BECMI Chapter 333 – Immortals are still Finite
My knees buckled as Eternal awareness crossed the gentle benevolence of the Salute to Aru, the simple ceremony of awakening, of revitalization and clarity, a simple thing to bring balance and hope and a clear mind to the day ahead.
It was a Blessing from Aru, and even here, halfway across Creation or something, it had an effect, for the Salute was embedded in the power of Good as a Great and Good thing, and Aru didn’t even have to be aware of us for it to be granted in His Name.
Master Lalo and Captain Emeril knelt down uncontrollably next to me, gaping in awe, staring with me as that gentle supporting wave of divine love that extended just SO DAMN FAR blew like the finest breeze over our souls past us, and blessed us now just as surely as if we were all still mortals.
“I, that-!” Captain Emeril tried to say, his eyes almost crystalline white, burning tears tracking down his face. “G-Gods in Heaven!” he managed to breathe out, shaken to the core as the vision slowly faded away with rays of the sun streaming across us. We were all fully aware of just how amusing an Immortal saying that was, and that was why he said it.
“The size, the immensity, beyond my ability to picture and understand!” Master Lalo breathed, closing his eyes to steady himself. “My mind is expanding, my awareness, but that, that was simply beyond me…”
“That was the power of a true god, not a hopped-up Outsider calling itself an Immortal,” I said softly, both of them listening very intently, and they nodded right along with me in complete agreement. They simply were not anything equal to what they’d just seen. “The Immortals do not want such beings here. THEY want to be in command. THEY want to be the great powers of the multiverse here.
“I think we can all see where that determination has gotten the mortals who have to suffer under their plots and plans.”
Captain Emeril put a fist on the stone of the balcony we were on and bowed his head. “It is such a small thing on the face of it, Lady Edge. I never knew what was behind it all.” An Immortal having such reverence in his voice, like a pious mortal, would certainly have been laughed or sneered at by others of their kind, who acknowledged no greater beings, only more powerful members of their own.
But we’d seen that power, so broad and awesome and subtle there was no way a mere Immortal could have done anything like that.
And seeing it, we knew we were still ants. The only difference is that we were far more aware of just what scale of ants we were!
“True divinities are not even finite,” I told the two men in a low voice. “The most powerful of Immortals is no greater than a lesser god, one who still wrestles with materiality. A Greater God can snuff stars, crack worlds, and bring down entire dimensional planes if they’ve the motivation to do so.
“In our eyes, they are primary servants of the Alignments, living Tropes interpreting and executing the Will of the grand powers of Creation across all multiverses. Even here, where none currently dwell, their power echoes, because the Alignments are everywhere.
“One of our great goals is indeed to invite the gods here in one form or another, gentlemen. How we will do that, I do not know, especially given the Immortals would destroy the world entire rather than see it happen.
“But that is the ultimate goal. To bring in Aru, and not merely His Salute, for the benefit of our people.”
“Will that bring in His opposites?” Master Lalo asked immediately, having been a fan of the stories of Aru and the other Heavenly Courts that I knew of.
“In time, yes. But they will have to find a way to come here, doubtless spurring fools desperate for a counter to Heaven into going to exactly the wrong forces to bargain for power, and finding far more than they ever did not want to know.” The inevitability of it was a given. Good simply couldn’t be allowed to dominate a whole multiverse, the shenanigans that would happen would likely destroy it as the other Alignments unloaded upon it.
But Good could endure, and Good could plan for the long-term with an ability to adapt and survive few in the other Alignments could rival.
Hope, Enterprise, and so many other Virtues were so good at such things.
I rose, and both men rose after me. They could feel my power here and in Markspace, and the fact I had no problem bowing and kneeling to Aru was a powerful sign and confirmation of my awareness of my place in things.
“It appears we have a great deal of work to do,” Master Lalo admitted, rubbing his hands in cheerful anticipation. “Lady Edge, I believe we will have to prevail upon you to test some of our capabilities, that when we finally run into our counterparts, we come across as well-trained and aware students, and not as rustic fools who can be taken advantage of.”
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“Giving us all awareness of the power and limitations of Immortal Power is a good thing,” I agreed with him. “You need to have a very broad awareness of what magic can do for you in all its forms, and you need to get swiftly better in its usage.”
“The Tyranny of Rep Counts!” both of them immediately spoke in unison, familiar with the concept.
“Yes. Becoming Immortal gains you access to all magic, but it does not make you skilled with it, only powerful.” I pointed out into nowhere. “Captain Emeril, a routine Lightning Bolt, if you will. Master Lalo, an Orb of Fire.” I flicked up the crackling start of the former atop Dread, and the other in the grasp of my hand.
The two men stared at the waiting spells, unraveling what they were, finding matches in their own power, and quickly invoked them. Lightning colored emerald green writhed around Captain Emeril’s hands, while fire was drawn out nowhere and everywhen to Master Lalo’s grasp. Both were flung up into the sky in bold displays of power, noticeably brighter and stronger than anything a mortal mage could put up there.
