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Post by Dead Sidekick on Jul 2, 2011 6:15:39 GMT -5
ooc: 9.99 upside down... hehe Within the Oblivion Gate, some days ago...Markus DeShayes sat upon a throne in the shifting landscape of non-reality, protected by his own thoughts from the eradication that lay beyond the horizon of his own perceptions. A small realm, splintered off from the shattering of realities, clinging to existence like a parasite upon worlds in imminent danger. The realm of Oblivion was incomprehensible, even to Markus, at best its abstractions were as allegorical and they were concrete. A giant armored figure, hundreds of light-years tall, cleaved reality with a sword enscribed with the word "CRISIS" as he fought similarly armored figures - variants of itself. Oceans of blood flowed from their wounds, and within this Bleeding many worlds and times were born and perished. In the end of each of these universes, their skies would rain red with blood. Markus understood these armored figures as embodiments of entire multiverses, and sensed that his own multiverse was a grafting of two others... The Realms of Possibility born in Infinity's realm all fought for the Sword of Crisis that would end the others. Though frightening in its implications, at least Markus could see the multiversal forces that could survive this Omniversal War even if they were beyond his ability to access. Markus watched as smaller armored beings, Celestials, swam in the Bleed, barely protected from their temporally displacing and mutating forces as they entered the chinks of the armored multiversal embodiments and began their unknown missions to subtly alter the inhabitants of the universes within. It was as if they were innoculating the multiversal embodiments they could enter, strengthening them from the decay and rot caused by the wounds of the Crisis sword. This was all too overwhelming to contemplate, and Markus was drawn back from studying it by a twisted, hideous demon who approached and dropped to his knees before Markus' throne. "Master..." the demonoid spoke in fearful, rhyming tones. "We have found the Disturbance you enjoined us to locate, a small ripple in time made by the hand of fate." Markus had long known that the Earth the latest iteration of the Ritual of Rebirth seared upon him so many billions of incarnations ago had bonded him was fragile, prone to malleability by both magick and time travel. So great was this fragility that it could in time be made part of his own Splinter Realm. But other entities throughout the multiverse had designs upon this Earth, not just his fellow Hell-Lords and expansionist chaotic dimensions such as the Darkness-infused realm of Dormammu the Faltinian and his proxy infiltrator Satannish. As above, so below, and the petty conflicts over money and power in the dirty streets of Earth were but smaller gears turning the larger gears of money and power of crime lords and governments and their intelligence agencies, the same thing really, which in turned moved the various alien races against each other across the stars, and above them all the angels and demons and gods and cosmic abstracts in all their infinite machinations.... the Omniversal War that Markus struggled to comprehend was a "gang war" of infinitely humbling scale. Markus would have to start small, moving subtlely. All of the Hell-Lords eked out their realms over eons of struggle. Markus was no different. As surely as His Satanic Majesty Mephisto himself was whispered to bided his time, seizing opportunities for greater power as they manifested themselves, Markus would have to find and exploit his own shortcuts to power. And no other shortcut was more apparent than this Earth's innocuous connection to the Formorexian Dimension, a realm of chaos so vile and demonic horrors so invincible that Oblivion itself contained it to prevent its Death-obliterating taint from speading through the multiverses like cancer. A mortal on this Earth, a 17th century warlock named Bartholomew Jacobs, had come into possession of the Grimoire of Sorrows, the tome of foul spells said to be the magic book of the Formorexian Dimension's Sorcerer Supreme, and transcribed notes in a book called "A Madman's Mutterings." Markus faintly remembered the Ritual of Rebirth cast upon him so many years ago had come from this book, and thusly his interest was picqued when he discovered this Earth possessed an analog of it. Much power awaited mastering his own Ritual of Rebirth. The demon scraped and bowed and said "A wrinkle in time is slowly unwound, does the Master wish to see the things we have found?" [ooc: welcome to the asylum, Omen... you're on ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/wink.png) ]
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The Omen
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Post by The Omen on Jul 3, 2011 19:03:11 GMT -5
Les enfers au-dessous de ... ils croient qu'ils sont rhymers maintenant…!
The inhabitants of my realm –despite appearances to the contrary— are not demons. They call themselves The Jin en Mok and claim to have existed before creation…which is true in its own way, I suppose. I call them servants. This one manifests in this shape because I will it to do so. A single glance at the many-angled shapeless shifting actuality of the Jin en Mok’s natural formlessness is enough to drive lesser men to madness. Even I get a bothersome headache if I stare at them for too long. The monstrosity of non-Euclidean forced perspectives this one wears is almost comforting in comparison.
