LiesseiL
The future read, countless fates foretold in the weave of lines.
LiesseiL looked down at it all. It knew already that a sphere of light was to make it's way towards it's domain. It would never make it through the penumbra, the obscuring shadow hid it's mark so it would lose it's way. It already knew what the light had to say however. It already knew what the light was warning it of as well. It had been watching for a while. It had always known this event was coming to pass even though it was a rather recent development.
It was a strange sort of development. Back when not even the first of the archaic gods was born it had seen the lines stretch out to this point and beyond. Back then the lines were whole, yet now they are not. Quite the quandary indeed. Both past instances and future spans of time were eaten at by an unnatural force. The phantasmal lines of time were eaten ate by what resembled an invisible flame, something that produced no light, no smoke and no heat but blackened the edges of the holes it's made all the same. This worried it.
This was nothing even resembling ordinary. A destructive force which seemed to be intelligently destroying points in the lines in order to obfuscate itself. How it was even able to harm the fabric of time in such a manner was unknown simply because the process itself was lost in the resulting dissolution. It had been watching this happen for all it's existence and if whatever it was thought it could simply undo the possibilities it had been working towards all this time without any resistance then it would be sorely mistaken.
Since the others weren't given a scope of what level of danger the warning foretold the lines showed a high number of branches where they underestimate the threat ahead. It also saw that soon it would be visited by those who do take this oncoming danger seriously. It didn't like being seen ordinarily as it made for more complications further down the lines which made altering the path harder. It made a plan to inform it's Dream Walkers to see to it that it isn't disturbed. It was going to be quite busy setting it's plan into motion and it wasn't the time for interruptions, at least not on the paths it was aiming for.
If they were going to survive this, the path furthest from the burns would be the route it seeks.
Elsewhere in Slumberland
Priest King GhodohG
In the darkened temple halls from a flawlessly smooth surface as black as obsidium a pedestal rose. A perfect golden being with sharp horns like that of a bull coming from his forehead and back faded into existence as though it were always there, just unseen by the naked eye. It's three blazing red eyes opened, taking in the surrounding temple forum. Three other pedestals rose up and three other beings entered the world of dreams.
The first being was a woman who's body was molded in the form of utter Laseian perfection, her entire person a single flawless ruby. Her eyes glowed a deep azure blue which seemed to almost be passages into an entirely different realm from this one.
The second being was a strange yellow quadrupedal creature who's form could only be described as mildly resembling that of a giraffe's. On each of it's four feet were two large claws like that of a lizards, each set of claws large enough to be able to disembowel a hill giant in a single swipe. It's skin was covered in sickly yellow scales and jutting from it's shoulders were two impressively large quartz crystals. For it's head it had what was the permutation of a lizard's head and the caricature of a Laseian's face. It's mouth was perpetually twisted into a hateful scowl that was so long and so deep it almost went off it's face entirely. It's eyes were a manic spiraling yellow and red color which gave it a constant look of mania, it's brow furrowed in frustration at all times. It's head parted at the top to form two large twisted horns which continually arced electricity between them.
The third being was an ebbing dark fog which concealed the figure beneath it all. All that could be seen through the darkness was a black skull with two distant points of red light deep within.
"And so we gather within the sacred halls of our holy temple to give praise unto The Great Dream Maker. May it continue to maintain this sanctuary of the mind lest the world no longer dream." GhodohG spoke aloud the prayer of LiesseiL to the rest of the Priest-kings. "Amen." They all prayed in unison. This was their ritual to offer thanks to their patron before every meeting. "So begins the meeting of the Priest-kings." GhodohG confirmed, beginning the actual meeting part of this gathering.
"The first matter to be addressed is of heresy." GhodohG put forth the first issue in their agenda to discuss. The great yellow beast gave a loud hiss after he spoke of heresy. "The false prophet has been captured. He was executed as law demands for such crime, by The Mind's Cleansing Foci. The back of his skull was seared as the light of day concentrated through the focusing lenses burned through his eye sockets and brain." The large man beast informed them.
