Hell on Revaliir had proven itself to be a sort of cleansing for the land as the gods’ wrath had died down and they observed the aftermath in each afflicted area. Many denizens had been humbled by the gods’ actions, and massive amounts of fear and anger had been stirred up as well. The guilty parties, Dalanesca and Xunatar, hardly cared - Xunatar snickering as he relished in the final moments of the destruction the pair had wrought upon the land, and Dalanesca smiling darkly as she watched the mortals realize just how little their mortality meant to the two vengeful deities.
Their voices echoed out to the land, Xunatar’s coming first.
”In the end, this is but a small deliverance of what awaits in the future. To those that have survived, I congratulate you on your efforts - may I continue to be amazed by your mettle and determination to survive. Many have fallen, but it serves as a lesson here.” Whatever the mortals had taken from the destruction brought upon them was inevitably their own decision, but Xunatar was still satisfied with his part in all of this.
Dalanesca seemed to feel far more satisfied with the view the denizens of Revaliir held of her. No longer did they see her as a complacent and docile god - they now saw the wrath her Infernal Circles would rain down when so provoked. ”No longer will you view me as that sarcastic woman with a sharp tongue,” her voice echoed across the land. ”Now you know that the Siren and the Reaper are one in the same - deadly beauty and destructive glamour. I applaud those of you who have persevered, but know this - should I doubt your… faith in me… once more… this is only a taste of what you shall face next time.”
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The energies that fueled the manifestations of the Infernal Circles dispersed, freeing the people from their constant torments. The gods gave up their numerous thrones in the Warped Spire and made the trek down to the ground below. The centipedes lowered themselves down as well and the King of Darkness gave his co-conspirator, the Infernal Queen, a small smile. ”Take them, I am sure that they can serve you well in Luxuria Mortiferum. My fiancée would likely try to roast them if they come back to Discordia with me…”
The pair grew silent and looked at the Warped Spire, an unspoken agreement between the two of them. After another moment or two of silence, Xunatar spoke to Dalanesca. ”You do the honors, my friend,” he said, gesturing towards the tower as he awaited its fate.
”With pleasure,” spoke Dalanesca, and without so much as a movement, the tower was basked in torrents of Hellfire. Darkness began to swirl about with the Hellfire, creating green and black swirls in the sky as Xunatar and Dalanesca exchanged knowing glances with one another. A thunderous sound cracked out throughout the plains, and suddenly, there was nothing. The Darkness and Hellfire had consumed the tower, and only a large, burnt looking crater remained where it had once stood.
”Always a pleasure, my King,” Dalanesca said as she turned to Xunatar, giving him an exaggerated curtsey. He returned the gesture with an over flourished bow.
”Likewise, my Queen,” he said, and the pair parted ways, each heading back to their respective realms.
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Across the land, the aftermath of the gods’ wrath could be seen and felt in numerous ways.
In Adeluna, nearly 40 percent of the city’s population had been slaughtered. Famine has ensued due to the overindulgent consumption of the cities food supplies. Some of the grotesque Cerberus hybrids still lurk about the depths of the city’s underbelly, emerging only at night to snap up unsuspecting victims.
Sularia has seen an overwhelming influx of pregnancies, with many of the babies being at great risk to be born as demon spawn thanks to the incubi who masqueraded as men. These children will bear strange markings on their foreheads as evidence of their origination.
Egjora’s economy has been strained as the surviving noble families have become increasingly more cutthroat to keep themselves in power. The division between the wealthy and the poor has narrowed drastically, with the two groups chaotically at odds with one another.
Horae Island’s children who had been abducted were spared at Dalanesca’s request, as the goddess has a rather soft spot when it comes to children. The parents, however, were not so lucky. As the three regions that had been overtaken by Glaciem thawed out, so too did the bodies of the dead parents. Among the coldest section of the island, however, the victims still remain frozen in a state of horror. The exact number of casualties seen on Horae Island is still unknown.
Mamlak lost nearly one-fourth of its population. The rabid lion statues ceased their rampages, and they remain frozen in place during their last efforts to terrorize the city. The waterfall itself still turns crimson during a new moon, and the sounds of jungle cats can be heard echoing through the streets.
Endapano’s xenophobia has gotten worse among the townspeople as a whole, especially among the elders. Many have gone completely mad and have been exiled from the city. As a result, they have built smaller colonies around the island, though they operate more along the lines of bandit tribes, freely robbing and killing outsiders without blinking an eye.
The Umbral Depths either saw its victims escape the tunnels back into the outside world, or the drow has found them and taken them in as slaves. The estimated number of dead is still unknown.
In the Mo’Mey Steppes, approximately 15 percent of the region has perished, while much more have been gravely injured. The reputation of the area’s orcs has been harmed due to their involuntary actions. Some of the worms remain loose, they are more docile… save those roaming around Mo’Mey’s borders, which are still quite vicious.
Eyota Etu’s bloodsport took five percent of the city’s population from the fighting alone, while an undisclosed number of citizens and outsiders alike died due to spontaneous combustion from their inability to not speak of the fights. Nightmares of the gory and brutal affairs still haunt the slumber of many who had been present.
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Thank you to everyone who participated in the Malicious Vices! We (Xunatar and Dalanesca a.k.a. Brandon and Whitney) had a lot of fun coming up with the concept for this… and maybe now you all know that Xunatar and Dalanesca aren’t to be trifled with!