I ask: “Which one are you?” and endure an admittedly well-crafted pantoum to learn it has learned to respond to Valentin.
“ Préparer la piscine divination, Valentin. Show me the Is and the Was. I will determine the Will Be.”
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Post by Dead Sidekick on Jul 4, 2011 3:34:07 GMT -5
The Jin en Mok turns and its form ripples and bubbles as if its analogue of flesh were been scalded under a fountain of invisible water. It winces as if in pain. "Crossing the Bleed came at great cost, there were others but now they are lost."
Markus knew it meant "lost" in the sense of Oblivion. Its party of companions had perished, though Markus could barely presume he had sent them on a task. Not only had they ceased to exist, they ceased to have ever existed. This Jin en Mok was temporally damaged... it too would "die" of its chronologically disintegrating wounds and cease to have ever existed. Technically returning to non-reality. Markus' Splinter Realm within the Oblivion Gate gave it just enough of a foundation to manifest physically, in the stolen form of a Rhymer, struggling to regain its properties, properties being a more accurate descriptor than "form."
It cackles a hideous chorus of curses, most rhyming, then strains to speak without rhyming as it seems to be fighting off unseen assailants....
"Time.... was slowed down... by a...."
The helpless creature continued to morph and mutate as it dissolved, it's dying act to transform itself into a sort of ethereal image of events....
A pool hall.... a fight.... a convergence of a Darkforce rift and time being slowed magically.... the Darkforce rift was held open long enough to allow entry.... a Shadow-Demon.... the Shadow-Demon clutches at a red amulet around a man's neck, but cannot retrieve it. The mage slowed time as she positioned enemies in the path of her comrades' attack.... a man of silver disrupts a werewolf's aura.... the Shadow-Demon leaps backwards in time and the mage follows.... the book of the mad Bartholomew Jacobs is stolen and read... a weapon that can reshape reality is discharged.... the Shadow-Demon is destroyed... the mage flung forward in time... lodged in the mind of a dream-traveler... a nightmare world...
More Jin en Mok assemble, in mourning of their lost collegue, silently shifting back into the amorphous masses of Markus' realm, awaiting his commands. These that existed before existence that dwelled in Markus' realm were few but also innumerable, mathematically impossible to consider individually in this form. They clung to Markus' realm for protection from Oblivion like castaways lucky enough to reach the shores of an island. They prefered not to attempt to cross the Bleed as the Celestials do, but would endure the sacrifice for the exchange of hospitality from even a minor Hell-Lord. Having been cast into Oblivion, Markus' Splinter of reality was a welcome refuge.
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The Omen
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Post by The Omen on Jul 4, 2011 15:10:04 GMT -5
That was unexpected.
These creatures are notoriously hard to kill. Especially here. Especially when I don’t allow it. Fils de pute! If it can even unmake the unreal, Daimon’s dark soul must be growing stronger than I anticipated. The ritual performed by the talentless hack that Anton will one day become kept my soul mostly intact as it travels through worlds. Perhaps it, backed by my will, is the key to fortifying a reality well enough to serve as the final battleground against my father.
I must be careful…but bold. The one called Valentin’s last act has shown me the map. Now it is time to plot my course. I address the assembled Jin en Mok, singing in honor of Valetin’s sacrifice:
*“After midnight the Jin en Mok Will be workin' toward my goals Comin' out from the ghostly Gates They move in the shadows Where no one can see And they're gatherin' up dark tomes And they're bringin' em to me Askin' me, "Read them NOW, or LATER?" Askin' ME! "Read them now, or later?"
After midnight, my Jin en Mok This reality we’ll lock I’ll seal the Formorexian’s away And in the quiet of that death I'll say, "It’s mine. It’s mine!"
When they lose their M-bodies I'll say, "That'll learn ya!"
et le navire avec huit voiles réclamera la réalité And On It Is Me!”
Five of the Jin en Mok are chosen. By the power I hold over this place that is not a place, I reshape them. The first is merged with a time line where the Ritual of Rebirth failed, my soul was obliterated and my body left open for possession. Seeing what would have claimed him otherwise, I do that reality a great service. He will hold all of my power save mastery of the Oblivion Gates and my…resilience and is tasked to be my stand-in in the “present”. The second, I compress and enclose into a silver ball. I gift it with self-propulsion, “teeth” and the unerring ability to track the red amulet. Derivative, I know. But I am a fool for the classics. The remaining three I leave in their natural hypokeimenon, save for a "glamour" of invisibility and task them to find any and all books regarding the Formorexians or the Ritual of Rebirth. I open a Gate to Wingate Mansion and usher them all through.
