timeless_king | Free for All (RP test drive)

Free for All (RP test drive)

[Bathed in a brilliant aura, an imposing figure of neither man nor elf rests upon a regal throne of red and black centered in a spacious, yet dark, chamber. His blue eyes were the only ones visible, yet the feeling of thousands more felt heavy on you, an uninvited guest that is only being spared by the Demon King's own graciousness.

He remains quiet, his regal gaze and stoic expression waiting for you to speak. You did, after all, enter his castle, probably defeated some of his clay demons, and are standing right there before him in his own throne room. You might as well introduce and explain yourself.

If it has anything to do with his declaration of war upon a technologically advanced city, feel free to say so. Otherwise, maybe you have another reason to approach Dhaos, the Demon King.]

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[The being before Dhaos looks... oddly like an elven child, actually. She's short, has the pointy ears, and quite clearly has magical talent, if the summoned creature at her side is any indication. But those eyes... those eyes belong to no child.]

Dhaos, I presume? Your declaration was... quite brazen, I must say. I'd cheer you on, were I not afraid your ambition would then turn toward Eorzea. What is your intent in declaring war upon Garlemald?

[Indeed, Dhaos can feel the small creature's aptitude and he studies her for a moment before he speaks with tone befitting a prince so sure of his beliefs.]

Can you not feel it? The amount of mana consumed by the magitech they developed?

It must be stopped.

Hydaelyn is blessed with a surfeit of mana. I fear the insurgence of Primals more than their fiddling with magitech, and it is the defeat of those godlings to which I am sworn. You remind me rather more of the Primals - or at least, of those who would summon them.

[Yes, she is in fact comparing you to Thordan, Dhaos.]

You would compare me to lesser beings?

[Dhaos rose from his throne, and in doing so, steadily faded and disappeared. Though, in an instant, he was back and very close to Aeslyn. He carefully scooped up the carbuncle into his arms like a cherished pet.]

I agree, these Primals devour vast quantities of mana as well. However, I was under the impression that Eorzea had this "Primal" threat under control. With heroes rising up and driving them away almost as soon as they are summoned.

[After carefully giving the carbuncle a few friendly pets, he carefully set it back down. He turned and started to walk back towards his throne.]

And yet... How effective has Eorzea been at ending the threat from Garlemald? I would think I am doing you a favour.

[By setting the empire under siege, ready to raze it all the ground just to stop them from using magitech.

He certainly did his homework, if anything. With a minion spying for Dhaos in every corner of the world.]

The similarity is in your disregard for the lives you will end in your conquest.

[If she's discomfited by the teleportation trick, or him handling her Carbuncle, she doesn't show it. She knew coming in here that Dhaos was weird.]

Destroy their bastions of technology if you must. But harm one innocent soul, and you will face those heroes you speak of - and I will be at the forefront. Not everyone in Garlemald deserves to die for their masters' sins. I've slain enough of their soldiers to make a small mountain, so I won't tell you not to fight against their armies; I'm not that kind of hypocrite.

[An amusing speech, one that draws a chuckle from Dhaos as he rests once more on his throne.]

Just like all the others, you would take up arms and strike against that you do not understand, out of a fear of this "Demon King" that the human kingdoms propergate.

Those who would continue the destructive development of magitech deverve no mercy. Any of which who leave and seek refuge are free to do so.

[Though nevermind places like Totus and other villages before it.

Dhaos casually rests his head on his knuckle.]

Tell me, little one. Would you really stand in defense of your own enemy who would sooner subjugate you than anything I would do?

Perhaps you misunderstood. I don't care what you or others call you. If you threaten innocents, you are my enemy, as much so as any Primal or Ascian. It's as simple as that. Tell me, Dhaos. What gives you the right to decide who should live and who should perish? I've heard of your deeds before now. How you sought to subjugate your entire home world, razed entire villages to the ground, and not a moment's thought spared for those who could no more defend themselves from your onslaught than a babe in arms. I am an instrument of Hydaelyn's will - and it is not her will that you continue your conquest of terror here.

