In the yawning chasm of the cosmos, a grotesque, amorphous entity drifted like a lost soul. Master X, the eldritch abomination, or at least his astral projection, was a knotted, pulsing mass of tentacles, each one a languid whiplash against the inky blackness. His journey through the void was as aimless as a newborn comet, and as devoid of purpose. The tendrils, once tools of eldritch terror, now hung limp as wet seaweed. Depressed.
As he drifted, his monstrous self being was drawn towards a swirling vortex of darkness, its core a pulsating inferno of purple light. It was a cosmic maelstrom, a tempest of nothingness. Days, or perhaps millennia, or maybe only a few miliseconds, passed in the blink of an eye before X collided with the vortex. Instead of being consumed, he bounced off, his tentacular form rippling like disturbed jelly.
"Hey!" A voice, as formless as the void itself, echoed through the emptiness. "I'm nebulous and intangible, how did you even bounce off me?!"
X groaned, a sound like grinding gears in a rusty machine. "What does it matter," he muttered, his tendrils twitching in irritation.
Chaos, for that was the entity that had spoken, seemed unperturbed. A flash of purple light illuminated its amorphous form as it replied, "You should be celebrating!"
X paused, his drifting slowing to a crawl. "Celebrating? Celebrating what?" His voice was a hollow echo in the void. A flicker of something resembling sadness passed through his abominable form. "They... my minions..." His voice trailed off as his countless eyes seemed to focus on a distant point in the darkness.
A violent bolt of energy erupted from the vortex, shaking the very fabric of space. Chaos's voice, amplified by the cosmic disturbance, boomed through the void, "They are all right! I've resurrected them!"
X's tentacles, previously limp and lifeless, sprang to life, thrashing about in a frenzy of excitement. "Eh?" he squeaked, the sound as unexpected as a bird song in the Underdark.
"Yes, your Minions, they're all alive," Chaos confirmed, its voice dripping with satisfaction.
The tentacles writhed in a frenzy of joy. "Eh?! How?" X demanded, his voice rising in pitch.
Chaos, with a dramatic flair, caused the vortex to freeze, its swirling currents transformed into a solid wall of darkness. "You see, our obelisk had accumulated a vast amount of power. Enough for a certain spell. Right? And you had all their souls stored safely within your core. Yes?" The vortex began to morph, stretching and contorting until it resembled a colossal, nebulous cloud. "The rest is history. If anything, it was rather easy. So… Praise me!"
The tentacles danced with delight. "Praise be Chaos!" they chorused in unison, his voices a discordant melody of gurgles and hisses.
A web of purple light crackled within the cloud. "Praise me more!" Chaos demanded.
The many mouths of X opened wide, and a deafening chorus of praise erupted from the tentacle mouths. "Praise be Chaos, the best of the best. The one, the only, the eldritch legend!"
The cloud of darkness swelled with pride. "Yes-yes. Thank you."
Then, X regarded Chaos with a multitude of suspicious eyes, each one a tiny orb of pretend distrust. "But... this… this mighty spell, it seems hardly legal... You pulled some strings, you cheater, didn't you?" His voice was a low, rumbling chuckle.
The nebulous cloud seemed to shrink in on itself, a cosmic pout. "No!!! It was the CleansingFlame who cheated – direct manifestation and shameless granting of blessings! Rude! And at the very heart of my budding realm! Shameless..." The cloud's surface erupted in a storm of spikes, a visual representation of its fury. "Ahem... However, Its reckless arrogance allowed us certain privileges. For example, resurrecting a very tiny number of... a thousand minions!"
The mass of tentacles stilled, each eye focusing on the core of the chaotic cloud. "Wait... Does that mean that... perhaps... am I too – somehow alive?"
Chaos's form rippled with amusement. "Of course!" It boomed, purple lightning thundering through the void. "I think you've survived worse, no?"
A single tentacle reached up to scratch a non-existent chin, a comical gesture for a creature of such cosmic horror. "True. In my younger days, I have been eaten, ripped apart, half-digested. But yes, be it a shred of a tendril, or a drop of blood, as long as an odd piece remained, I would regenerate eventually.” X poised a tendril high into the void. “However, I was under the assumption that the Priestess had Cleansed my remains."