The next part will be…difficult. Even here. The walls of this reality shift and bleed together with realms considerably more abstract. A seemingly endless gallery emerges. I am playing a very dangerous game. The truth is this “hell” is not my creation. It is a true shard of the realm of which Oblivion’s is just a shadow. A fracturing between the two strongest possible realities this particular universe could have been had it developed…differently. As such, of all places in this iteration of creation, universal sympathies echo strongest here…perhaps second only to the Nexus in Citrusville. I walk through the corridor as it forms, stretched from the beginning to the end of all things but contained in four white walls holding seven portraits. I walk past the miasma, the hook, and the heart. I pause at the once blank canvass that now holds the image of my dagger of souls. I reach the helmet and go no further. I pull the image from the wall into solid form and speak the words…
“I stand in my gallery and hold your sigil. Will you talk to me?"
…and –though I will deny it long after I’m dead— silently pray that only Nightmare hears…
OCC -* sung to the tune of "Pirate Jenny"
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The Omen
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Post by The Omen on Jul 4, 2011 15:10:35 GMT -5
reality manipulation attempt on 1st Jin en Mok. spending karma on all attempts for a yellow or red result (as necessary)
[attack=582466672366379]
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The Omen
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Post by The Omen on Jul 4, 2011 15:11:22 GMT -5
reality manipulation attempt on 2nd Jin en Mok.
[attack=583758729859374]
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The Omen
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Post by The Omen on Jul 4, 2011 15:12:24 GMT -5
reality manipulation attempt on final 3 Jin en Mok.
[attack=964754542175492]
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The Omen
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Post by The Omen on Jul 4, 2011 15:13:52 GMT -5
and to open the gate to Wingate Mansion (green feat...but still spending enough karma to guarantee it works)
[attack=879154975746882]
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Post by Dead Sidekick on Jul 4, 2011 22:33:16 GMT -5
ooc: Omen starting Karma 120, spent 32 for Yellow on 2nd transformation of Jin en Mok and 10 on 3rd Jin en Mok... current Karma = 78
The Jin en Mok transform, shaped by Markus' wishes as he sends them through the hellfire and back to the mansion at Fire Lake. From there, they depart upon their missions.
As Markus stands before the portrait, the walls melt away to form a landscape of smoldering wastes and burning cities in the distance.
The sheer horrors beheld by Markus are terrible to view. Monsters and mutants at war with humans, and all manipulated against each other by machines.
As if to answer a question, the familiar voice of Nightmare, vassal of Dream speaks from behind Markus.
"This is no nightmare. This is reality without its mask of platitudes and happy endings. Comforting in its stoking of fear, yet infused with false hope. Inspiration. Seeds to a harvest."
The wild-haired Fear-Lord descends from his ghastly horse and stands before Markus, speaking in a mocking tone.
"Going to try again, nether-childe? The outcome will be the same as it has always been. Your dreams of power are very entertaining to him. And the inevitability of your failure captivates me... every time. Why do you persist? You simply cannot escape the conclusion that you... and none of this... are supposed to exist. How many times have you tried? I will hear you. Why have you come before me?"
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The Omen
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Post by The Omen on Jul 5, 2011 17:00:19 GMT -5
Arrogance. Excellent. There is no one more useful than one who knows they know more than you do.
“You are mistaken, steward of the Dreaming. After an infinity of life times, one learns to accept the truth of one’s existence. I no longer wish to rule creation. Even the idea of managing it grows tiresome.”
I give the truth a moment to sink in, then give a slight bow in keeping with both our stations.
“Nightmare, Lord of Fear, aspect of Dream, I stand before you as the omen of the apocalypse, the herald of Oblivion and the harbinger of Destruction’s realm. On behalf of cosmic consonance, I stand before you to ask a boon and in return offer you three gifts: two for your time and one for service rendered. Please…will you do me the honor of accepting these first two gifts?”
