01.05- Hoqon and the Loci of the Frozen World
Life, Supernatural
Hoqon wastes no time in his journey to the 5th Planet, Daethon. Impeded by dangerous opposition, the Heart Stone lies at the bottom of an infinitesmal ocean, guarded by Daethon Loci.
Hoqon and Dumagh emerged from the Realms of Light & Shadow, arriving in the space around the 5th planet, Daethon. The deities felt a presence beyond the Aether surrounding them; from a deep pit in the depths of the Overworld, they could hear the ripping of dimensions as a titannic beast tore at the walls of reality for thousands of years in a moment, bursting through the threshold of the Boundaries. The portal closed behind the dark silhouette of the massive creature.
Glaring, green eyes framed by a feline countenance peered deep into the deities. As it stood to its full height, a cloak of dark smoke unfurled. Dumagh sensed the familiar presence of her shadow, Shakhan. No longer bound to Tyruen, Shakhan appeared in the body of a new form, the titannic Gon Damos. He revealed that he had been seperated from Tyruen by Sebut Sekt, who discovered and punished him. The Matron of Destruction began warping and removing his limbs, changing them into random mostrosities to roam Overworld. She only stopped after having removed his legs and right arm. Sebut Sekt realized that Shakhan could also move between the Realms of Light & Shadow. He can also carry others as he possesses them. Shakhan also hated Hoqon with a burning rage which intoxicated the youthful matron.
Sebut Sekt believed that the Overworld was the true state of the Corpus beneath the interventions of Natural Law and Divine Order. The deities that had safeguarded those systems, including Oah, were gone. She believed this meant that this was a new Age in a the order of the universes. The Gods had failed, and in the wake of that failure, Sebut Sekt was all that remained. All that was left was to sow the seeds of chaos that would herald her arrival.
With that condition, she spared the remnant of Shakhan's soul in order to send her monsters into the Corpus. There were worlds beyond where new Evils were born, brought to the Corpus from the Overworld. Each of them look for means to bring their matron into the physical realm. Now, Shakhan appears before the deities to prevent them from their mission.
Shakhan, riding Gon Damos, began to assail the deities with raking claws before a golden sunbeam struck him through the eye. Both Gon Damos and Shakhan howled in pain as a burst of light rushed by them at Godspeed. Enveloped in Ao's arms and wings, Hoqon and Dumagh were rushed to the 5th World. Behind them, Shakhan slipped back into the Overworld, leaving Gon Damos to pursue the deities across the expanse of space.
Though he appeared as youthful as ever, Ao seemed to Hoqon much older now than when they had met. As they traveled through the dense atmosphere of Daethon, Ao's astral body began to dissipate, leaving only his disembodied voice to haunt the chilling winds of a cold, icy planet. By the time they touched the fresh snow, Ao had dissipated. He explained that the atmosphere of Daethon was dark and thick, breaking sun's rays apart; he couldn't continue to help them here. Instead, he would turn his attention on the creature that was unleashed in the Aether.
As Hoqon held the stars above him, the 7th Star, the Aqua Star, came to Life with a cerulean hue. Wherever it's light touched, water and hail were parted like a curtain from the deities. Before departing, the disembodied Ao warned Hoqon of Daethon Loci, a serpent who "wished to devour all the other Loci." It coveted their worlds and if given the opportunity, would attempt to consume them. Ao ascended into space once more to leave Hoqon and Dumagh on their quest.
Led by the Aqua Star across an icy snowscape, the deities eventually found the top of the world, where glaciers and glacial shelves rose above the waves of a dark ocean. Beneath the shadow of a colossal glacial mountain, the deities found a raised platform. Completely carved from the surrounding ice, cold pillars were aligned in an odd pattern around the site, obscured by a white mist. As Hoqon and Dumagh, investigated, the ice beneath them began to crack. Suddenly, from behind the glacial mountain, the terrifying Loci burst from the black ocean and loomed into the sky. Unlike the others, Daethon Loci's pale, xanthic eyes glowed with a supernatural otherworldliness, the eyes of one who has gazed too long upon Sebut Sekt.
Daethon Loci appeared like the others- a large serpentine creature with rows of gnashing fangs and teeth, but this is where the similarities ended. A large, flexible and glowing horn emit the same light as the Loci's pupilless eyes. Adorned around it's body, various appendages burst from the Loci's scales, such as tendrils, claws or smaller versions of the Loci's menacing head. As it spoke, a vile bile dripped from it's fangs and a thick white mist expelled from it's open maws. As the Loci settled above the deities, it wrapped itself around the largest of the icy pillars and began to speak.
Daethon Loci spoke to the deities about the promise of power it received from Sebut Sekt. The Loci agreed that the world that the Goddess had shown him was the true nature of the cosmos. Unto Sebut Sekt, Daethon Loci sacrificed the blood of the Undine, a type of spirit that appeared with the waters of the world. They had hidden the Heart Stone from the Loci, somewhere beneath the vast ocean. Sebut Sekt had gifted Daethon Loci with the power to retrieve the Heart Stone; vassals formed from the Loci's body regularly broke off and regrew, swimming beneath the waves, closing in on the location of the Heart Stone. With even a fragment of Oah's power denied, Sebut Sekt could dominate the Corpus. With the power of promise, the Loci would join with it's infernal matron upon it's success and become the new Galaxia Loci.
