"The hivemind? A good question we will explore in today's talk!"
The All-Father when pressed for information on the newly arrived alien.
Lucrezia watched as Hope spoke with a number of shades, Gods wanting to strike a bargain with her for power mostly, but a few congratulating her on her recent successes with no strings attached.
It was an odd sight, but Lucreazia got her feelings under control fast, after all, she still had a judgment to see. A divine one at that!
"A complicated spell, made easy by this blessing" the young woman spoke with a laugh "Can't believe it you knew who to call to teach me you know? It's honestly kind of scary how much you know" she fidgeted around the room, something was bothering her.
"Speak, What's nagging you?" Lucrezia asked and her face lit up.
"Now look" Hope raised her hands "I get it, you and me we are a thing, even if you can't admit it yet as Arthur said it, but..." she stopped and looked up "We will finish this talk later"
A panel of crystal blue light appeared, and inside of it were many magical formulas as Hope flexed her blessing with her mind, a crack of thunder was heard from the panel as the image of the Divine City appeared in it.
"Wow, it actually worked," Hope said as she sat down "Did you bring anything to eat?" Lucrezia nodded and from her person summoned a box with salted meats, grape juice, and bread.
"No cheese? really?" Hope laughed as she summoned a wheel of cheese "To think I could get around the food magic ban by asking nicely, kinda scary when I think about it but I guess a single mage using it isn't that bad right?"
Lucrezia nodded, it wasn't that bad yes.
Her mind went back to the otherworldly knowledge she had, many mages, usually operating alone so as to not draw the attention of the Gods had used the now-banned Food Magic arts to help in times of great calamity.
A compromise between Divines and Mortals, God and Men, such was the case of many an event, Lucrezia and Hope being part of one as well after their blasphemous acts in the battle.
"It begins, there's the gang...with a new face..." Hope spoke as she watched a hooded figure join Lucrezia's Patron Gods "I can't sense it, huh that's new" Lucrezia smiled at the hidden God, knowing who it was and being impressed by her boldness.
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Morugarius felt a shift in the air inside the courtroom, she looked up and saw her Mother staring at a particular spot where a shift in the Magical and Divine energies around the room told them someone was watching from the mortal realm.
Such power bestowed to a particular someone at that, the very gifted friend of the Woman who had brought this mess to Morugarius's life of late, not to say the absolute shit show that was the battle a few weeks ago.
Her emotions were still unbalanced thanks to that sudden encounter with her Older Brother... never mind the fact the love of her life was about to be publicly judged for all to see.
On the other side sat their opposition, Gods she knew very well and a masked figure who cloaked themselves with a Veil of Anonymity, meaning not even the All-Father could pierce their true face, created by the man himself and gifted to everyone who wanted, it was a way in his words to "make sure those who are shy get their word out without fear of reprisal"
Did it actually work? she had asked once in her youth and Her Father said it did, but she always doubted....
"Lucrezia and Hope are here" Uumaries's voice teemed with rage at the mention of the first one, the woman of the north, liberator of men, creator of terrible war machines, the fulcrum of so much change Morugarius had to personally see to it when her minions created something too powerful once.
There was an allure in her Ambition, Morugarius could not lie to herself, after all, she fell in love with Uumaries due to that same ambition that burned bright as a raging bonfire in a younger Uumaries, from her humble roots as a Minor Deity in the Imperium to an impressive war record under Morugarius command... and yet...
Too much Ambition, too much pride, always wanting more, Morugarius knew that ravenous hunger had to be appeased and she tried her best but it wasn't enough, and now both were paying the price.
"In balance, my daughter, lies truth, too much and one grows bored like your grandparents, too little and one grows resentful like the enemies from beyond, tread that needle well, walk the razor's edge with conviction and wisdom. Your brother lacked such subtlety, he cared too much and loved too much and that lead to the unfortunate events of today"
Her Father's voice boomed in her mind, Morugarius felt sadness remembering her Older Brother, if his fault was one of caring too much, her's was one of thinking too little of herself and always comparing her to him.
"Always in his shadow, not by design or by force, but because you like it! you enjoy being the eager little girl that reaps his praise!" Uumaries once said to her after a particularly nasty argument the couple had, and it was the truth.