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Post by Dead Sidekick on Jul 6, 2011 3:57:20 GMT -5
The Fear-Lord sniffs in derision, focusing his eerie green glowing eyes upon Markus. "You would stand before one such as I, who revels in the dreams of the sleeping Shuma-Gorath itself, and call yourself by titles you dare not presume to assert? 'Harbinger of Destruction's realm?' Do not make insolence your quality, nether-childe. Mortal braggart! You would not survive vanity becoming mine."A very real shiver of fear quakes through Markus' spine. Nightmare allows his rebuke to sink in, before continuing. The Fear-Lord has taken offense at Markus' overreaching platitude, as the dreams he gives mortals of the awakening of Shuma-Gorath functionally serve as a "harbinger of Destruction." "Your Splinter-Realm is small, existent only upon the fragile threads of possibility it feeds upon. Significant only in its capture of things thrown into Oblivion. Negligible and overlooked among all Splinter-Realms, including my own. What 'gift' could a mere time-lost familiar of a living Hell-Lord possibly offer me that I could not simply snatch from your helpless grasp? You bargain with stolen power, Markus DeShayes. Your value as the future incarnate of Marduk Kurios is meaningless to me while he and his offspring live, and still dream! Ask your boon, scavenger, and I will determine its worth... and price."
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The Omen
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Post by The Omen on Jul 6, 2011 5:50:09 GMT -5
An involuntary shiver of fear trickles down my spine. Nightmare’s power dwarfs mine by degrees I can’t begin to fathom. My will would shatter like a toothpick raft against the shores of a mind fueled by countless dreaming souls such as his . Inwardly I acknowledge the idiocy of making an enemy of one of the great powers before the game has even begun.
Forgive me, lord. I have, perhaps, misspoke. You are quite right. I am most certainly not of the Endless and my realm is barely that at all. My intent was not to offend, but merely to show all due honor to a fellow ruler and, perhaps, learn from someone much greater than myself something about the inviolate laws of diplomacy that exist between the splinter realms. I fear the lesson has been learned in a manner not of my choosing but nonetheless thank you for it.
As for my boon, I ask only for your word. There is apparently someone – a mage – connected to the latest threat to the waking world lodged inside the mind of a dream-traveller. I would ask from you only that I be allowed to travel freely in your realm, unharmed and unhampered, under a seal of protection as an ambassador of my realm within yours, and that you would not impede my search nor obstruct the mage’s and my return to either my realm or the waking world, whichever destination best serves to provide the most beneficial resolution to this impending…crisis, for lack of a better term.
I smile.
And in return, I would have offered you the same courtesy while you are within my realm. Because, as we both know, while there are a great many powers in this reality that can override my will within the Oblivion Gate to transport me into their domains without my express consent, you are not one of them. Since you trusted me enough to answer my request to speak, manifesting in my realm while I am wide awake, I – knowing full well how powerless and without substance you are outside of your provinces – was prepared to let you leave just as freely.
ooc: reality manipulation attempt (see below), spending every last drop of karma it takes to get a red
[attack=836723297453912]
However, as you’ve taught me, insolence is not a trait one should tolerate…even among kings. I bind you here, Nightmare, cut off from your realm in this powerless state, with no more strength or will than any mortal man and claim your dominion as my own.
But fear not: I am a man of my word. After I’ve found this mage, not only shall I return your power and freedom, I will give you the other gifts as well.
As I turn to depart and pursue my business, the third and fourth commandments wash over my soul: Quand dans de quelqu'un repaire, montrez-lui le respect ou bien ne vont pas là. Si un invité dans votre repaire vous ennuie, traitez-le cruellement et sans clémence.
Oh…and one last thing: I’m not a future incarnation of Kurios. He’s a past incarnation of ME.
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The Omen
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Post by The Omen on Jul 6, 2011 5:57:47 GMT -5
ooc - ...not really the plan I had in mind, but sometimes you just gotta wing it, I guess...
