And now for the exciting conclusion to the Salvific Scales Saga!
This is Part Three of a Three Part Series. For Previous Parts, click one of the links below:
Salvific Scales Part One
Salvific Scales Part Two
Fragments from the Frozen Wastes
In the aftermath of the throne room’s destruction, Calantha stood alone, her icy gaze reflecting the distant stars. A look of profound contemplation graced her features, as though the quiet tranquility of the cosmos had somehow found a home in her eyes. The room, despite its disarray, fell into a profound silence that allowed her thoughts to wander through the corridors of time.
As she rested her hand on the nearby coil of the Massive Mother Serpent, her mind drifted back, traversing the gulf of centuries to a time when the cosmos was but a simpler tapestry of destinies. A time when the Urge, the primordial architect of reality, still marveled at the dance of the Material World from its throne.
A stark image surfaced in her thoughts: the austere beauty of the Frozen Wastes. It was there, amidst the relentless cold and desolation, that her journey with the Mother Cosmic Serpent had begun. The memory was as vivid as if it had unfolded just yesterday.
In the heart of that icy wilderness, a portal of pulsating darkness had opened. Out of it had emerged a creature of impossibility, a birth of chaos wrought from the void’s insatiable energies. The Mother Serpent, a creature of darkness and light, found itself thriving amidst the radiance of the Zoe-Tropic Light.
Calantha had been there, an awestruck observer to the Urge’s encounter with the Mother Serpent. The sight of the celestial being, as it gazed upon the creature with wonder, still resonated within her. Its fascination with the serpent’s hunger for Zoe-Tropic Light was an echo that refused to fade.
The memory of the Cosmic Serpents’ inception followed. It was a marvel of cosmic engineering, one of the most complex bindings of Light the Urge had yet attempted. It had imbued the great cosmic serpent and its ensuing offspring with a tie to the Urge, their existence linked to the insatiable hunger of the void, their destiny to wander the cosmos collecting the Zoe-Tropic light.
Before the creation of the Star Harnesses, a collaborative effort between the Urge and Cygnus, the Cosmic Serpents served as the primary collectors of the Zoe-tropic light. When the birth of man was but a spec of dust in the Urge’s Celestial Eye. The life energy that coursed through the fabric of the material world was meticulously harvested by these cosmic beasts. Calantha had been there on the day those grand cosmic machines were deployed, and the serpents were released into the cosmos—a rare act of the Urge’s benevolence.
Yet, the memory that echoed loudest was that of the Mother Serpent sealing the initial void rift in the Frozen Wastes. The creature had devoured the rift’s chaotic energy, her body glowing brighter and brighter until it had become a beacon of Zoe-Tropic Light, subsequently redistributing it back into the cosmos. The rift had closed, and equilibrium had been restored.
The echo of these memories was shattered by a gut-wrenching cry. The Mother Serpent, her body aflame, writhed in pain. A keening wail of cosmic proportions ripped through the silence, a mind-shattering, dissonant symphony. Calantha rushed towards the creature, her heart pounding with desperation and fear.
With a surge of power and icy determination, Calantha managed to encase the Mother Serpent in a shell of frost and ice. The flames that engulfed the creature were snuffed out instantly, its cosmic cry fading into silence.
Just as she had managed to contain the situation, the other archons arrived, teleporting from the front lines in a flurry of energy. The sight of the Mother Serpent, frozen and silent, caused them to halt mid-argument. Shock rippled through them, questions and accusations springing forth, growing into a storm of doubt and disbelief.
“What is this madness, Calantha?” Orin demanded, his eyes scanning the massive form of the frozen cosmic serpent.
Calantha, unshaken by the tumult, answered, “The Mother Serpent… the original Cosmic Serpent. A gift from the Void, to the Urge, and now our only hope.”
Amidst the rising tensions and escalating arguments, Calantha remained an island of calm. Her gaze was trained on the Mother Serpent, frozen and dormant, but still holding a key to their salvation.
“We must know the fate of the Mother Serpent,” she began, her voice cutting through the chatter like a chill wind. “She is the key to closing the rift.”
She turned to Aria, her tone softening but firm. “Aria, I need you to use your abilities, to connect with the Mother Serpent’s consciousness as you did with Nyarlathul. We need to understand what happened before I encased her in ice. Was it an attack by the Void? A reaction to opening a rift?”
Aria recoiled at the suggestion, the memory of her recent trauma still fresh. Fear flashed across her features, a sentiment that was alien to the Archons. However, after much coaxing and pleading, and the united front of the Archons, she finally relented.
The connection was made, and through Aria, they felt an overwhelming hunger, an all-consuming craving for Void energy. It was a thirst for darkness, for oblivion. It was a longing so profound that it mirrored a deep-seated nihilistic desire for an end.
