A Conference Of Four

Even when much had happened, and the very foundations of the world had been shaken to it's core, it was the first moment they could sitt to speak with each other. In fact, they NEEDED to speak and make an assessment of everything that was happening. A gathering was more than just in order. Tonight, with the stars and the colorfull light of Chronos V in the sky, Seemos Yantra had gathered two of her most beloved otherselfs in a meeting, craddled in the uncertain darkness at his humble abode in Kamon's Fort.

Seemos> [Looking at Natibeth and Diana] My fellow sisters, I have called you here because... *sigh* ...[looking down at the table] the world as we knew it... is on it's last throes... and there is nothing we can do to save it. [Rising his eyes once againt to look at them] We failed.

Diana> [Bowing at Seemos and Natibeth] I'm sorry! [letting her hair to cover her eyes while sobbing] It... *sniff*... it was all MY fault! [Hitting the table hard and clenching her fingers]

Seemos> [Speaking softly] Diana... [Looking at her sad]

Diana> *Sniff* I wanted to believe! [Almost scratching the table] I wanted to make the miracle reality! At least this time! At least once! *sniff* [Covering her face with her hands almost as if she was going to ripp it apart] How could I be so stupid?! *sniff* [Crying and sobbing] I knew it was a trap! I KNEW IT! All the signals were there, just like you said, Seem-chan! *sniff*... but I couldn't... *sniff* ... I wasn't strong enough...

Natibeth> [Hugging Diana gently and slowly] That's not true, Diana sweety... [Gently holding her face with her gloved hands, carressing it] ...if it wasn't because your strenght remained to the very end, things could have been far worst. It is you... who saved us all. [Holding her tightly]

Seemos> Natibeth is right, Diana... *sigh* Tough, such doesn't change the sittuation much: world... is about to end, and there is nothing we can do to stop it. The pillars are down and the reaction is already breaking down our worlds. I could not summon Diessel because he is so busy trying to rebuild what was destroyed during the earthquakes at his world that he couldn't spare a minute. [Looking at Natibeth and Diana, serious] Yaxx's reality is about to drift into The Sea Of Improvability at Dyoâmmos along with Pierre and... Luke... *sigh* [looking down] ...he isn't well at all. I don't think I need to remind any of you how dangerous such is for us. Even newcomers such as Hedonne have been weakened greatly...
Havanette> But I am not. [Approaching the table] I cannot understand why are you wimpering and crying like that. This was always a war, you all said it. [Sitting] Wars are won, but also lost, and we lost. Still, we survive, we still live. Should we just let ourselves die? [Slamming her palm on the table, but speaking softly] I haven't crawled my way out of the MainFrame to die without meaning. [Sitting and crossing her arms] So I came here to listen answers, not to state the evident.
Seemos> [Looking at Havanette for a moment and then at the table] But there isn't much we can do, Havanette. Each of us here lost what we held most dear since, almost, our beginning.
Natibeth> The fact is... this is truely my fault. [Still holding Diana and looking at Seemos and Havanette] ... [Looking at the table] I'm an existance tied to the past. A stubborn worm who has gorged to obesity into the memories of a moment long gone. For a long time, I have embraced whoever visited me, acting as a regal host. But it has been a lie, and endured much I shouldn't in the name of such a lie. I said to myself "I'm helping this people recover what they lost", but it was me who was trying desperatelly to rebuild something that was only an unfulfilled dream. In the end, I was no better than a beggard begging for scraps of a reality that isn't meant for us. So... [looking at Seemos] when your prophecies began to show a hint of possibility... I was so eager for the past we always wished for to become real... to give ourselves a real sense of belonging, finally... all because someone... [glancing to the side with quivering eyes] ...was nice to my children... for a change...
Seemos> [Looking at Natibeth] We granted Minaken a power that she was not meant to have. It was the same mistake as with... in fact, it is the same mistake we always make with everybody.
Havanette> Then stop doing it. [Looking at Seemos] If such is the root of the problem, cut it there. You cannot change the current outcome of things, nor recover the casualties of battle. Nevertheless, if you can stop it from happening again, then make it so.
Seemos> [Looking at Havanette, nodding] You are absolutely right. [Looking at the others] I have made my desicion... *Sigh* ... I will ressign my position as Aeon of AxisKeep.
Natibeth/Diana> ... [!!!]
Seemos> We have no right for such a title if we only bring trouble to the cosmos. [Looking at the table] Searching for the Eudaimonia Equatum has... brought too much problems for other than what it's worth. The cosmos has worked fine as it is without knowing where it lies... and perhaps it should remain that way. Our meddling has turned out dissruptive and endangering of innocents.
Natibeth> But... Empyrea... and... [shocked]
Seemos> [Shaking his head slowly, with the eyes closed] ... [Openning his eyes, looking at Natibeth] Let Empyrea finish her task. After all, even when borderline, she might be... the only true lasting gift we could send as an apology for all the trouble we have caused. Once she returns home, we'll leave Minaken alone. She is a dark one, and we cannot save her of her own demons...
Natibeth> Do not worry, Seemos: I have instructed her clearly... and she will do all she can to grant Minaken the keys to her very own salvation. Be she... the one mentioned in the prophecy or not... we owe her that much. Don't you think so? [Looking at Seemos saddened]
Seemos> [Nodding] Is the least we can do as an apology, Natibeth... [Looking at the table] ...the least we can do...
Diana> What... about... Nee-chan? [glancing to the side, avoiding the eyes of the rest, speaking shyly]
Natibeth> .... I'm making something for my king, if that troubles you, Diana... [Looking at Diana gently, carressing her hair] ... Like Seem-chan says... this might be... my last bloom: bringing more life to a world made of memories... was never the solution for anything, after all... *sigh* And I can't, certainly, fix this mess alone... I'm... positively... useless... in that regard. So I hope... Crois... can teach him... or, at least, inspire him... My last hope is in him, as all other hopes... are gone and, perhaps, for good, don't you think?
Diana> ... Then... I guess I will enclose myself in the recording room, right? Is... the only place where I cannot harm anybody, right? [Nodding to herself sadly] I'll do that. And then... I guess... I'll take some vacations... to somewhere deserted... Is that okay? ... I could really use some vacations...
Natibeth> We all could, honey... We all could... [Hugging Diana gently and lovingly]
Seemos> *Sigh* ... [Leaning on his chair] ... [Turning to look at Havenette] What are you gonna do?
Havanette> Survive. [Standing up] Even bereft of purpose, to experience life... is a purpose on itself.
Seemos> ... [Looking down] I guess you are right... [Looking at the table] There is someone who I have been neglecting... At this point, nevertheless, I'm really not sure if I can do anything for her... but, at least, I can be there, right? Even if I am useless...
Natibeth> Yeah... even if we are useless... [Holding Diana] ... all we can do... is be by the side of the one we love...
Seemos> [Seeing Havanette depart] ... well, that's settled then. The show must go on... one last time.