[She folds her arms, staring him in the eye.]

What the seven hells kind of question is that? Do you not know that Garlemald is made up of all the peoples she has conquered, many of them little more than slave states forced to work themselves to death to fuel the armies? Garlemald herself I could live without - but the people, those I will fight to protect.

[The only reaction from Dhaos was that he is clearly no longer amused. He remained quiet for a long moment before he again rises to his feet.]

Why do I wage these wars? Why do I feel it necessary to do what must be done? I struggle against those who would sooner drive away those they deem a monster at a swords' tip than try to understand their own actions. Spoiled children who play with toys they cannot hope to control wisely! These toys, the magitech, consumes mana, the very source of life and magic in the world.

[With a wave of his hand, torches around the throne room burst to life, illuminating the room and the ornate archs that decorate it. As well as the thousands of clay demons, beholders, golems are more of Dhaos's monstrous legion that remain perched high like gargoyles keeping watch. Furthermore, higher above, was a huge planetary mass hovering in orbit out in space.

Was it an actual sight? Or merely a projection.]

I war with Garlemald so that I may protect my world and my people. Had they listened to me and abandoned magitech, this war wouldn't be necessary.
If you really are a hero protecting innocent lives, what would you do to save your world?

[When she speaks again, it's in a voice gone quiet, almost... cold.]

Mayhap you forgot what I said about mountains of corpses. I am Hydaelyn's blade of light - I strike where she cannot, destroy that which threatens Her life. Whether god, or man, or demon incarnate. I do not pretend to the title of hero - that was given to me by those whose lives I have saved. You ask what I would do to save my world? Anything. I start wars. I fight wars. I end wars. Your legions are but an obstacle to be overcome. Tell me, Dhaos. What animates your golems? What feeds your demons? How much of the planet's precious aether have YOU sucked up to fuel your crusade?

Then how are you any different from me? The wars I start will burn where magitech exists and will end when magitech ends.

The magic I use is my own, a mere drop in a vast ocean compared to the amount used by Garlemald's magitech. Human you are not, but you are very much like them.

If you wish to try to kill Derris-Kharlan, a world full of innocent people, just to protect one nation and its magitech, so be it. I will kill you to save my people.

I don't care what you do to the magitech of Garlemald. Burn it all, seriously, I'll bring marshmallows. It's the civilians, and ONLY the civilians, I'm concerned with. If you'll agree to spare the innocent, hells, I'd probably help you.

If you truly believe in preserving mana - what we call aether - then you know that it is not only the source of life, but that life is the source of aether. Every life lost diminishes the life of the planet.

I will acknowledge your concerns. Mine is the destruction of magitech and nothing more. So long as civilians heed my warnings and evacuate from the research facilities, they will not be harmed.

I cannot promise their safety otherwise.

They're not going to listen to a stranger, especially one who's in the process of making a show of overwhelming force. Let the Scions go in first, to spread the word. We've done the insurrection thing for a long time now; no sense in letting talents we've spent decades cultivating go to waste when they could be used to save lives.

And I should trust you?

[Can you blame him? For all he knows, she could instead direct the Garleans to a more advantageous battle position.

If he can have something as collateral, he will agree this alliance.]

When Liora heard rumors of a "Demon King" declaring war on a technological city she was visiting, something within her called on her to go stop him. So she flew to his castle - getting in was easy enough, but fighting his minions proved to be a great deal tougher. Thankfully, Liora was able to use her powerful magic to repel them. Then she finally arrived in Dhaos' throne room...and hesitated.

The so-called "Demon King" sitting on the throne looked nothing like a demon. And yet Liora could feel his power radiating from him. Liora had been improving on her own powers, but knew that she still had a ways to go before reaching her potential. So while she would need to muster up the courage to put aside her doubts, she could reason with him in the meantime.

"You...are Dhaos? The 'Demon King...'?"

