01. 03- Hoqon and the Loci of the Darkened World

Life, Supernatural

Hoqon arrives on the 2nd planet where he encounters both a new friend and a new foe. Within the cavernous Planet, the 2nd piece of Oah's Heart is hidden deep beneath the surface. Hoqon must brave a dark new world to continue his quest.
 

Ao and Hoqon travel through the Realm of Light and Shadow, arriving at one of Bothon's several moons. There, Ao gives Hoqon a lock of Amede's hair, just as the Champion had requested. Satisfied, Hoqon gives Ao the Heart Stone. Ao turned to the planet, Bothon. The rays of the sun can't shine into the dark chasms of the maze- like planet, where deep caverns and pitfalls lead into infinitesmal abyss. Wrapped across the surface of the planet, Hoqon was impressed, not only by the size of the Planet but by the size of the Loci, as well.

  It's coils wriggled in and out of the planet, occasionally squeezing mountains. Rocks and detritus scattered beneath the crushing pressure. Thick spines jutted and quivered from beneath the Loci's bronze scales. Bothon was the largest of the 5 planets, making Bothon Loci the largest of the Loci. Ao informed Hoqon that Bothon Loci was possessed of an insatiable hunger. "Bothon would consume it's own tail." Left alone, the Loci would destroy itself, causing a collapse in Oah's hierarchy of the planets. Ao advised caution at approaching the ravenous serpent and retrieving the Heart Stone quickly.

  As Ao turned to leave the Champion, the deities were interrupted as a figure approached them from another moon. Ao and Hoqon beheld a mystical spirit shrouded in white smoke, whose long horizontal hare- like ears held many golden rings. Several long tails formed behind her as she emerged above them from the darkness of the Aether. Shielding her large, golden eyes, she introduced herself as Mystendr. She was born when the first moons cast their shadow on worlds far below.

  While she was impressed with the Champion's feats on the planet Iethon, she took this opportunity to express her annoyance with Ao. While the Champion was amused, Ao was dissatisfied with her expression, vowing to chase her across her globes, since he annoyed her so much. Mystendr and Ao would have a minor altercation before Hoqon mediated. Both deities were young and childish, quarreling with each other, but they both understood the importance of Hoqon's quest.

  Mystendr warned Hoqon of what the darkness held for him, in places that Ao couldn't see. She revealed the entrance into the planet and promised that she would help him in the future. Ao, jesting with her that he had known where the entrance was, chases Mystendr away. When Ao was sure Mystendr had gone, he departs, but Mystendr returns to warn Hoqon about a shadow that had been followed him from Iethon.

  Hoqon, appreciating Mystendr's warning, lept from the moon and landed before a deep opening in the Earth. With the flame of the Burning Star to guide him, Hoqon began his descent into Bothon. As he continued for hours into the depths, he felt the malevolent presence of the entity Mystendr had warned him about. When one of Bothon's long coils threatened to suddenly knock Hoqon into a large opening in the Earth, a shadow emerged from the darkness and relenquished the Burning Star from his grasp.

  Hoqon watched as a cold, dark shadow engulfed the Fire Star. A familiar green eye, the evil eye of Iethon Loci, rose above the darkness, until a form appeared. The darkness wrapped the flame, until another entity began to form around it, crackling and cackling with the divine power of the Burning Star. The smoke settled like a cloak, revealing a dark spirit clutching Iethon's severed eye in one dark talon and the Fire Star in the other.

  The spirit called itself Dumagh and told the Champion that she was born when the hands of Death were severed. Dumagh was an entity of darkness, with hair and skin like black smoke and eyes like white hot flames. She floated through the Aether until she witnessed the Champion appear from the Realm of Light. She coveted the warmth of the Burning Star and thus, planned to steal it when the Champion was vulnerable. Before Hoqon could reclaim the Burning Star, Dumagh used her new power to attack Hoqon with searing flames. The Champion was knocked into a yawning ravine.

  While falling, the 3rd Star, Earth Star, burst to Life. The light of the Star sent Hoqon sailing through the ground and rocks. Inside the embrace of Earth, Hoqon moved through it like air. He could hear voices of the stones and metals around him, telling him about the Loci above and below. Hoqon was led by the Earth until he came across a strange seed that was stuck within the walls of a crystal cavern. This seed was a remnant of the ruin that the Star Dragon caused, a last vestige of All- Life that had survived, remaining dormant within. The crystals told Hoqon which path he needed to take to get to the Heart Stone.

  When Hoqon left the crystal cavern, he encountered the Golems; earthen entities formed from drifting Earth souls. Cased in different stones and mud, the mindless Golems were animated with a wreckless abandon by the insatiable will of the Loci. As insatiable as the Loci, the Golems went about chewing on what ever they could find- rocks, stone, crystals, or metal. Hoqon found Dumagh using her mystical powers to control the Golem.

  Dumagh forced the Golems to attack Hoqon. Defending, Hoqon pleaded with Dumagh to cease her violence and return the Burning Star. Sailing through the stone or becoming metal allowed Hoqon to avoid the Golem's blows. The Champion struck with his metal weapons furiously, until the conflict drew the attention of Bothon Loci. Hoqon descended further into the Earth, leaving Dumagh with the awakened Loci.

  With Dumagh andBothon Loci distracted, Hoqon followed the Loci's tunnels as the crystals had directed. Eventually, the Champion came across the Heart Stone embedded in a ravine of crystals. Once Hoqon used the Earth Star to retrieve the Heart Stone, he returned to the planet's surface, where both Dumagh and the hideous worm, Bothon Loci awaited. The creature had a broad head and serrated, angular jaw. Though Bothon lacked eyes, Dumagh sat atop it's brow with the Eye of Iethon Loci. The spines erupting from beneath the scales quivered with excitement. With her dark powers, Dumagh gained control of the Loci, as she bestowed upon it the gift of sight.

  Without the aid of the Burning Star, Hoqon was earthbound. Dumagh rained fire while thrashing Loci attempted to swallow Hoqon. The Loci buried Hoqon into the Earth, but no amount of pressure from the Earth would crush him. When the Champion climbed back to the surface, the seed in his hand pulsated. The 4th Star, the Verdant Star, had grown and come to life. Upon the Loci's next attack, Hoqon rose high above the Loci, encased inside a pillar of stone. Then, he released the energies of the Verdant Star in a wave that bathed the entire land in pale green light. A giant tree started to sprout and spread throughout the land. Wherever the Bothon Loci pierced the Earth, the roots grew and bound the massive serpent. At it's roots, Bothon chewed fruitlessly on a plant that continued to regenerate from each gnashing tear. The World Tree wrapped Bothon Loci in it's roots and provided it with succor enough to satisfy it's appetite.

  Defeated, Dumagh attempted to escape the Champion by traveling through the Realms of Light and Shadow. When Ao returned, both deities pursued her through those realms. After a tricky chase, Dumagh was forced back into the Ley Corpus. With a mighty blow, Hoqon sent her hurtling towards the 4th Planet, Fuuthon. Hoqon and Ao continued to pursue her through the darkness of the cosmos.