Angela phased from her temple into the realm of the World Tree. This would be the first time she called conclave since the time of Torn. She took a deep breath. There were times when Conclave wouldn't be called for years but like all things, the Conclave needed to be called. Gods needed to communicate with each other. They didn't have to like each other but for the sake of everyone's sanity… they best. Deep green eyes looked at the little figure sitting in its throne. It was cloaked and Angela tilted her head and pressed her feet to the grassy meadow where she stood. The large tree was able to shade her from the sunlight as she approached.

"You know, you don't have to be a child. I won't attack you," Angela hummed softly as she put her fingers across the collapsing chairs of Skadi and Torn. Her fingers gently pulling on the decaying chairs until the plain thrones from before were there. Her green eyes looked up at the figure and the figure was scoffing at her. "We've lost many friends you and I."

The figure tilted its head at her. "I don't believe I've yet forgiven you for blowing a hole in my home Angela. Or jacking me up to the tree. OR that time in Adeluna when you decided it was best to capture all the loose souls."

Angela put up her hand and waved it. "That was so long ago. Why are you still angry about that? Besides wasn't it your fault?" There was intense eyes on the figure and the figure was visibly sighing at her. "Wasn't it you who chose to ascend me?" She made her way over to her petrified wood chair and sat down in it. Her throne was made of the petrified wood with large veins of fire opal carved into it. Agate of pinks and greens decorated the high back of it as if it were stained glass. Flowers and trees sprouted off the sides of it and fireflies danced above her.  She was facing the Voice directly now. 

"You are unfortunately the best at your job. I knew you would take this mantle but I didn't think of the trouble it would be to get you to this point."

"Unfortunately? You would miss me if I was gone," Angela said it bluntly as if this was all they ever did around each other. "Also trouble is putting it mildly. I only cracked reality because it was on accident. Despite how I feel about you that was all to help Dalanesca." Her eyes closed and she relaxed back on her throne.

"Which is the only reason you have your god powers still. Despite how you are deep down inside, no one is better at life and earth than you Angela." 

"You make it sound like I have a black heart and soul." Angela put a hand to her heart in mock pain. "It's quite the opposite really. I don't give things away for free. I will not be wholly good, I can't be or I would be weak for many other reasons. The only reason I did not fight Dalanesca is because of the impact that it would have on Sularia and my family. I am a selfish person. Life is selfish just like Death. Life constantly takes from Death and Death constantly takes from Life. It is an ongoing struggle and that thing between Dalanesca and I? That is the truth of it. Death took Katja from Life. Life was ultimately responsible for Katja because Life couldn't stop the natural cycle." Her eyes opened and she relaxed more. "Isn't that how it is?"

The Voice let out a laugh. "You speak so highly as if you would have attacked Dalanesca. You wouldn't have. You have a bond with Dalanesca and that alone makes it a cycle you would repeat even without Sularia and your family. Do not try to make yourself sound less complicated."

"One can try." Angela huffed a bit at it as she folded her arms. They were waiting for the other gods now. An invitation had been sent out the moment she stepped foot into this place. She wasn't expecting all gods to show up but some, especially the new ones. "After all the last pair of life and death gods we had… Committed a right taboo. I remember them and I also remember why it can't happen again. When it happened between Dalanesca and me, it was unintentional. A way to stop mass deaths." She stopped herself and sighed as she felt another presence with them. Maybe that person had been there for a while and that was why the voice had suddenly gotten so quiet.

She wasn't wrong. Drae had been there, listening in. Not intending to spy, really, and what he was hearing wasn't exactly new to him. He knew better than most the situation regarding the fight between Dalanesca and Angela. He even recalled the discussion she had mentioned having with the Voice, which had involved her causing some damage and pinning the Voice up against the World Tree. As a matter of fact, he was pretty sure that he could still see the indentation on the Tree's bark. 

He walked out of the shade of the Tree and smiled at Angela. He paused, upon seeing the Voice, and did a double-take. Now, he recalled Angela telling him that the Voice took on the form of a child. The individual he was seeing, was not a child. As a matter of fact, it was a face he had seen, but years had passed, and the last time he had seen this face had been the day his life had changed. Not necessarily for the better, but definitely not the worst. He cleared his throat and actually skirted around the thrones because he wasn't sure how to handle this. He couldn't tear his eyes off the very pretty face of the young dark haired woman with eyes like midnight.  He came around to the other side of the circle, away from the visage of his former love, Eva and leaned in over Angela.

