiotic Infrastructure

The Eternal Ledger

Absolute Marketplace

Divine Debt

Golden Standard

Universal Flow

Divine Continuum

The Living Forge

Workshop Eternal

Sanctified Matter

Soulforged Creations

Limits of Devotion

Eternal Masterwork

Womb of Provision

Festival of Kinship

Festival of Kinship

Forge the Family

Eternal Banquet of Abundance

The Immutable Balance

Absolute Equity

Authority Over Judgment

Divine Mandate of Equality

Cosmic Resonance

Eternal Concord

Absolute Equity

Authority Over Devotion

Equity of Life and Death

Cosmic Resonance

Hands of the Collective

Radiance of the Many

Flame of Reciprocity

Threads of Equivalence

Heartfire of the Collective

Scales of Equilibrium

Reverberating Justice

Level Ground of Judgment

Reciprocal Burden

Harmony of Balance

Pathway of the Unbound

Veilbreaker

Gate of Revelation

Flight of Liberation

Freedom’s Mantle

Edict of Libertas

Embers of Defiance

Flood of Liberation

Heart of Revolution

Resonance of Liberty

Sanctuary’s Refuge

Sanctuary of Warmth

Ward of Resilience

Hearthfire Bonds

Gathering Strength

Radiance of Refuge

Sanctum of the Everlasting Hearth

Heart of Refuge

Soulfire Bastion

Garden of Renewal

Hearth of Eternal Return

Crown of the Unbroken Will

Shatterbound

Resonance of Defiance

Horizon of Autonomy

Sanctuary of the Self

Aura of Sovereignty

Flame of Sovereignty

Shattered Chains

Soulward Bastion

Liberation of Others

Unbound Presence

Eternal Will

Eclipse of the Final Silence

Judgment Beyond All Cycles

Sovereignty Over Endings

Void Coronation

Eternal Edict

Ascendance of the Infinite Covenant

Transcendent Synthesis

Covenant of Eternal Exchange

Apotheotic Ascent

Luminous Apotheosis

 

Eternal Symphony of Life

Harmonic Vitality

Soulforged Unity

Phoenix Requiem

Verdant Eternity

Crescendo of Immortality

Harmony of the Sovereign Circle

Absolute Communion

Authority Over Liberty

Divine Rapport

Sanctum of Autonomy

Eternal Chorus

Tower of Infinite Ascent

Absolute Creation

Harmonic Progression

Divine Incentive

Shared Resonance

Eternal Ascension

The World Hearth

Axis of Sanctuary

Eternal Resonance

Verdant Continuum

Divine Nexus

Living Legacy

 

Skills

 

Barrier Skills

Aegis of Sanctuary

Bastion Ward

Null Zone

Ironheart Ward

Blessed Refuge

Mirror Ward

Soulguard Mantle

Hope’s Reprise

 

Buffs and Enhancements:

Void Surge Cataclysm

Immortality Engine (Ω)

Sanctuary’s Eternal Momentum

Worldroot Apotheosis (L)

Lunar Ascendant Apotheosis (M)

Eschaton Oblivion Eclipse (M)

 

Combat Skills

Abyssal Cataclysm Dive

Moonfang Eclipse Executioner

Rhythm of the Waning Eclipse

Fist of Silent Eternity

Oblivion Cataclysm Breaker (Ω)

Oblivion Talon of the Eclipse

Eclipse Rending Talons: Abyssal Maw

Resonant Eclipse Fury

Claw of the Waning Tides: Void Reaver

Breath of the Hollow Star: Eclipse Wave (Legendary)

 

Curses

Curse of Fading Essence

Curse of the Waning Eclipse

Curse of the Nameless Wanderer

Curse of Paradoxal Statis

Curse of the Hollow Vigil

 

Defensive Skills

Mantle of the Voidlight

Phantasmal Twilight Mirage

Dirgeborn Gravity Overload

Eclipse Step: Voidstep

Vigil of the Lunar Hearth

 

General Skills

All Speak (Omniscient)

Eternal Phoenix Rebirth

Soulbound Dominion

Omni-Loot Radius

Corpse Dissolution: Transmutation

Soul Storage Transfer: Infinite

GS Tribute: Absolute

Essence Fragments: Condensed

Akashic Vault: Infinite

Eye of Omniscience

 

Magic Skills

Shackled Vengeance: Abyssal Chains (Ω)

Eclipse of Shattered Faith (M)

Lament of the Waning Constellation (L)

Oblivion Vortex Dominion (M)

 

Movement Skills

Eclipse Breakthrough: Void Blitz

Last Sanctuary: Phantasmal Exodus (Ω)

 

Perception Skills

Celestial Predator Compass: Omni-Sense

Treasure-Seeker’s Providence: Legend Seer

 

Resistance Skills

Aegis of Cataclysm: Absolute Form

Edgebane Sovereignty: Razor Nullification

Heart of Equilibrium: Perfected

Primordial Elemental Aegis: Omega

Profane Flesh Ascendant: Transcendent

Sovereign Mind Bastion: Citadel of Will

Void-Piercing Nullification: Static Shroud

 

Retaliation Skills

Requital Chains: Abyssal Retribution

Eclipse Punisher’s Mandate: Shadow Requiem

 

Social Skills

Gravitas of the Unshackled: Beacon of Refuge

Liberator’s Lexicon: Empowered Oration

Star-Path Diplomat: Destiny Weaver

Sunset Bargain: Temporal Accord

Veil-Lifting Question: Oracle Inquiry

 

Summoning Skills

Summon Meidron Veythari

Improved  Heal Meidron Veythari 

Revive Meidron Veythari

Aura of Allure: Sovereign Glamour

Courtly Magnetism: Radiant Harmony

Gilded Presence: Imperial Aura

Soul-Synapse Spark: Arcane Sync

Predator Titan Resonance: Apex Resonance

Iron Storm Motion: Tempest Vanguard

Arcane Sage’s Eye: Omniscient Vision

Oathforged Resilience: Eternal Bond

Primal Nexus: Vital Convergence

 

Suppression Skills

Aura of Silence: Absolute Null

Curse of the Black Moon: Eclipse Mark

Eclipse of Judgment: Supreme Twilight

Oblivion Verdict: Attribute Lockdown

Sinner’s Shackles: Punitive Chains

Weight of the Moon: Lunar Gravitas

Legends:

 

The Legend of Freedom’s Protector

Word of how you cherish the lowest of society has echoed beyond your presence, spreading across worlds and permanently entering the System Records.
Effect: 

• Devotion gain from freedfolk and common mortals increased by 50%. Fame among high-rankers increased significantly

 

The Legend of Love’s Avenger

Your grief was carved into wrath, your devotion into judgment. For the gods of Praetoria who dared to strike down your beloved, you did not pray for justice, you enacted it. You shattered their soul shards, consumed their divinity, and broke their Legends, leaving their names forgotten. Across worlds and heavens, your tale is whispered as both warning and vow: the love of Torric is not to be touched, for vengeance will come with divine fire.

Effect:

• Vengeance Embodied: When defending a loved one, all offensive power increases by +100% and resistance to divine authority is absolute.
• Love’s Shield: Allies you consider bound by love or devotion (luminature members, soulbound, chosen beloveds) gain +30% resistance to all forms of damage and debuffs when fighting by your side.

 

The Legend of the Triune Hearth

In the dark where fetters bit bone, the Shackled God smuggled hope through iron, three divine seeds hammered from bondage itself. Sanctuary to make every door a threshold to mercy. Community to make every stranger a neighbor. Vitalis to make every breath a promise that life will not yield. For a god who turns prisons into hearths is no longer merely shackled; he is the hearth itself, and the world gathers to its warmth.

Effects:

• World-Hearth Convergence: When the Branch of Sanctuary is invoked with the Branch of Community and the branch of Restoration, the region becomes a World-Hearth: wounds close 10× faster, disease/poison/curse are purged, betrayal is impossible, and prosperity surges (+30% morale, vitality, and communal productivity). Refugees, oaths of welcome, and shared buffs all function across the entire zone.
• Chainbreaker’s Mandate: Within a World-Hearth, coercion, slavery, and domination fail outright; oaths and contracts only bind with true consent. Each resident gains Once-per-day Preservation (survive a lethal blow at 1 HP) and recovers 5% HP/MP/SP per minute while defending their home.
• Ascension Requirement: Celestine of Sanctuary: Sustaining three World-Hearths across different worlds for one year and a day is required for the Shackled God to ascend into the Celestine of Sanctuary:

 

The Legend of Celveythar’s Rewoven Dawn

Time was a knife; he caught it by the blade. On the night two peoples would have drowned one another in blood, and the ruin of the land at the hands of a cursed blight. The Shackled God reached into the seam between moments and unstitched the first scream. He poured the Seed of Vitalis into withered soil until rot remembered how to breathe, and laid Sanctuary over drawn steel until hands forgot to strike, and called Community to the council fire until enemies heard each other’s names. History blinked, and where a massacre had been, a coronation stood: the founding of Celveythar, a kingdom born not from conquest, but from a day that never died.

Effects:

• Chronicle Reweaving: When an atrocity or land-killing calamity is about to begin, you may bind the trigger-thread and rewrite the previous day (24h) within a 100-mile radius: casualties are unmade, structures restored, and all sources of blight, plague, and curse are purged. Those preserved gain Dawn-Touched (+20% vitality, morale, and recovery for 1 year). A Paradox Veil settles over the region—hostile chronal or divine interference cannot reverse the rewrite unless from a greater Celestine.
• Celveythar’s Covenant: The rewritten land is consecrated as a domain belonging to the celestine of Sanctuary: crops yield +30%, waters run pure, disease and corruption fail to take root, and incitement to massacre or domination effects automatically fail at parley, council, or treaty sites. While defending these borders, communities regenerate 5% HP/MP/SP per minute, betrayal under flag of truce is impossible, and negotiations gain 3× success chance when pursued in good faith.

 

Legend of the Tyrant’s Sundering

When the Celestine Dominion fell to the corruption of Tyranny, hope itself was shackled. Choirs were silenced, law twisted to chains. Yet one hand, bleeding, steadfast, sanctified, reached into the rot and refused to let go. He broke not Dominion’s crown but the will that enslaved it, shattering the fetters around his mind and cleansing the realms of dominion through domination.
Effects

• Purge of the Profane: Instantly destroys all control, compulsion, or domination effects within a divine or planar domain once per day.
• Celestine Reclamation: Restores purity to corrupted divine realms, converting them into Sanctified Realms under Sanctuary’s pantheon. In these reclaimed dominions, corruption, fear, and oppression cannot regenerate.
• Eternal Rebellion: All allies within 1,000 meters gain +40% resistance to mind control, suppression, or despair effects. Any attempt to enforce tyrannical will upon them triggers backlash damage based on the oppressor’s power.

Legend of the Eternal Bond

Five hearts, one vow; five souls, one flame. Beneath the mirrored sky of Avalon, Dominion, Sanctuary, Meidron Sancti, Lily Howling Moon Sancti, and Liamarillus Sancti joined their essence to each other until even death forgot how to separate them. Their names became one heartbeat, their love the lattice of an entire realm.

Effects:

• Soul Convergence: The five bound souls share one unified HP, MP, and SP pool. If one would die, the others anchor their spirit, preventing total death unless all five fall simultaneously.
• Love Beyond Separation: Distance, planes, or even body death cannot sever awareness or communion between the bound. They may share senses, emotions, and power freely.
• Trinity of Sanctuary: When the five stand together, all allies within sight gain +33% to healing, defense, and morale; enemies suffer -33% to corruption, despair, and domination effects.
• Eternal Covenant: The bond’s signature persists beyond cycles, planes, and rebirths, making their unity a fixed law of existence. Even Gods and celestines cannot unmake it.

 

Legend of the Youngest God

When the Sanctioning of Tyranny struck, the heavens trembled. A celestine dared to turn hiss divine hand directly against a mortal Ranker, striking well below his grade. Such an act was forbidden, a sin as old as creation, bound by the Prime Concord. Yet Tyranny, swollen with hubris and rot, reached forth to erase what he could not control. Lightning burned through the seals of mortality, chains turned to sigils, and the Shackled God’s soul ignited, not by rite or coronation, but by celestial correction. The multiverse bore witness as the youngest god in all histories rose from the ashes of divine sin.

Effects:

• Apotheosis Ignition: Permanently increases all Divine Attributes by +25%. Once per world cycle, the user may declare an Ascension Trial—instantly gaining divinity-equivalent status in any realm lacking a local god.
• Defiance of Ages: Immune to age-based weakening, divine suppression, or hierarchy-based command effects. Entities older than the user cannot exert divine authority upon them without consent.
• Birthright of Radiance: All newly awakened divinities in the multiverse are born under this legend’s light, gaining +10% Faith and Hope if their path is benevolent, or -10% if it is tyrannical.
  
  

Divine Powers

 

The Eternal Metropolis

• Absolute Metropolis: Conjure a sprawling, living city within a 1–5 mile radius, built from divine stone, steel, and spirit. Streets, homes, temples, marketplaces, and defensive towers rise in minutes, seamlessly adapting to terrain and population. Every structure pulses with latent vitality, repairing itself and strengthening in response to threats or environmental strain.
• Authority Over Order: The city thrives as a living system. Crops flourish, rivers purify themselves, trade routes self-optimize, and crime is diminished by the invisible guidance of divine law. Citizens work in harmony, and devotion naturally flows toward you as if you were the city’s eternal patron. Festivals, learning, and creation amplify the aura, expanding the city’s protective and restorative influence further.
• Bastion of the People: Every resident, from artisan to farmer, is empowered by your presence. Mortals gain the strength to erect fortifications in hours, coordinate defenses autonomously, and fight with +50% morale when defending their homes. Even the weakest feel courage and resilience; the city itself imbues them with purpose and unity, transforming civilian hands into instruments of survival.
• Symbiotic Unity: All within the city are linked to its essence. SP, HP, and MP regeneration are constant, and defenses automatically extend to shield allies within 10 miles of the city’s perimeter. Fear and despair are nullified, replaced by an unshakable sense of community and resolve. Those who fall defending the city leave fragments of spirit behind, further strengthening the Metropolis’s walls, wards, and defensive constructs.
• Adaptive Architecture: Walls, gates, and towers shift organically in response to attackers, sealing vulnerable points or opening pathways as needed. Traps and countermeasures grow as extensions of the city’s will, and siege engines or spells below Mythic grade fail to breach its defenses. No two attacks encounter the same resistance, as the city itself learns and evolves.
• Divine Heartfire: The Metropolis radiates hope and courage, a beacon of civilization that inspires allies, unnerves enemies, and binds the population into a cohesive, nearly indestructible community. Every act of creation, every prayer, every defense strengthens the city and amplifies its living, cosmic presence.

 

Sanctity of Travel

• Absolute Passage: Instantly construct bridges, causeways, roads, or railways across any chasm, river, ravine, or void up to 10 miles in a single instance. Materials are conjured from divine essence and adapt to the environment, becoming indestructible to natural decay, sabotage, or hostile assault. Roads pulse with a subtle, guiding aura, ensuring travelers move with effortless speed and perfect footing, whether on foot, mount, or vehicle.
• Authority Over Travel: Every path created by this power becomes an extension of your will. Crossing points are shielded from collapse, landslides, magical traps, or hidden snares. Allies moving along these roads gain effortless guidance; enemies attempting ambushes or infiltration fail unless wielding Mythic-tier powers, and natural hazards are nullified. Roads may expand, curve, or even float above shifting terrain as needed to maintain the safest, most efficient course.
• Divine Assurance: Those traveling over sanctified roads are imbued with protection and clarity. Ambushes fail, missteps vanish, and even environmental hazards such as quicksand, gorges, and sudden storms pose no threat. Travelers feel an almost instinctive sense of direction and timing, as if the road itself whispers guidance. Allied forces moving along these roads gain +50% morale and +25% speed over rough terrain, while enemies attempting pursuit suffer disorientation and reduced mobility.
• Symbiotic Infrastructure: Bridges, roads, and causeways link naturally with surrounding settlements or fortifications forming a living network of movement and supply. This network regenerates instantly if damaged and can shift or expand to optimize logistics for armies, caravans, or fleeing civilians. Even temporal anomalies, void rifts, or planar barriers are rerouted or bypassed without collapse.