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Post by Dead Sidekick on Jul 7, 2011 4:51:30 GMT -5
ooc: 38 Karma spent on Reality Alteration (Present), current Karma on hand = 40 Nightmare's wand flies to Markus' hand as the Fear-Lord becomes spectral and transluscent. "What madness is this?! You dare make me a hostage of Oblivion?! Do you think I do not know even the dreams of the Jin en Mok who seek to betray you?"Though restrained from his powers, Nightmare retains his vast knowledge. "What route will you take now, nether-childe? Will you stay here, ever-maddening as my warden, knowing I will escape this petty imprisonment the moment you fall asleep... or leave this Splinter-Realm. Or will you maintain my imprisonment trapped in your mortal mind as you scurry through the mazes of time and dimension. I particularly liked the last time you spent 35 years lobotomized in a hospice after hacking up mortals for blood sacrifices. You've been a bad boy, a time or two, Marduk. But it all leads back to this moment. Drive the universe insane, or go insane yourself? Your youth and inexperience in this form will prove your undoing. You barely control this Splinter of time and dimensions lost, you could not possibly hope to master the Nightmare World. I relish the fears you will encounter in your foolhardy quest to deny the inevitable." "ENOUGH OF THIS PRATTLING!"A fountain of Hellfire erupts behind Nightmare, and in its center... ![](http://i540.photobucket.com/albums/gg340/deadsidekick/Mephy.jpg) His Satanic Majesty, the Prince of Lies, Mephisto appears. The hellflames swirl around him, as a tight aura of Mephisto's Hell-Realm itself surrounds its manifestation, fending off the power of Markus' realm much as Markus does himself. Several Jin en Mok appear from the shadows and nod in honor of Mephisto's manifestation. He nods at them as well, respectfully, though he smirks at the Jin en Mok among them that he had cast into Oblivion eons ago. There is definitely unspoken history there between Mephisto and the Jin en Mok, both fond memories and unresolved scores. Mephisto walks through the spectral form of Nightmare, and Nightmare writhes in disgust as Mephisto chuckles. Mephisto extends his hand to Markus in greeting. "I wished to see Nightmare's plight for myself, Marduk. You are quite cunning. But you are but a larval form of you former self. You never were one for subtlety. The Fear-Lord is correct, you can not hope to contain him. Your are indeed bargaining with stolen power, and you are not quite master of it.""Do not speak as if I am not here!"Mephisto relishes the sight of Nightmare's predicament a bit more, then turns back to Markus. "If I may make my case. I can either assist Nightmare escape this trap, or I can assist you in keeping him under your domain. Or perhaps you would trade Nightmare for something? The sheer spite within that possibility is to be savored, don't you agree?""I can offer you far more than one of Marduk's seed, you know this Mephisto! Mephisto!""I know. And I know the rise of Marduk Kurios from Oblivion challenges even my station. It is not a day I would long suffer. But the wave of evil to be unleashed by the Coming Darkness will be a bountiful harvest of corrupted souls. I could abide a shift in the cosmic balance in our mutual favor, while the opportunies are in alignment. This hostage negotiation has now become a three-way standoff. This rash action will bring the Splinter-Realms to the brink of war at a time unity may be prudent. I will retain my sovereignty over the Hell-Lords who survive this usurpation of the principalities and powers of evil itself. Shall we draw up a pact? The fruits of the Coming Darkness can be shared by us. Shall we conspire to a better outcome?"Then to Markus specifically, Mephisto leans in and whispers in Markus' ear, "You are creating enemies you can not afford to have. If you do not release Nightmare, he will eventually free himself and destroy you. If you do not release Nightmare under my terms, your realm will be besieged until it too passes into Oblivion and you along with it. Marduk Kurios will cease to exist and to have ever existed. I do not wish for it to come to that. Under my tutelage, you can learn to secure your realm. I only present this opportunity to you to honor a bargain made long ago to assist in Marduk Kurios' return. Contractually speaking, your disjointed placement in time is an adequate inheritor of my deal with Marduk eons ago. While he remains ignorant of his future incarnate's "early" arrival, you have the rarified opportunity to forge your own destiny apart from his dark design. To alter course. Will you writhe over the decision to betray your former self, or embrace it willingly?"Mephisto extends his hand again, offering to shake in a deal. "Swear alliance with me, Markus DeShayes, and you will partake in the spoils of the war that will remake the worlds beneath us. Or shun my offer and depart with Nightmare locked inside your mind, and the legions of Hell storming your realm. I flatter you with the wisdom that is knowing your place on the chessboard is important ground to hold and an appreciation that I'd rather an ally hold it than an enemy. You must understand that Nightmare has even crafted your fear of this moment. When you must acquiesce to your own folly. He has need of you as well. From you I seek an alliance. From Nightmare I seek the opportunity to plunder your realm of things you have no inkling of after he slays you in your moment of weakness. You need not be reluctant to ally with me while we each possess common interests."
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The Omen
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Post by The Omen on Jul 7, 2011 17:38:05 GMT -5
Will wonders never cease? It actually worked.