“You can see the difference between those spells and those you beheld in the past.” It wasn’t a question, and both men nodded, watching the spells explode into being and vanish. I had no doubt attentive dragons had sat bolt upright when they saw the power of those spells. “Spells wrought of Immortal Power do not suffer the mortal restriction on spell capacity. Those were at the 40th level of power, and exactly twice as powerful as any normal mortal spellcaster is allowed to wield. Mortals are capped at 20 dice on spell damage, and 36th level base for other aspects of magic.
“Now, do the spells the other of you used,” I instructed them.
Lalo and Emeril looked at one another, and immediately dove for the equivalents. I noticed the flickers on their faces as they gathered the power, not looking anywhere nearly as smooth, and unleashed them into the sky. Master Lalo’s Bolt was a bright orange, Captain Emeril’s Orb neon green.
“You will notice that magic cost more power than those of your own Sphere.”
“Twice the price,” Captain Emeril confirmed, Master Lalo agreeing.
“There are five Spheres of Immortal control and affinity with Elemental energies. Master Lalo, your Sphere of Time is bound to Water, any magic of Water comes easily to them. It is also closely tied to Divination magic, and Conjuration Magic through its ties to dimensional energies, as well as anything to deal with Time.
“It is affiliated with Energy and Matter, the energies of those Spheres cost double for you to wield. It is opposed to Thought’s attempt to remake reality, and Entropy’s power to drag all down into corruption, decay, and oblivion, and such powers will cost four times as much to wield.
“To be a skilled Immortal, you must be very, very good at wielding the powers of your own Sphere for maximum efficiency in wielding Immortal Power.”
They both agreed that was an extremely important consideration.
“Captain, you are of the Sphere of Energy. This is the Sphere of magic, of pure power, of Chaos, and is most closely related to Elemental Fire, as well as the School of Evocation magic in particular.
“It has ties to Thought and Time, doubling those costs, and is opposed to Matter’s obdurate nature and solidity.
“Matter is the Sphere tied closest to Law and Earth, and specializes in both resisting all manner of change and undoing changes to items. It is thus the master of all protective effects, especially the School of Abjuration, many Healing Magics, and magicks to support, strengthen, and empower matter and flesh alike.
“Thought is the Sphere of mental power and possibilities, imagination and illusion. It is tied closely to Air itself (note Air is not lightning!), and the Schools of Transmutation and Illusion. Most notably, the powers of Wish and Miracle, pure alterations of reality by power alone, fall into Thought. It is opposed to Time’s continuity and dampening of possibility, works with Matter to shape reality and Energy for the power to do so, and costs of using those Spheres follow accordingly.
“Entropy is opposed to all other Spheres, and commands anything dealing with negative energy, corruption, death, and destruction.
“Those are your foundations, gentlemen. You have a great deal of education ahead of you on what you can use your Immortal Power for, its benefits, and its limitations.”
“How do we gain more of it? Based on the magic we just used, it appears I have… two hundred points of my own? I can feel through my connection to the Core that it has over ten times as much as I do,” Captain Emeril asked promptly.
“As does the Inn,” Master Lalo agreed firmly.
“Karma. The same as mortal adventurers. Get out and about doing things, earning the Karma… only this time you will be earning Karma both from actions of faithful followers of yours following your directives, and defeating or disempowering rival Immortals as well!
“Naturally there will be great limits on what you can do in the mortal world. If you wish to adventure, it will generally have to be out in the multiverse, not in the mortal realm.
“You gain as both Immortal Warlord and Pontiff heading up a religion, and Immortal adventurer plumbing the secrets of the universe and overcoming obstacles in your searches. You will doubtless be hampered by not having an Immortal Patron, but you will not be limited that way, either.”
“Sounds like a lot of hard work, being sneaky and smart,” Emeril nodded, smiling strongly.
“We’ve no experience with that, we do not,” Lalo laughed softly, Emeril joining him. “You’ve given us a very good starting foundation, and our ties to the Inn and Core give us a reserve other new Immortals can’t possibly have, courtesy of those who would have seen us destroyed!”
“One more thing, Captain.” I gave him the faintest hint of a smile. “Loot what remains of the Barhund from stem to stern, without letting the Immortals know it is being done.” I showed just a little bit of teeth. “Have Master Lalo help you. It will be worth a LOT of Karma.” Because the gold value of everything they saved would accrue as Karma!
The two men looked at one another, and smiled. “As soon as we’ve a good handle on our capabilities, Edge!” he promised fervently. “Soon they’ll be working inside an empty box!”
I’d already done that on the Far Shore, if much, much later than he would be here, before all the real mutations and stuff kicked in. Let the tech vanish, we’d be making good use of it...