- The Writer

Las Cartas De Rol-Tan - V: Una Despedida Sin Palabras

Empyrea
(Rol-Tan #8)

Querida Madre Natibeth:

Recibí tu última carta hace unos dias y, debo admitir con franqueza de que, en un principio, pensaba que lo que decías era demasiado radical, especialmente despues del maravilloso tiempo que he pasado al lado de Minaken. Pero, despues de lo que he escuchado hoy, no puedo mas que darte la razón.

No me gusta. Esta sensación horrible y repugnante en el pecho, como si estuviera haciendo algo malo, cuando es algo que debí aceptar desde un principio. Me siento derrotada, aun cuando he dado lo mejor de mi. No debería. Debería sentirme orgullosa de poder regresar a casa sin irme en una ambulancia, regresar a casa con mis maletas. Aun así, en verdad, no puedo evitar sentir rabia e impotencia. Regresaré para ver a Hidden-san y decirle... que tenía razón: nunca hubo la oportunidad de ser su amiga.

De verdad creía que era posible. De verdad creía que lograría que me apreciaran, pero he fallado. Hoy hablé con uno de ellos, y le pregunté a la cara el por qué no era capaz de disfrutar lo que le brindaba, por que venía a mi si mi servicio se le antojaba tan desabrido. El dijo...

-"Porque en este mundo existen noticieros, no quiere decir que me quede a mirarlos...".

Me quedé de una pieza. Si hubiera estado menos sorprendida, quizas me hubiera puesto a llorar, pero ni siquiera eso pude hacer. Por el contrario, me incliné ante el en una venia y le dije:

-"Gracias... era lo que necesitaba escuchar."