The Eternal Ledger

• Absolute Marketplace: Conjure a pocket-realm bazaar of infinite expanse, where streets and stalls shimmer with divine essence. All beings, mortals, rankers, and gods, may enter freely, and no hostile action may be committed within its bounds. Here, trade flows without obstruction: currencies, artifacts, essences, even fragments of fate or divine power may be exchanged under perfect, fair conditions. Those who attempt violence or coercion within the Bazaar are instantly cast into void exile for 7 days, their greed marked and their power temporarily sealed.
• Divine Debt: Any attempt at fraud, extortion, price manipulation, or hoarding is met with immediate karmic retribution. Ill-gotten gains rot, rust, or crumble into nothingness. Crops wither, treasures turn to dust, and weapons of corruption fail in hand. The severity of punishment scales with the magnitude of exploitation: small cheats are embarrassed, large tyrants may find their entire business crumbles.
• Golden Standard: Infuse all currency in the Bazaar with spiritual authority, creating divine coins that are universally recognized and uncounterfeitable. Any trade conducted using these coins converts automatically at a fair rate, and you may freeze or audit transactions at will within your domain. Wealth hoarded unjustly in Golden Standard coins draws divine scrutiny, revealing its presence to all entities within the Shackled God’s influence.
• Universal Flow: The Bazaar links to other realms, dimensions, and planes, allowing merchants and travelers to conduct trade without barrier or border. Shops and stalls may appear or vanish as needed, responding to the ebb and flow of commerce, ensuring no soul is deprived of opportunity or access. The market itself is alive, observing intent and rewarding fairness, punishing deception, and inspiring reverence toward honest enterprise.
• Divine Continuum: All who trade, barter, or invest in the Bazaar are subtly attuned to its cosmic order. Allies within gain clarity of value, immunity to deceitful enchantments, and a sense of fairness that strengthens cooperation and trust. Enemies attempting exploitation are trapped within a web of karmic consequence, unable to escape until balance is restored. 

 

The Living Forge

• Workshop Eternal: Summon a divine workshop spanning a city block, stocked with every tool imaginable. All laborers gain the skill of master artisans while working, and time itself bends to productivity; tasks take half as long, and no material is wasted. The workshop operates continuously, producing works of craft, architecture, and sustenance at unparalleled efficiency for seven days, once per month.
• Sanctified Matter:  The Forge consecrates and purifies raw materials. Stone bends and molds, wood sprouts with vitality, and metals are purified of impurities, becoming sacred conduits of energy. Structures and items built from such materials resist decay, corruption, and the ravages of time, standing as enduring monuments to life and labor. Those who touch or work with these materials feel a faint regenerative aura, restoring minor wounds, energy, and stamina with each heartbeat of the Forge.
• Soulforged Creations: Weapons, armor, tools, and garments crafted within the Living Forge inherit semi-sentience, harmonizing with those who wield them. Blades thirst for battle, shields mend themselves, and garments resist wear and decay. Each creation carries a subtle pulse of healing energy, gradually restoring vitality to allies who use them. These creations are permanent and cannot be undone.
• Limits of Devotion: Each act of creation draws upon your divine essence, expressed as devotion. Overuse risks material instability, uncontrolled overgrowth, or depletion of personal power. While the Living Forge can sustain villages, cities, and realms, it cannot create weapons of overwhelming war in quantity, it nurtures civilization, restores life, and blesses those who labor within, leaving conquest to other forms of divine authority.
• Eternal Masterwork: Within a one-mile radius, creations are completed at divine speed and flawless precision: a year’s labor can be accomplished in a single hour. Every joint, weld, seam, or stitch is woven with permanence, resistant to decay, entropy, or magical unmaking for 10,000 years. Laborers feel halved exhaustion, and every creation carries a fragment of divine will, recording the names of its makers and inspiring awe for centuries. It cannot be used to produce engines of war, weapons of mass destruction, or to undo previous works without equivalent divine power. This effect is temporary and must be deliberately triggered by the Shackled God. The duration of Eternal Masterwork increases as the Shackled God ascends the Ladder of Heavens.
• Womb of Provision: Every anvil, loom, kiln, and station within the Forge becomes a source of life itself. Food, medicine, water, and herbs flow endlessly when attended, adapting to the needs of those who draw upon them. The products of creation resonate with the living world, sustaining the weak, healing the wounded, and bolstering defenders of the sanctified realm. This effect is temporary and must be deliberately triggered by the Shackled God. The duration of Womb of Provision increases as the Shackled God ascends the Ladder of Heavens.

 

Festival of Kinship

• Festival of Kinship: When invoked, a radiant aura spreads across the chosen domain, declaring all present as part of a divine family. Rivalries, grudges, and disputes dissolve instantly; even natural enmity cannot endure against the power of shared purpose. All participants feel a deep, ineffable connection, as if their spirits have always been entwined. During the festival, the air itself hums with joyous energy, amplifying creativity, fertility, and morale by +25% for a full year. 
• Forge the Family: A group of individuals may formally swear bonds of kinship and family. The bonds forged here are recognized by mortals and gods alike, impossible to sever by mundane or magical means. Those connected by the bond will always know the general status of their family (healthy, wounded, critically wounded, diseased, cursed, poisoned, dead, undead), their general direction, and the rough distance between them.
• Eternal Banquet of Abundance: For the length of the Festival, hunger and thirst vanish. A cosmic feast materializes, capable of feeding, nourishing, and invigorating countless souls regardless of their number, species, or origin. Each morsel carries restorative properties, healing wounds, dispelling fatigue, and purifying toxins. Health, mana, stamina, and morale regeneration increase by +30%, while all hostilities automatically cease; no participant can harm another while within the aura. The banquet adapts to each person’s deepest desires and memories, providing not only sustenance but comfort, joy, and spiritual fulfillment.

The Immutable Balance

• Absolute Equity: In the presence of this power, all titles, crowns, and ranks lose their meaning. Nobility, wealth, and divine heritage cannot influence judgment, favor, or authority. Every being, regardless of origin or station, is weighed solely by their deeds, words, and intent. Lies, deception, and manipulation are stripped from the minds of all who stand within this sphere; only the truth, unadorned and unshielded, remains.
• Authority Over Judgment: Courts, assemblies, and councils held under this aura become divine instruments of fairness. Decisions are guided purely by evidence and reason, immune to corruption, bias, or intimidation. Even subtle influences like prestige, charisma, or mystical authority are neutralized, leaving only the purity of deliberation. Those acting in governance find their powers of coercion or persuasion nullified in this space, ensuring that every action taken is the product of genuine consensus.
• Divine Mandate of Equality: Every voice carries the same weight. Disputes are resolved with a clarity that transcends mortal understanding, and disagreements dissolve when confronted with the immutable scales of fairness. Participants experience an innate comprehension of balance, enabling them to weigh arguments, motives, and actions with unerring accuracy. In this domain, no person may claim superiority over another, and no ruler may impose will without merit.
• Cosmic Resonance: The aura of the Balance extends beyond the length of mortal assemblies; its influence flows into the hearts of all present, seeding lasting respect for justice, equality, and impartiality. Communities shaped by its presence find hierarchy irrelevant, power tempered by responsibility, and truth made the foundation of governance. Even generations later, those touched by its radiance retain an instinctive sense of fairness and honor.

Eternal Concord

• Absolute Equity: In the presence of the Shackled God, all formal hierarchies dissolve. Leaders, rulers, and commoners alike are equal, their authority nullified if used to dominate or coerce. Communities function as a single organism, where every contribution matters and productivity flourishes naturally. Morale surges as all labor and effort are valued equally, inspiring collaboration beyond ordinary mortal comprehension.
• Authority Over Devotion: Faith, prayer, and worship are weighed with perfect impartiality. The richest offering holds no more merit than a humble act of devotion, and grand temples or monumental sacrifices cannot sway favor. Divine attention flows evenly to all who call upon it, nurturing hope, inspiration, and zeal across every member of the domain.
• Equity of Life and Death: No mortal, immortal, or divine subject may claim superiority in the eyes of eternity. Those who pass while under this aura are judged solely by the content of their lives, deeds, and intentions, unshaped by wealth, rank, or heritage. Souls enter their paths with absolute fairness, and no legacy or title can alter the balance. Life, faith, and death are bound by the same measure, ensuring that all beings stand equal before existence itself.
• Cosmic Resonance: Eternal Concord radiates outward, seeding communities with enduring cooperation, mutual respect, and shared devotion. Even beyond the aura, those touched by it carry an instinctive sense of fairness and equity, inspiring generations to live in balance. Conflicts resolve with natural harmony, and the collective strength of the equalized domain grows stronger than any individual might.

 

Hands of the Collective

• Radiance of the Many: Every ally becomes a conduit for shared vigor, their strengths and skills intertwined like threads of living light. Those who falter are lifted beyond their natural limits, while those who excel pour their power into their companions, creating a perfect balance of might and resilience. Attacks and defenses are amplified through mutual synchronization, turning even disparate forces into a coordinated tempest of effectiveness. Morale swells, courage spreads contagiously, and no ally suffers alone while the Eclipse endures.
• Flame of Reciprocity: Disparities in strength, endurance, or skill become opportunities for empowerment. The weaker an ally is compared to their foes, the harder they hit. Each strike, spell, or effort resonates with the collective will, and every moment of strain draws strength from the bonds around it. Even the near-fallen are sustained, unable to be defeated while the unity holds them.
• Threads of Equivalence: Invisible links form between all participants, weaving buffs, resistances, and regenerative energy seamlessly from one to another. Every boon, shield, and blessing touches all without exclusion, fostering equity and synergy that surpasses mortal comprehension. Allies feel one another’s resolve, and the group’s coordination reaches heights unattainable by individuals alone.
• Heartfire of the Collective: The shared vitality manifests as a radiant aura surrounding the group, inspiring awe and determination in all who witness it. Even in chaos, allies instinctively move to cover, support, and protect one another, their cohesion growing stronger with every challenge. Beyond combat, this bond leaves a lasting echo of unity and trust, ensuring that allies remain attuned to each other’s needs long after the initial surge of power has faded.

 

Scales of Equilibrium

• Reverberating Justice: The battlefield itself becomes a mirror of intent. Those who rely on overwhelming strength, hidden terrain, or magical wards find their advantages neutralized, their feats measured and countered by the impartial field. Allies sense the rhythm of the balance and act with heightened clarity, knowing each enemy’s strength and weakness as if divinely revealed.
• Level Ground of Judgment: Terrain bends to equity, not favor. Hills, cover, traps, and arcane enhancements flatten into a uniform plane of opportunity, leaving enemies unable to leverage positional superiority. Even superior gear or magical constructs lose the edge they once held, as if the laws of chance and fortune themselves are aligned to fairness. Allies move with confidence, unimpeded by obstacles, gaining the clarity and precision that only a truly equalized battlefield provides.
• Reciprocal Burden: No action escapes consequence. Every wound, power theft, Skill, ability, and spell enacted by enemies generates an equivalent repercussion, scaled to their own power and intent. Overkill and exploitative strikes weigh heavily against the aggressor, their strength diminished in proportion to their pride. The mightiest foes strike as if shackled by invisible chains, while those who act unjustly suffer tangible setbacks.
• Harmony of Balance: Beyond damage and advantage, the aura fosters a sense of cosmic order. Allies act with unity, timing their attacks and defenses with the certainty that their foes are measured and their environment harmonized. The scales extend beyond combat: deception falters, ambition is tempered, and the battlefield becomes a stage where equality reigns supreme. Those who enter this domain feel the gravity of fairness itself, their resolve steadied and their actions guided by an unwavering law of equivalence.

 

Pathway of the Unbound

• Veilbreaker: All barriers, walls, and dimensional seals melt before the will of the Shackled God. You and your allies stride through locked doors, hidden passages, and divine thresholds as if the world itself bends to your presence. Those who would block the way sense a profound unease, hesitation blooming in their hearts as the certainty of your passage cannot be denied.
• Gate of Revelation: Secrets are laid bare across a mile in every direction. Vaults, treasuries, hidden archives, and forbidden repositories reveal their contents, and illusions or traps designed to mislead are stripped away like mist before sunlight. Those who enter gain clarity of mind and insight, their memories unclouded, their thoughts sharp, and their understanding of the hidden deepened beyond ordinary comprehension.
• Flight of Liberation: Confined allies are carried instantly to freedom, crossing any prison, enchanted lock, or binding without resistance. Pursuers, mortal, ranker or divine, cannot divine their trail or sense their location, and those who have been freed are imbued with the unshakable protection of liberty. Even if their captors return, the memory of escape and the strength of unbound will shield them from recapture, granting courage and self-determination for days to come.
• Freedom’s Mantle: Wherever this power is invoked, a subtle aura radiates, inspiring those nearby to rise against oppression. Bound minds awaken to choice, hesitant hearts find boldness, and the very concept of forced confinement trembles in the presence of your passage. Roads, corridors, and gates seem to welcome the unshackled, bending time and space itself to the will of liberation.

 

Edict of Libertas

• Embers of Defiance: Wherever oppression festers, the spirit of rebellion ignites. Rulers, tyrants, and overlords feel their commands falter; their authority becomes brittle, and even the most loyal followers hesitate. Soldiers, servants, and enforcers find their wills restored, granting them the courage to act freely, question orders, and turn away from tyranny. Resistance spreads like wildfire, and the oppressed awaken to their own power, emboldened to reclaim agency over their lives.
• Flood of Liberation: On a sweeping scale, oppressive institutions crumble as if the world itself rebels. Governments built on coercion falter; garrisons dissolve, prisons empty, and binding edicts unravel. The very mechanisms of abusive control; laws, taxes, and hierarchies maintained by fear, lose their force, leaving a realm where freedom blooms like a new dawn. Communities flourish in the sudden absence of domination, and societies awaken to the possibilities of self-determination.
• Heart of Revolution: The joy of liberation radiates outward, touching all who breathe the air of freedom. Those freed gain a sense of invincibility, courage, and clarity of purpose. The realm itself responds: crops flourish, trade prospers, and cultural expression surges, as hope becomes a tangible, empowering force. Every act of defiance, every liberated soul, strengthens the wielder directly, feeding them with the devotion, admiration, and awe of those whose chains have been broken.
• Resonance of Liberty: The effects of the Edict are not fleeting. Even after the immediate chaos settles, the echoes of freedom endure. Memories of oppression fade, replaced with lessons of equality, cooperation, and shared responsibility. Leaders who survive the upheaval are tempered, tempered by the knowledge that no throne is permanent, and all rule must serve the will of the free.

Sanctuary’s Refuge

• Sanctuary of Warmth: Any space consecrated by the Shackled God becomes a living refuge. Allies who enter feel wounds knit, toxins fade, and fatigue dissolve; every hour spent within restores vitality, stamina, and spirit. The more souls that gather, the stronger the Sanctuary grows, radiating a sense of safety so potent that despair itself struggles to take hold.
• Ward of Resilience: Those who shelter within the Refuge are shielded from domination, fear, and coercion. Shackles, curses, magical bindings, and servitude contracts crumble the instant a soul crosses the threshold, leaving all who enter free to stand, move, and act with full agency.
• Hearthfire Bonds: Every structure touched by the Shackled God’s power becomes more than stone or timber, it becomes a home. Visitors gain regenerative benefits, and the space emits an aura of protection that weakens aggressors. Any hostile action attempted within its bounds is diminished, as if the Refuge itself resists violence and refuses to allow harm.
• Gathering Strength: The Refuge’s influence scales with the number of those it shelters. Every additional soul increases the healing, protection, and fortification effects, creating a living bastion that grows stronger as community thrives. Allies feel their courage, resolve, and hope amplified by the sheer presence of others, forming a united spirit that even the most dire threats cannot easily overcome.
• Radiance of Refuge: The Refuge projects subtle guidance and calm, encouraging cooperation, trust, and solidarity among all who dwell within it. Fear, aggression, and discord fade naturally, replaced by warmth, hope, and mutual protection. The haven endures not merely as stone or magic, but as a testament to the unbreakable bonds between those who seek shelter under the Shackled God’s care.