Armed with this newfound knowledge, the seven spirits began debating how to provide the Mother Serpent with Void energy. Xanthe proposed that they present her with the carcasses of slain void creatures to feast on. Cygnus, lost in his own world, mused about constructing a void energy collector. Orin brought up the possibility of trapping the Mother Serpent in a time-loop before she could utilize her power, while Oriel comforted the shaken Aria.
Thorne cut through the escalating arguments with a suggestion to take the Mother Serpent to the Void Rift, triggering a silence that echoed in the grand throne room.
Calantha found her voice again, stating, “With the energy of the Void, the Mother Serpent can close the Void Rift, just like she did all those eons ago at the Frozen Wastes.”
Thorne swiftly rebutted her proposition, underscoring the daunting challenges of battling the innumerable denizens of the Void. As beings spun from Light, the Archons were fundamentally ill-equipped to endure the Void as the Urge could. For the Urge was not merely touched by the Void, but rather born from the cataclysmic union of Light and Void energies. The Archons, in contrast, were a product borne from this union, but not of the Void itself. Their roots were in the Material world, in the Light, and not in the stark emptiness of the Void.
In response, Calantha proposed a plan of stealth and subtlety. She spoke of her intention to conceal herself in ice within the Mother Serpent, and venture into the Void Rift. Her declaration echoed within the throne room, filling it with a palpable tension.
Cygnus, ever the inventor, proposed creating a device using his knowledge of the shapeshifter, Shub-Nagarr, to disguise Calantha as traces of Zoe-Tropic light. Thorne was asked to fashion a gravity well capable of propelling the Mother Serpent into the Void, while Orin was tasked with creating a pocket of accelerated time to expedite the journey.
Meanwhile, Oriel, Aria, and Xanthe began devising a plan to distract and enthrall the creatures lurking at the Rift, thereby ensuring the Mother Serpent and Calantha would stand a better chance at crossing the Rift undetected.
A plan was set in motion, a desperate gambit born from the chaos of the moment. However, it was their best shot at salvation, and they would take it. Calantha’s icy eyes remained on the slumbering cosmic serpent, determination shining in their depths. For their world, she was willing to face the cold abyss of the Void.
Storming The Rift
The celestial battlefield sprawled in grand chaos before the Archons, suspended in the vastness of the Nebula, amidst the shattered remnants of Cygnus’ Cosmic Gate and countless fallen Aspects and Void creatures — a poignant reminder of the Great Loss. Seated on a comet conjured by Orin, the Archons glided with a chilling sense of purpose, the slumbering Mother Serpent concealed in a cave at their comet’s heart. Behind them trailed cosmic serpents in their thousands, each writhing in the comet’s icy wake, their luminescent scales flickering like distant stars.
As they neared the void rift, a dreaded figure emerged from its inky depths — Nyarlathul. The sight stirred a ripple of unease among the Archons, but it was quickly quashed by resolve. Xanthe rose above the comet, her radiant form igniting the void, and beckoned Aria and Oriel to join her. The stage was set, the time for action had come.
Like celestial sirens, Xanthe and Oriel released their corporeal forms, their light a lure to rival the lure of the stars themselves. They split in opposite directions, pelting any creatures within range with a barrage of cosmic energy. Meanwhile, Aria surged forward, her song rippling through the void and silencing the battlefield. The commotion dropped to a near silence, as countless alien eyes turned to watch Aria. In the tranquil pause, Orin wrapped the comet in a bubble of accelerated time, speeding the Archons towards the rift.
Back on the comet, Cygnus and Thorne meticulously checked the armor encasing Calantha — the final part of their elaborate plan. Once satisfied, they guided Calantha to her icy coffin, her sanctuary within the Mother Serpent’s eye, using a coalescence of Cosmic Energies. As Calantha settled in her icy abode, Cygnus began to rouse the dormant Mother Serpent while Thorne chanted an incantation, crafting a gravity well that would propel the Mother Serpent directly into the heart of the Void Rift.
Suddenly, a deafening cry cut through the relative quietude, causing a shiver to ripple through the serene tableau. It was Nyarlathul, his voice like the crash of celestial bodies. The Archons watched as he surged towards Orin’s comet, his rage palpable even from a distance. Recognizing the impending threat, Orin called for haste. Thorne released the gravity well, a sound so profound that it shook the void itself, causing even the Void Creatures to tremble. The shockwave roused the creatures from Aria’s trance and scattered them chaotically. The once orderly battlefield erupted into chaos once more.
Through the chaos, Calantha watched from the Mother Serpent’s eye as the universe around her seemed frozen, an eerie spectacle of paused violence. The crushing acceleration forced her back against her icy confines, and as the Void Rift loomed ominously close, she blacked out.