"I remember the Voice being a small child…" he mentioned, remembering when the Voice had come and taken the Lacriamium Prism he had used to house Angela's soul. "This is kinda weird, and I'm not sure I like this face," he admitted to her. He smiled uncomfortably at the Voice. 

Angela’s eyes grew with glee as Drae stepped out where she could see him. She was much like a child as she moved so she was leaning over the arm of her throne and her knees were where her butt had been. She was leaning over to him. “Adraejen!!!” She was so happy he could finally see the place that she had described to him for so long. Perhaps her heart was young when it came to Adraejen.

When he pointed at that the Voice was not a child to him she tilted her head. “OH!” She sat back down in her seat and looked at the child across from her. “You see the Voice takes the shape of whoever it is we would be least likely to attack. Well normally.” She waved her hand at Adraejen. There was a throne near her that was free of an occupant. “SIT BY ME!” She chuckled for a moment.

However, there was a dark look in her eye as she looked over at the Voice. “That is dirty.” She knew what form it was taking for Drae.

“Whatever works Angela.” The Voice answered her. “For Angela, she once saw a child that would be Lyre and now she sees Raven. I have found that she is a rather complex creature that breaks her vows if it calls for it. Call it a safety mechanism to survive what happened to the Parvpora Tree.”

Angela scoffed a bit and looked up at Drae. “I told you it was pretty here. Didn’t I? I rather look forward to not having to lure gods with cookies to get them to come.” She thought of Torn and shrugged a bit. “How is Tar doing? Are you well? Is Parvpora being too harsh for you?” She looked at her life hardened husband and began to dote on him. The Voice scoffed a bit and got up and left.

“Struck a nerve…” Angela chuckled and watched as the Voice disappeared. “We might be the only ones for a little bit. Are you well? Like I asked?”

He was grateful to see her and her exuberance was contagious. It had been weeks since they had seen each other, and he was happy for the moment they were able to have here. 

"Ah. Yeah, well, that makes sense then," he said uncomfortably, looking at the Voice who masqueraded as his former lover. "And definitely not wrong," he added, but sat down in the vacant plain throne that was near Angela. As he sat down, the throne began to shift and change to match him, or rather of his domain. It wasn't quite the comfort of his armchair 'throne' but it was comfortable enough. High backed, with plush cushions of black velvet, the frame of the chair was of polished black marble, ornately carved with eternity knots and runes that glowed faintly. 

"I don't know if taking on a form we won't attack helps your cause though," Drae pointed out to the Voice. "As a matter of fact, it might serve as a better reason for us to attack. Sometimes, dredging up the past like this is dangerous. And last I checked, it wasn't the Gods who destroyed that Tree, it was the people, or are all those twisted corpses in Koschei just a misunderstanding? And wasn't it all because the TREE itself had become corrupt and corrupted the Gods themselves?" he asked skeptically with a raised eyebrow at the Voice. It was clearly still a sore subject with the Parvporan. 

He turned his attention back to Angela and smiled affectionately at her as he slung one leg up over the other and enjoyed his new 'proper' throne for the moment. "Tar Eisalae is great. I admit I am rarely lonely, but I miss you terribly. You and the children. Parvpora is proving not necessarily as hostile as I had been concerned about initially.  Being a place of scholars it has actually become a little busy. Tar Eisalae has actually manifested a physical form, and keeps tabs of the trouble makers that way, which means that my Head Librarian is left to do his duties mostly unbothered." 

It all started with a tick.

Xunatar was leisurely watching a marvelous scene from his balcony. One of the islands of the Ring had moved close enough for him to observe one of his would be visitors being hunted by blue wargs until the poor man tripped over his own feet while attempting to flee. The wargs seen descended upon him and the bloody aftermath they made of him made the god smile before he sipped at his blueberry wine. Ah the Ring could be very cruel at times and this was no different. And to think, just before that unfortunate incident, he was very much on the right path to the portal to see the Cradle.

Pity.

As he watched the feeding frenzy, the clothes that were torn apart and the flesh that soon followed, he felt a…tick. A mental one that itched his curiosity. At first he guessed that someone or something had made into the citadel but he sense no intruder. Then it came again and again, the feeling growing a little more stronger, a little more divine. After some thought and sips, Xunatar smiled. “Layla, I’ll be gone for a bit. Watch over the Cradle for me.” His voice would travel until it reached the kitsune demon’s ears and with that the god slowly faded from his reality.