 

Sanctum of the Everlasting Hearth

• Heart of Refuge: A radiant sanctuary manifests wherever you choose, a place of warmth, sustenance, and unshakable safety. Walls of light and memory rise, forming gardens, hearths, or groves that reflect the deepest comforts of home. All who dwell within feel their courage and loyalty swell, and the bonds between companions strengthen as if the very essence of trust and kinship were tangible. Those who take shelter can, in their hour of greatest need, return to this sanctuary from any distance, guided by the unseen hand of providence.
• Soulfire Bastion: The Sanctum transforms the area into hallowed ground, consecrating it against tyranny, corruption, and despair. Psychic assaults, soul-binding, or oppressive dominion falter in the radiant aura, and those resting within gain resilience against mental, spiritual, and magical attacks. Even the most dire of threats cannot pierce this sanctum’s protection, and those who have been wounded or broken emerge renewed, their faith and spirit reinforced.
• Garden of Renewal: The Sanctum blooms with a garden of rejuvenation, producing food that cleanses poisons, curses, and corruption from all who enter. Its fruits heal both body and spirit, mending scars of trauma as easily as flesh. Radiant thorns and protective growths lash out at those who would bring harm, while the sanctuary’s vitality adapts to the needs of its inhabitants, offering shelter to the weary, nourishment to the hungry, and guidance to the lost.
• Hearth of Eternal Return: The Sanctum persists as a living extension of the Shackled God’s will, carried in his soul and bound to the bonds of those who dwell within. Allies may call upon its refuge repeatedly, guided by the sanctum’s intuitive protection, while its light radiates hope outward, inspiring courage and unity in all who witness it. The sanctuary is both home and citadel, garden and bastion, an unending testament to the power of shelter, safety, and love made manifest.

 

Crown of the Unbroken Will

• Shatterbound: Every link of domination, curse, or compulsion is instantly broken, unraveling both physical and metaphysical chains. Constructs, enslaved spirits, or bound souls awaken fully, free to choose their own path, their wills no longer under the sway of tyrants, oracles, or divine mandates. Allies feel the radiance of independence, and all coercive influence dissolves as if it were never cast.
• Resonance of Defiance: The will of the Shackled God reverberates through those around him, amplifying resistance and fortitude. Allies under mental, fear, or charm effects are unbound, and every act of defiance strengthens their inner resolve, permanently fortifying their spirit against domination. Enemies who attempt to enforce terror or coercion find themselves repelled by the collective echo of free will.
• Horizon of Autonomy: Freed souls gain permanent mastery over their own destiny. Each individual’s path becomes entirely self-determined, their attributes sharpened and empowered by the divine spark of liberty. Constructs and once-bound entities awaken not only to freedom but to choice, able to offer their services voluntarily, and cannot be forcibly compelled to act by their former creators, and are instead guided by their own moral compass.
• Sanctuary of the Self: Within the sphere of your presence, no pact, contract, or vow may be forced, and all attempts at coercion rebound upon their source. Allies gain heightened mental and spiritual resistance, able to act freely for as long as they remain within your aura. The will of each participant becomes a bulwark, enforcing consent as the law of this sacred domain.
• Aura of Sovereignty: Your presence alone radiates defiance against domination and subjugation. Allies within range find their decisions unassailable, their freedom reinforced, and every external attempt to sway, control, or compel is diminished. The light of this aura affirms that self-determination is not granted, it is inherent, absolute, and untouchable.

 

Flame of Sovereignty

• Shattered Chains: Any external force attempting to dictate the choices of those under the Eclipse, command their actions, or impose destiny upon them is instantly undone. Curses, prophecies, geas, and other forms of imposed fate unravel under the Eclipse, reshaping reality itself around the concept of free will. The threads of destiny are severed and no oracle, seer, or divine messenger can anchor those under the shadow of the Eclipse to a foretold outcome.
• Soulward Bastion: The Shackled God’s spirit becomes an unassailable fortress, impervious to possession, corruption, or manipulation. Those who share his proximity find their own souls bolstered by his presence, protected from intrusion, control, and coercion. Even the most subtle manipulations of essence or intent are neutralized, and allies gain a profound, lasting resilience against spiritual or metaphysical attacks.
• Liberation of Others: His will radiates outward, touching those around him and granting them true autonomy. Allies or freed captives are released from enforced obedience, implanted commands, or magical control, and their personal power swells as their self-determination is restored. For a time, they feel the surge of independence as a tangible force, boosting strength, perception, speed, and skill in perfect harmony with their liberated minds.
• Unbound Presence: The aura of sovereignty persists, subtly reshaping all interactions and constraints within its reach. Attempted domination by enemies fails naturally, and those in his circle find their choices respected, their freedom honored, and their spirits strengthened. Even systems, hierarchies, or bindings intended to enforce compliance are quietly unraveled, leaving only the pure exercise of volition and the sanctity of self-rule.
• Eternal Will: Those who encounter the Eclipse of Sovereignty carry a permanent mark of self-determination. Their minds and spirits retain a residual independence that resists future domination, and their presence inspires others to resist coercion, honor choice, and embrace freedom. Fate itself seems hesitant to intrude where the Eclipse has passed, and all who enter its radius gain the quiet confidence of those who walk their own path.

 

Eclipse of the Final Silence

• Judgment Beyond All Cycles: No law of life or death may stand before the Shackled God. Any being touched by his will in punishment faces Absolute Cessation: their body, soul, and essence are severed from every thread of existence taking them beyond resurrection, reincarnation, or remembrance. Their names fade from the Records, their echoes silenced from memory, and even the gods find only emptiness where once a soul had been. No sanctuary, celestial, infernal, or temporal, can shelter what he chooses to end. All deaths rendered by his hand are true and final, binding upon the fabric of reality itself.
• Sovereignty Over Endings: Within his presence, the concept of death bends to his command. No healing, divine intervention, or cosmic rewrite may avert a destined conclusion. All mortal attempts to cheat death are nullified, and all life that falters beneath his gaze finds peace or void, as he decrees. When allies strike beneath his shadow, their finishing blows are sanctified; the wounded cannot cling to false continuance.
• Void Coronation: Every life consumed by the eclipse fuels the Shackled God’s ascendance. Each final death resonates through his divine core, amplifying his strength, pressure, and authority. The air grows heavier, the world quieter, as his power swells with every severed thread. To stand before him is to feel inevitability press upon one’s spirit, the punishment for breaking his Peace will be to face the eternal void, your power subsumed to further strengthen refuges created by the Shackled God.
• Eternal Edict: Those who behold the Eclipse of the Final Silence carry its truth forevermore: that all things end, but not all endings are despair. Under his shadow, allies gain serenity before death, immunity to fear, and the power to face mortality unflinching. His presence sanctifies all passing, transforming the chaos of destruction into the sacred calm of closure.

Ascendance of the Infinite Covenant

• Transcendent Synthesis: For one hour all that the Shackled God ever was, all that he currently is, and all that he shall become converge beneath his will. Every class, power, and archetype he has ever or ever will embody fuses into a single transcendent form, the living sum of his potential. The world reshapes around him in acknowledgment; gravity, time, and matter obey the harmonics of your existence. Allies within his presence resonates with his divine frequency, their strength, speed, and comprehension rising to match the divine rhythm of his being. The concept of restriction ceases; form and function obey intent alone.
• Covenant of Eternal Exchange: Sacrifice becomes creation, and loss becomes legacy. Every offering he makes, be it blood, Skills, power, or stats, becomes an eternal bond with those the Shackled God calls kin. Lumin, familiars, allies, and chosen companions become reflections of his essence, carrying shards of his power and will. They grow as he grows, their souls sculpted by his divine pattern, their evolution linked to his across all planes. At the tier of up any of his bonded companions the Shackled God may give them up to 25% of his stats, Skill points, Free points, or a lesser copy of one of his Divine Powers, Skills, or Class Features.
• Apotheotic Ascent: Through your will, mortals may pass through the Gate of Becoming, stepping beyond mortality’s frail limitations to wear divinity’s light. Each mortal who emerges bears the mark of the Shackled God, reshaped by his essence and forever strengthened by the passage. Passing through the Gate of Becoming restructures their souls, allowing them to put their foot on the first rung of the Ladder of Heavens, and rewriting their potential paths. Those who acquire the System through Apotheotic Ascent gain a permanent +10% to all starting stats.
• Luminous Apotheosis: At full manifestation, the Shackled God’s presence transforms reality within infinite reach. Laws of death and life, order and chaos, entropy and creation synchronize in perfect equilibrium under his command. His allies become extensions of his radiance, immortal in purpose, unbreakable in unity, infinite in potential. He becomes both the flame and the forge, the sacrifice and the reward, the alpha and the final transcendence.

 

Eternal Symphony of Life

• Harmonic Vitality: Every living being within the aura becomes a note in a grand, divine melody, each heartbeat, breath, and pulse resonating in perfect synchrony with the caster’s will. Wounds, broken limbs, and shattered organs heal instantly, while mana, stamina, and spirit surge in time with the living rhythm. Mortals and rankers alike are shielded from fatality; death is suspended, delayed, or redirected according to the Shackled God’s intent. Allies regain full vitality, their resilience and coordination enhanced, and each revival strengthens the harmonic resonance, amplifying the protective power throughout the field. Even the most grievous curses, diseases, or decay are dissolved, leaving only restored life and vigor.
• Soulforged Unity: Crafted or divine augmentations, limb and organ grafts, and physical magical enhancements merge seamlessly with their hosts, growing stronger as they evolve symbiotically with those they protect. Each bond channels the Shackled God’s essence into the recipient, granting adaptive regeneration, accelerated recovery, and permanent growth across body, mind, and spirit. Allies become living extensions of the aura, their abilities amplified by the caster’s divine pattern. No corruption, rejection, or entropy can touch them, as life itself bends to maintain harmony. As long as the Shackled God’s will flows, the line between natural and artificial, mortal and immortal, becomes a single, unified force.
• Phoenix Requiem: Death is transformed into renewal. Fallen allies return fully restored, their souls shielded from recall or necromantic influence, and the act of resurrection sends ripples of restorative energy through the surrounding battlefield. Those revived gain permanent vitality, enhanced stamina, and resistance to future mortal peril. Each life reborn strengthens the Shackled God’s presence, increasing the radius, intensity, and resilience of the aura. The fallen are no longer casualties but conduits of divine continuity, carrying forward the echoes of survival and hope.
• Verdant Eternity: The aura extends beyond individuals, infusing entire regions with flourishing life. Rot, famine, plague, and decay are purged; lands once barren bloom, crops surge in abundance, and communities thrive in lasting harmony. Animals multiply, children are born strong, and vitality radiates outward, persisting across generations. The environment itself becomes a bastion of renewal, resistant to disease, disaster, and entropy. The Shackled God’s presence establishes a permanent resonance of prosperity, ensuring that life, once touched by the aura, endures and flourishes.
• Crescendo of Immortality: At full manifestation, the Shackled God embodies the axis of creation and restoration. Reality bends to preserve and enhance life within infinite reach: mortality becomes optional, suffering is redirected, and allies become extensions of their divine harmony. All who dwell in the aura experience heightened perception, strength, and unity; they are invincible in purpose, unbreakable in body, and infinite in potential. The Shackled God becomes the living pulse of existence itself,  the architect of survival, the flame of renewal, and the eternal guardian of life.

 

Harmony of the Sovereign Circle

• Absolute Communion: Every ally within the aura feels fully understood, their thoughts, words, and intentions resonating in perfect clarity. Deception, manipulation, or misunderstanding dissolves instantly, leaving only truth and mutual comprehension. Even divine, mortal, and alien languages become intuitively intelligible, and allies gain an innate sense of each other’s needs, strengths, and plans.
• Authority Over Liberty: Every being under the aura’s protection becomes immune to domination, coercion, or forced obedience. Oppressors, tyrants, and enslavers are struck with Divine Fear, their attempts to impose control dissolving into futility. Allies may cross wards, borders, and barriers freely, while the aura ensures that betrayal, forced service, or unwanted subjugation cannot take root.
• Divine Rapport: Harmony and courage flow outward, amplifying charisma, persuasion, morale, and resolve. Negotiations, defenses, and coordinated actions become exponentially more effective, while allies within the aura experience shared inspiration and mutual understanding as though moving as a single entity. Communities and armies alike find cohesion and clarity, acting in unison without friction or confusion.
• Sanctum of Autonomy: The aura extends as a protective sphere, rendering allies untouchable to indirect or unintended harm unless they willingly strike. Within its reach, boundaries are sacred, and any violation triggers a natural repulsion, enforcing safety and sovereignty. Fatigue, despair, and mind-control effects are neutralized, allowing allies to act freely, move unimpeded, and maintain perfect initiative.
• Eternal Chorus: At full manifestation, the aura resonates across vast distances, shaping entire regions or even nations into a shared understanding. Communities feel empathy as instinct, hostility fades, and cooperation blooms naturally. Allies move with perfect coordination, enemies hesitate or falter, and the freedom of every sentient being within the circle is honored. Those who live under its influence retain a permanent clarity of mind, courage, and autonomy, forever carrying the mark of the Sovereign Circle.

 

Tower of Infinite Ascent

• Absolute Creation: The Shackled God manifests a colossal, ever-rising tower that stretches beyond sight, a living crucible shaped by ambition, skill, and intent. Every floor reflects the growth, fears, and desires of those who climb it. The tower dynamically adapts to its challengers, creating trials that test mind, body, and soul, ensuring every step upward pushes them beyond their limits. Guardians, puzzles, and rival challengers scale perfectly to the participants’ strengths, offering challenge and reward in equal measure.
• Harmonic Progression: Allies who ascend together become linked through the tower’s magic. Each triumph strengthens both individual and group, granting permanent enhancements to strength, stamina, perception, Skills, and abilities. Shared victories resonate across the party, allowing the experience, insight, and buffs earned by one to echo subtly to the others. Even setbacks are transformed into growth, lessons permanently etched into the climbers’ potential.
• Divine Incentive: Rewards scale with ambition. Higher floors grant unique abilities, transcendent Skills, rare artifacts, and blessings of insight unattainable in any other realm. Legendary and godlike powers may awaken at the pinnacle, while knowledge and wisdom ripple through the party, synchronizing their abilities and understanding. Each ascent leaves an indelible mark on the soul, permanently aligning those who climb with principles of mastery, perseverance, and ascension.
• Shared Resonance: As allies ascend, a divine aura binds them in purpose and potential. Within its radius, they experience a heightened connection: intuition, coordination, and perception blend seamlessly, allowing them to act as a unified force. Buffs, resistances, and vitality enhancements extend to all within the group, growing stronger with each conquered floor. Emotional, mental, and spiritual bonds are deepened, fostering unity that lasts beyond the tower itself.
• Eternal Ascension: There is no summit. Each peak reached reveals another challenge, another floor waiting to test resolve. The tower becomes a mirror of collective ambition, a crucible of limitless growth, and a beacon of divine aspiration. Those who enter carry its mark, their lives and powers harmonized with the principles of trial, mastery, and shared ascension, forever elevated by the endless pursuit of perfection.

