|
Post by dans on Apr 16, 2024 23:17:34 GMT
Chaos Renewed 1. Chilling Premonition The night was dark and quiet, the only light coming from the brightly-lit receiving room of the prestigious Westchester Hall of Legacy private museum. Inside, curators Carter and Shiera Hall worked diligently on their latest exhibit. Shiera delicately lifted an Incan mace from its well-padded shipping container - a thick wooden shaft wrapped in leather, topped with a heavy granite head intricately carved into the shape of a six-pointed star. "Have you ever tried one of these?" she asked Carter, admiring the weapon's intricate design and deadly potential. "It's not as heavy as those medieval ones you normally use," she continued, "but that head is wicked!" "I'll have to make one of my own and try it out," he replied, examining the weapon with interest. He longed to actually take a swing or two with it, but it wasn't his to play with. "Who loaned us that?" "The Museum of Natural History in Lima, Peru," she placed the mace on a table, next to a card with its history and ownership information, and carefully took some photographs. "That should help make sure it gets home after the exhibit is over!" In a few weeks, their latest exhibit "Weapons of the Indigenous Peoples of North and South America" would open. They wanted to ensure that all the ancient weapons and artifacts were promptly returned to their proper owners at the close of the exhibit. As they continued their work, Shiera suddenly shivered and wrapped her arms tightly around herself. A chill passed through both of them, as if they had been hit by a freeze blast from their old enemy, the Icicle. The feeling of intense danger lingered, an emptiness in the pits of their stomachs and piercing mental pain that dulled but didn't go away. Memories flashed through Shiera's mind, of the brutal stabbing assassination in ancient Egypt of her earlier incarnation of Shiera by their deadly enemy Hath-Set. "The crystal dagger is trying to give us a warning!" she gasped. Carter sensed it too. "This is a job for... Hawkman!" "And Hawkgirl too!" Shiera barked back stubbornly. Without another word, the two changed to their Hawkman and Hawkgirl identities, then rushed to the museum vault, where their most precious and dangerous artifacts were stored. As Carter worked the combination, Shiera couldn't shake off the eerie feeling of foreboding. . "I wonder what we'll find inside? We should be prepared for anything!" The vault was still empty of other presences, but they could sense the crystal dagger pulsing its deadly warning. Shiera carefully removed it from its ancient, silk-lined wooden box and held it up. "It's glowing!" she exclaimed, alarmed. "Something, or someone, is coming!" Carter warned. He turned to a rack on the wall and selected modern replicas of two medieval weapons, which he and Shiera had forged themselves, tossing a mace with a titanium head to Shiera while he grabbed a flail and with a practiced flick of his wrist set the titanium ball and chain into a deadly whirl. The two warriors stood ready to face whatever was about to join them in the vault.
2. Mystical Warning
Dr. Fate often sought refuge in his library, nestled deep in the heart of his ancient, mystical Tower of Fate in Salem, Ma, as if the knowledge contained within its walls provided a sense of peace and order. The towering shelves were lined with scrolls and books, a collection that spanned millions of years and contained knowledge from across the Galaxy. Today, as he strived to do for at least a short time each day, Fate hovered quietly in the air, cross-legged in a lotus position, his eyes closed in deep meditation. Deep in his mind, he toured the wonderous monuments of Order produced by himself and his powerful allies, the Lords of Order, searching for additional guidance as he strove to fulfil his current responsibilities as a protector of Earth, his current home, as a member of the Justice Society of America. Fate's meditation was abruptly disturbed by a powerful force that pierced his brain, shattering his peaceful state and filling him with a sense of urgency and dread. In an instant, his mind was transported to a dark and desolate realm, a realm of nightmares. The sky was crimson, the ground cracked and barren, and the air filled with an ominous silence. His mind gave form to the chilling premonition, a swirling vision made entirely of darkness, its form constantly shifting and twisting like smoke. Its glowing red eyes bored into Fate's very soul, filling him with visions of destruction and chaos. The air around him