Meanwhile, the other six Archons rallied, embarking on a furious battle against the horde of Void Creatures at the Rift. Orin clashed with Nyarlathul, their psychic duel echoing through the celestial battlefield. Cygnus and Thorne joined the fray, each Archon showcasing a formidable display of power. With the battlefield echoing her fear, Aria faced her worst nightmare — the chilling touch of Nyarlathul. Yet fear morphed into rage, she let out a sonic blast filled with all her pent-up emotion, engulfing Nyarlathul in a brilliant magenta wave, reducing the Void Creature to a formless mist.
As the dust settled, Cygnus noticed the absence of the Mother Serpent. She had breached the Rift. A collective wave of relief washed over them, tinged with a sense of dread and anticipation. Now, all they could do was continue their battle and await the Mother Serpent’s return.
Into the Void
Calantha’s world reduced to an icy microcosm within the dim unlit eye of the serpent, a cell of reality in the formless expanse of the Void. Here, in an icy coffin forged by her own power and clad in Void armor crafted by Cygnus from the chitinous shell of a fallen Shub-Nagarr, she floated. The silent ballet of the Void unfurled around her, its eerie serenity laced with the unseen cacophony of unseen creatures.
In the terrifying stillness of the Void, Calantha found herself contemplating her solitude. There was a raw beauty in being, possibly, the only archon ever to tread this far into the Urge’s forsaken birthplace. It was a lonely thought that led her to reflect on the Urge’s prolonged absence. For millennia, their Sovereign had remained silent, their presence lost to the Material World. It was a quiet void that Aria and Oriel had never known to be filled; they were ascended successors, replacing the Urge’s original Archons who chose to return to the cycle of life and death. Calantha’s tranquil reverie was abruptly shattered, her senses suddenly alert to a presence creeping towards her through the ethereal landscape of the Void. A figure, spectral and pale, advancing slowly but surely.
Nyarlathul.
Yet, this encounter seemed impossible. She had just seen Nyarlathul storming towards the comet on the battlefield moments ago. The incongruity jolted her into the chilling realization that the Void Creatures were not separate entities, but manifestations of a single, unending consciousness. A hive-mind.
Could this be the same Nyarlathul? Or was it merely a new embodiment, a distinct iteration of the same grotesque and menacing entity, spawned from the same malignant consciousness? A pang of terror seized her, intensified by the unknown. The alien nature of these creatures, their alien concept of self, existence and time sent shivers of fear and uncertainty down her spine.
This Nyarlathul, a twin in essence but perhaps not in form, seemed to mirror the ferocity of his other self. Despite their hive mind, the creatures were not identical copies; each manifestation bore subtle distinctions, as though they were different faces of the same grotesque monstrosity. As he closed the distance, Calantha could not help but feel a chilling sense of déjà vu. The encounter was eerily reminiscent of their earlier battle, a haunting echo reverberating through the nothingness of the Void.
A frantic surge of adrenaline coursed through her as she tried to awaken the Mother Serpent. Yet, her efforts were in vain, the Void Armor dampening her attempts to manipulate the ice. As Nyarlathul moved closer, drawn by the curious flares of light caused by her attempts to use her power, a swell of fear rose within Calantha.
In a desperate, instinctive act, she shed her corporeal form momentarily, an incandescent silhouette against the icy backdrop of the Void. The unified screech of the Void’s denizens at her radiant display was almost enough to shake her resolute determination. She awoke the Mother Serpent in the nick of time, Nyarlathul meeting the rejuvenated cosmic entity in an earth-shaking collision. As the cosmic serpent devoured Calantha in a protective move, the Archon reassumed her form within the armor and the icy cocoon within the Mother Serpent’s eye.
The connection between them pulsed with a life of its own, flooding Calantha’s senses with visions. The phantom of a sibling serpent, a yawning void in the Material World, the Rift – the void the Mother Serpent’s ancestral home – they all danced before her eyes. It was an irrevocable truth now; the Mother Serpent would not return.
The narrative of visions evolved, blending into images of blinding light and iridescent golden scales of the Mother Serpent. An image of Calantha, enshrined in a luminescent, frosty-white aura, and the gaping maw of the Mother Serpent came to the fore, accompanied by an insatiable hunger. It was in this moment, with the world poised on the precipice, that Calantha understood.
The Mother Serpent required not only the Void energy but also Zoe-tropic light to manipulate rifts. Without a moment’s hesitation, Calantha began to channel her radiant energy into the Mother Serpent’s eye, creating an intricate web of life force that spread throughout the cosmic being.
An ear-shattering cry ripped from the Mother Serpent’s throat as blinding flames of light enveloped her, casting an alien glow across the void. Nyarlathul recoiled, charred by the intense light. Like a plague, Void creatures swarmed in thousands, drawn to the beacon of light. The Mother Serpent, her eyes aflame with the intensity of a thousand suns, strained against the Void creatures. Calantha, resolute and unwavering, poured an unending stream of energy into the cosmic serpent.