 

The World Hearth

• Axis of Sanctuary: The Shackled God manifests a singular, world-bound sanctuary whose existence can never be replicated. The World Hearth radiates outward, encompassing up to 25 miles at its creation, and becomes a living nexus of life, restoration, and stability. Within its bounds, the air hums with vitality, fires warm without harm, springs flow with restorative essence, and even the faintest breath carries renewal. Those who dwell inside find fatigue, illness, and despair effortlessly undone, as if the world itself bends to preserve and protect them. 
• Eternal Resonance: The Hearth’s influence does not merely heal the present, it imprints upon time itself. Wounds knit and heal at impossible speed, age slows, and vitality is stored in both body and soul. Generations may rise and thrive within its bounds, each child born imbued with enhanced resilience, health, and longevity. Communities flourish, knowledge is preserved, and bonds of kinship strengthen naturally under the Hearth’s benevolent aura.
• Verdant Continuum: The World Hearth actively reshapes the land it touches. Crops ripen with unprecedented abundance, rivers purify themselves, and tools, weapons, and machinery gradually repair without intervention. Nature bends in harmony with life and growth, while entropy and decay retreat from its domain. Vitality, prosperity, and stability persist for centuries, as the Hearth imprints its essence upon the very fabric of the world.
• Divine Nexus: Only one World Hearth may exist per world, anchored to the divine spark of its creator. Those attuned to its power find their own strength, resilience, and understanding amplified, their bodies and spirits harmonized with the Hearth’s eternal rhythm. The Hearth cannot be extinguished by natural disaster, war, or decay; it is a perpetual axis of life and sanctuary, a mythic monument to divine care and protection.
• Living Legacy: The World Hearth is not static, it grows as its world grows. Every act of kindness, every child successfully raised, every community nurtured adds to its strength. Mortality is softened, despair vanishes, and even the echoes of sorrow are transformed into the potential for renewal. Its presence ensures that life itself never falters, and the world it protects carries the mark of its creator for eternity.

Branches:

 

Branch of Sanctuary

 

Sanctuary’s Heart

A cosmic aura that blossoms outward like a warm, eternal hearth, extending up to 10 miles rom the source. Within its reach, no hostile action may be taken without true intent, false aggression falters, and attacks without just cause are impossible. Those within who have no hostile intent gain continuous regeneration equal to 5% of their max health and mana per minute, while fear and despair are purged upon entry. Wounds knit, minds calm, and even the air hums with peace, muffling the echoes of war. To all within, it feels like standing in the eye of eternity’s hearthfire, where safety is law.

 

Aegis Eternal

When invoked, the Aegis unfolds as a celestial dome of radiant warding, an aura spanning 5 miles centered on the source. It intercepts all ranged attacks, curses, and siege-level magic, absorbing the first 1000 × 5% source’s Spirit attribute. After the dome breaks and converts into an aura of the same size centered on the source. Allies within the aura gain +50% resistance to all forms of harm, physical, magical, and divine, and are granted Immunity to Critical Hits and Fear. The aura harmonizes with allies’ defenses, stacking barriers when they defend one another, multiplying effectiveness by +10% per ally in formation. Enemies striking from outside feel their force diffused and delayed, as if time itself resists their intent.

Defiance’s Mantle

Defiance ignites around the source like a storm of unyielding resolve, projecting a 15-mile aura that amplifies the will to stand, fight, and endure. Allies under its banner gain +40% damage resistance, +30% to all saving throws, and cannot be forcibly moved, banished, or compelled by domination effects. Every ally who drops to 0 HP once per battle instead rises anew at 50% HP, roaring with renewed purpose. The longer the battle lasts, the stronger the mantle becomes, granting +5% Strength, Willpower, and Resolve per minute to all who refuse to yield. Enemies attempting to crush morale find their commands hollow; fear effects shatter like glass on the aura’s edge. To witness the Mantle in full is to see entire armies refuse surrender, standing defiant beneath a sky alight with divine flame.

 

Branch of Community

 

A Thousand Hearts, One Pulse

When this aura ignites, all within its radius feel their souls resonate to a single shared rhythm, distinctions of race, rank, and creed blur into the harmony of a common cause. The source becomes a living nexus of kinship, linking allies in a psychic network where thoughts flow freely, and intent is perfectly understood. Within the aura, damage and healing are distributed evenly; no one soul may fall while another stands strong. Morale cannot falter, and isolation, fear, and charm effects dissolve into nothingness. All allies gain +25% shared defense and collective awareness (shared perception and coordination). The longer the aura persists, the more the group functions as a single entity, a many-bodied being moved by one will.

 

The Eternal Hearth

Radiating from the source like the warmth of the first sunrise, this aura suffuses all within with profound affection and empathy. Enemies entering its light feel hesitation, reminded of bonds they have severed or lost; allies feel courage rise, driven by love for each other and for life itself. Wounds close faster in its embrace, each heartbeat strengthened by the care of countless unseen hands. Allies gain regeneration +15% HP and SP per minute, mental clarity, and resistance to despair and fear (+40%). Those bound by deep affection within the aura (family, lovers, sworn kin) share vitality and resolve, reviving one another once per day if death strikes unjustly. On the battlefield or in the heart of a city, this aura turns strife into reconciliation and cold hearts into allies reborn.

 

The Unbroken Covenant

The moment this aura manifests, the very air shimmers with the weight of solemn oaths and shared truth. Lies cannot pass lips; betrayal strikes like lightning against the soul that attempts it. Within the sphere, all pacts, promises, and vows gain divine enforcement, breaking them inflicts searing karmic backlash until atonement has been made. Allies within the aura share +30% accuracy and reflex when aiding one another, acting in seamless coordination as instinctive faith replaces hesitation. Defensive wards strengthen automatically when protecting another, reflecting damage in proportion to trust’s depth.

 

Branch of Restoration

 

The Living Pulse

When invoked, the source becomes a radiant current of life-force, thrumming like a second heartbeat through all within its reach. Wounds knit closed in moments, poisons burn away as golden light floods every vein, and even the dying feel warmth returning to cold limbs. Every creature inside regains 5% of maximum HP per second and is purged of diseases, poison, and necrotic decay. Flora blooms and barren ground sprouts within 5 miles, centered on the source, the environment itself responding to your living song. The longer the aura remains, the stronger it grows. After one minute, all allies gain temporary hitpoints equal to 20% of their maximum health and resistance to death effects for as long as they remain within it.

 

The Phoenix Breath – 25%

This aura flows from the source like a gentle wind of rebirth, carrying the scent of spring and the memory of beginnings. Allies caught in its embrace feel time turn backward upon their wounds, broken bones reknit, old scars fade, and exhaustion drains away like melting frost. While active, all allies regenerate 3% health and mana per second, cleanse all lingering debuffs or curses over 10 seconds, and gain the Phoenix Mark, should they fall within the aura’s light, they rise again after 10 seconds at 50% health, burning with renewed purpose. Terrain corrupted or scarred by battle heals, rivers clear, and the very air seems to shimmer with dawnlight. The dead within the aura are purified, preventing them from rising again as an undead.

 

The Great Peace

When this aura unfolds, conflict cannot exist within it. All who step within its boundary feel their rage soften, their fear ease, their hearts drawn toward understanding. Hostile actions falter; weapons lower as a cosmic calm enfolds the space. While within the aura, all creatures are unable to initiate violence unless attacked, and gain +40% resistance to charm, fear, and compulsion. Allies gain Hope’s Blessing, restoring 2% of max health and mana every second, and purging emotional debuffs such as despair or confusion. Words spoken here are heard as truth, intent is perfectly conveyed, and falsehoods unravel. For the aura’s duration, no hatred can take root; only reflection and reconciliation bloom.

Branch of Sovereignty

 

The Final Scales

When this aura unfolds, the world itself stills beneath the gaze of truth. Shadows flee, lies unravel, and all illusions of righteousness crumble before the Final Scales. Within a vast radius, a city, a battlefield, a throne room, every act, oath, and intent is weighed in real time; deceit cannot take root, and hidden sins bleed into light. Those within are seen not for who they claim to be, but for who they actually are. All creatures within the aura suffer -50% concealment, disguise, and illusion; their actions are automatically judged by cosmic standards of moral and karmic alignment. Allies gain perfect discernment, while enemies carrying unjust intent find their strength falter by 20%. None may plead ignorance, the scales are absolute, and their verdict echoes through soul and shadow alike.

 

Aura of Celestial Redress  – 10%

When the Aura of Celestial Redress ignites, reality bends to restore equilibrium. Every wound ever struck in malice, every unjust command, every betrayal reverberates back upon the source. The affected feel the weight of their crimes fall upon their shoulders and take equivalent damage in accordance with their sins. The air thrums with karmic lightning; blades turn on their wielders, curses recoil upon the lips that uttered them. 

 

The Inviolable Crown

Within the source’s luminous expanse, the soul becomes absolute and commands are but echoes, stripped of power unless freely accepted. All compulsion, charm, fear, and domination effects fail within its reach; those who stand beside the source gain +100% resistance to mental interference and cannot be forced into betrayal or surrender. Enemies attempting to override free will find their decrees dissolving into silence, their power bleeding into the void. The aura empowers allies to act from their truest selves, every choice made here becomes sacred, every vow unbreakable. To stand within the crown is to know perfect autonomy, the birthright of every soul.

 

Branch of Ascension

 

Eternal Flame of Devotion

Those who stand within the source’s aura feel their hearts ignite with purpose beyond mortal measure. All allies in the aura gain +40% Willpower, +25% resistance to Fear, Charm, and Despair effects, and regenerate 1% of maximum HP, MP, and SP every minute while acting in alignment with their chosen ideal. Acts of faith, prayer, sacrifice, or vows burn brighter, becoming visible as golden embers drifting upward into the heavens, strengthening both the worshiper and the one they revere. Enemies who seek to sow doubt or corruption find their resolve faltering, their lies burning away in the light of conviction. The longer one remains within the aura, the more their soul attunes to purpose, their thoughts clarifying, their fears dissolving.

 

Crown of the Ever-Rising City – 25%

Imbue a location with the power of the Ever-Rising City. Within its boundaries the city harmonizes with the hum of civilization’s heartbeat, chaos yields to order, and despair to industrious purpose. Within its radius structures repair themselves over time, tools never break, and cooperative efforts gain +50% efficiency and 2× speed. Communities under the aura’s influence develop a shared rhythm; artisans craft masterworks, architects raise monuments, scholars innovate. Disputes resolve with wisdom rather than wrath, and progress takes root in every act of creation. Those who dwell long within its bounds find their ambitions elevated, selfish desires temper into legacy, and hands that once destroyed now build in harmony with the greater whole.

 

Celestial Apex of Transcendence – 9%

The source becomes the Celestial Apex of Transcendence, rankers feel the pull of infinity whispering in their bones. All allies in the aura temporarily gain +20% to all attributes, +50% experience gain, and can exceed natural limits, unlocking sealed potentials, unknown talents, or latent evolutions. When one achieves a breakthrough, mental, physical, or spiritual, the aura magnifies the transformation, manifesting radiant phenomena (wings of light, soul sigils, cosmic echoes). The field suppresses limiting curses, ceilings, and suppressions, allowing growth unbound by mortal law. Those who meditate or train within the Apex for extended durations glimpse visions of their higher selves, drawing strength and insight from their destined forms, permanently gaining a portion of their future power.

 

Branch of Protection 

 

Aegis of the Undying Host – 0%

When this aura unfurls, spectral guardians born of devotion and memory rise around the source in a radius up to ½ mile. Warriors of ages past whose vows were never broken become guardians of the source’s army. Their forms shimmer like moonlight on steel, intercepting every strike meant for those beneath their watch. Within its embrace, fatal blows are denied; a guardian steps forth, taking the wound in their stead and returning the fallen to life’s grasp. Each echo fights without rest, dissolving only to reform in reverence to their charge. Allies within the aura gain +20% defense, +10% healing received, and cannot be struck down by the first death in battle. Even the fiercest foe hesitates, for every assault feels as though waged against eternity itself.

 

Sanctum of the Warding King

From the moment it ignites, the aura becomes a citadel of light, each heartbeat echoing like a warding bell through its radiant walls. All who stand within feel the weight of ancient oaths settle over their shoulders, unyielding and absolute. No force may drive them back, no tempests scatter their ranks, every enemy blow is turned aside by invisible ramparts forged of will and honor. Every breath brings renewal, cleansing wounds and doubts alike as golden pulses of wardlight sweep through the sanctum. Allies within gain +25% damage resistance, immunity to forced movement and crowd control, and are healed by 15% of their maximum vitality every thirty seconds. Should the source fall, the sanctum holds ten heartbeats longer, standing sentinel until the last ember fades.

 

Bulwark of the Skyborne Veil – 0%

When this aura awakens a celestial ward extends through the area. Arrows shatter into silver dust, spells unravel into harmless motes, and every ranged assault is turned aside by unseen wings of radiant light. Within the veil, allies move beneath a guardian sky and each step is shadowed by protective currents that bend fate away from harm. Projectiles and ranged magic lose their fury, slowed or deflected before they find their mark. Allies gain +50% resistance to ranged damage, +30% evasion against magical projectiles, and immunity to critical hits from afar. When a volley threatens annihilation, the Veil flares, forming a dome that absorbs a single catastrophic strike, converting its force into healing winds that restore 20% vitality to all within. Under its shelter, even the heavens must bow before the will to endure.

 

Branch of Retribution 

 

Martyr’s Reflection – 0%

When harm befalls the chosen, the Veil responds with divine precision, manifesting spectral echoes that mirror the aggressor’s strike in perfect reversal. These phantasms are not mere illusions but fragments of the Saint’s sorrow, each carrying the resonance of the pain that summoned them. They bypass all mortal and divine defenses, striking not at flesh but at the sin within, ensuring that each act of cruelty finds its echo in kind. The reflections persist for moments after the attack, haunting the guilty and draining their will to fight. Every wound suffered by the faithful becomes a silent prayer answered through righteous retaliation.

 

Sacrosanct Reversal –0%

Within the Veil, corruption cannot endure its own reflection. Any harmful effect be it poison, curse, despair, or madness or debuff, is transmuted into an equal measure of renewal and resolve. The venom that would cripple now fortifies, the hex that weakens now empowers, and every curse cast upon an ally is rewritten into a blessing tailored to their soul’s nature. This transformation ripples outward, inspiring courage even among the broken. To strike at those protected by the Veil is to unknowingly arm them with the very weapons meant to destroy them.

 

Saint’s Lament – 0%

The suffering of the righteous does not fade into silence; it sings through the Veil in a chorus of luminous agony. Each drop of spilled blood, each cry of pain, is absorbed into the divine weave, transforming despair into radiance. The more allies suffer, the stronger the healing pulse that follows, a rhythmic surge of restoration that mends flesh, steadies the mind, and rekindles spirit. The Shackled God’s compassion is boundless, but it is not passive; it turns tragedy into transcendence, reshaping anguish into sanctified strength. In time, even the fallen rise anew, carried on the tide of their shared endurance.

Skill Descriptions

Barrier

Aegis of Sanctuary 

Create a radiant dome that nullifies all physical projectiles and melee attacks against the occupants for 30 seconds. Allies inside gain bonus defense equal to their Faith in user.

 

Bastion Ward 

Generates overlapping hexagonal walls of force around a location, redirecting kinetic energy outward like a shockwave when broken.

 

Null Zone 

Create a dome that cancels ongoing magic effects inside it, preventing spellcasting or channeling for enemies within it.

 

Ironheart Ward

Temporarily transfers the user’s endurance and toughness into a physical shield that scales with resolve and faith.

 

Blessed Refuge 

Creates a Sanctuary domain that heals allies over time and purges negative effects while repelling enemies.

 

Mirror Ward 

Reflects a portion of received damage or magic back at the attacker, scaling with Willpower and Focus.

 

Soulguard Mantle 

Protects the soul directly; prevents instant death, possession, or disintegration effects once per activation

 

Hope’s Reprise

Create a 50 foot dome that absorbs and negates all damage taken by allies within. When the barrier breaks, it releases a burst of restorative energy that restores a percentage of HP and MP to all allies based on damage absorbed.

 

Buffs and Enhancements

Void Surge Cataclysm
Sacrifice vitality to flood the body with void mana. Boosts stats and retaliatory speed by double, and converts 25% of damage taken into void energy that amplifies the next strike. Damage, speed, and physical traits scale by HP sacrificed × voidinfusion × 1.5.