Y era cierto: necesitaba que me lo dijeran a la cara, que me dijeran que no les importaba, que les daba igual, que podría haber sido la mejor del mundo en lo que hacía y no hubiera importado, porque a ellos nunca les importó. Yo, tan solo, era un medio para un fin insulso: matar el rato. Pero tengo dignidad, Mamá Natibeth, y no voy a permitir que se me rebaje de esta forma. No hoy. No mas.

No esperaré. No me despediré. No diré que lo siento mucho, que los extrañaré, que siempre estarán en mi corazón, que me llevaré los mejores recuerdos conmigo, o lo que sea. No diré nada. Tan solo tomaré mis cosas y me marcharé. Nunca les importó realmente que estuviera aquí... así que no les importará cuando me vaya sin decir palabra alguna. Lo lamento, Mamá: realmente di todo de mi... y no fué suficiente. No para ellos, al menos: nada sería jamas suficiente. Esperame: estoy regresando a casa en este momento, solo dejame clausurar todo.

Con amor:
Empyrea B. Tel'Hoon Paxx

Dissclaimer: Las opiniones vertidas por Rol-Tan no necesariamente reflejan las opiniones del escritor.

The Pipe: The Griggard, Eternity's Pond Of Peace

It is little known that many of the anurian humanoid races across the multiverse are, in fact, descendants of an ancient common ancestor, which was heavily manipulated and twisted by the elder lizardfolk empires and their experiments in the search for a perfect slave. While the attempts led to many unspeakable results, others led to accidental marvels which, nonetheless, the lizardfolk dimmed unfit of their requirements. It came to happen during the grand sundering of the ancient empires, with the advent of Lord Rez'Wough, and the shattering of The Prime Line, that the empires of old abandoned reality to pass on into the realms of the possibility, becoming otherwhens, worlds that could have been but never were, stuff to dwell only on thought and dream.

It was a time of change, a time of chances, and an small bunch of those that were disscarded as unfit, unwanted, undesireable, searched for a safe haven on the strange causeways beyond the pipes that The Master Of Worlds brought with him. Eventually, they found their haven at the heart of time itself, where the tide is always calm, and peace is not a fleeting instant in life but a true and everlasting. And so, these unwanted ones, these "griggard", as their formers masters used to call them, carved a little place for themselves at the ever calm shores of Dyoâmmos, a true pond of peace in eternity.

Physical Description

While tracing their ancestry to other anurian sentient races, griggards are, perhaps, one of the closest to humans in that regard, as it seems their origins as an experiment could be traced back to attempts in crossbreeding the heqet and some advanced primates, perhaps even humans themselves. Because of this, griggards, despite their clearly anurian physiology, display many mammalian traits as well, such as their females sporting breasts and giving birth to live children, not tadpoles. With statures ranging in the middle between a human and a dwarf, griggards look like an anthropomorphized frog, with athletic frames and long limbs. However, and despite having a terse skin devoid of body hair in the likeness of the anurians from which they descend, griggards do possess a capillar growth on their heads, brows and eyelashes which, while too similar to mammalian hair at first glance, bares a composition more akin to the lingual papillae of humans, being extremely soft, impermeable, and translucent when bereft of pigmentation.

With a waxy and terse texture in their skins to the point of slipperyness, most griggards sport shades of green as both their skin and "hair" colors (which usually match), thought their skins might have dots, stripes, and other darker colored designs as it is quite common for most griggards to have a large spot that covers the frontal portion of their torsos, the inner side of their tighs, the frontal side of their necks, and even a portion of their lower jaws, colored in a far brighter hue (usually yellowish), a color also present, sometimes, on their soles and palms. Despite this visible cues of their close bond with frogs, a griggard's visage is relatively human, with squat but round heads akin to the ones of dwarves and eyes that, while big beyond human standards, fitt inside craneal sockets. Nevertheless, the eyes of a griggard can be a bit unsettling at first sight, as their pupils are more like horizontal waves, shaped as a "w", with irises of metallic colors. Being capable of breathing water and dwelling a good part of the time on it, griggards lack external ears, having their timpanus under the skin and, their noses, while present but completely flat and bereft of bones, are merely two short pseudo-horizontal slits near their mouths, giving them a rather round face.

While peaceful to a fault, griggards have an strictly carnivore diet composed of fish and various other invertebrates. Because of this, griggards posses rounded and thick incisives visibly standing out from their other teeth, designed to break the hard carapaces and shells of invertebrates, giving them, sometimes, an slight overbite. And, while largely vestigial, griggards still posses an elongated tongue with the capacity to attach things due it's stickyness, thought they aren't used for hunting as frogs would anymore.

