* * * PARTHIA – CREEVAR’S KILLERS & DEEPSIX * * *

Their trip up the river Suran to Riverport took four days. The Suran was a wide and sluggish river that wound its way through fertile fields. It was too shallow for ocean going ships. Their riverboat had been pulled by teams of oxen that used the wide road that followed its right bank.

Harrassan looked round the river docks, happy to be back on dry land. The riverboat had been far less comfortable than one of Blue Lagoon’s ships but it had saved them time.

They had left Falreena and her satellites behind in Silverton. Apparently Azurea still had a task for her priestess.

Creevar’s Killers made their way to the local Adventurer’s Guild. It was housed in a rather unprepossessing edifice and lacking in amenities. The quest board only listed basic tasks, gathering and escort mainly. Harrassan nodded to himself. A dungeon would be a boon for this guild, even if it would be as uninspired as he suspected after talking to Drina.

“Well Deepsix, what do you think. Riverport is a fair sized town at the end of the main navigable stretch of the river, a decent bridge, no nearby dungeons, a small struggling guild. The worked out quarry is about two hours walk to the north in the foothills.”

“I, um, am not sure about those things, but a set existing chambers or caves is always useful. I really hope this dungeon isn’t discovered too soon. So maybe it’s a little too close to town.”

“Well Deepsix, any further and a settlement will grow up around the dungeon. It still might but Riverport is reasonably prosperous so it should mitigate against a new settlement.”

* * *

The following morning they left Riverport riding on some small ugly looking large headed horses the twins had found. The horses proved surprisingly tireless and nimble.

The old worked out quarry was declared satisfactory by Deepsix, after he had explored it and its surroundings carefully.

While Creevar’s Killers set up camp and prepared to spend some time waiting for Deepsix to be ready to either leave or stay, Deepsix made his way to a rough chamber at the end of a deep shaft and placed Dr Lara Fischer’s core in a small alcove he had painstakingly carved in one of the walls.

Deepsix sank to his knees and prayed to Azurea for her help for this new core. By the time the prayer was done a dungeon wisp had appeared and was eagerly awaiting the new core’s awakening. Deepsix fed Dr Fisher’s core some manna and prudently withdrew.

* * *

Dr Fisher awoke, again. This time she was alone except from a bobbing ball of glowing swamp gas. She was in a crude limestone chamber.

« Oooh those hyenas! Why don’t they leave me alone...”

« Hyenas! Done. Your starting monsters are Hyenas. Further as the only other monster you know is incapable of surviving in your dungeon I will evolve it for you. »

Dr Fisher was reeling when Ricewind the wisp offered his services as a companion.

« What! Oh Hecate that’s truly hideous... What, yes... »

« done. Dr Lara Fisher has accepted the wisp Ricewind as her companion. »

Dr Fisher wanted to blink but she couldn’t. Out of a sense of fascinated horror she summoned the bizarre creature that she couldn’t get out of her mind. The deep sea angler fish that seemed to have been merged with a hyena appeared in the middle of her heart chamber.

* * * THE GARDENS OF PARADISE * * *

Villius of the eyes arrived back in the Gardens of Paradise. He breathed in the perfume of the abundant flowers, avoiding almost instinctively the beds containing the scarlet poppies not wishing to slumber for several years. With his eyes maintaining a close orbit around his head he hurried home.

Some hours later, freshly bathed and perfumed, garbed in his restrictive court robes he made his stately way to the palace serving the greater gods of the low middle tier.

With practiced ease he dispensed the necessary gifts to the souls serving at this palace and bought his way to an appointment with Bucantil the Somnolent, god of the mid tier who had been in charge of this palace for the past millennia and a half. More gifts were given and Villius remained expressionless as he crossed his three pairs of arms and bowed. Making the correct bow required of a god of the lower mid tier when meeting one of the mid tier.

Bucantil narrowed his scarlet eye, failing as ever to read any expression on Villius. Personally Bucantil thought Villius had an unfair advantage as the only feature on his sky blue egg shaped head was a rather large spreading three nostriled nose.

Bucantil watched Villius’ presentation, and considered. Rather reluctantly he agreed with Villius but, and it was a big but, Brinius of the Blue Host and Meera the Night were both gods of lower high tier. And the New Sages had the ear of Duuna of the silken thighs. And she reputedly had caught the eye of the Emperor besides being a goddess of the upper high tier.

So how to distance himself?

“Sorry Villius but you know how things are. Tell you what, I will give you a pass to visit the worlds. Go and I will think on what you have shown me.”

Villius bowed again, not quite as deeply this time and backed out of the presence of the representative of the Emperor of the Dawn to the gods of the lower mid tier. He turned and returned to his home. He was fuming inside, but despite everything he was surprised. Bucantil hadn’t just kicked him out. Unfortunately that meant the ball was once again in his court. Now how was he going to get himself out of the mess his little vacation had got him into.

After packing a few delicacies and making a few discrete enquiries among the lower tier gods. Villius couldn’t help sneering to himself at the thought of the lower tier gods who had to actually put in a few hours of work every year.

He now had a list of worlds the proponents of the New Sages had decided to influence. He had co-opted one of the spawn of the poppy addicted Cthulhu the dreamer. Fatagn the slothful was a chip of the old block but a sea god might prove useful in dealing with the arrogant one. Even if he was one of the lower low tiered greater gods.