"You should heed your lover's words, Dear Sister, these mortals are expendables...if only I could see it that way" Morugarius recalled that fateful day with crystal clear perfection, the dejected look in his eyes, the despair gripping at the edge of his voice.
Her mother raised her right hand and the place went quiet "Today we gather to judge one of ours for her misdeeds, for as there are laws in the mortal realms, so should there be in the divine realm" Her tone was even, as if she was reading from a script.
"Those that would levy the accusation, please make yourselves known" and the group that had given Morugarius and Uumaries many a headache rose up from their resting place. Chief among them was Uumaries' old rival Saal'Xhir, who after pledging herself to Lucrezia managed to win the war for worship in Morugarius's country and essentially made Uumaries a lesser deity.
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To her side was a...old apprentice, an old friend even, Friede the Goddess of the Plebbians, of the downtrodden and those abused by the ones in power, a position that often made her join arms with another old face in that group. Lady Velka looked pleased as a crow, knowing her church, people and seat of power would be well cared for ages to come as well, given her help landed to Lucrezia early on this mess.
"How did she get the Silent Soldier to help her that's a question for another day," Morugarius thought to herself. Unlike Friede who had fought together with Her and Uumaries, the Soldier operated in other combat theaters the All-Father had, a sublime commander of its own right, but one that preferred to remain with the ground troops, with the rank and file.
"Watch children of the All-Father, for those are the ones who today stand against Lady Uumaries, Goddess of Nobility and Matrimony" All-Mother kept talking with nary a pause "Lady Uumaries do you wish to say anything in your defense?"
Morugarius looked at her lover, they had agreed beforehand for Uumaries to take responsibility fast before Friede or Saal'Xhir could ask for more, a sound plan assuming no one interfered with it.
And those two mortals watching were giving Morugarius a sinking feeling in her stomach.
Uumaries stood up "For my crimes against the people of Wulfgrem, the women hurt by Galius, communion with the fallen and the enemy from beyond the cosmos I submit to a forty percent removal of my Sphere of Power from Vermilion and payment in goods or miracles for the mortals affected should they wish for it"
Gasps from the crowd came fast and strong, All-Mother raised her hand and pointed to Friede "Speak"
"Forty?!? you dare to even set a number on a crime whose punishment is DEATH!" The pale woman's face was flush red with wrath, and her voice quivered " All-Mother raised her palm and the Goddess decreased the volume in her voice "Mortals are not toys to be thrown out like garbage! Their worship is as vital to us as our miracles are to them, and yet you would devastate them, damn them to war and misery, and be ruled by despots for a sliver of power!"
"All-Mother Thyrie" The room grew quieter than a dead man, as Friede spoke the deity's true name for such was the fervor that emboldened her "Her head on a plate! it is the only fair trade for all the misery she wrought!"
Morugarius looked to her mother, whose face was in a reflective mood, as always the fairest of them all in these dealings, she felt her mother wouldn't kill her daughter-in-law but today was a very...Unique day.
"The killing of a Divine is not to be asked lightly Lady Friede" All-Mother spoke and the woman calmed down "Lady Velka wishes to talk"
The "bird fucker" as Uumaries had taken to call Velka of late smiled and nodded "Indeed All-Mother, especially after what happened in the mortal realm" She opened her arms "Today is a unique day for many of us, let us not waste it"
"While I share many of Friede's discontents towards Uumaries, I also can not ask for the head, as the killing and destabilization of her Sphere would lead to much grief, especially after the razing of Talos, the stronghold of her faith" Velka spoke and Friede bit her lips, everyone knew the consequences of that attack and how frail the balance of power between gods had become thanks to it, to have the Goddess of Vengeance deliver such a talk spoke a great deal on how close to actual holy war things were.
Morugarius then as Patron Goddess of Vermilion would deploy her special troops, and would also be granted leave by the All-Father himself to deploy his reserve and expeditionary forces, a bloodbath of cataclysmic proportions.