Society

Comming from large empires that rejected them as waste material, griggards have no desire to recreate such megacivilizations nor get caught on their trappings and, so, lead a rather simplistic life style on their haven at Dyoâmmos as hunters and gatherers. With a keen sense for practicity but utter respect for nature, a sizeable part of griggards become "fish herders", providing stable food sources for their ever swelling numbers, being the fecund people they are. Not interested in changing their idilic peace, they have little interest in technology and, thus, their dwellings are rustic huts composed of marine carapaces, wood, and other natural materials with little alteration or working, always placed as close as possible to a water source, such as a running causeway or stream.

Griggards have no aristocracy, no castes, nor any kind of subdivision among their people except for the role each individual decides to fullfill upon achieving adulthood, which is a free election. The collective, as a whole, is "ruled" (thought the correct word would be "counceled") by the eldest surviving member of each particular role or occupation, valuing more experience and time than anything else. Such "elders" receive the title of "Greatfather" or "Greatmother" respectively, with no bias or distinction due gender or age, as someone quite young could earn this title as long as it is the eldest on its particular occupation or role.

Truely fond of their own kin and of social interaction, griggards aren't shy with their displays of affection, forging deep and solid bonds with those they befriend and care for to the point of literal clingyness which might appear as childish in the eyes of other races. Having no surnames, and keeping no record of family lines, griggards see no point in stablishing differences in between friends and mates, nor dims taboo the idea of same sex romances or polygamal relationships. Fond of youngsters by nature, the rising of children is a welcomed communal task, and both male and female friends assist each other in rearing the newlyborn.

Relations

Isolated since a long time, the griggards dwell in an idyllic peace that belies a constant fear of strangers and foreigners who might come to conquer or enslave them, so they are outright wary of other races, specially of those of whom they know nothing. More even, after spending such a long time and so many generations at Dyoâmmos, they have lost a good deal of their "linear common sense", making it hard for others to understand them and for them to understand non-temporal beings. Adding insult to injury, very few griggards learn any other kind of tongue aside of ghurgel, their native tongue, and dyomian, the common tongue of the time stream natives. Nevertheless, once such barriers have been sorted out, griggards prove to be among the most loyal, considerate, and sensible friends one can hope to have, willing to take great risks only to assure the happyness and welfare of those they dim friends.

Humans tend to mistake griggards and grippli as the same race out of ignorance as little is known to them regarding any of both elusive and isolationist races. While a part inside them find humans inexplicably alluring and wondrous, griggards see on human expansive civilizations and cultures too much resemblance to the ancient empires that gave birth to their kind, prompting them to avoid contact whenever possible. Many are the sad tales of love which recount the misadventures of a griggard youngling whom abandoned home and friends only to pursue a loved one, only to find their feelings unrequited, rejected and, sometimes, even trampled or betrayed.

Being also descendants of the heqet, griggards and gripplis get along quite well since they have too much in common at many levels. Nevertheless, gripplis see more of human than their own lineage on the griggards, commonly addressing them as "Half-Humans". While this particular nickname bears no ill connotation or intent, griggards find uncomfortable to be addressed as a breed rather than a true race on their own, thought they rarely (if ever) speak of such. Since griggards look far more human than themselves, gripplis who count with the aid of a griggard tend to employ the latter as embassadors at humanoids civilizations with a more humanly visage.

Being both denizens of the time stream, kawatl and griggards get along superbly and several kawatl cells inhabit the same lands where griggard dwell, sharing resources and helping each other at all times, while keeping a distinct cultural distance and respect. Nevertheless, having stayed on far many more generations at Dyoâmmos than them, kawatl "linear common sense" is far more diluted and vestigial than the one of griggards, who, as a result, find the first "a bit odd" and "hard to understand at times". Both civilizations are heavily engaged in trade and barter whenever they come across the other.

While the atesh'ahl find the griggard curiously reminiscent to the jal-vyaktee from Ixmyukhan, they know better than mistaking both as the same, as the first are completely disinterested in technology in stark contrast to the jal-vyaktee. For their part, the griggard are, usually, marveled at the innate ease the atesh'ahl have for harnessing arcane magic, but find themselves scared at the idea that their mastery over fire gives them a military edge they could easily exploit against pacifist species, ill suitted to high scale warfare and, thus, try to avoid them as much as possible, fearing themselves to become an easy target for any imperialistic intent.