Before the Loci finished, the miasma of it's breath had enveloped the area during it's conversation. The breath began to freeze around the deities. Hoqon commanded a column of water and air to rise from the ocean beneath. The Loci was determined to avoid the fate that it had witnessed upon it's brethren. Calling upon the power granted to him by Sebut Sekt, the air began to churn in dark spaces around the monstrous serpent.
While suspended atop the watery geyser, Hoqon and Dumagh formulated a plan; Dumagh would confront the Loci and it's hordes while Hoqon would search beneath the ocean for the Heart Stone. He didn't want to leave her alone and she didn't want to be alone but dividing was their best chance of success. With the power of the Fire Star, Dumagh surrounded herself in plumes of flame and returned to the surface. Hoqon became like living water and dove into the vast ocean.
Dumagh stood alone against the monstrous hordes of the Overworld Eidolons. With each failed attempt to destroy her, Dumagh was retributive with flame and magma hot enough to melt thick layers of the ice. Her body was like living flame; steam hissed around her, mixing with the white miasma and protecting her from it's cold crush. As she continued to defy the Eidolons, she felt the approach of that familiar presence once more: Shakhan.
Shakhan appeared, this time as a large creature with countless legs, churning venom through it's body. Commanding the Loci to seek Hoqon, Daethon returned to the ocean to pursue the Champion. Shakhan took the opportunity to negotiate with Dumagh. He believed that if the two of them reformed, that their power could reshape the possible cosmos to come. It's what Mulmot had wanted originally when he attempted to wrest Oah's divine soul: they could finish the work and end the Life- Death cycle once and for all.
Dumagh rejected Shakhan once more. She was no longer a part of the Death- God Mulmot and as such, she enjoyed her new freedom. She wanted to pursue the love that she felt for Hoqon and she wanted to see what would come after his quest, but most importantly, she wanted to be with the man that gave her heart Life. As Shakhan raised back in indignant fury, Dumagh released a scornful fire at the head of the monster Shakhan possessed. Recoiled, the disfigured Eidolon writhed in agony. As the poison inside it's body became as hot as magma, the Eidolon began to change, reflecting the agony it experienced. It rose up once more, crying and babbling as Shakhan departed once more, promising to return and drag Dumagh to Overworld.
Meanwhile, Hoqon continued racing through the ocean, drawn by the currents to deeper channels in the endless sea. Eventually, the monstrous creations of the Loci had caught up to him. When they were close, he used the power of the Bolt Star to emit electrical discharges through the water as the Champion repelled the hordes with a vicious defense, Hoqon reached the bottom of the ocean unimmpeded and continued searching for signs of the Heart Stone.
Hoqon found the Heart Stone hidden within a shelf of corral. Stretching endlessly, the reef marked the burial site of the Undine that perished protecting the Heart Stone. Their arms brushed and swayed in the currents of the ice flow, pointing him to the entrance of a coral maze. Proceeding was dangerous, as it was held together by the same icy structures that had led Hoqon to the ocean's bottom. Even the spirits of the helpless Undine were trapped in the patches of briny ice. The malevolent Loci continued to pursue Hoqon beneath his notice, allowing the Champion to lead it to the Heart.
Above the ocean, Dumagh continued to distract Shakhan from Hoqon. He returned with new and vicious Eidolon only for Dumagh to best them with her mastery of fire. Eventually, Shakhan stopped returning though each moment before he had promised to return with fresh horrors. In her heart made pure with love, she felt compassion for Shakhan. As a facet of herself, she couldn't ignore the pain he was suffering and yet in the silence of the frozen world of Daethon, she knew that he was also lost. Sebut Sekt had twisted his soul with his own hate- as much as Dumagh was no longer a reflection of Mulmot, neither was Shakhan. As the snow and gale buffeted the edges of the Flame Star, Dumagh felt the presence of a malevolent shadow forming at her back.
Above the world of Daethon, brilliant cascades of golden sparks ignited amongst the stars of the Aether. With a spear of golden light, Ao battled against the fierce Gon Damos. Though the Sun- God was as fast as light, Gon Damos was an indomitable creature, resilient, and monstrous in its pursuit of the Sun- God. Gon Damos' body felt no pain and as long as it had it's baleful eyes set upon the Sun- God, it would unleash a barrage of nails and claws at Ao's head. Wreaking havoc upon the stars, Gon Damos grasped balls of fire and lunged at Ao.
Throughout the pursuit, Ao had been reciting the tones for a spell he had learned at the Throne of Aeon. As Gon Damos' reached with flaming fists, Ao rose above him and with a mighty stomp, the Sun- God fell upon the beastly Eidolon. Ao's incredible weight pressed against Gon Damos until he broke the Aether, collapsing space and forming a black hole at Gon Damos' legs.