The nebulous cloud transformed once more, into a swirling vortex of darkness again. A low, menacing thunder rumbled through the void. "It didn't happen. It couldn't happen. He-he-he." The laughter grew louder, each burst accompanied by a crackling bolt of purple lightning. "Oh, and the Hero is dead. Just like we planned. He-he-he. And! I stole a follower from the Beast Lord! He-he-he." The cloud seemed to vibrate with glee, the purple lightning growing in intensity.
X's tentacles writhed in a mixture of awe and trepidation. "Well done, Chaos, well done." He managed to compliment his chaotic ally while deftly avoiding the bolts of lightning.
The vortex reversed its direction, spinning counterclockwise. Chaos's voice grew deeper, more ominous. "My plans worked. But my plans within the plans..." The cloud inched closer to X, its tendrils of darkness reaching out like grasping hands. "X, I've told you many times already - Make Allies."
"I did. We have Shazara," X replied, a tentacle pointing out a fact.
The vortex spun faster, the darkness at its core growing more intense. "Yes, a single snake..." It whispered instead of thundering. "For what comes next, you'll need an army. Rabbits and lesser monsters won't be enough..." The vortex abruptly stopped, and a single tendril of darkness shot out, pointing towards an unseen location. "I've been sowing seeds... and still am... but there… in the city you try so much to forget… there is a girl waiting for you..." Chaos's voice was a cunning whisper, carrying the weight of ancient secrets.
X parried the darkness with a flurry of tentacles, swatting at the Chaos tendrils that had lunged towards him. "A girl?" he echoed, his voice a low, confused rumble.
Chaos's response was a flicker of purple light, a cosmic wink. "An old acquaintance of yours... Someone I know you have forgotten... but she... she didn't forget you." The tendrils of darkness pulsed with anticipation, like a predator circling its prey. "Why don't you send someone to meet her? Your cunning snake minion perhaps?" The suggestion hung in the void, heavy with unspoken implications.
X's mind was a maelstrom of confusion. Outside the Rabbit Village, he couldn't recall a single female entity of significance. And his old memories were a labyrinth of horrors, ancient battles, and endless consumption. "And will this get me new Allies?" he asked, his tentacles heavy with scepticism.
Chaos seemed amused. "Allies? What? No! This is just a girl..." But the tendrils of darkness contradicted its words, reaching out once more. "For allies... you'll need to delve deep into the caves…- Perhaps set a base there by the waterfalls... I'm sure you know the place..."
X's tentacles twitched in frustration. The vastness of the cosmos was ever confusing!
"Plans within the plans," Chaos insisted in a thunder-yet-whisper of purple. "The DivineSpark will come in handy..."
With a final, violent surge, a tendril of darkness struck X with the force of one supernova explosion. The abominable entity was hurled backwards, disappearing into the depths of the chaotic expanse and its plans. However, as he drifted away, he could feel the tendrils of Chaos's influence pulling at him, drawing him deeper into the web of fate they were weaving.
…
X found himself suspended in a bundle of something warm and silky. The familiar scent of fresh carrots and sizzling frogs filled his senses. Right across the bundle of fuzz, he saw the Rabbit Village, or whatever remained of it. The inhabitants, a motley crew of rabbits with an assortment of battle scars, were staring up at him with a mixture of awe and adoration.
A pair of particularly large, doe-like eyes focused on him. "Master, you're back with us!" The voice was high-pitched and filled with an unexpected joy. It belonged to the RabbitMaid, a creature of extraordinary loyalty and, as X was about to discover, smotherlingly motherly affection.
His tentacles coiled instinctively around her arms, willing to immerse inside that hot fuzzy sensation. Yet, as his senses adjusted to his new, regenerated form, he realised he was being held aloft. He had shrunk!
"I'm small now..." he managed to tentacle out, his twirl a mere whisper compared to his usual, gusty whirlwind-like flicks.
The RabbitMaid giggled, her laughter like wind chimes in a summer breeze. "Yes, you're very cute!" She nuzzled one of his tentacles, her touch surprisingly gentle.
Embarrassment, a sensation X hadn't experienced in forever, washed over him. He wriggled in protest, his tentacles thrashing about in a futile attempt to regain his composure.