The world he came into was not the sort he’d ever believe he would come across, but with divinity in his blood now, he could see for himself if the rumors of the conclave were true or not. Endless fields of green stretched for miles it seemed and he took careful notice of the large tree and of the powers that he could pulsing from beneath it. There were others, those that felt like him and yet different. Xunatar trekked over to the meeting area, garbed in a hooded robe of onyx and gold. His barefeet found the grass blades soft and comforting with each step over. As his blue eyes surfaced from the hood, he could see that Angela was already there, along with a man he hadn’t met but from their closeness, he’s assumed that he had been the one that Cyprus had once been obsessed with. “Greetings”, he spoke to both parties, looking from the man to Angela and back again.

He stood by briefly before his eyes came onto another person in the center, but for a moment he looked genuinely in awe. He didn’t see what either one of the deities had witness; instead he saw what he assume to be a ghost from his past. Everything from the horns and curly red hair upon her head, to those pair of violet eyes to the small fangs and devil’s tail… It had truly been ages since he saw Scarlett. Perhaps the only other person he had loved more than even himself and was to make her his Queen one day. The smile faded from him though thanks to the hood it wasn’t easily seen. Quietly, he kept his sights upon her as he moved over to the unclaimed throne. Upon the touch of his fingers against it, the throne morphed into that of shale with golden veins coursing throughout it as if they were ready to burst open. Around its back, several incenses protruded from it, lacing the air around subtly with intoxicating aromas and etched within the back was that of a fox in the midst of turning and beside it was a sphere that was constantly changing its color. For the time being, it was a crimson color. Satisfied, Xunatar fell into his throne with his attention still upon the demonic woman before shaking his head. He obviously did not like thinking of the past; he was one that always pushed forward and never delved on the past. “I suppose that this is the Voice indeed?”, he muttered to them, finally ripping his eyes away from her. He had overheard them discussing things, but had missed most of the conversation by the time he graced this place with his presence.

“And here I thought I was the master of lies, perhaps I have been mistaken all along. Now what do I owe the pleasure of this…invitation?”   

Angela almost dove from her chair to shut her Parvporan husband up. It was still a sore subject for many people but the Voice was still quick to leave. He knew that it wasn’t the God’s fault. That left an air of explaining for Angela to do for Drae but Angela took a huge sigh as the tension left.

A laugh left her lips and she nodded. “I do hope that things continue to be alright for you Adraejen. I wouldn’t want there to be trouble.” Her green eyes met Xunatar’s blue ones and she smiled. “Hello, Xunatar.” She knew that Xunatar was also seeing something as the Voice left. “Yeah, that is him…”

She situated herself in her seat and stared at Xunatar for a long time. “I suppose I should explain the Tree a bit more. It would be cross with me if I couldn’t. The Parvporan Tree was called Verya. They were twins you see, lovers too. They were the only ones of their kind. Bound by their roots they loved each other from afar.”

Ang’s eyes drifted to Adraejen. “One day something began to corrupt Verya and it drove the gods mad. Can you imagine something strong enough to corrupt something like the World Tree? Instead of being able to save her or even trying the Parvporan people tore her down right in front of him. It. Whatever the Tree is. The Voice has more of a reason to be cross with us than we do it. Though I can understand why you would be mad Adraejen.” Angela was making sure not to count his feelings out.

She waved her hands at both of them as she thought of the reason why she called this. “You are both new and I thought this would be a good time to get you acquainted with this place and each other. I wish the others could be here but that doesn’t look like its going to happen. I already know you both. Adraejen is my husband and Xunatar is the poor soul Cyprus had a child with. I do feel sorry you know my sister and had dealings with her.”

Angela took a deep breath and pushed herself out of her chair. “We’ll meet here when times are rough or there needs to be a decision made for the rest of Revaliir. This isn’t something we can avoid so we best get along the best we can. Otherwise, the Voice will be mighty cross with us.” Angela offered a smile. “He has punished those that have come before you. When I rose to power there had been a pair of gods. I came to be death when I was first here but there had been another before me. They were in love and they wanted their children to live forever so they used their powers together to freeze life entirely and make their family immortal. Not any different than what Dalanesca and I did but I only reacted because of her. However, they were severely punished thinking they could outwit the way we live. It is best to remember their punishment for what could be us. I am more in shock that Dalanesca and myself were not more severely punished for what we did but neither the less we were indeed punished.”

She coughed a bit as she felt eyes on her. “It’s been a long time since we had to come together to discuss how to deal with things. Timedeath was one of them but before that was The Godslayer War. That was the last time a god turned on one of us and made our lives hell. That is no longer a possibility and the Voice has warded against that but it is still our duty to protect the world. Powers like ours come with one hell of a responsibility.”