Immortality Engine (Ω)
Heal 3% of max HP/second in combat. Heal 15% of max HP/second outside of combat. On Death: Revive after 2 seconds at 60% of max HP, 50% MP, 50% SP. Gain 75% damage reduction for 15 seconds and cleanse all debuffs. HoT now applies 10% max HP/second for 12 seconds to self and party of 10.

Sanctuary’s Eternal Momentum
For 15s, allies within 20m gain +20% Haste, +15% Damage Reduction, and +25% status resist. Scales with Spirit (up to +10% more Haste/DR). Now also grants minor regeneration equal to 2% Max HP/s while active.

Worldroot Apotheosis (Legendary)
For 20s, all allies in 35m convert Poison/Decay/Curses into Regeneration (3% Max HP/s) and gain +20% damage vs Corrupted foes. Allies gain bonus resistance to Control effects (+15%).

Lunar Ascendant Apotheosis (Mythic)
For 15s, all damage taken is stored as Lunar Debt (up to 600% Spell Power). On expiry, 70% converts to healing for allies, 30% detonates as void damage split among enemies. Stored cap scales with Spirit/Vitality × 1.5.

Eschaton Oblivion Eclipse (Mythic)
For 12s, battlefield cast into total eclipse: enemy Divine/holy effects mute, cooldowns lengthened by +35%, Void/Oblivion abilities gain +60% potency, allies gain Fear immunity, and ally cooldowns decrease by +35%.

Combat Skills

Abyssal Cataclysm Dive
Leap into the void, dealing massive AoE damage and creating a cursed zone that suppresses enemy Attributes by 40% for 15s. Applies stacking “Void Vulnerability” (10% extra damage per stack).

Moonfang Eclipse Executioner
Enhanced claws cause Bleed stacks faster and apply “Soul Rend”: at max stacks, target loses 25% max SP permanently for 60s. Prevents resurrection without divine intervention.

Rhythm of the Waning Eclipse
Stance now generates crescent shockwaves that bind enemies, silence them for 3s, and reduce damage by 15% per hit. Combo bonus scales with number of consecutive enemies struck.

Fist of Silent Eternity
Single-target strike cancels all buffs, silences for 5s, and amplifies next two strikes by +25% damage. Scales with Skill level × Spirit × Strength.

Oblivion Cataclysm Breaker (Ω)
Erases buffs, barriers, shields, constructs, and familiars in wide radius. Enemy “True Damage Vulnerability” lasts 20s. Punches deal true damage with 50% bonus to critical strikes.

Oblivion Talon of the Eclipse
Pierces defenses and applies a divine curse that reduces enemy primary Attribute by 25% and amplifies all incoming damage by 15%.

Eclipse Rending Talons: Abyssal Maw
Infuses claw strikes with void-soul energy: bypasses armor, apply Bleed/Regeneration suppression stacks, tear into flesh and soul. Critical stacks automatically trigger curses and reduce healing by 20%.

Resonant Eclipse Fury
Chain attacks reduce cooldowns and empower the next skill with stacking resonance. Each consecutive hit increases attack speed and damage by 10%, max 5 stacks.

Claw of the Waning Tides: Void Reaver
Single-target strike drains 10% SP and 6% MP, deals (Attack Power ×2.5). On Bleeding targets, drain is tripled. Drain effect scales with Spirit × 1.5.

Breath of the Hollow Star: Eclipse Wave (Legendary)
15m cone: dispels 3 buffs, deals (Spell Power ×3.5) void damage, applies Weaken −15% for 12s. Weakness scales to −20% with high Spirit.

Defensive Skills

Mantle of the Voidlight
Halves initial blows, reduces magical damage, reflects 25% physical/magic, and hardens body. Consecutive strikes increase reflection to 75% and grant minor damage immunity for 3s after each reflection.

Phantasmal Twilight Mirage
Creates 4 illusions, making the user intangible 2s longer and increases enemy miss chance to 50% while phasing.

Dirgeborn Gravity Overload
Enemies slowed over time; each strike endured increases resistances and reflects 10% of damage back.

Eclipse Step: Voidstep
Teleport chain increases distance by 50%, leaves afterimages that counterattack automatically, and stacks up to 3 sequential exits.

Vigil of the Lunar Hearth
Shields allies for 18% max HP and grants +30% status resist for 8s. Can target up to 3 allies simultaneously.

General Skills

All Speak (Omniscient) – Bypasses even conceptual and divine barriers to communication.

Eternal Phoenix Rebirth – Restores body, mana, and spirit even from conceptual death. Healing is doubled and over-time effects extend to nearby allies.

Soulbound Dominion – Battlefield bends to your will: corpses dissolve, essence is collected, treasures auto-convert to usable materials. Effects scale with Summoner’s level × Spirit.

Omni-Loot Radius – Range doubled; loot now auto-sorts by rarity and type.

Corpse Dissolution: Transmutation – Harvested remains now generate additional “essence cores” usable in crafting.

Soul Storage Transfer: Infinite – Infinite capacity, instant sorting, bypasses any containment restriction.

GS Tribute: Absolute – Coins yield multiplied by ×2 per grade.

Essence Fragments: Condensed – Crystallizes 2% of slain foe’s ambient soul energy; scales with Skill Level × Spirit.

Akashic Vault: Infinite – Stores unlimited techniques, memories, items; can instantly replay or deploy stored techniques.

Eye of Omniscience – Appraises treasure, destiny, karmic weight, relic bonds, and future probability outcomes.

Magic Skills

Shackled Vengeance: Abyssal Chains (Ω)
Enemies that harm you are cursed; their resistance strengthens the shackles, increasing damage and debilitation over time. At full potency, curses convert 50% of enemy damage dealt into void energy empowering your next attack.

Eclipse of Shattered Faith (Mythic)
A battlefield-wide eclipse fractures enemy faith, nullifies divine blessings, and mutes opposing divinity. Allies within range gain +50% Void/Oblivion potency and +25% Spell/Skill speed for 20s.

Lament of the Waning Constellation (Legendary)
Dual-nature strike: heals allies for 4% Max HP/s with moonlight and curses enemies with entropy, preventing healing and reducing all offensive stats by 15% for 12s.

Oblivion Vortex Dominion (Mythic)
Summons a massive vortex of lunar fragments and abyssal gravity. Enemies are trapped, crushed, drained, and silenced, losing 50% of all skill potency for 10s.

Movement Skills

Eclipse Breakthrough: Void Blitz
Burst through enemy lines in a straight dash, sundering barriers, dragging foes aside, and leaving afterimages that strike for 25% of Attack Power.

Last Sanctuary: Phantasmal Exodus (Ω)
Activates when health <25%. Teleports user and all allies within 15m to the nearest Safe Zone. Allies arrive with 75% HP/MP/SP restored. Active buffs are dispelled; grants temporary +25% damage reduction for 10s. Cooldown 8 hours.

Perception Skills

Celestial Predator Compass: Omni-Sense
All senses transcend mortal and divine limits. Flawless orientation across planes; always know prey’s path, hidden threats, and outcome probabilities.

Treasure-Seeker’s Providence: Legend Seer
Detects all treasure, relics, cursed items, and vaults. Resonance reveals hidden lore, traps, and historical significance.

Resistance Skills

Aegis of Cataclysm: Absolute Form
Physical blows, from fists to meteors, disperse harmlessly. Kinetic energy is absorbed and redirected, reflecting 25% back as pure force.

Edgebane Sovereignty: Razor Nullification
Blades, claws, and sharp winds cannot harm you. Lethal slashes are fractured or dulled, returning 10% of damage as radiant force.

Heart of Equilibrium: Perfected
Emotion, rage, fear, and despair cannot sway you. Aura stabilizes allies, granting immunity to mind control and debuffs for 15s.

Primordial Elemental Aegis: Omega
Elemental attacks (fire, frost, lightning, poison, acid) are absorbed and converted into healing and energy for the user. Devastation is reduced to minor tingles.

Profane Flesh Ascendant: Transcendent
Curses, maladies, necrotic damage, and corruption rebound against their caster. Body metabolizes hexes into raw vitality and SP regeneration.

Sovereign Mind Bastion: Citadel of Will
Mind-control, illusions, psychic intrusions fail. Consciousness becomes impenetrable, protecting all nearby allies from mental attacks.

Void-Piercing Nullification: Static Shroud
Arrows, lances, and conceptual piercing attacks are devoured into void static. Attackers are slowed and their weapons briefly inert.

Retaliation Skills

Requital Chains: Abyssal Retribution
Enemies who harm you are slowed and weakened. Backlash stacks into a reservoir, erupting to chain divine damage across multiple foes.

Eclipse Punisher’s Mandate: Shadow Requiem
Retaliation aura amplifies each reflected blow. Shadow lashes strike automatically, increasing enemy damage rebound up to 200%. Backlash mirrors the original skill.

 

Social Skills

Gravitas of the Unshackled: Beacon of Refuge
Common folk recognize you as a safe haven. Refugees, prisoners, and oppressed individuals gain enhanced morale, protection, and loyalty.

Liberator’s Lexicon: Empowered Oration
Negotiations, contracts, and legal discourse are greatly enhanced. Hidden clauses are revealed, and influence over factions increases by 40%.

Star-Path Diplomat: Destiny Weaver
Dialogue aligns with shared destiny and redemption motifs. Factions treat you as a neutral authority, providing intel and resources normally withheld.

Sunset Bargain: Temporal Accord
Non-monetary value can be folded into exchanges (honor, time, reputation). Converts intangible concessions into advantageous deals.

Veil-Lifting Question: Oracle Inquiry
Ask a single, perfectly placed question to expose hidden motives, stakeholders, or deception layers in negotiations.

 

Summoning Skills

Aura of Allure: Sovereign Glamour
Familiar’s Charisma increases by 50%. Allies gain bonus social stats when in proximity.

Courtly Magnetism: Radiant Harmony
Boosts allies’ Social attributes within range; also reduces hostility from neutral entities.

Gilded Presence: Imperial Aura
Further boosts Charisma and passive influence; neutral and hostile creatures have 25% chance to defer attacks or actions.

Soul-Synapse Spark: Arcane Sync
Refreshes one used ability for familiar every 30 minutes instead of 60. Bonus: next ability cast has 20% increased potency.

Predator Titan Resonance: Apex Resonance
Familiar’s Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, and Agility scale massively with Summoner. Attack Power amplified by resonance.

Iron Storm Motion: Tempest Vanguard
Familiar gains massive Toughness/Vitality, fatigue slowed. Doubled speed bursts leave afterimages that deal 25% of Attack Power to enemies.

Arcane Sage’s Eye: Omniscient Vision
Wisdom, Perception, Concentration, and Wits are boosted. Detects hidden danger, traps, and enemy concealment flawlessly.

Oathforged Resilience: Eternal Bond
Willpower/Spirit rises; regeneration greatly enhanced. Curses and corruption resisted; extra resilience when fighting alongside Summoner.

Primal Nexus: Vital Convergence
Shared vitality bond triggers massive healing when the familiar is heavily damaged. Auto-regen triggers at low resources; full-resource recovery cascade activates between Summoner and Familiar.

Suppression Skills

Aura of Silence: Absolute Null
Enemies within range suffer misfires, longer cooldowns, and occasional skill fumbles.

Curse of the Black Moon: Eclipse Mark
Marks enemies with a lunar curse; their damage, healing, and skill effects weaken the longer they remain in the aura.

Eclipse of Judgment: Supreme Twilight
Battlefield-wide suppression aura: dictates enemy magic potency, unravels buffs, reverses healing, and weakens divine protections. Enemy stats reduced by 30%, hindered by own shadows.

Oblivion Verdict: Attribute Lockdown
Temporarily locks an enemy’s highest Attribute for 12s, suppressing all scaling bonuses and special effects.

Sinner’s Shackles: Punitive Chains
Each time an enemy uses an ability, its cooldown is increased significantly. Scaling with enemy level and skill potency.

Weight of the Moon: Lunar Gravitas
Passive aura reduces enemy speed, agility, and attack rate by 20% within 25m. Reduction scales with Skill level and Spirit.

 

Chapter Text

Once they were back home in Avalon they gathered in their sinfully hot bath tub. Not that Refuge wasn’t his home, but his home was their first home together, and the planet that they had sworn themselves on. He would never be able to leave it. Even if his main body was elsewhere he would forever keep a clone on premises, which meant Dryx would always keep a clone as well. Quite the political coup for a single planet ruler in the multiverse. Add that to a World Hearth and Avalon was going to attract even more people from across the multiverse.

Powerful people. And the more powerful people lived on the planet, and the longer they lived here, the higher magic would rise. Her dungeon would grow more powerful, and with it more profitable. Morrigan had not only set up her planet for a new renaissance, but had set up adding a secondary planet to her system through Earth. With her lifespan, she would more than likely eventually be able to conquer the Sol System.

Torric smiled to himself, leaning back against Dryx as they soaked. A few months ago he’d been thinking in terms of months, and years. Now, after spending a millenia in chaotic space he was thinking in terms of centuries, and even millenia. He couldn’t yet imagine life in billions of years, making plans that far in advance, not yet. Still, Tyranny’s Sanctioning, however, had been far more than he had realized when Desolation said that the Celestines were Elevating him. And he hadn’t, then really realized the difference between a ranker and a God.

Still, now he needed, and wanted, to slow down. Desolation’s ‘gift’, pumping all of them, minus Meidron and Dryx, from B to the peak of A had stretched their souls and bodies fast, assigning their stat points as it decided it. His transformation, in turn, had triggered Meidron’s transformation from an oblivion spirit to the realm spirit of Sanctuary.

The unexpected, and unintentional union as hearth bound had pushed all of them over the edge into S.Thanks to Dryx’s soul being added to the mix.So much had changed, about him, about them, both physically and spiritually, then they had to immediately rush straight from that to hosting their families at Refuge, they’d had little time to just relax and not have to entertain anyone. Now the guests were gone and relatives settled in their homes so they could retreat to Avalon and get to know each other, and themselves.again.

“What are you smiling about?” Dryx asked, tickling his cheek.

“How much things change so quickly, and yet, I’m no longer thinking in terms of tomorrow, but years from now.”

“Most of us have always thought that way. Or in Dryx’s case has thought that way for however many years.”

“I have no idea. I don’t remember not existing. After a while you stop keeping track. Rankers throw billions this and billions that around when it comes to celestines, but most of us either forgot and are lying, are lying to mock people, or we just don’t remember and don’t care. I’m the third. I know who and what I am, age is a stupid number when you reach a certain level on the cosmic scale.”

“The whole relative versus subjective age problem.” Liam spoke up. “You’re in a weird state of being 26 and 1026 at the same time. This incarnation of Dryx’s avatar is both 86 and whatever old. Anyone short of a greater astral being or celestine pulling what he just did would get side eyed, for sure.”

“Don’t care.” Dryx said with a yawn. “What are they going to do? Kill me. Short of Oblivion, no one could, and Oblivion would never. No one would kill me permanently. Without Authority there are no celestines, no Gods, nothing. They’re all empowered through me. The way Torric is empowered through Good.”

“If Oblivion is Ending, could Oblivion kill-” Lily started to ask.

Dryx immediately silenced her. “Do not finish that sentence. Do not drive that monster insane. She pays far, far far too much attention to our boy and we work very very hard to keep her happy. And sane. Asking any kind of question starting with those words ends in a dangerous combination.”

“No Oblivion questions.” Liam tried to joke, though it fell a bit flat. “What can we ask about?”

“You could read my unedited Records if you want.” Dryx replied. “Would you like to start chronologically or a highlight? It’ll take a few thousand years to get through them all.”

Liam blinked at him, Lily too was shocked. To reveal any part of your personal Records was akin to baring your soul.Sure there were public Records, like Legends. But his unedited Records? Few would ever dream of it.”

Only Torric and Meidron were unsurprised, for Dryx had already made them that offer, and they each had clones on Imperius reading copies at that moment.

“You should do it. I’ve got so many copies going at once, skipping around chapters. The origin of the System is amazing.” Torric advised.