"eighty percent of her Sphere, and Immediate seizure of artifacts and other objects of power, she would return to her original status of Minor Goddess, a compromise most fair I should say"
The grin on Saal'Xhir's face turned into a wicked smile and Uumaries broke "Whore! your human pet won't shield you for long, I will have my revenge" Ummaries snarled in rage as Morugarius placed her hand on the woman's chest to stop her from going over to their side "Don't do it, otherwise, I can't help you" Morugarius whispered to calm her down, she relented as All-Mother watched in silence.
Uumaries turned to Morugarius and pleaded with her eyes, it was time for their last resort it seemed.
"I wish to speak" Morugarius got up as her mother nodded "I am prepared to pay be it favor, gold, or miracles for fifty-five percent, anything lower I will be forced to resort to less than diplomatic means" Morugarius finished.
"Bold, when the opposition has two Gods of War on their side" Saal'Xhir spoke "Sixty-five" The room grew incredibly cold as Ra'Tyrius tapped the hooded figure to his side, who looked up and nodded.
Morugarius's eyes widened as the visions of war machines flashed through her brain, their power devastating all of Vermilion and beyond, and not even with her at the helm of the battle it would be enough.
Fear crawled through her spine, whoever that individual was, it had empowered Lucrezia too much, a war would ruin most of the continent. That they were ready to commit to it also spoke of the Conviction behind their faction.
Friede eyes flashed, ah yes, even if a small Sphere, her own domain over war felt the waves that came from the weave of fate, she locked eyes with Morugarius and for once the Goddess of War was taken back to those years back in the trenches together with her and Uumaries, the question she was asking without speaking was a simple one, so did the answer Morugarius gave to her.
The All-Mother raised her voice "I hear and Judge thee, fifty percent of your Sphere of Power is now null! your artifacts are to be disposed and destroyed both, and the parties that seek alms are to receive it under the threat of further Reduction in your powers!"
And so it was over, Morugarius watched as the powers left Uumaries and the woman sighed, much to do in the coming years, much to do indeed.
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Days had passed since Uumaries lost her powers, the world and Vermilion in particular were still recovering from such an event, churches being demolished, men and women of her cloth switching sides, or going underground to form cults and splinter cells of the main faith.
It was a time of controlled chaos, as Lucrezia had told Vivienne as the Arch-Duke's daughter watched from her house the smoke billowing up from Uumaries main cathedral.
She smiled seeing the clint of Crystal and Steel off the distance, her own creation was doing most of the work putting down that nefarious monument that brought her so much pain and misery.
It came to her in a dream, a dream of a boy who commanded an excellent metal beast, armed to the teeth and ready to slay all his enemies, yet only unleashed when needed most, the boy gave her the knowledge and she contacted Lucrezia.
The woman, fast as ever got to work, personally building the suit of armor together with her hand-picked forgers at the academy, including the dwarf that had lent her the space for it, the sounds of magic and hammering of steel were music to Vivienne's ears, but she wished she could do more than just watch.
And so she asked the Vampire, such an oddball of a woman but helpful nonetheless, she got Vivienne working in no time, and at the end of the day, she was already helping with the billows, ingots, and such.
"Ah but nobles think forging is hard, it takes skill! no my dear, if you are willing to this it halfway there, of course, those with Blessings will have an edge as always, but anyone can forge, smelt, and craft, as long as they have the patience and endurance for it!" the undead woman spoke with passion as Vivienne took her break, beholding the new suit of Magi-Tech armor.
"Do you have a name for it?" Lucrezia asked with those azure eyes of hers, it was no wonder Richard had fallen for the woman, she was beautiful...
"Lockdown...That was the word the boy used in the dream" Vivienne replied back, Lucrezia's gaze had an unnatural strength to them, ever since she mentioned this boy from her dreams Vivienne found herself under this powerful gaze...
Maybe it was her Patron God? or something of the sort? she would need to ask one of these days if the woman wasn't so busy...Vivienne smiled at the sound of the weapon that was upon Lockdown's back. fired and the building went down.
Vengeance, for her, for the others. at last, this blackened chapter of her life was over, and thus she could start again, renewed and with vigor against what was to come, for as her mother always told her "Beware the good days, for they mask the evil to come"