[The intruder who dispatched some of his clay demons was... This creature?]

I am. Though "Demon King" was a gift from a infantile world who fears those who are different. Greedy children who lash out when they suspect their toys are to be taken away.

Though, what of you? You bare a likeness to a creature regularly depicted in human tales to be slain for glory.

I see. Perhaps it was...inaccurate.

[She's still not sure what's going on, bit she has the feeling that there's more to him than what she'd heard.]

Me? I'm Liora. I'm a dragon...from Sornieth.

[Though he might notice that she's a lot smaller than the dragons depicted in those human fairy tales...]

I heard that you were declaring war on that city. Is it true?

[Indeed. It's a tiny creature, but still bares a likeness to those human fairy tales, regardless if it's from Aselia, Sornieth or wherever.]

It is so.

[It is war for lack of a better term. He did raise and army and they are marching on the city with the command to kill and destroy.

It's for his great cause.

But now, he speaks no more. He awaits the tiny dragon's next choice.]

[Liora remains silent for another moment as she waited for Dhaos to speak again. When it becomes apparent that he wasn't going to do so, she speaks again.]

You...haven't answered my question. Are you really declaring war on that city? If so, why?

[His answer would determine the choice she makes...]

[He did answer. It is so. He wasn't going to repeat himself.]

They are abusing magitech, weapons that devour untold quantities of mana, the source of all life and magic. For the sake of my people, and my great cause, I will stop them by any means necessary.

[...Oh. She thought he was referring to the "Demon King" name being inaccurate.]

You must realize that your war isn't necessary. It's highly unlikely that they'll be able to deplete all of the mana, no matter how much they devour. If anything, the mana will destroy them before anything else.

[She knows, because according to the writings in the Sunbeam Ruins, it's happened more than once in Sornieth.]

It is not unnecessary. There are those whose arrogance runs so deep that they can achieve what is thought to be impossible. In the case I have witnessed, the over-consumption of mana, the disappearance of magic, and the withering of Yggdrassil. And they would still continue.

[He mostly failed in that regard, and it really only took one or two shots from Midgards' mana cannon to achieve it. Dhaos wasn't about to let it get any worse.

At least, until this space-time transference happened.]

...Declaring war is just as arrogant, if not more so. It'll cause more destruction than you're trying to prevent. Don't you see? You're going to ruin everything!

[That's pretty much the long and short of why what he's doing is wrong, rather than going into some dramatic speech about it.]

You would permit a singular threat to continue at the cost of countless lives?!

Magitech devours mana, as I had just explained. If those humans are allowed to continue their thoughtless research, this war will be the least of any of our worries, Dragon.

Edited (Autocorrect, stay on the phone where you belong) 2018-04-01 02:05 (UTC)

If you start this war, no one will win! There'll just be even more lives lost on both sides! War will never accomplish anything, no matter how "great" you think your cause is!

[She's starting to sound more forceful as she says this.]

So you will defend the humans? You would protect their ignorance and allow them to continue their path of destruction?

A world without mana cannot sustain itself. It will crumble. And all lives will be lost, not just those greedy children you wish to protect.

If you want to doom this world and mine, then go ahead...

Try and stop me.

[It honestly doesn't sound too different from what happened in Sornieth's Second Age. The machine that the people had built had exploded, wiping out all life. And in spite of that, life began anew.]

As I said before, mana is infinite. There's no way they can fully deplete it. And even if all life is destroyed, life will begin anew. I know this, because it has happened before in Sornieth.

Neither Derris-Kharlan nor Aselia have the luxury of infinite mana. Was Sornieth's source of mana lost like Aselia's was?

There is simply too much you do not understand, little dragon.

We don't believe there is a single source for all these energies. It exists all throughout the universe. It's the same energy that formed our planet in the first place. So the source cannot be from within Sornieth...

[She seems to humble a little bit at his last statement.]

Maybe...but there's also too much that you don't understand...

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