Dalanesca had been lying in bed, sipping on a glass of fine whiskey provided to her by Angela Rose, when she felt the call to Conclave. She felt no surprise that it was being called - many things had changed among Revaliir’s deities. Her sphere had shifted, and now one of their eldest had fallen, and two had risen - it was quite the mixing pot as of late. She was more surprised by the fact that it had taken so long for one of them to make the decision to assemble the troops, so to speak.

She climbed out of bed and stared at herself in the full length mirror across the room. She was clad in only a black lace nightgown of sorts,, having been turned in for the evening. For a moment, she looked to her bureau, contemplating on what type of attire to don for the Conclave meeting. After a moment, she waved her hand dismissively and turned from the room, exiting while padding barefoot down the hall. She snatched the crystal decanter of whiskey off the table on her way out, and as she moved she began to fade from existence in her realm.

Moments later, she materialized at the entrance to Conclave. When she walked in, she could immediately see that her throne (near Angela’s, as it had always been) had been replaced to match her new domain. She paused, admiring it for a moment before turning her attention to the other deities present. It was hewn from obsidian, with sunstone and silver accents. The base ran a bit more sinister, constructed from what appeared to be arm and leg bones of humanoid creatures. ”Not bad,” she said to herself, and started to walk towards it.

She passed Xunatar, recognizing him from their previous meeting in Porta Inferi. She paused in front of him, cocking her head to one side. ”Can’t say I’m surprised to see you having taken a place here,” she said, giving him a wry smile. She twisted her free hand in a strange gesture, and a few green leaves with a slight reddish tinge appeared in her palm. Wordlessly, she winked at Xunatar and set them on the floor near his feet. ”Little gift for you,” she said, and turned away from him, padding barefoot down the line.

She saw Naota’s throne, but noticed that he was absent, and passed it by. She next came to Drae, and she stopped in front of him, much as she had in front of Xunatar. She took a quick pull from the decanter she carried before speaking. ”And hellooo, Drae,” she said, smirking. ”Divinity’s looking pretty damn good on you,” she said, her eyes scanning his form before walking along.

She gave Angela a little wave, pointing at the decanter in her hand and giving her a thumbs up in thanks. She started to make her way to her throne, before she realized there was another being in the room - a small child-like appearance… and her eyes narrowed. Instead of stopping in front of the Voice, she walked by, taking a pull from the decanter and using her other hand to hold up in the direction of the Voice, extending her middle finger as she walked by.

She finally came to her seat, resting in it rather casually, placing herself in a sideways position with her legs slung over one of the arm rests.. She realized that Angela had begun explaining to the others already why she had summoned them, and she gave her a little nod. ”Don’t stop on my behalf,” she said, waving her hand in a motion to encourage her to continue to speak, not having intended on interrupting the conversation.

Drae sighed and rubbed his face. This little story about the World Trees was something he had actually not heard. Fair point for the Voice to be angry if Parvporans hadn't even tried to help, but by the same token, what were mere mortals supposed to do when it came to something so powerful?

"Just pointing out, that picking a form that is so closely tied to someone's past, and maybe an angry past, might not be the best defense," he said simply as he lounged in his chair. He gave Xunatar a courteous head nod in acknowledgement of the demon. The pair of them, Drae knew, had a common enemy, and frankly, Drae was certainly of the mind that an enemy of his enemy would be his friend until their paths split. There was nothing to indicate that he should have any sort of beef with Xunatar, apart perhaps the uncertainty that the demon did not help facilitate Cyprus's escape from the ruined mansion in Iria. 

He blew out his cheeks at the mention of the whole debacle between Dalanesca and Angela during the past winter. "You two weren't the only ones punished for that," he pointed out sharply. "I love you dear, but do me a favor and never make me put your soul in a child's body again," he begged her. 

"I know I understand the reason for the Conclave. And at this time, I don't have any sort of beef with anyone here now, so hopefully things will stay that way," he said flatly. "So, we are waiting for Naota and Dalanesca now, I believe. Ah, Speak of the devil, and she shall appear," the warlock chuckled as Dalanesca appeared from out of the shadows, carrying a crystal decanter and looking far more under-dressed than the Dalanesca that had joined him for a drink in Adeluna. He watched with a pleasant smile on his face as she exchanged pleasantries with Xunatar briefly, before she came up. He grinned charmingly at her. 