I must confess, as the wand flies to me, I am sorely tempted to use the Fear Lord’s power. I could dominate all of mankind with but a thought, send a nightly tithe of 100 souls to every Hell Lord… 1,000 to proud Mephisto…but no. Power isn’t the point of all this, it is merely the consequence. No, Lord Nightmare. You dare make yourself a hostage of ill-manners. Regretting- as he rambles on -leaving Nightmare a mouth with which to speak, I prepare to open a pathway to the nightmare realms within the dreaming. Before I can begin, I am surprised for the second time…"ENOUGH OF THIS PRATTLING!" …speak of the devil. Mephisto’s arrival complicates matters considerably. He extends his hand in greeting. I do not take it. Instead I kneel."I wished to see Nightmare's plight for myself, Marduk. You are quite cunning. But you are but a larval form of you former self. You never were one for subtlety. The Fear-Lord is correct, you can not hope to contain him. Your are indeed bargaining with stolen power, and you are not quite master of it." Your Majesty, I respectfully disagree. As you see, he is contained. The question is simply “for how long?” And I bargain with nothing more than guile, foresight, and – I am not ashamed to admit – the devil’s own luck."If I may make my case. I can either assist Nightmare escape this trap, or I can assist you in keeping him under your domain. Or perhaps you would trade Nightmare for something? The sheer spite within that possibility is to be savored, don't you agree?" Nightmare interrupts before I can answer and, for once, I am grateful. I consider the offer before me, weighing the outcome of each choice. Mephisto’s voice in my ear startles me from my thoughts."You are creating enemies you can not afford to have. If you do not release Nightmare, he will eventually free himself and destroy you. If you do not release Nightmare under my terms, your realm will be besieged until it too passes into Oblivion and you along with it. Marduk Kurios will cease to exist and to have ever existed. I do not wish for it to come to that. Under my tutelage, you can learn to secure your realm. I only present this opportunity to you to honor a bargain made long ago to assist in Marduk Kurios' return. Contractually speaking, your disjointed placement in time is an adequate inheritor of my deal with Marduk eons ago. While he remains ignorant of his future incarnate's "early" arrival, you have the rarified opportunity to forge your own destiny apart from his dark design. To alter course. Will you writhe over the decision to betray your former self, or embrace it willingly?""Swear alliance with me, Markus DeShayes, and you will partake in the spoils of the war that will remake the worlds beneath us. Or shun my offer and depart with Nightmare locked inside your mind, and the legions of Hell storming your realm. I flatter you with the wisdom that is knowing your place on the chessboard is important ground to hold and an appreciation that I'd rather an ally hold it than an enemy. You must understand that Nightmare has even crafted your fear of this moment. When you must acquiesce to your own folly. He has need of you as well. From you I seek an alliance. From Nightmare I seek the opportunity to plunder your realm of things you have no inkling of after he slays you in your moment of weakness. You need not be reluctant to ally with me while we each possess common interests." Mephisto extends his hand once again and once I again I do not take it. I rise to my feet instead but do not take my eyes away from his outstretched hand. The problem as I see it, my lords, addressing Nightmare as well, is an inherent expectation of duplicity. Boasts, bravado, and games of psychological one-upmanship are par for the course, but should hardly be considered necessary all the time. My offers to Nightmare were as genuine as your overtures to me are now, Lord Mephisto. Had he respectfully declined both gifts and requested boon, I would have had no choice but to offer him the same courtesy and let the matter drop. Instead he came before my “throne” powerless and demanded I give him precisely what I had already offered freely.
My realm is not as vast nor as influential as either of yours, but it is a sovereign realm and – for as long as that holds true – demands to be respected as such. However…
…I cannot reasonably expect to win a conflict with your satanic majesty, nor afford a war against Hell, Nightmare and the end of everything all at the same time. And, despite the power I hold at the moment, it is not within my demense to give Nightmare over to you. Your presence here alone proves that the universe is already taking steps to secure his freedom. Who or what, I wonder, would it dispatch to release him from you? Forgive my presumption. I do not mean to suggest you couldn’t deal with whatever was put before you but merely point out that such a situation is contrary to my own goals as well.
I have three options: alliance as a lesser, annihilation as an upstart, or an unexpected move that results in an escalating war against all creation which -- sooner or later, but most likely imminently -- end in annihilation anyway. So, against my best instincts, I’m afraid I’ll have to choose none of them. …baise-moi délicatement avec une tronçonneuse…I should have my head examined This Mexican standoff ends, as always, when Nightmare accepts or declines my gifts. I think it’s safe to assume the boon is denied, don’t you? If he accepts them THEN we can discuss an alliance. If not…I’m afraid an alliance would only mean I’d be looking for a way to stab you both in the back and I have more important things than Machiavellian plots to concern myself with at the moment. When he chooses either, he’s free to go, powers restored. Unless...you have something other than my inevitable destruction to offer me, majesty?
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