The RabbitMaid cooed, her voice filled with maternal tenderness. "Aww..." She gently lowered him into a small, flower-decorated nest. The box was far too large for his shrunken form, but it offered a semblance of comfort.
X scanned his surroundings. The once familiar Moonstone, a colossal boulder of greed, now loomed over him like a mountain. The entire village was gathered around it, their faces illuminated by the soft glow of the stone. Despite the hardships they had endured, their spirits were unbroken.
"Rabbits, I'm glad you're all alive! That means you have defeated the Hero. Well done!" His tentacle, though small, carried a note of authority.
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A thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd, a wave of sound that shook the very foundations of the village. Even the normally stoic X couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.
The RabbitMaid leaned in close, her voice a hushed whisper. "One of them. A Scout. Escaped."
X's tentacles stiffened. "Ah, yes, the one the Chaos had converted. You don't need to worry about that," he dismissed casually, though his mind raced, calculating the implications.
Hearing that, the RabbitMaid's face lit up with a radiant smile. "Master, to celebrate our victory we brought you gifts!" She presented him with a small, cloth-wrapped bundle.
X was taken aback. He was the one who should be bestowing gifts, not receiving them! Nonetheless, he accepted the offering with a graceful curl of his tentacle. "Thank you," he coiled with grace.
The RabbitMaid's eyes sparkled with anticipation. "Come on, open it," she urged, her voice filled with childlike excitement.
X's tentacle, a quivering tendril of anticipation, tore at the fabric binding the bundle. And and inside there was… Eh?.. eh-eH-EH?
His many eyes widened in surprise and disbelief as the package yielded its contents. A human head! Face frozen in a perpetual smile, stared back at him. "A Hero's head, how lovely!" he gestured, his tendril dripping with must-have delight. A dramatic flourish of his tentacles accompanied the words as he held up the severed head for all to see.
The RabbitMaid, ever the optimist, clapped enthusiastically. "Oh, how wonderful, Master!" she chirped.
The Hero's head, with its unsettling grin, seemed to be winking at the absurdity of the situation. X couldn't help but chuckle, a low, rumbling sound that echoed through the village. "A perfect addition to my collection!" he declared, as if discussing a rare piece of art.
The RabbitGuard, ever the voice of reason, rolled her eyes. "You don't have a collection, Master," she pointed out, her voice filled with amused exasperation.
The HuntMaster’s eyes sparkled at the realisation. “Now he does! And I’ll bring him more!” she pointed out, overly excited.
And then, another ‘gift’ flashed within the corner of X’s vision:
Quest: Guided by false ideals, the Hero’s Party seeks to extinguish the source of your essence and restore ‘balance’ to the forest. If not stopped they will destroy everything dear to you.]
[Objective: Protect DemiRabbits – FAILED]
[Objective: Safeguard the Chaos Obelisk – FAILED]
[Objective: Eradicate the Hero’s Hand 4/5 – INCOMPLETE]
Yes, not an ideal track record, but such was life – chaotic and full of struggles. And speaking of the chaos…
[ChaosBlessed Activated] [Quest Updated]
[Objective: Eradicate the Hero’s Hand 4/4 – Cleared]
[Partial Reward: EyeBeholder]
Yay! But what was it?
EyeBeholder: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The beauty of it all is that you have that special eye! Some individuals will now find your eldritch form attractive instead of repulsive granting you [Beautiful +1].
What a strange reward… Moreover, his rabbits surely were finding him handsome already! Right?
Ignoring X’s internal deliberations, the RabbitMaid's voice broke the silence. "But, Master, there is more!" she hopped into the air, her paws bundled up in excitement.
The first gift was rather… surprising, so he had his expectations high already. "Oh, really? How exciting!" he exclaimed with a tentacle, his eyes scanning around with anticipation.
“Your tentacle, please,” the RabbitMaid purred like a mischievous kitty.
With a dramatic flourish, he extended a tentacle towards her outstretched paw. The contact sent a shiver of delight through him, a sensation he exaggerated for the benefit of his audience. "The DivineSpark! My day is made!" he proclaimed, striking a heroic pose.
"But, Master, there is more!" The RabbitMaid hopped excitedly, her long ears bobbing playfully.