"He may have had followers. Have those who heard his words been thoroughly scoured?" The woman of red asked it. "It is still underway. The people who were witnesses to his proclamations were many and my mind sweepers must go through without omitting a single step of the process in order to ensure thorough examinations." The yellow beast excused it's lack of results. Their emotions loomed over the large creature. The woman of red's feelings were that of scolding, a feeling as though he was slacking in his administrative duties while GhodohG's feelings were that of acceptance and understanding accompanied by a sense of urgency, a desire to see that the matter be dealt with soon. The shrouded skull however was silent, it's emotions a mystery.
"The second matter to be addressed is of KeklelkeK." GhodohG raised the second matter to be discussed.
"Yes. Their ways are well out of line our system, our traditions." The yellow beast growled with clear contempt for the shadow cloaked skull and his method of managing his city. "Allowing outsiders a place of residence within our cities. If this level of flexibility with the mandate continues I fear it will progress to the point where non-psionics will start mating with the gifted, cutting our potency with their inferior bloodlines."
"I find it difficult to not share ZukuZ concerns. You've granted outsiders far too much freedom and have been using the purchase of outsider's psytanium as an umbrella to conceal this subversion." The ruby woman spoke with what could only be interpreted as spite. Her long translucent tongue weaved between the rows of her teeth, tracing lightly over the misericorde like tips of her gemstone teeth while she waited for his response.
The skull shrouded in shadows stood in silence for a time which seemed to drag on forever before his low, whisper like voice emerged from the depths of his unseen throat. "I understand your concerns. Most of you may see the income of psytanium as an excuse for my relatively liberal minded decrees regarding relations to outside nations, I will not deny. In the interest of propagating better relations with our suppliers I make minor amends with the purpose of nurturing the flow of psytanium into Lasei. Is it not the very underlying motto of LokoL that the strength of our entire civilization lies directly in proportion to the amount of psytanium we control, AociticoA?"
The ruby woman frowned, irritated that he'd use her city's own philosophy as an excuse for his leniency. "LokoL can easily supply our kingdom with the psytanium it need to be greater than any other. Your supply of psytanium pales in comparison to the mines and it shows no signs of slowing down." She retorted in a huff, starting to take the shadow laden skull's smug tone as one of insult.
"Enough. We mustn't allow ourselves to be divided by mere disagreements as we are united in devotion to The Great Dream Maker. We stand before each other not to undermine each others efforts but to see that our kingdom does not fall out of line with The Maker's wishes. Now, RodomodoR is right in that further increasing our psytanium supplies is of great concern. Much like LokoL however there should be room for compromise. No one aspect is to be ignored and while limited efforts to cooperate with outside are acceptable we must remain true to our heritage, to uphold the ways which were set in place back in the days of the prophets. Is that acceptable, RodomodoR?" GhodohG interjected, interrupting the squabbling before it started in order to maintain order. He knew the consequences that would follow if the priest-kings were to start undermining each other and lose sight of their true purpose. He did not want to see the prophesy of VosksoV enact itself as result of their ignorance towards higher matters.
"Always so keen to seek the middle ground. I find that absence of passion to be not of my liking." ZukuZ hissed his words as it lowered it's large head down, furrowing it's already arched eyebrows in petulance.
"Do you challenge me?" GhodohG turned to ZukuZ, his mighty golden arms crossed as he stared down ZukuZ. ZukuZ could only groan as he remembered the last time he challenged GhodohG to a mind duel. It was a mighty fight indeed but his loss embarrassed him, sundering his confidence. Ever since that night he's always resented GhodohG but he is too afraid to risk such a wound to his pride a second time. "Split my hairs. I do not challenge you GhodohG, you already know why."
GhodohG tried to refrain from feeling narcissistic but it was difficult not to be a little vainglorious when flaunting his superiority, even if it was for the purpose of maintaining order for the well being of the priesthood. "So RodomodoR, we need your answer." GhodohG repeated his proposal to him in order to confirm his verdict.
"Yes. I'll see towards obliging to your compromise." He had held out long enough, finally giving a direct answer to them.
"Then this meeting is adjourned. The hour of moon's height grows near and the Rite of the Crescent Moon needs to be attended." GhodohG wrapped the meeting up seeing as how their main issues for this month had been addressed. There were more issues to discuss but those were allocated to a later discussion. For now, they all gave their prayers unto LiesseiL in the hopes that it may answer them some day before setting off to conduct their retrospective masses.