The amanian and the griggard respect each other deeply, but have little to share as their needs are diametrally opposite and their enviroments rarely overlap. Still, with both races being on the side of peace, and having both faced the calamities Rez'Wough brings with his addition of worlds to his collection, they share the common goal of not repeating the mistakes of the empires of the past. Now and then, griggard emisaries might be sent to amanian realms seeking for medical aid with rare deceases.

Alignment & Religion

While lacking a true religion of their own, griggards revere The River Oceanus which brought them to Dyoâmmos as their savior and, thus pay a sort of ritualistic respect to the bodies of water, such as ponds, lakes, seas, oceans, etc. As such, they hold annual festivals in which they sing to the oceans, retelling the story of their origin, their trivulations, and their eventual salvation, hoping that the tide might send such sounds across the worlds, so others of their kin who might be stranded away might find their way to this haven.

Given their innate fondness for peace and value of freedom, griggards are, almost by rule, chaotic good. However, isolation and deprivation of social contact for long can deeply alter the psychological upmake of a griggard and, thus, rare griggards who dwell as exiles or stranded ones out of Dyoâmmos might be of any alignment conceivable.

Adventurers

While always active and on the move, is rare for griggards to take the life of an adventurer. In fact, it is only on very dire or unique circumstances that a griggard becomes an adventurer and, by rule, never alone. Of those who become adventurers, more than half are stranded griggards whom, unable to return to Dyoâmmos, seek for the closest humanoid settlement to gain any measure of company with, often, tragic results that teach a lot in the hard way to the new adventurer. A very small group is comprised of those who, by chance or fate, fell to the charms of a human, and an even smaller group belongs to the ones whom sheer wanderlust could not be contained in the tranquility of their homelands.

Standard Racial Traits

* Ability Score Racial Trait: Like their cousins, the grippli, the griggard are quick and possess uncany senses, but aren't suitted for battle, lacking notoriously on physical strenght. They gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, and -2 Strenght.
* Size: As Medium creatures, the griggard receive no bonuses or penalties due size.
* Type: Griggards are humanoids with the human, grippli, and temporal subtypes.
* Base Speed: Griggards have a land speed of 30 feet, a swim speed of 30 feet (+8 racial bonus on Swim Checks), and a climb speed of 20 feet (+8 racial bonus on Climb Checks).
* Languages: Griggards begin play speaking Ghurgel. Griggards with high Intelligence scores can choose from Common, Dyomian, Olmah and Grippli.

Feat & Skill Racial Traits

* Anurian Ancestry: While not as close to their animal ancestors as other descendants of the heqet, the griggard still possess some of their agility and athletic prowess, as well as basical survival instincts. Because of this, Acrobatics and Survival are always considered class skills for griggards, and they are considered to always have a running start when making Acrobatic checks for jumping. In addition, they receive Agile Tongue as a racial bonus feat at 1st level.

Offense Racial Traits

* Toxic Skin: Once per day, as a swift action, a griggard can create a poison that can be applied to a weapon or delivered as a touch attack. Alternatively, the griggard can smear the poison on its own body as an standard action, affecting the fist creature to hit it with an unarmed strike or natural weapon. The poison loses its potency after 1 hour. The griggard is immune to its own poison.

Griggard Poison: Skin or weapon - contact or injury.
Save: Fortitude DC 10 + ½ HD + Constitution Modifier.
Frequency: 1/round for 6 rounds 
Effect: 1d2 Dexterity damage
Cure: 1 save.

Senses Racial Traits

* Darkvision: Griggards possess the capacity to see perfectly in the dark at 60 feet, but cannot discern color in such conditions.

Weakness Racial Traits

* Timestream Denizen: Accostumed to a non-linear existance since several generations, the griggards have a hard time trying to make themselves be understood by creatures that lack the capacity to witness the multifacetical reality of time, receiving a -2 penalty to Charisma based skills when dealing with creatures without the Temporal subtype.

Other Racial Traits

* Amphibious: Either by freak accident or a planned quality by their original makers, the griggard are capable of breathing the oxygen of water through their skin when air is not directly available, granting them the capacity to effectively breath both air and water the same.

* Grippli Blood: Griggards count as both grippli and human for any effect related to race and for feat requirements that would requite to be either a grippli or a human.

- The Writer.