Her words were barely out when the RabbitGuard, burst onto the scene, her face flushed with competitive spirit. "RabbitMaid! That was my line!" she exclaimed, holding aloft a leather-bound tome.
X, increasingly curious, reached out with a tentacle, his eyes wide at the realisation. "Oh, a book! How intriguing," he twirled, his tendrils brushing against the leathery cover. He carefully opened the tome, his tentacles flipping through the pages with exaggerated slowness. "The Forbidden Tome, huh? Sounds promising," he gestured, his motion full with gravitas. He paused dramatically, his tentacles hovering over the blank pages. Yes, all the pages within the tome were completely empty, their secrets hidden. "Hmm, a mystery to solve later,” he concluded.
The RabbitHunter, out of breath from her exertion, and two other rabbits struggled to drag a massive slab of metal towards X. "But, Master... there is... more!" she panted.
X regarded the metal slab with seriousness. "Oh, another gift for me? How thoughtful," he said, his tentacle quivering at the thought of how to proceed. He examined the slab with interest. "I don't think I can lift it," he admitted, his voice filled with disappointment. "But thank you!" he added, his tentacle twirling with sincerity. "We'll find a use for this, BlackSteel Menace," he said, thinking hard for uses already. “But for now, it will do nicely as a paperweight.” After all, neither of them could quite lift it.
MasterCheff, a rabbit previously silent, stepped forward. "Or even a juice press!" she exclaimed with a giggle. Realising that it was her turn, she blushed and stammered, "I mean... But, Master, there is more!" She produced a long, rusty rod from behind her back.
X examined the rod with a tinge of apprehension. "Oh, another gift? How lovely," he said, his tentacle desperate not to betray his real opinion about this rusty rod. He spun the rod around with his tentacles, his eyes scanning the object with increasing interest. "Corrupted Rod? Sounds promising," he spun.“And its description says… Oh! It can grant access to Chaos magic!” The previous apprehension was no longer there. “Amazing! But I have it unlocked already, but then…” he had a rabbit in mind who hadn’t.
X’s musing was interrupted by a series of low, rumbling vibrations that shook the air. It was Xul’Goth, the resident Horror, emerging from the shadows with a rather large, gooey package clutched in its jaws. ‘But, Master, there is more!’ – he imagined Xul to shout.
With a flourish, X accepted the package from Xul'Goth. As he unwrapped the gooey exterior, his eyes widened in horror. "A mace! The hero’s…!" his mass recoiled from the tentacle holding the weapon. X almost swung the foul item away, bad memories threatened to spoil the good mood. “No. A weapon is a weapon, and strangely, this one didn’t lose its power. My tentacles are tingling just touching this thing, the Holy Redeemer, *pui*,” X spat with displeasure. “Xul put it somewhere safe.” He gave it back to his pet horror.
Xul, being the good boy it was, dutifully buried the mace in a shallow grave. The RabbitMaid clapped her paws in delight, while the RabbitGuard and the HuntMaster offered a nod of approval.
X lowered a tentacle graciously in a bow. “A job well done, Xul,” he declared. “And thank you for your gifts, my loyal subjects.” The rabbits bowed back then a moment of quiet contemplation followed. X broke the silence. "Well," he began, his tendrils carrying a hint of thoughtful deliberation, "I believe it's time for a change of scenery. A holiday, perhaps? Somewhere we can rest, wait out the Weakened debuff, and plot our next move." His tentacles curled thoughtfully as he visualized a serene waterfall and a secluded island. "I was thinking an island by the waterfalls would be perfect for a new base."
The RabbitGuard's ears perked up. "That sounds like a solid plan," she replied, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "The isolation would provide excellent protection, and the caves could be transformed into a formidable fortress."
The HuntMaster hopped in agreement, her crimson eyes burning with anticipation. "Perfect hunting grounds," she muttered, a predatory glint in her eyes. “To train recruits and acquire exotic materials and trophies. Perhaps even a new head for Master’s collection!”
The RabbitMaid, however, seemed less enthusiastic. "I'd miss our old village," she said, her voice filled with melancholy. "Even in ruins, it holds a special place in my heart." She looked at the place where the obelisk used to loom.
