The area chosen for the meeting was Ayan Baquar, amusingly enough. It had been the primary point of contact between the virindi and the mortal population of Dereth for the full prior generation before the Fall, and if mortals had corrupted most of the virindi who had been assigned as intermediaries, well, it was what it was.
That meant Harraag showed up and was basically the host, the banderlings excitedly forming security around the place in a show of force and importance. With the Prodigal Banderling in charge of them, they no longer had to fear or be bound to the whims of virindi or shades or undead, and they were trying to carve out something resembling a nation or state of their own.
Their aggressive territorial instincts couldn’t be helped, and were certainly going to create trouble in the future, but there was no way around that. Every people had to experience conflict to gain Karma and grow.
The Grand Imperator had no easy way to manifest on the world, so we literally had to Summon him into being. Thus, I had to make up a big Summoning Diagram, I surrounded that with three Thaumaturgic Circles just to let the thing know we acknowledged its power and importance, and then a dozen of us filled it with the energy to punch the Veil, reaching out to the Singularity and bringing the most powerful of all virindi forth from the aether/portalspace and onto Dereth in a swirl of multi-colored Prodigal magic.
Yeah, all the Prodigals were here, even Bobo.
I watched the magic stratify and try to spin itself into ordered layers as the inhuman form gathered a shell of ectoplasm and wove it into the semblance of a physical form. I promptly began to Sing, and the strands of magic jumped free of the grip of the incoming axiomatic, thrumming in joy and wonder as Words of Creation caressed the Sublime Chords and kept the magic under my control.
About eight feet tall. One set of extra limbs in crystalline white, armored scales of black also edged in white. Its mask bore a lofty, arrogant expression, accented with diamonds or their equivalents, and the light within flickered harsh and intense as it congealed into materiality, studying its surroundings.
I could feel its intent upon the manafield, a single test of my control of the same bouncing and rejected as the Circles about it constrained it and prevented it from moving or Casting outside them. They did not, however, restrict it from simply leaving, which it could do at any time.
“Per the Codex of the Edicts of the Eternals, this one greets the Grand Imperator of the Virindi who has responded to our Summons. This one asks forbearance for interrupting the Imperator in its endless tasks, but there is a matter of much importance that needs to be brought to the Imperator’s attention, and only it has the power to make a ruling on said matter.”
“You Are The Fleshling Whose Magic Removed Us From The Obsidian Plains. You Will Remove Your Anathemic Edifice And Withdraw From Our Chosen Center Of Operations!” the deep, static-chased, and multi-stereo voice of the Imperator promptly declared, utterly sure of its authority.
“Per the Codex, matters of Axiomatics interfering in matters of the Prime Plane are either of Null authority or at best a contest of power. This one has the power, and this one bars the virindi. The matter the Imperator has been called here for is not a demonstration of relative magical power, however. Is the Grand Imperator of the Virindi willing to demonstrate its knowledge and authority over its own people?” I counter-proposed calmly, undeterred by its behavior.
The Imperator spun around slowly, surveying the Prodigals and their glowing eyes, as well as the paramount-mages who had helped me with this matter. There were a hundred banderlings circling us at a very respectful distance, clearly not wanting to get any closer to a virindi emanating such a fearsome Aura, nor the powerful individuals gathered and waiting here.
“The Grand Imperator Has Full Authority To Negotiate On Behalf Of The Collective. Why Have You Summoned It?” it finally intoned, its continuing attempts to exert its power constrained by both the Thaumaturgic Circles and my own grip on the manafield.
“Analysis. Given the information gained by the virindi from these mortal lands in payment for their time, given the losses the virindi have endured during this time, should the Collective of the virindi still remain extant upon Dereth? I ask this under the Aegis of Truth.”
The axiomatic creature shuddered in shock at the power of the Word, which was there and gone and impossible for it to comprehend, despite all of its supernatural intellectual ability. Its very soul quavered under the weight of the Word, and despite its affinity for knowledge, it knew that understanding that Truth meant it would be virindi no longer!
It also knew that searing clarity was streaming through its own analysis, and that… something was Wrong.
“The Collective Should Have Withdrawn From This Mortal Realm Approximately Nineteen Years Ago,” it finally responded, and was that a bit of shocked enlightenment suffusing its voice?
“Given the price the virindi have paid, should the Collective ever have come here at all? Again, under Aegis of Truth,” I went on pleasantly.
The Grand Imperator shook uncontrollably again, but its analysis seemed to be accomplished with even more speed and energy. “The Losses To The Collective Have Not Been Balanced With Sufficient Understanding. This Excursion To The Material Plane Has Not Been To The Benefit Of The Collective to a figure of 20.66%,” it finally intoned with what might have been awed realization.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“What is the likelihood that the Collective has been influenced by a power it cannot sense or comprehend, forcing it to remain here past a time when logically it would never have come, or would have withdrawn in the face of negative returns on its efforts? Under Aegis of Truth.”
The Grand Imperator shuddered again, multiple lights strobing behind its eyes and around its mask, even the wisps escaping from beneath it and keeping it aloft pulsing at frantic speed. “The Probability Is 97.72%!” it finally intoned, gasping in realization.