The yawning abyss pulled the roaring Eidolon into it's maw. Ao continued the spell, but was seized by Gon Damos' fiery grasp. The beastly Eidolon severed its arm, reaching Ao through the connection of a strand of sinew. Bound by the horrific clutch, together they were sinking into the black hole. By the time it had reached the Eidolon's waist, Gon Damos used one arm to press against the lip of the black hole. Crackling black energy leapt in bolts from his supporting hand as he drew Ao closer.
Though the Sun- God burned brilliantly as cosmic fire, Gon Damos ability to regenerate was obvious. Already the severed arm was healing once more as it came closer to the Eidolon's chest. Then, the shadow of a large comet appeared and like a silver fireball, it burnt the connecting sinews, freeing Ao. Without his other arm, Gon Damos struggled to pull itself from the black hole before it tightened against the Eidolon's chest.
Mystendr appeared upon another smaller comet and pulled Ao away from the thrashing Eidolon. Begrudgingly, Ao offered no thanks to Mystender, claiming that he would have escaped the beast with his own might in time. Mystendr offered nothing more than a gesture, which will continue to this day to confuse Ao. However, the deities had little room to celebrate; another Eidolon appeared from the black hole, holding Gon Damos cat- like head high above it. The two deities were enveloped in a pale light.
Beneath Daethon's oceans, Hoqon continued to navigate the coral maze with the aid of helpful Undine souls that pointed the way. Inside of an inner chamber protected by a giant shell, Hoqon felt the familiar presence of the Heart. As he opened the shell, a white cloud rushed into the chambers; Daethon Loci had found Hoqon and the Heart. Pouring into the chamber in a tangle of limbs and coils, Daethon Loci slammed its body in waves against Hoqon.
During the attack, the chamber of coral collapsed and a pathway is made for Hoqon to escape the Loci. The ocean outside the coral had become infested with the spawn of the Loci. Spines and teeth rushed in the darkness of the water until Hoqon released the energy of the Bolt Star through the currents. The Aqua Star pushed him higher and higher through the waves as the fangs of the Loci bore ever closer.
As he broke the waves, Hoqon attempted to escape into the Air with the Aerial Star, but the Loci proved quick and long, flying through the air and ensnaring Hoqon within its coils. Racing across the ocean, the Loci battered Hoqon against ice and waves, attempting to knock the Heart from his grasp. Pinchers and teeth gnashed at his arms and legs; the Champion bled for the first time in his journey, the color of it mixing in the ice.
As they approached the top of the glacial mountain, Hoqon called upon the power of the final star, the Arboreal Star. Cold wind began to seize the God and the Loci, forming ice around the Star. Together, Hoqon and Daethon Loci merged with the ice, freezing in unison inside the glacial mountain; ignoring the chill, Hoqon continued to assail the Loci until the ice storm had covered them both. He commanded the frost to settle here and ensnare the Loci, but he was now imprisoned as well.
Dumagh had heard the ice cracking behind her and felt Hoqon's presence but she couldn't take her eyes off of the enemy before her. Tyruen had returned, this time without Shakhan. The shadowy Eidolon clad in rusting irons held aloft a thin blade. Dark storm clouds began to circle the glacial mountain and a storm of sleet fell between the combatants. Bolts of lightning arced across the sky and struck at the mountain. As their shadows flickered, a dance of death ensued between the Eidolon and the Deity.
With a lance of fire, Dumagh parried the sliver of steel; occasionally, it would bend and change its course, piercing Dumagh but never leaving a mark. Tyruen was a formidable fighter, able to flow gracefully through their battle as a shadow; Dumagh circled, her body a living flame of rage. Then, one by one, the wounds began to inflict their damage over time; she felt the slide of the steel into her flesh as though it happened all at once. Hundreds of slashes occurred in an instant, draining her of vitality. She collapsed into a snowbank until it melted around her, leaving her body exposed to Tyruen.
Behind Tyruen, Shakhan had emerged once more, this time in the body of a statue, which disappeared from him instantly. Though enraged, Shakhan hesitated to attack Tyruen. Since his possession, both Shakhan and Tyruen despised each other. However, Tyruen spent many years in Overworld torturing Shakhan since. Tyruen bent over and picked up the Flame Star, leaving Shakhan to lift Dumagh from the snow. As the lightning around the mountain intensified, one final flash and Hoqon burst through the ice, landing before the two Eidolon. Swiftly, Dumagh and Shakhan descended through the Realms of Light & Shadow to return to Overworld.
Hoqon watched in horror as Dumagh faded into the black smoke of Shakhan's body and was taken away. Tyruen stood before Hoqon with the Flame Star, which now burned with a green flame. The 7 Stars circled Hoqon protectively, each pulsing in anticipation of the battle between Deity and Eidolon. As the two collided, another battle was taking place high above them amongst the stars.