thickened, like a heavy curtain blocking his every move. But he refused to let it stop him from reaching the golden amulet hanging around his neck. His fingers strained against the invisible force, determined to make contact with the powerful artifact. "Even if the might of the Man of Steel were to be set against me, I will not be deterred from my goal!" he declared, his jaw set in determined resolve. And as if struck by an unseen force, the barrier holding him back weakened and he was able to brush the tips of his fingers against the smooth surface of the amulet. "By the Power of the Amulet of Anubis, let the Knowledge of Thoth purge this vile vision from my mind!" he commanded, his voice ringing out with authority. The spell that had been opposing him shattered under the strength of his words, admitting defeat. In an instant, he was transported back to the safety of his library, but the lingering aura of dread still clung to him. With a snap of his fingers, he vanished from the library and reappeared in the Scrying Chamber - a vast room occupying the topmost floor of the Tower of Fate. The walls seemed solid stone on the outside, but they were lined with mystical windows that allowed Dr. Fate to peer into any corner of the physical universe at will. He wasn't alone in the chamber; Inza Cramer was already there when he arrived. She sensed his presence immediately and didn't take her eyes off the window she was gazing into as she spoke. "I felt it too," she said with concern. "There's a powerful force at work here. Even before whatever happened just now, something has been interfering with our scrying windows. I've been trying to keep an eye on our enemies in the physical world, but whenever I try to look in on our sorcerous foes such as The Wizard or Ian Karkull, all I see is a thick gray mist." She waved her hand at some of the windows, which showed nothing but the impenetrable fog. "Maybe you'll have better luck." He touched the amulet once more. "Let the power of the Amulet of Anubis enhance and strengthen the enchantment on these Remote Observance Windows!" he commanded, sending a brilliant yellow beam shooting from the artifact to bathe the windows in its light. But instead of revealing clear images, they could only make out vague figures still hidden by the dense mist - if they were even real at all. "Whatever is interfering with these magical panes resists even the power of the Amulet," Dr. Fate noted with disapproval, turning to face Inza once again. "Your intuition for all things magical is strong. Is there anything else you can tell me about this interference?" "It feels connected to Egypt," she responded thoughtfully. "And if that's true, it may be affecting Carter and Shiera as well!" "Excellent point! I go to check with them," he said, swirling his Cloak of Destiny and chanting a quick spell. "By the power of the Cloak of Destiny, transport me instantly into the presence of Carter and Shiera Hall." Inza let out a sigh as he disappeared in a puff of displaced air. "Damn him! Always rushing into danger and leaving me behind," she mumbled sadly.
|
|
|
Post by dans on Apr 17, 2024 11:01:11 GMT
3. The Menace of Malignon?
The resounding clang of the heavy iron head of Hawkgirl's flail echoed through the vault as she yelled at her husband, her voice filled with urgency and concern. "Carter stop! It's not an attack!" Hawkman (Carter) paused in his action, a look of surprise and sheepishness crossing his face. He quickly lowered his weapon, realizing his mistake. "WOW!" he exclaimed. "Glad I was able to miss you, Dr. Fate! Sorry about that! You really shouldn't surprise us like that! It's going to be tough, getting that dent out of the steel wall!" Dr. Fate, unperturbed by the near miss with Hawkman's powerful flail, simply shrugged in response. "My apologies as well," he said calmly. "I sense that you both are already aware of the ominous premonition that brought me here." Hawkgirl stepped forward, holding up an ancient crystal dagger for their guest to see. "The dagger send us a psychic message," she explained, gesturing towards the gleaming blade. "There's trouble brewing in Egypt - something just waiting to happen." "May I use my own magic to gain further insight from the dagger?" asked Dr. Fate, holding out his hand. Without hesitation, Hawkgirl placed the dagger into his open palm. "By the powers of Ur, let the truth be revealed," Dr. Fate intoned, lifting the dagger to chest height. A pale yellow beam shot out from his amulet and pierced through the crystal blade. After a moment, he shook his head gravely. "There