“The. Origin. Of. The. WHAT?!” Lily shrieked.

“Yes. There’s a lot you need to know now that you’ve stepped into the celestial field.Right now is the best time for you to do it, it’ll be our new nightly book.” Dryx replied. “Though you’re getting even more access than most new celestines will.”

“You have no idea how many mes are out there reading Celestial Records right now. With far far higher access than I would be traditionally be allowed.” Torric said with a smile “Cloning is awesome when you basically have unlimited mana. Having the level of backing I do with Dryx and Ae, and you two by association. We’ll find you some clone Skills if you want. So you go to Imperius and Good’s planet. Hope. Healing. Justice. It’s all stuff we need to learn. just got a head start. But those are the celestines who you currently have permission to come to when you can clone.””

“That’s so amazing!” Lily said excitedly. “Yes yes yes.”

Cloning was considered a very safe way of traveling the multiverse, as long as your primary consciousness, for those that still had them, was safe the clones could die but the real person would be safe.

“In a few centuries we’ll shift back to Refuge, but in the meantime we’ll start sending out clones from here, as fast as you’re willing to make them. We won’t be going back to Refuge for a while. Not that I don’t love the place, but now that its getting settled in I want people to get used to dealing with my clones and not be on the planet at all to deal with the complaints while all our relatives and the new villagers are settling in.”

“Being physically young enough to need a material body sucks,” Liam complained.

“No one is going to hurt any of you now. Not with so many eyes on you after Tyranny’s attack and his swift punishment saw to that.Well no. Some very stupid people will try to hurt you, because this is your primary consciousness, but Tyranny and his people won’t try to move on you for a while. He’s gone to ground trying to avoid both mine and Bahumet’s hunters.”

Liam shuddered. “Can we not call the Ender of All Things by name? Just because I’m allowed to know it now doesn’t mean I like hearing it. Especially if she is paying attention to us.”

Dryx laughed. “She’s mostly paying attention to Torric. It is unusual for her to focus so much on one. She’s typically very hands off but the area where Oblivion doesn’t play around is her children. The fact that Oblivion was convinced to participate at all in one of Fate’s prophecies… she played a dangerous game. It is the foolishness of the young, provoking elder beings like Oblivion, even for a good cause.”
“Wouldn’t you be one of those elder beings?” Torric teased.

“Yes. Which is why it was the foolishness of Tyranny to corrupt my purpose. He played a dangerous game and lost, unlike Fate. Which is why he is currently hiding. His power has been bound for the next thousand years as part of his Sanctioning.”

“So he’s weaker right now?” Liam asked, leaning forward. “Can we kill him?”

“None of you are physically capable of killing Tyranny, even in his weakened form. As for if I can kill him, I’m currently seeking permission to do just that.”

“You need permission to kill Tyranny?” Lily asked. “From who?”

“He’s a concepted entity ingrained into the System. If I kill him we’ll have to raise up a lesser celestine to replace him. So the other elder beings are discussing if his actions warrant a permanent ending. I could force the issue, Oblivion is the far from the only one of our number that it is ill advised to fuck with.”

“Elder beings?” Lily asked.

“Good, Evil. Chaos. Order. Authority. Creation. Oblivion. We seven elder beings were there at the foundation of it all. Without the seven of us the multiverse wouldn’t exist. We must always maintain the balance.”

“Is that why seven is such an important cosmic number?” Lily asked. “And why does it seem like Meidron knows all this because he hasn’t been surprised once?”

“I know all this because I’m a realm spirit. Everyone who reaches a certain stage in their evolution learns these things.” Meidron answered. “I know what Torric knows, so when Torric learned all this, I learned it.”

“And I learned it when I was in chaotic space. Connecting to the foundation of the cosmos like that… It’s part of why I need a break now. My soul is numb.”

“And yes, that is why 7 is such an important cosmic number.” Dryx answered.

“If Tyranny is in hiding then why do we have to worry about Torric being attacked?” Liam asked.

“Tyranny is licking his wounds, for now. He can’t kill Torric now that Torric is a God. Not without permission from the council, and obviously neither Oblivion or I would allow that to happen. Now that I have been freed of his influence I can seek revenge. Even if I can’t kill him, I can personally punish him for his violation of my mind, and the way I have been given permission to punish him may be, in his mind, worse than death. If he can get hold of Torric’s soul he can use it as a bargaining chip to prevent me from revoking his Divine Authority.”
“Most likely Refuge will be Tyranny’s next target. Or perhaps Celveythar. I’m still trying to find the planet so that Dryx can help me move it to Refuge’s solar system. It’ll be easier for me to protect both of my spiritual domains if they’re nearby.” Torric explained.

“I’ve actually been thinking of moving Imperius to Refuge’s solar system, love. Tyranny will be less likely to target Refuge if my foundational planet is next door. It’s akin to me keeping an Avatar with your material body. A physical deterrent.”

“I’d love for Imperius to be next door. It means we’ll be that much closer to each other. One day we’ll be strong enough to meet you in person and not through avatars and clones.”

Dryx leaned down to nuzzle Torric’s head. “I cannot wait for you to be strong enough to meet me in body.” He turned his attention to the other three in the tub. “All of you, not just Torric. None of you could survive coming to Imperius yet. Your physical bodies would disintegrate the moment they got within its gravitational pull.”

“Wait then how do your clones survive?” Lily asked

“They don’t.” Torric replied. “I have to send in a replacement batch every few days. And that’s with Dryx providing a protective aura around them.”

“Dryx is going to slowly level all of us up until we’re strong enough to survive swimming in celestial waters without our protection.” Meidron explained. “It’ll take centuries for your bodies to grow strong enough to withstand that kind of high mana environment. Even Torric’s.”

“Why not you?” Liam asked.

“Because I’m a spirit. Different rules. It’s a lot harder to hurt me and I can’t be damaged the way you three can. Your bodies are all mortal, for all that your souls are now immortal.”

Torric stretched, the water rippling around them. “The water’s growing tepid. Do we want to heat it back up or move to the bed? I don’t want to go to sleep, but I’m starting to feel a bit…pruny.”

By mutual agreement they left the tub, using magic to shed the water from their bodies and hair as they emerged from it. None of them bothered to get dressed, however, choosing to lounge on the bed naked. None of the servants would disturb them unless they sent for one, and with Dryx present no one would be able to spy magically on the bedroom without his permission.

“So are we going to continue with world shaking cosmic revelations?” Lily asked teasingly once they were all settled in bed.

“Maybe not world shaking… Torric replied slowly. “Or at least not world shaking on a cosmic level. I’m not ready to be as open with my Records as Dryx is, but I was thinking it might be time for me to be more open about my time on Praetoria. It… it isn’t a fun story. I know I’ve glossed over a lot of details, the few times I have talked about it.”

“You don’t have to talk about it.” Meidron replied, hugging him. “I have your memories now. I know what it was like…”

“I don’t have to talk about it, you’re right. But it was, it is, part of me. It made me who I am today. I’m not ashamed of what happened to me. I know that it wasn’t my fault. It was the fault of Fate, who convinced my mother to birth me, then kidnapped me from her when I was three days old. Fate took me. Fate cursed me. Fate left me in the lattice. Fate who led the humans of Praetoria to me when I was but two years old. It was the people of Praetoria who treated me the way they did. None of that was my fault.

I’m not ashamed of the fact that I was a slave. Or that I was trained to be a whore. I spent a lot of time coming to terms with what happened to me, while I was in chaotic space. A few centuries connected to the cosmos does wonders to give you perspective. I am in no way condoning what Fate did to me. I am certain that she could have orchestrated all of this without torturing a baby, for instance. But it is in the past, and I am who I am because of what I experienced. We’re all paired together, forever. If you are to truly know me, if we are to truly know each other, then that means I need to share all of me with all of you. We cannot build a future together without understanding where we came from before we met.”

Torric settled down in Meidron’s arms. Just because he had come to terms with what had happened to him didn’t mean that he liked talking about it. Few people liked exposing their vulnerabilities, even with those they had pledged their lives to. Some pain, some wounds, went deep, and even healed left ugly scars. It was far easier to pretend the scars didn’t exist if he didn’t look at them. If he had to look at them he wanted to feel the comfort of another’s arms while doing it, and Meidron at least knew what he would feel, bringing the memories to the surface of his conscious mind.

“As I’ve said before, I lived in an orphanage. And life in that orphanage was harsh. I developed slowly, but was always beautiful. As an infant that beauty translated to an adorableness that made the nuns quite devoted to my care. As I grew that kitten-like adorableness matured into physical attractiveness. It tended to invoke one of two reactions. Jealousy or possessiveness. Or perhaps, the third reaction, jealousy and possessiveness.

Those that were jealous of me, adults and my agemates alike, would tell me how I was nothing but a disgusting animal. How I had been abandoned by my parents for being useless and weak. That I was misborn and a freak, having features of a tiger and the wings of a bird at the same time. They would do everything they could to denigrate me, to tear me down with their words. To make me feel small.

It didn’t help that I was also the smallest and the weakest out of everyone in the orphanage. It made me look younger than I was. There are a certain kind of people who very much like beautiful young boys. The nuns protected me from the worst predations that could have occurred, and the predators ensured that my treatment was rarely physical and would never cause lasting physical damage.”

“So you were never…” Lily started, then bit her lip.

“I was never raped. Not then, no. And I was never beaten, not the way the other children were. Nothing was ever done to me that would leave more than minor bruising. The one time one of the older boys broke my arm, I was perhaps 7 at the time, but looked around 4, was as strong as a human 4 year old. Jhon shoved me down the stairs, I don’t even remember why. It’d happened plenty of times before. I wasn’t yet strong enough to fly and the older children would force me to climb to the top of things then jump off, or if I refused would push me off. Or in the case of stairs, push me down them.

That one time when Jhon pushed me I landed badly and broke my arm. He was beaten for it. Severely. Both of his arms were broken in turn, and whereas my break was minor and a healer was immediately sent for, his breaks were worse and he was forced to heal without the aid of a healer. After that the other children stuck to words or attacks that would only bruise, but never severely injure me.”

He paused for a moment, taking a centering breath. “Things continued that way until I was 10. The nuns would take care of me, the children bullied me, and adults would praise and humiliate me in turn. Complimented me, and petted me like I was little more than the animal they named me. Some of the adults enjoyed hurting me in their own small ways. Luxuries turned torments.

Most of the children were forced to bathe at the well outside, no matter what the weather outside. I was allowed to bathe inside, but never alone. Adults, mostly men, but some women, would pay to be allowed to bathe me. And some of them, again, usually men, would heat the water almost to the point of scalding. Or would intentionally scrub too hard. The other children only saw that I was given luxurious baths, which made them jealous.

I would be brought to have meals with adults as well. Some were quite delicious. Others were intentionally overly spiced or otherwise ruined, either to make me sick or cause me pain without injury.”

“If Oblivion hadn’t destroyed the planet, I would have.” Dryx growled.

Torric reached out and squeezed his hand. “Praetoria is gone, and the only hurt it can cause me any more is in my memories.”

“You’ve said before that you sold yourself at ten.” Liam said softly.

“Yes.” Torric replied sadly. “The day of my 10th birthday, not knowing my true age, the nuns had guessed my age and listed my birthday as the day of my arrival to their facility, I was sat down for a frank conversation. It was a day I knew was coming, for every child had the same conversation on their 10th birthday if they survived that long. Sell myself or be kicked out. The stronger children had more options, better options. But I was small, and looked too young for my age. They knew I was cursed to be without magic, and no one wanted to pay to have the curse removed. I was also a beastkin living on a primarily human world. That narrowed my options considerably.

They made it very, very clear what life on the streets of Praetoria would entail. The best option would be if I died of starvation or illness. More likely, looking as I did, I would be kidnapped off the street and forced into life in a boy brothel. Most boys who ended up in a brothel at 10 or younger didn’t survive to see 15. Or at least, not with their sanity intact.”

“That’s why you’re so protective of children forced into slavery and indentured servitude.” Lily said softly. “You became the safety you needed and never got.”

“Yes.” Torric answered. “If I could stop all children from suffering as I suffered, I would.” He paused, realization dawning on him, then looked at Dryx. “Is Suffering a celestine too?”

“Yes. A lesser celestine who falls under Chaos.”

“Under Chaos?” Liam asked, brow raised. “Not Evil?”

“No. Because suffering, unfortunately, is not inherently evil in of itself. Just like Authority is not evil and Oblivion is not evil, nor Death, or Decay, or even Desolation. Many people view it as evil, suffering and the forces of evil typically do work together quite often, but the action, and the celestial concept in of themselves is not evil. That is a common misperception.” Dryx answered.

“So you chose to sell yourself.” Liam prompted. “Unless that’s all you feel up to telling us so far. You don’t often talk about this, and never so in depth. Though, now that I’ve heard some of the details I can see why.”

“No. There is more. When I agreed to sell myself I was given multiple options. Multiple auction houses wanted to purchase me, as well as a few independent offers. For a 10 year old it was heady stuff. I finally had value. I even had my own solicitor whose entire job was to help me negotiate the best deal I could. Of course, the better she did her job, the more she’d get paid in commission. Thankfully she had at least a modicum of human decency.

Instead of convincing me to accept one of the very, very outrageous private offers that were submitted by the men who purchased my time in the orphanage most often to send me into their tender loving care immediately, she convinced me to undertake training to be a domivayn.

It was years of training, and I would have to stay in the orphanage while I did so, but it gave me the best option to be able to sell myself for even more money down the road, rather than immediately. She sold me the lie of a family, of a home in order to profit off my eventual misery, but that lie also kept me from immediately entering the hands of some of the most depraved men on Praetoria at the tender age of 10, looking no more than 8, no stronger than a 6 year old. I didn’t know then what she saved me from. Her greed at earning a bigger commission on the back end saved me from a slow, miserable death of both the body and the soul.”

Torric shuddered, thinking of the two men who had gotten into a bidding war trying to purchase him at the age of 10. What he learned those two men did to pretty young boys during his time in chaotic space. Only with one of them would he have survived to adulthood, not that what would have remained of him could have been considered surviving.

Meidron’s arms tightened around him as he shuddered again. "I didn't know then what she saved me from. During my time in chaotic space, connected to the foundation of the cosmos, I learned things. I learned what those two men who bid on me actually did to the children they purchased."

He took a slow breath, centering himself. "One of them, Frisonus, he called himself an artist. He took beautiful children and... transformed them. Over years. Decades sometimes, kept them alive through magic and healing them just enough to prevent death but never escape.

Chopping off body parts. Burning them with acid, fire, and ice. Scarring their flesh. Slowly removing their ability to see, to hear, to speak, but ensuring that his victims could still scream. Enchanted them to prevent them from being able to harm themselves to escape their torment. Frisonus would have kept me alive for decades, until there was nothing left of my mind and I was a helpless drooling, broken man. Then he would have put me on display in his personal ‘gallery’ until my body gave out and he died.”
The horror in Lily's eyes mirrored what he felt.

"The solicitor's greed for a bigger commission bought me sixteen more years before I had to leave the orphanage. Sixteen years to grow stronger, to train, to become valuable enough that I could negotiate better terms. She didn't save me out of kindness, she saved me because a trained domivayn would sell for more than a terrified ten-year-old who looked younger.

He paused, swallowing hard. "But her greed saved my life. If I'd been sold to either of those men at ten... there would have been nothing left of me to save by the time I was sixteen. No mind. No soul. Just... a broken thing on display until my body gave out."
"Knowing what I escaped makes it hard to hate her completely. In the end she never got her commission, for Andorel kidnapped me from the auction block after I finished my training. Once I sold myself, life got better, sort of. I was owned by one of the auction houses who specialized in creating domivayns.

I was never again forced to allow others to bathe me, in fact no one was allowed to touch me with violence in mind, other children or adults. That didn’t mean my troubles were over. My education was grueling. Dance, music, languages, art, etiquette, entertaining, lessons in various forms of academics so that I could be the perfect conversationalist for whoever ended up purchasing me.
If I performed to standard, or above, I was given good food to eat, a soft bed, skin treatments, nice clothes. If I refused to go to lessons or was found to be slacking my nice things went away. I would be fed plain salted gruel and water. My soft mattress would be replaced with a hard pallet. My warm blankets replaced with sack cloth. Eventually I learned that compliance was the easiest path.