Despite the efforts, the void creatures managed to ensnare the Mother Serpent, their tendrils disintegrating upon contact with her luminous form. The cosmic serpent was held captive at a distance, incapable of moving any closer to the rift. Calantha felt the echoes of the Mother Serpent’s desperation vibrating at the edge of her consciousness, the plea for more energy becoming more urgent as the threat of the Void creatures multiplied.
Finally, the stark reality dawned on Calantha: if she wished to fuel the Mother Serpent’s power to close the Void, she would need to remain, to become a conduit, forever bound to the cosmic serpent.
Casting a final, longing glance towards the Material World through the Void rift, Calantha commanded, “Seal the rift, Mother. Return to your home.” And in the deafening silence of the Void, she surrendered to her fate.
The Wisp In The Wastes
In the aftermath of the rift’s closure, a peculiar anomaly manifested in the Frozen Wastes. A flicker of light, an ephemeral wisp, pulsating in the desolate expanse. With time, its presence attracted a curious villager who, in turn, notified an aspect of its existence. The news traveled rapidly and reached the remaining Six Archons, prompting them to investigate the occurrence in their departed sister’s territory.
Arriving at the site, the Archons convened around the spectral wisp, its silent radiance casting odd shadows over their faces. They traded speculations and theories, arguing over the process of choosing Calantha’s replacement when reality seemed to fold in on itself. The wisp burst open, tearing a rift in the very fabric of existence, from which tendrils of inky darkness shot out, making a beeline for the Archons.
From the chasm, a figure, bathed in the dark ichor of the Void, tumbled onto the frost-encrusted ground. Shaking off disorientation, the figure rose, its form seeming to shift and meld under the starlight. It threw its hands up in a defensive posture, releasing a shrill, inhuman cry. A cascade of white light burst from the creature, searing away the obsidian veil of ichor and sealing the rift in an overwhelming flash. As the light receded, so did the Void, leaving the Material World in solitude once again.
Standing in the spectral silence of the aftermath, the Archons braced for the worst. The figure, seemingly purged of the ichor, rose from its knees, its body igniting in a blaze of pure, white light. The radiance was almost blinding, forcing the Archons to shield their eyes.
When they looked again, standing before them was a figure from their past. Calantha. Yet, her once ice-blue eyes were now as dark as the Void, tendrils of inky energy twining around her before retracting into her form. She cleared her throat, a sound eerily reminiscent of her old self, and the darkness in her eyes faded, leaving the familiar icy blue hue.
Without uttering a single word, she began her march towards her icy citadel, leaving the other Archons standing in the chilly winds of the Wastes, their expressions a mix of shock and relief. Their sister had returned, but at what cost?
The Cosmic Serpent
The Serpent card, embodying the essence of the enigmatic Mother Serpent and her countless offspring, the Cosmic Serpents, is a potent and pivotal component of the cosmic game “Seven Archons: Aeon’s Ascent”. The evocation “Radiant Contamination” encapsulates the intense, almost radioactive nature of the Serpents’ power, symbolizing the way the Mother Serpent harnesses cosmic energies to manipulate the Void. This ability, while formidable, takes a toll on its user, reflecting the heavy cost of wielding such potent energies. It takes three turns to charge, mirroring the Serpents’ vast yet dormant power, and once unleashed, it inflicts poison damage that persists for seven turns, a testament to the relentless potency of their venom. The fact that this move cannot be blocked attests to the sheer unstoppable force of the Serpents’ energy.
In the cosmic hierarchy, the Serpent card holds a position as ancient and enigmatic as the universe itself. Mother Serpent and her offspring are intrinsic to the fabric of the cosmos, their power woven into the essence of the Archons. The Serpent card encapsulates this primordial energy, transforming into a formidable weapon in the hands of a skilled player.
Now that we’ve unraveled the mystique of the Serpent card and delved deep into the lore of Calantha, the Archon of the Frozen Wastes, we stand on the precipice of further uncharted territories. Four more Archons remain shrouded in mystery, their stories and powers waiting to be unveiled. Each of them carries their unique cards, representing the power of their respective Aspects, adding layers of strategy, excitement, and depth to “Seven Archons: Aeon’s Ascent”.
From the infinite possibilities of the Void to the intricacies of the cosmic hierarchy, there is much more to explore. Nine more Aspect cards await us, their evocations hinting at powers yet unseen and strategies yet undiscovered. Each card carries a universe of possibilities, their intricate synergies and interplays shaping the outcome of the cosmic game. So, journey with us as we continue to traverse the cosmos, uncovering the mysteries of “Seven Archons: Aeon’s Ascent” one Archon at a time, one card at a time. The cosmos awaits.