First he visited Ambuila. His eyes were able record the decline of a marginal world. The world’s deserts had started growing almost from the moment of the arrival of the proponents of the New Sages. And now the deserts were growing visibly from year to year. It was – troubling.

Diavlo was beyond shocking. Villius found himself forced to return to the Gardens to meditate and calm himself. Fatagn the slothful he released to his own devices. Somehow he didn’t think he would need him.

The whole situation was unprecedented. The planetaries and multi-system lower gods were defying the greater gods. And even worse some of them were saving the worlds ruined by the chosen of the greater gods. It was – unprecedented. It was unacceptable. Better that the worlds should die than the upper tier gods be defied. Be proved wrong. And they were being proved wrong. What to do? What was he to do?

After a week of meditation, interrupted by his thoughts scurrying round in circles Villius almost surrendered to despair. Then out of desperation he tried to look at the situation as an opportunity. It took him another week to work out a possible plan. If the upper tier gods were going to be shown up, well so be it. If he handled things correctly maybe, just maybe he could get enough credit to advance.

So, that left gaining more evidence regarding the experiments and selecting which ambitious gods he could goad into leading the charge. Well he had time – possibly.

* * * EARTH – MARY * * *

Mary lost herself in her experiments. She was having fun trying to enflesh her most recent inspiration. It certainly looked that Whiskers would come to life soon, followed by his race. The, admittedly not so small, black, winged cat inspired by Jhary-a-Conel faithful friend stretched and looked round. He yawned curling his tongue. Mary noted that his upper fangs were a tad long and that his mouth opened rather wider than one would expect of a cat.

She stretched out her hand and scratched him under the chin smiling at the loud purr.

‘I’m keepin’ you Whiskers. Damn Bluey but I always liked cats now they kinda seem necessary in my dryland dungeons. An’ Whiskers is cute.’

Mary grinned when Whiskers flew onto her shoulder and settled down expecting to be carried. She made her way up to her home and wandered into the kitchen.

“Hi mama, this is Whiskers, an’ he’s a telepath. He’s much brighter than the ponies an’ his healin’ abilities are subtly different. He an’ his folk will collect the life energy of their kills and use that to heal. They’re cats so they won’t be killin’ themselves to heal people. An’ as telepaths they’ll know people an’ some people will not be healed by ’em.”

“Are you sure that’s wise dear? Those people might sue. And are the pixies safe?”

“If someone’s been cruel or worse to cats they can whistle. As for pixies, yes, it was difficult but they’re safe.”

* * *

Dr. Gullwing sat back in his chair as he waited for one of the hospital’s receptionists to transfer the call. “Hello Ms Silvestre, what can I do for you today?”

“Got somethin’ that will work with adults. But they’re finicky an’ have special needs. Beein’ cats they are somewhat more selfish than the ponies. They will need to kill things for the life force they will use to heal. Mice, rats, birds, that kind of thing.

“Then they’re telepathic so no chance will they touch people that have been cruel to cats. Do you want them? only have six so far. Five ladies and a tom.”

Gullwing cast his eyes up to the ceiling. “Why cats? I’m allergic to dander. You do realize that there will have to be trials. Telepathic you say? The ponies are causing us lots of problems now that it looks like they will be recognised as having limited sapience. What about these cats.”

“Hey, that’s good news on the ponies. Thanks. My cats are lots brighter than the ponies.”

“I see,” sighed Gullwing. “When can you send them to me? I’ll have some people waiting for them. Anything else?”

“I’ll get someone to drive them over directly. They should be there in little over an hour. An’ they can fly.”

“Fly? Why didn’t you use dogs? Dogs are smarter and more co-operative than cats.”

“’Cause I wanted independent minded folk. Why don’t you turn loose your healers? You do have healers don’t you? They should be able to advance to be near as good as the cats.”

“Because clinical trials are still ongoing. The AMA won’t allow just anyone to work as a doctor. There are standards to be kept. And why almost?”

“The cats harvest life force by killin’ rats an’ other vermin an’ use it in the healings. Your healers won’t have that resource. But they’ll have knowledge.”

* * * EARTH – IN THE NEWS * * *

Today the President signed an executive order that declared a half-mile circle of ocean between Big Island and Maui a no go zone. The navy is mobilizing forces to strictly enforce this zone.

According to reliable sources an advanced underwater base is being built at that location.

* * *

The WWF has today declared the Sea Serpent to be a critically endangered species. The organisation has been able to identify three individual animals. Efforts are being made to tag these creatures so that they can be studied for the betterment of science.

* * *

The army has managed to clear the second level of the Winter Wolf Dungeon in Bismark. An army spokesperson has admitted that casualties have been heavy but that they believe they will eliminate this dungeon by the end of the month.

A government spokesperson has stated that the peculiar caves under a park on Maui where a series of formerly extinct animals have been discovered is in fact also a dungeon named Dinosaur Caves.

The spokesperson has assured us that there is no danger to the public on Maui and that the dungeon, known as Dinosaur Caves will be maintained due to its unique flora and fauna.

* * *

Magitech inc is finding it difficult to keep up with demand for its products. Their enchanted earrings sold as Atmospheric Control for one and a half thousand USD are extremely popular in the more polluted cities of the world. It would seem that they are in fact highly efficient individual air filtration systems.