The best part of my training was when I went to the brothel. I was never sold to clients, I never touched a client. I was there strictly to learn the craft of pleasure. How to flirt. How to fuck. The men and women there were the closest thing to family I had. They treated me like I was precious. They showed me what a real family was. If I’d had the choice then I would have sold myself to the brothel without hesitation at the end of my training period.

Even when I had to undertake training in how to endure as the madam called it ‘violent delights’, they made sure that I knew that they weren’t hurting me because they wanted to, but because that was the contract. After each of those lessons they took care of me, apologized for what they had to do. By then I was old enough to understand that they were not my abusers, but the instruments my masters used to condition me to abuse. Everyone in the brothel, including the madam, were slaves as well.”
“Eventually I had matured enough that the orphanage labeled me an adult, and I was sent to the auction house that had been covering the expense of my food, upkeep, and training. And the rest you know.”

“That was so awful.” Lily said tearfully.

“You went through all of that, and still you didn’t let the violence, the abuse corrupt you. You didn’t let it harden your soul.” Dryx added softly, reaching out to stroke Torric’s cheek. “You are a far, far better man than I ever was or will be. It is no wonder that Good sent their avatar to guide your ascension.”

“If I hadn’t met the madam and her family and had been trained by a different brothel I probably would be a different man. A harder man.”

“Well as much as I hate what happened to you, I love who you became in spite of it all.” Liam replied, giving him a gentle kiss. “I cannot imagine having been forced to suffer so and then turning around and becoming Sanctuary. If I went through what you did…”

He shook his head. “I would have become some form of revenge god.”

“If I suffered as you suffered, my love, and then gained my power as a celestine, and I knew Fate had planned that, orchestrated that life for me… and I had the power I do now, Fate would cease to exist.” Dryx said quietly. “And I do not believe the punishment she was given fit the crime she committed, now knowing the extent of her crime. It is no wonder Oblivion fought so hard for her Ending.”

He sighed heavily. “We cannot revisit the issue of Ending her. And Fate is too important to the multiverse to destroy her for all time. I will restrict her Divine Authority, Demote her from a celestine to a lesser celestine for a few thousand years. That is within my purview and I won’t need to convene another council meeting.”

“Ugh. I need a drink. Maybe several.” Torric complained. “I don’t intend on dredging that up again any time soon.

“You’re tense as hell, moonstar.” Meidron told him. “We’ll call for some wine and a bit of euphorium, then I’ll give you a massage. You need to relax after digging all that out of your mind.”

“It’s been a long time coming.” Torric agreed. “Like lancing a long infected boil. I would definitely not mind letting my mind relax a bit. Dryx would never let anyone take advantage of me while intoxicated.”

“I’d kill anyone who tried.” He agreed immediately. “Not that any of us would take advantage of you while inebriated and vulnerable. Let us take care of you tonight, northstar, so that your light does not dim after traveling through the shadows of the past.”

Torric smiled at his lovers. “Deal.”

Chapter Text

The empress of the demon empire arrived one and half months later with great fanfare. Beyond the empress, she brought 100 of her best warriors, 50 noble lords and ladies from her empire, another 50 students for the academy tournament and 100 servants arrived, met by an honor guard arranged by the queen.

Torric used his Divine senses to watch her arrival when she emerged from the upper city dungeon entrance. He would not officially meet the woman until tomorrow, but he was more than a little curious about the woman whose son had caused him such problems.
They hadn’t known exactly when she would be arriving, though they knew she’d be arriving some time today, which was why Torric had been monitoring the dungeon portal the empress was due to exit from since before dawn. Now that she’d arrived he sent a message through the mind link he had with his lovers, informing them of her arrival.

Her skin was a deep crimson, almost arterial blood red. Her hair was black, bound tightly to her head, presumably to keep it contained during their travels. A red-gold crown set with blood rubies and fire opals adorned her head. Her clothes were nice, but clearly meant for travel through the dungeons and lattice between her empire and Avalon.

The honor guard led the empress and her companions through the street to the queen’s palace.

They went straight to the throne room where Morrigan had gathered most of her court to greet the woman. Torric would have been there in the crowd when she arrived in the throne room, but the queen had specifically asked him and his lovers to stay at home until peace negotiations had begun.

Shadow assassins provided by his uncle were hidden all over his property, on alert for any potential threats that may have arrived with the empress. It was good odds that the empress was not actually there to offer peace terms, but in truth to seek revenge for the death of her son and the destruction of one third of her empire by the celestine who had birthed him. Sure they were all immortal now, but their bodies could still be discorporated, their souls captured and stuffed in a bottle then hidden away for celestines knew how many years before being found.

Lily, Liam, and Meidron joined Torric and Dryx in the bedroom where they’d been lounging. The three had been out shopping since no one knew exactly when the empress was arriving and none of them wanted to lay around in bed all day watching for her arrival as Torric and Dryx had.

“What’s going on?” Lily asked.

Torric waved his hand and a window appeared over the bed they were all curled up in, revealing the throne room. “The show is just about to start.” He informed them, as they kicked off their shoes, Torric had a rule of no shoes in bed, then joined them to watch.

“Empress Grisella.” Morrigan greeted her. “It is an honor to have you come in person to my fair world, even if the cause is less felicitous. You could have sent ambassadors to meet with myself, and houses Sancti and Veythor, but instead chose to come yourself. It is my hope that the disagreements between your fair houses will be settled peacefully, and to the betterment of all.”

“Thank you for having me, Queen Morrigan. As it was my house who orchestrated the attack upon his eminence of Sancti, so it is my responsibility to resolve the animosity between our now three houses.”

“So long as you are here to put to bed the strife between you, you are welcome within my city and on my planet. If, however, you come to cause further issues between your houses, or if you come seeking to use my city as the staging ground for battle between you, you will not appreciate what comes next.”

“I assure you, your majesty, I do not come seeking further conflict, not when so many of the celestines have publicly supported his eminence, and he is soul bonded to Dominion himself, for with but a few words Dominion could strip me of my authority and sovereignty, raising another demon to the imperial throne in my place.”

“Damn right I’d strip her of her throne.” Dryx said from next to Torric. He was far less forgiving of the empress for the actions undertaken by her son and people than Torric was. After all, if Karin had succeeded they never would have met, he would never have been freed from Fate’s and Tyranny’s meddling, and none of them would have soul bonded to each other. “Her and her whole family. I’d rip them out root and stem.”

Torric put a gentling hand on his lover’s arm. “We have no need to go that far. Not yet. Give her a chance to offer proper atonement for the actions of her people. We do not know if she had a hand in any of what happened, or if it was done without her knowledge or permission. We cannot blame her for actions undertaken by her subjects and son far outside her own jurisdiction until and unless we discover that she organized my attack on Solstheen or the assassination attempt by Karin.”

“Oh I can find out.” Dryx growled. “She is little more than a gnat before me. I will rip the knowledge of her misdeeds from her mind.”

“That would be an attack on her personal sovereignty.” Torric chided gently. “We do not go raiding people’s thoughts without permission just because they pissed us off.”

“Hmph.” Dryx snorted.

“I do hope you mean what you have said to me.” Morrigan continued in the throne room, unaware of the Divine watchers spying on the empress’s arrival and welcome. “All I will do is banish you from my planet. His eminence, Sanctuary may be more forgiving of what you have done to him, but his eminence, Dominion will be far less forgiving. If any of your people try to harm Sanctuary now that the two are bonded, Dominion will wipe you from existence and I will not and cannot save you from his wrath.”

“I am not here to cause trouble. My empire has already suffered at the hands of one celestine for the crimes of others, I do not wish to bring further calamity down upon our heads by offending another celestine.” Grisella replied, her voice calm and clear. “Though it is a pity that his eminence is no longer a student at the academy. Many of our youngsters wished to test their mettle against him.”

“Yes, we received your petition for a tournament to be set up for those who wished to participate. You seem quite intent on competing against his eminence.”

“We are the children of War, just as humans are the children of Death, and the beastkin are the children of Oblivion and the fae are the children of Chaos. Fighting is in our blood. It is how we put to bed grievances between our peoples within the empire.” The empress replied, her voice even. “None of the duels will be to the death. Not that we are capable of killing a God, even if we wanted to, which to be very clear, we do not.”

“I can’t fight.” Torric said sadly as they watched. “Not because I don’t want to, but because I’m bound to not harm people outside of specific circumstances. I can only use my power to protect others when it comes to harming sapient beings.”

“Yes, well the queen is about to make our counter offer.” Dryx commented.

“Do you think she’ll go for it?” Liam asked.

“Probably.” Dryx replied. “The empire is big about honor and this is a way for them to restore it.”

“His eminence of Sanctuary is bound by the System to not harm others for the sake of entertainment.” Morrigan replied. “Directly dueling him in such a tournament is impossible. However he and his party have offered their own solution.”

“It is a shame that he cannot fight our warriors one on one. What is the counter offer?”

“The Tower of Infinite Ascent.” Morrigan replied. “His eminence and his party will start on the first floor, and a party of your own people will also try to climb it. Each party will start their climb at the same time and have one week to get as far up the Tower as possible. His eminence will allow us to watch both teams using scrying windows.”

Many Gods, greater astral beings, and celestines had the ability to create their own Towers. Much like the dungeon scenarios that could be found in the lattice, Towers were created to allow rankers and other beings on the Ladder of Heavens to enter and test their mettle, battling floor after floor of different trials to gain strength and power. Torric had already created his Tower on Refuge, but since it was his Tower he could create entrances to it anywhere. One such entrance already existed on Avalon. Even having been open to the public for only 2 weeks on Avalon it was already extremely popular.

The more people who climbed his Tower, and especially the higher they climbed, the more power he would gain. Or rather regain. MP, SP, and HP all recovered naturally, but DP, or Divine Power, when spent, only recovered when he acted within his role of Sanctuary. Instead of devotion, he now gained DP, using it as a resource to empower his Divine abilities. The Tower of Infinite Ascent acted as an eternal battery for him when it came to his DP, which was funny, since it had taken a bit over half of his DP to create the tower and set the entrances he had to it. DP he had yet to fully recover.

“We have not heard of this Tower.” Grisella replied. “Whose creation was it?”

“Sanctuary. It has only been open for two weeks. Its physical location is Refuge, but there are entrances to the Tower here on Avalon, as well as Earth, Solstheen and Imperius. It will be a fair trial. Unless you believe that their eminences would manipulate the scenarios to their advantage…? The queen trailed off, giving the empress before her a verbal rope. Now they needed to see if she would hang herself with it.

“From all reports his eminence is quite fair and just. I do not believe Justice would be so positively inclined towards him if he were the type to cheat at something as low stakes as a tournament in one of his own trials.” The empress answered, her tone measured and even.

“Well at least she isn’t stupid enough to impinge upon your honor in open court.” Dryx commented, his tone acidic.

“From the information we’ve gathered the empress is quite intelligent.” Meidron commented. “She knows she’s negotiating from a place of weakness, which means she’s threading a very fine needle.”

Dryx snorted at Meidron’s words, but didn’t say anything else.

“In my experience his eminence is quite fair. In my many years I have met very few people who have survived what he has without becoming cruel and violent. I would warn you, and your people, however, just because he is merciful and kind do not mistake him for weak. The power he wields is very real and comes from himself. He does not rely upon or need Dominion’s strength when it comes to skill at arms, for all that he is bound to not shed unnecessary blood.”

“We would be happy to duel his eminence and his team in such a manner. I will assemble my six best warriors and they shall conquer this Tower. I assume they will be able to keep all rewards given for completing floors?”

“Naturally. Neither I nor his eminence have need to steal the just rewards for others. They will keep what they earn, just as his eminence and his team will. The official rules and timeline will be discussed as part of our peace talks tomorrow. Accommodations have been provided for your servants and guards in the city. Your students will be staying at the academy for the time being. As for you and your lords and ladies, guest rooms have been set aside for you here in the palace. Please, take the time to rest and recuperate after your long travel from the empire, and we will convene tomorrow with their eminences to begin peace negotiations.”

Grisella nodded, taking her dismissal with grace as she and her party were led away to their various accommodations to rest. For now the show was over. Tomorrow would begin a battle of words and wills.

-*-

Torric, Dryx, and Kierical arrived at the palace together bright and early at 9am. Senshia was in her customary place, hidden in his shadow, not that he would need her as a bodyguard, not with Dryx and his uncle at his side. Not only was his bonded husband, the celestine Dominion, one of the ruling beings of the known multiverse, but his uncle Kierical was a greater astral being, a billion years old (supposedly), and one step below the status of a lesser celestine. Even one was overprotection, both at once made whatever room they were in the safest on the planet. The safest place in the sector, really.

They were all dressed in their best formal clothes, Kierical in solid black as most of his house dressed, Torric and Dryx in rose gold, black, and cobalt blue, a blending of the three colors of Sancti, Veythor, and Dominai.

Torric was dominated by the two with him, at least in size. His many years of near malnutrition as a young child had left him shorter than most of the people in his former house, and much, much shorter than his 7 foot tall monstrosity of a husband. He could use magic to modify his body to be taller, more muscled, more intimidating than the slender androgynous bordering on feminine body he’d come by naturally, but was secure enough in himself that he didn't feel the need to compensate. His current appearance was very non threatening to children, and led to others underestimating him, both reasons to keep it. Still, his appearance led to an air of frailty that was made even more extreme by the two men flanking him.

They were met at the entrance to the palace by the queen’s seneschal and led to the council chamber where they were all meeting. He had expected the room to be lush and ornate, considering what it was used for. Instead the council chamber was restrained. A simple wooden table with matching chairs, plain walls and minimal decor. More prominent were the spells laid into the room to prevent magical spying from outside the room. He, Dryx, and Kierical were all more than powerful enough to break the wards if they wanted, but for mere mortal rankers as the queen and empress were, they were nigh unbreakable.

There were a few other avatars on the planet, such as Aevyn, who could have broken it, but each one who could have would never. As Divine beings, Torric could sense the three other avatars, just as they could sense him, but they were allies and off doing their own thing, as they had no stake in the negotiations that were about to take place. Though, as they were allies, Torric and Dryx would inform them of what happened during their meetings when they were done.

The queen was already there and waiting when they entered the room, though the empress and her entourage were not yet there. Morrigan was dressed in her formal robes of state, her own crown upon her head. Typically when Torric met with her she was in court clothes, as one would expect, but instead of her crown she wore a circlet, and outside of official court in the throne room he had never before seen her in her robes of state. It was obvious that she was taking the day’s meeting seriously.

She rose from her seat as they entered, inclining her head respectfully. “Your eminences.” She greeted them. “The empress and her entourage will be joining us shortly. I wanted the three of you to be settled in first before they came, since you are the injured parties.”

Torric gave the queen a small bow of his own, though his uncle and his husband did not, and accepted her respectful greeting as their due. “Thank you, your majesty, for hosting these talks. You didn’t have to step into this conflict, but chose to help broker peace between us without requests of compensation for your troubles.”

“It is my pleasure, your eminence. And as you and your family have made a permanent residence upon my planet, it is my duty to ensure that you are safe from hostilities. As for compensation, is not an alliance between Imperius, Refuge, and Avalon not compensation enough? You have given I and mine a chance to reclaim Earth, as well. This is trifling compared to that.”

“I will always have a great fondness for Avalon.” Torric replied with a smile. “I would hate to see this world become a battleground on our behalf.”

“That is something that I believe we all wish to avoid. Please, take a seat. It is too early for wine, but we have tea, fresh squeezed juice, and coffee, as well as fresh pastries and fruit prepared.”