“The probability that the knowledge of the Grand Imperator concerning this matter will be wiped before it can rejoin the Collective without the Aegis of Truth to protect it?” I finished calmly. Everyone watched in fascination as the Grand Imperator vibrated like a metal spring back and forth, virindi energies spilling forth from it in mathematical desperation as it calculated.
“Probability: Absolute!” it almost screamed at me in frantic realization.
“The Grand Imperator has the authority to order the complete and utter withdrawal of the virindi from Dereth in acknowledgment of the survival of the Collective!” This speaker was Hea Rheaga, the Prodigal Tumerok’s glowing green eyes sparking with his own slice of virindi energies. “The mortal races of this place agree to affect the release of all virindi spirits bound in Summons and otherwise extant beyond the control of the Collective and restore them to the Quiddity if the virindi withdraw the Singularity and retreat from this world with all the haste required to escape their unknowing subservience to outside influence. The Grand Imperator’s knowledge cannot be removed while under the Aegis of Truth; it may give the order and see it obeyed while extant at this time and place!” the Prodigal Tumerok so informed the Grand Imperator, who had spun around to face him and his words in agitation.
“Calculating… 98.04% Probability Of Being Correct-”
“Truth.”
“-Calculations Revised, 100% Probability Of Being Correct! Orders Being Issued To The Quiddity And The Singularity. Absolute And Complete Removal From The Worldspace Of This Mortal Plane To Be Undertaken With All Speed And Overriding Priority. All Projects To Be Abandoned In Light Of The Survival Of The Collective. Withdrawal Commencing… Meat Units Will Return Extant Virindi Unable To Withdraw From The Magical System Of This Realm Under Their Own Power?”
“We shall!” Briggs called out from behind me, and Fate moved.
The Grand Imperator actually dropped a foot, its fluctuating armored robe almost touching the ground as it felt all probabilities align in the direction of a Source Oath.
“Agreement Acknowledged And Accepted. All Virindi Withdrawing From The Worldspace. The Singularity Is Withdrawing From Aetheric Conjunction With Mortal Worldspace. The Quiddity Awaits The Return of Trailing Members. Grand Imperator Withdrawing Beyond Worldspace With All Speed…”
There was a shuddering of energy and movement of powerful magic, and the pressure of this most powerful of virindi entities evaporated as the shell it had been wearing collapsed limply to the ground, the seething nexus of power that had filled it escaping as rapidly and completely as it could.
The Thaumaturgic Circles fizzled and dimmed into inert status once more, while the shell of the Imperator began to mist and break apart as the compressed ectoplasm returned to its natural state.
Those surrounding sort of blinked. “That… is all it took?” Candeth Martine asked in some disbelief, ignoring the sparking blood trailing from his own eyes and nose at hearing Truth multiple times, a sight replicating by a great number of those around, including many of the banderlings who’d been listening too closely and had received an enlightenment their savage hearts were not ready for.
“Along with Hope and Valor,” I confirmed, and heads were thrown back, chests swelled, hearts thrummed as all those who heard it inhaled at Thunder pounding in their hearts, minds, and souls, letting them know this was a Damn Good Thing, and they could make it even better!
“The People of Harraag will send the Cold Masters from this world forever!” Harraag bellowed, his own crimson orbs spitting fiery energies now, unable to keep the awe and wonder from his voice. His cry was taken up by the hundreds of banderlings inhabiting the city of Ayan Baquar. All of them had heard those Words and were shaken with the enlightenment of Heaven coming down upon them, showing them there was so much more beyond feed, breed, fight, and survive!
They, they could become lions among mortals, they could tread the worlds as giants in heart and soul, and become so much more than they had been-!
“Then please take the lead in this effort, Brother Harraag, and let us know how we may be of aid in your efforts,” I said to him.
“HEAVENSPEAKER!” the Prodigal Banderling announced, and he threw himself flat upon his face.
All around, without the slightest hesitation, the banderlings of Ayan Baquar threw themselves on their faces towards me.
Gravely amused, Harraag’s Prodigal Brothers went down to one knee, even King Bobo lowering his head now. Behind me, Briggs also went to one knee, and Kris, shit-eating smile firmly in place, did the same, leading Isparians, Tumeroks, and Lugians to follow suit.
“The Heavenspeaker has spoken! We send the virindi home, freeing us from their plans, and freeing them from their unknowing slavery!” Briggs intoned in his magnificent Warlord’s Voice. “By the Thunder of Heaven!”
“TRUTH!
“HOPE!
“VALOR!” I agreed for all of them, and Glory came down to finish what the Words began, recognizing that this was truly a Good Thing we were doing and had done, and Heaven would reward them all for taking up the Quest of a Source’s Fate-making… and nothing was going to stop us!
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“Very well done, Heavenspeaker!” Kris gave me a consoling hug as we watched the banderlings already breaking up into teams and Fellowships. Information was already being shared about Dungeons with virindi Summons in them that would have to be cleared completely, while the Direlands would have to be combed from shore to shore to remove any random virindi Summons completely.
With the Singularity receding, it should be pulling out any non-corporeal virindi spirits completely from the System, which should mean any virindi, simulacra of the Collective, rifts, marionettes, and minions should no longer be Spawning in anywhere, except...
“We’re going to have to go back to the Singularity Caul,” I noted to her.