MasterChef, noticing the maid’s distant gaze, hopped forward. "Don't worry," she said, patting the RabbitMaid's shoulder comfortingly. "We can rebuild. I have a plan." A wicked glint appeared in her eyes as she added, "I've been experimenting with a new obelisk recipe."
X chuckled. "Well, it seems it is decided," he declared, a sense of excitement building within him. "Let's gather our belongings and make our move tonight. The adventure awaits!" His tentacles twitched with anticipation as he imagined the treasures and secrets hidden within the ancient ruins.
A forgotten girl, mysterious allies, and a web of intricate plots - all these could wait. For now, the allure of a new beginning was too strong to resist. After all, even a monstrous being like him deserved a little rest and relaxation.
…
The clearing turned into a desecrated altar, a crimson stain upon the earth where heroes’ blood had seeped into the ground. From this unholy patch, a sickly network of vines unfurled, their tendrils as crimson and translucent as the veins of a freshly slain corpse. They writhed and pulsed with an unnatural energy, like the desperate grasps of drowning things clawing for the surface. A burned-down stump, a barren husk of its former self, stood as a mournful sentinel. Its majestic glory was nowhere to be seen – all withered from the foulest of magics. Only its roots were clinging desperately to life. Yet, even in its decrepitude, the tree held a stubborn spark of vitality. But life alone was not enough to counter the encroaching darkness.
At the clearing’s edge lay a discarded offering, a woman named Priscilla. Her skin was a chilling pallor, stretched taut over bone, as delicate and fragile as porcelain. Her eyes were vacant pools, reflecting nothing but the void within. Her breath was shallow, a mere whisper against the encroaching silence. Poison had marked her for death, leaving her a captive between life and oblivion.
Empowered by the hero's spilled life, the withered roots erupted in a frenzy of activity. Tendrils, once frail and fragile, thickened and hardened, writhing like hungry serpents. They swarmed over Priscilla, their touch ice-cold and invasive. Tiny barbs, like the teeth of a microscopic predator, embedded themselves in her skin, drawing blood. But this was no act of vampirism. Instead, a perverse transfusion began. The lifeblood of the dying tree, stolen from the countless sacrifices, was injected into Priscilla's veins, a desperate gamble to defy death.
Yet, it was not enough. A deeper hunger gnawed at the heart of the tree. The earth cracked open, revealing a root from the deepest of depths. It was a relic, a survivor of merciless magic, but its vitality was waning. Sensing its impending doom, the root thrust itself into Priscilla's body, embedding a seed within her, and a peace of the MonsterTree’s core. It was a desperate act of preservation, a gamble to secure the tree's legacy. With this final act, a transformation began. The vines, their purpose fulfilled, withered and died, their essence consumed by the seed. The pungent Taboo of the tree seemed to be sucked into her, corrupting her very being. In moments, her body was transformed, a grotesque amalgamation of life and chaos.
Priscilla's metamorphosis was a ghastly ritual of rebirth. Her once pristine skin, pale as moonlight, began to morph, shifting through hues of lime and sage until it settled on a leafy, forest-like green. Her hair, a dull brown, erupted into a riotous growth, sprouting wildflowers and moss. The once delicate limbs thickened and hardened, taking on the appearance of gnarled branches, their skin textured like weathered bark. Where once there had been a youthful slenderness, there was now a voluptuous fullness, an unnatural curvature that hinted at a monstrous fertility.
Yet, this transformation was far from complete. The vibrant greens of her skin darkened, morphing into crimson hues, as if tainted by some infernal blood. Her hair, once a symbol of life, withered and died, replaced by a matted tangle of serrated crimson strands. Her hands and feet grew more twisted morphing into savage claws, her woody bark darkening to ebony. Her eyes, once windows to a soul, were now obsidian pits, devoid of any human characteristic.
With a shuddering gasp, she inhaled deeply, her lungs expanding with unnatural force. Her mouth, once a soft curve, stretched and contorted, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth. A guttural sound emerged, a primal utterance that was both a cry of pain and a declaration of rebirth. "Mas-ter-♥︎," she croaked, her voice a haunting echo in the still air. The word was a plea, a demand, a promise, all wrapped in a single, chilling syllable.