Torric had never heard of coffee before coming to Avalon, it was a drink that found its origins in a plant native to Earth before its cataclysm. Many of the plants had been brought to the planet when the Earthlings had fled after the nuclear bombs stopped falling. He’d even seen the repository of seeds that had been saved and brought to the planet by refugees containing millions of different native plants from the planet.

He found it to be incredibly bitter, and he only liked it when it was liberally sweetened with cream and sugar. Dryx, however, loved the stuff. “Tea for me, please.” Torric answered.

“Coffee. Black.” Dryx replied. “As strong as can be made.”

“I will take tea as well.” Kierical added.

Once they were settled in their chairs and refreshments brought to them the queen signaled her seneschal to bring the empress and her entourage. Just as Torric had Dryx and Kierical as his support in the meeting, she was allowed two escorts as well and had chosen to bring her daughter and heir, as well as her own seneschal.

After a few minutes of waiting there was a knock at the council room door and the empress, her daughter, and her seneschal walked in. The empress too was wearing her robes of state, while her daughter wore a less ornate version of the robes. Both wore their crowns as well.

+Now I feel underdressed. Should we have worn our robes of state?”+ Torric sent mentally to his lover. Technically he did have them, his clones wore a set when they ran court on Refuge. He hadn’t thought he would need to wear them for this, after all it was a personal matter that they were settling, and not a planetary enmity.

+We need no robes of state or crowns to show our power.+ Dryx replied. +Leave the ostentatious ornamentation to the mortals.+

They rose when the empress entered, though none of them bowed or inclined their heads to her. Grisella, however, did incline her head when she greeted the four of them, her daughter curtseying and her seneschal bowing low.

“Welcome, empress.” Morrigan replied. “Please, take a seat. We have refreshments available, coffee, tea, fresh juice and pastries.”

“Tea, please.” The empress replied, as everyone took their seats.

The queen was at the head of the table, while Torric and his party sat to her right, and the empress and her party on her left. Once the new arrivals had gotten their beverages, and Dryx’s coffee had been topped off, they looked to the queen, ready to begin.

There was a moment of silence as the two sides studied each other. Grisella’s daughter had the same deep crimson skin as her mother, and her mother’s black hair. But where her mother’s hair was carefully pinned up, hers was loose and flowing. Now that they were up close, Torric could see that both women had red irises. The seneschal’s skin was a smokey grey, and his ears were sharply tapered to points, compared to the more rounded ears of the empress, and presumably her daughter.

“Please welcome his eminence Sanctuary, and Lord Patriarch Kierical Veythor, escorted by his eminence Dominion.” Morrigan introduced them. “And her Imperial Majesty, Grisella Crimsonclaw, Princess Asline Crimsonclaw, and her seneschal, Lord Doran Stoneheart. We have gathered to put to bed the unrest between the house of Crimsonclaw and the houses of Sancti and Veythor. I am here to act as the neutral arbiter between your three houses.

In the interest of clear communication, his eminence, Sanctuary, has offered to use one of his abilities that will allow us to speak without falsehoods or misunderstanding of intention. This is not a requirement for negotiation, only an offer, and one that may be rejected if anyone here feels uncomfortable putting themselves under his eminence’s power.”

“It won’t force you to speak.” Torric explained. “And it won’t control your mind in any way. It merely provides better lines of communication. We’ll be able to understand people’s intent, and the meaning behind their words, without compulsion, beyond the to tell the truth.”

“We have heard of your ability. It has been used many times in public before. I believe you call it ‘The Great Peace?’” Grisella replied.

Torric nodded. “It is. And I can provide the description of the ability for you, should you wish to read it for yourself. There is no hidden trap within the ability.”

“I will agree to it. I wish to prove my sincerity in coming to a peaceful end to the proceedings.” Grisella answered.

“And of course we agree to it as well.” Torric told the queen.

“Very well, have the scribe note that the agreement for the use of the power known as The Great Peace has been approved by everyone involved. Please activate your power, your eminence.”

Torric nodded, and activated the ability, the peaceful aura filling the room.

“Now that has concluded, there are three matters to be put to rest.” Morrigan began. “The first is the attack on his eminence by three members of your empire, and the resulting destruction of your empire by her eminence, Oblivion, represented by his eminence the Lord Patriarch. That one event is the cause of the two subsequent matters to address.

First is that Imperial Prince Karin personally attacked his eminence Sanctuary with a poisoned blade, requiring the intervention of the Lord Patriarch. He was given a warning to cease hostilities, and his life was spared. The second is that immediately following this warning the imperial prince organized multiple members of the demonic empire to attempt to challenge his eminence to multiple back to back duels to the death with the intent of killing him in a legal manner. In turn, acting in protection of his ward, the Lord Patriarch slew the Imperial Prince and the demons he gathered to attempt to kill his ward.

Does anyone object to my description of the events that brought us here?”

“No. That is a fairly accurate, if brief, assessment from my end.” Torric replied.

“That is an accurate summation of events according to my investigations as well.” Grisella added. “But I wish to make a few clarifications. As to the attack by the three succubi, that was done without my knowledge or permission. The three in question were from a branch of nobility that was in decline, and their intent was to produce children by his eminence in order to strengthen their bloodline.

As to my adopted son and his plans, I knew he was angered by what happened, and that he had intended a duel of honor, but he gave no indication to the extent of his anger, nor the truth of his plans. He acted without authorization and without informing me of his plans or intent. If I had known I would have stopped him and redirected his anger into more productive enterprises that did not risk drawing the continued ire of Oblivion.”

“I fully understand his being upset over what my mother did.” Torric replied. “Were I in Karin’s place I would undoubtedly be just as upset after so many lives had been lost. I had nothing to do with Oblivion’s actions, and was not conscious when she did what she did. I know she brought my body with her on her rampage, but my soul and consciousness were not inhabiting it at the time. I was undergoing a physical, spiritual, and magical transformation while she destroyed your people.

I never would have asked for or approved of what my mother did if I had been able to. I hate that so many innocent people died because of the actions of another, no matter how reprehensible my attack was. What Oblivion did was not right. However, outside of Dominion, none of us here was then or is now capable of bringing her to task for her genocide.”

“And I will not take her to task for it.” Dryx spoke up. “One third of an empire for three sexual assaults is quite benevolent, from our perspective. He was 26 chronological and relative years old at the time. They were each over a thousand, one to two grades above him, and several thousand levels. Oblivion petitioned to be allowed to destroy one third of all demons, after all. And the entirety of the race of incubi and succubi. War negotiated it down to just the offending empire.”

“Indeed.” Kierical agreed. “There are laws about punching down grades and levels for a reason. The tyranny of ranks is so great that Sanctuary would never have been able to resist the three who attacked him. He had no chance. The fact that they used magic to make him complacent and willing, rather than physical violence to force him to submit makes no difference. Not to mention the celestial laws in place about rankers in their second and third stages of life having sexual relationships with those still in their first stage.”

“I am not defending the three succubi. Their violations of not just celestial and System law, but the laws of Solstheen and our empire’s laws were deserved, and the imperial household fully condemns their actions.” Grisella replied.

“Even if Oblivion had not stepped in, once their actions became public knowledge, and it would have, they would have been punished harshly. While I am not happy with the loss of so many lives, if it had been any of my children, adopted or blood, who had been assaulted in such a manner I would have had their entire living lineage destroyed, minus the minor children, who were blameless. To that end, the first of the offerings of atonement that we would present to you is the accumulated wealth, land, and property of the houses of your three attackers. I would offer you the lives of their lineage as well, but your mother took care of that before I could.”

“I find that offering to be more than acc-” Torric began.

“It is not enough.” Kierical interrupted. “That you hand over their wealth is a given.”

Torric frowned at his uncle at his interruption.

“You are being too merciful.” Kierical chided him. “Even with your thousand subjective years, and the knowledge you have from the many lives that you have experienced, you are too young and naive when it comes to justice under celestial law.”

“They lost one third of their empire, surely that is retribution enough, uncle.”

“Retribution and punishment, yes, they have received that, and swiftly. But a punishment given does not an apology make. The empress should have been offering atonement the moment our mother relinquished your body and allowed your soul to rejoin it. Instead she did nothing, said nothing. It was not until her son laid dead along with dozens of the brightest minds of his generation that she sought you out, seeking peace. Seeking atonement.”

“Oblivion’s rampage across the empire lasted three months.” Dryx cut in. “And she was quite forthright as to why and who’s fault the destruction of your empire laid at, from the beginning. That was more than enough time to begin preparing for atonement.”

“We did not know where Oblivion was going to take his eminence when she finished.” Asline replied, anger creeping into her voice. “How could we have known where to send our atonement?”

“You could have asked.” He replied sardonically. “Oblivion’s herald was at your imperial court from the moment she began her destruction until it ended.”

Grisella sighed, defeat in her eyes. “Yes, we could have. We should have. Instead of seeking to offer atonement I met with my advisers to discuss our response. To discuss revenge. It was not until word came of Meidron’s death, and the fact that his eminence was allowed to break the Legends of Praetoria’s Gods as a result of their attempts at assassination of his eminence that we began to realize that retribution was not the path that we wanted to take. Unfortunately that decision came too late, and my son had already left to resume his time at the academy. When his eminence Sanctuary appeared before him he foolishly acted, thinking to get revenge and gain my approval in one fell swoop.

He, unlike the royal family, was a direct descendant of War, one of his Luminari. As such his bloodlust, and desire for battle, got the best of him. If he had contacted me before enacting either of his plans I would have stopped him. By the time he acted we had decided that retribution was the wrong course of action to take. Your swift Ascension to Divinity in the months after Karin’s death proved that we had judged you incorrectly, and that throwing ourselves upon your mercy was the path we should have chosen.”

“So you admit that you intended to start hostilities with us.” Kierical replied, danger in his voice.

“I admit we considered it, yes. We are, after all, the children of War.”

“Only idiots start a war with the house of Veythor.” Dryx replied dismissively. “At least you have realized the error of your ways before you sunk your empire into a war they would have lost.”

“Indeed. And now we throw ourselves upon your mercy.” Grisella was looking directly at Torric when she spoke, subtle appeal in her voice.

With The Great Peace in effect he understood her motives and underlying intentions, and not just the words she used. She realized she was on the losing side of negotiations and that neither his uncle or his husband would allow her even an inch of latitude. Instead she now appealed to his mercy directly, hoping that he would reign in the two beside them, that he would not allow them to demand appropriate levels of celestial judgement. She wanted to play upon his weakness.

He didn’t agree with her actions, starting a war with him, and his family, in revenge for what many considered to be a just punishment was something that seemed reasonable. However, few races were more bloodthirsty than demons when it came to revenge and war. They responded to provocation with the way they were used to reacting. Death in revenge for death was useless, for all that it would do would be to create more victims, more people who wanted retribution. They reacted as was appropriate and expected of their culture.

And now, knowing they reacted badly and made the situation worse, knowing that she could and likely would be raked over the coals by the men on either side of him, they appealed to him directly. They wanted to manipulate his mercy in order to lessen the debt they owed. That Grisella would try to play upon his mercy angered him more than her original plan to start a war. The former was acting according to her people's customs. The latter, however, showed that she was only apologetic for being unsuccessful, rather than because she realized she was in the wrong.

“If I was still a ranker, and not a God. If I were not soul bonded to Dominion, if I had less backing from Oblivion, and did not have even more celestines standing behind me, what would you have done?” Torric asked carefully.

“We would have likely killed you.” Grisella admitted slowly, not meeting his eyes.
“You would not have offered mercy?” He pressed.

“No. Mercy for the weak is not within our nature.”

“And yet you ask me for mercy, admitting that if things had gone differently instead of suing for peace you would have had me assassinated.”

“Yes. I ask for mercy knowing that if our situations were reversed that you would not find it.”

“You ask for mercy knowing that you would not give it. Why then, should I give it?”

“You shouldn’t.” Dryx replied. “It sets a bad precedent.”

“Dominion is right.” Kierical counseled. “What you do here and now will set the tone of all future interactions when it comes to the lower ranks and how they treat you.”

“Queen Morrigan, were you in my position right now, would you give them mercy?”

The queen gave him a level gaze, green eyes meeting silver. She sighed. “No. Were I in your stead, I would not give them mercy.”

“I have seven Divine Vows.” Torric began slowly. “Punish the powerful who forsake their duty in the pursuit of power and wealth to the detriment of the people who look to them for protection. Show no mercy to the unrepentant who would use their power to abuse and terrorize the weak and defenseless. Answer tyranny with force. When words fail and oppressors will not yield, answer their violence with overwhelming justice.”

He paused, making eye contact with Grisella, his face an unyielding mask. Her crimson skin greyed, an axe above her head as everyone waited to see what he would do next.

Torric’s voice gentled, as did his stance. “Show mercy to those who need it most. Everyone here says they would not give mercy. That they would exact their price from you, and your country. Even you admit that you would give me no mercy. Which is why I must rise above what is expected, what is considered just. I am not here to continue to maintain a system of retribution where the strong oppress the weak. If I must be the change that I wish to see in the world.

You intended to act with malice, to kill me. But when you realized that you would only be sending your people to needless death you chose to cease hostilities. It took you longer than I would have liked, and your delay caused many to pay the price for your failure, but in the end you chose to act for the safety of your people. You came here knowing there was a chance that you would not walk away from this meeting. You admitted to your crimes and then did what few other demons would. You bent your head and asked for mercy.”

He paused more, as hope warred with fear upon the empress’s face. “I will not take anyone’s life. I will not accept bloodshed as atonement. Enough people have died.”

Relief washed over the empress’s face as she breathed a sigh of relief.

Dryx opened his mouth, clearly meaning to protest. Torric raised his hand to silence him.

“I will not take your life.” He repeated. “But I will not allow you to go unpunished. I will take the money, as is my due. I will not take your life… but I will take your throne. Not for myself, I have no need of an empire. I will ask Justice and Dominion to find a noble family within your empire whose ideals best align with mine. They will be given the imperial throne. You will support them. If any harm comes to the new emperor or empress then I will hold you and your family directly responsible.

Furthermore, slavery will be abolished in the empire. If you move to a system involving indentured servitude then you will apply the same laws regarding appropriate treatment and contracts as Queen Morrigan has established for Avalon with aid from Justice.

Lastly. Not only will you help fund our efforts in the upcoming war, the empire will fight on behalf of Sanctuary and Dominion. You will not align with Tyranny or any of his cohort. And if you betray us in the war then I will let my husband do whatever he wishes to your empire.”

Dryx favored them with an evil smile. “I highly advise not betraying Sanctuary. Not if you wish to continue having an empire.”

Grisella looked between the three of them, Kierical impassive, Torric merciful but firm, Dryx clearly savoring the idea of destroying the empire she had run for centuries. Her eyes dropped and her shoulders hunched with a defeated sigh. “Very well.”

“Mother!” Asiline objected. “You can’t.”

“Would you rather die, Asiline?” Grisella asked her. “Because that is on the table still, I have no doubt of that.”

“It is.” Kierical spoke up succinctly.

“We are not losing our noble status, or family’s personal wealth.” Grisella continued, then glanced at Torric. “Right?”

“I’m sure that my uncle and husband will demand financial compensation from your house personally, but I will not allow them to beggar you. And you will retain your noble status for as long as the new ruler of your empire allows it.”

Grisella nodded. “If the broad strokes of the treaty are agreed upon, then shall we begin negotiating the language and details of our arrangement?”

Torric nodded.

They spent the entire rest of the day, and the following three days after that, negotiating the exact details of their arrangement. The timeframe for the peaceful transfer of power, how much and what kind of financial atonement, the new laws to be laid out, everything they could think of. Justice’s avatar even joined them to oversee the negotiation and law writing, codifying the agreement into celestial law.

When they were done negotiating the peace agreement they laid out the plans for the tournament between the empire’s team and Torric’s in the Tower of Infinite Ascent. They would first have the student tournament, attended by Torric and his family alongside the queen and empress, and both Torric and the empress would be putting up joint prizes for the top three winners of the tournament. After the student tournament was over, then Torric’s party and the empress’s would enter the Tower, having one week to climb to the highest floor possible.