"Dal. You are looking chic as ever. I'm loving the look," he said returning the flirtation full force as he let his gaze sweep her up and down as she so did to him. If anyone knew Drae, which Dalanesca and Angela did, he was an incorrigible flirt with the ladies, especially when they flirted first. "I see you are keeping with the black silk and lace," he smiled, his silver eyes shining. "I do hope we didn't interrupt anything," he added playfully. He did, however, quickly flash Angela an adoring look to let her know that he was still hers heart in hand. He couldn't, however, help but scan Dalanesca's legs as she sat with them slung over the arm of her throne, before he cleared his throat simply, and looked back at Angela. 

"And I guess that just leaves the incredibly shiny one," he commented. "Well, is there any reason we cannot begin and just fill him in as we go?"

When it became proven that the man that Angela was associated with here was indeed the man Cyprus had been crossed with, his eyes watched him with keen interest. How interesting, another enemy she had made that rose to divinity. What foul luck the witch was having, not that it mattered. Her time would cease soon enough, though the chips had yet to be put down on who would have the honors of putting her down like a rabid dog.

His attention, at the time had been onto the Scarlett like figure when Angela had informed him of its real identity. So that’s where the tree had been hiding all along… In any case, he wasn’t truly amused by its reasoning for reminding him of his lost love. Even though he would have been a hypocrite since he was used to doing the same to others. “I must agree with him. It may serve to provoke rather than to quell someone down.” Though he would not be gullible enough to think he would stand a chance against it. For the time being, he would simply allow it to do as it wished without wasting any breath in complaint. Rolling his wrist, he brought forth a glass of blackberry wine and sipped at it slowly. A small chuckle arose from him by the time he pulled the glass away, having been reminded of his connections to the Goddess’ sister.  “She had served her purpose long ago. Pity that she found a way to escape though, as ingenious as your trap had been.” By the end of his sentence, he turned his eyes to Adraejen, before shaking his head, “Likely one of her brainwashed servants that were still alive freed her somehow. Do not think that it is I that should be sorry for knowing her. She will regret the day she met me and became a thorn to my side. It will only be a matter of time before I find her and my son.” She wanted to risk everything he had worked eons for simply so that she could throw a fit. He had some horrors planned out perfectly for her, and by the end she would be more than thrilled at the thought of death’s sweet release.

There had been a reason that this Voice had selected him to serve it, though it likely knew better than anyone here what the demon was like and gifted him the domains that suited his character quite well. They were joined by a fourth person and he shifted his head over to see the Reaper strolling about as though she owed the place. Bring the wine back to his lips, he overheard her words for him and then dropped his gaze to her hand and immediately stopped drinking when he spotted what was in it. She had a cruel sense of humor as he watched the leaves, similar to the one he willing tasted from her back in Porta Inferi. There were times that even now he could swear that he could still taste the burning poison in his mouth, tongue and throat. “Why you shouldn’t have”, he spoke, concealing his annoyance at reliving the memory yet again. He hadn’t minded her wickedness for it felt like a relief that he found someone that could relate in a way. “Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten and I will be sure to find something just right for you”, he spoke merrily and let her think of what he meant.   

While he knew about the boy god, having ran into him sometime ago before his ascension, Xunatar was a bit slighted by the feeling of only one deity left to join them was…wrong. After allowing for them to exchange their flirty words and gestures, he set the glass down and leaned forward. The hood dropped from his head, revealing the god’s features before speaking up. “Like Adraejen, I wish to see continue with this meeting. But answer me this- Last I had counted, aren’t we missing one other than of…Naota, is it? I had been made to believe that there was another goddess in your stead.” His eyes shifted towards the remaining throne, unclaimed by anyone yet. 

“I am trying to make sure that doesn’t happen. As long as I appease people that will never happen.” She shrugged a bit more. “Well, hopefully, we never have a problem with one another.” She waved her hand at her husband. “It would be a tragedy if we did have a falling out.”

Angela tilted her head and smirked just a bit as she listened to Dalanesca flirt with her husband. “Doesn’t it though?” She waved her hand towards Adraejen as if confirming it for herself. Ang laughed as Dalanesca gave the Voice her middle finger. He would forgive them at some point but she took a deep breath and nodded towards her goddess sister.

The Mother returned the loving look to her husband after he flirted with her best friend. She didn’t mind as she knew that he would never bed another. She waved her hand at him as he asked her to begin. “In time, I don’t know if Naota will join us.”

Angela frowned a bit as Moliira was mentioned. “Yes, there was.” She had made sure to ask that she could deliver this news and that even Dalanesca hadn’t felt it. “I’m afraid that our dear Moliira has left us. She’s gone on an adventure. I asked that the Voice let me tell everyone. I was going to wait for Naota but I’m afraid I have been cornered.”