is a powerful presence here," he declared, "one that feels all too familiar to me." He turned to face Hawkgirl and Hawkman once more. "We may need more powerful tools to uncover the full extent of this threat." With a flick of his wrist and a muttered incantation, he summoned forth the Orb of Nabu from its resting place in the Tower of Fate - a glowing crystal sphere surrounded by dark swirling clouds. "Let us gather around the Orb and combine our mystical powers to break through this barrier," Dr. Fate instructed. The trio linked hands, concentratinh intensely as they focused their energies on the Orb. Slowly but surely, the dark clouds within the Orb began to part, revealing a looming danger lurking just beneath its surface. A chill ran down their spines as visions flooded their minds - of ancient Egypt, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, and a looming threat to the balance between Order and Chaos. And then, a voice whispered a word to them - a word they had never heard before but one that sent shivers down their spines... Malignon. A name that Dr. Fate recognized all too well... But as they delved deeper into the visions, the trio came to a startling realization - that Malignon was not the true source of the impending threat. There was something else at play here, something even more sinister and powerful than they could have ever imagined. And with this realization, the weight of responsibility settled heavily on their shoulders - for it was up to them to uncover the truth and protect the world from this insidious danger. "Who is this Malignon, Doc?" Hawkgirl asked, her tone laced with apprehension. "He sounds like a deadly menace - and if the Orb is right, we may be facing something even worse!" 4. Who is Malignon? "Who is Malignon?" the Halls asked anxiously. Dr. Fate began a tale of triumph and woe. "Long before the great Big Bang, there was chaos in the air... Long before the sands of time, there was chaos... everywhere!" "Hey, Doc, that was pretty catchy!" Carter noted, snapping his fingers to the rhythm. "You outta cut a record..." "Cut it out, Carter! This is serious business!" Shiera slapped him gently. Dr. Fate nodded his thanks, then gravely continued his story. "Malignon was one of the eldest and most powerful of the ancient Lords of Chaos. Whispers spread that he had outlived the previous universal cycle and survived the Big Bang. Some were even convinced that he was the architect of the Big Crunch that destroyed the previous universe." He shuddered and continued: "As a new Lord of Order, driven by a lethal combination of ignorance, naivety, pride, and sense of duty, I took on the task of trying to minimize Malignon's chaos in this new universe - though none could defeat him, such was his immense power. For countless ages, we battled each other. Most times, he emerged victorious as he was in the fullness of his strength while I still had much to learn. Yet, I remained steadfast in my mission and did manage to limit his successes." There was a hint of pride in his voice at the valiant and steadfast efforts of the young Lord of Order he had been. "Eventually, it was inevitable that I would suffer a devastating defeat. The other Lords of Order met to decide my fate. Powerful divination spells were cast and each one pointed to Earth as my destiny. I was exiled to Earth - forced to remain there - and expected to hone my skills and increase my power in preparation for my final showdown with Malignon. If I emerged victorious, I would once again be free to shape my own destiny in the universe." "So, the threat is Malignon?" Shiera was intensely interested in 'the rest of the story'. "I'm... not sure. We had one further confrontation,” Nabu replied somberly. “Malignon was severely weakened by the forces of Order during the so-called 'Moderate Destruction' 100,000 years ago when Chaos and Order clashed, although his alliance of Lords of Chaos successfully destroyed the Galactic Patrol. He sought me out on Earth, likely assuming that I would be an easy target. We engaged in a fierce battle - and just when I thought I had emerged victorious, he suddenly disappeared. I have no clue where he went - if my final spell obliterated him, or if he traveled back in time to escape defeat, or possibly slipped into a different universe. He simply vanished." Fate paused for a few seconds, in furious thought. "It is very strange - I've not thought of Malignon once from the end of that battle when he vanished 100,000 years ago to the present day. As if his memory had been suppressed within my mind. And yet he had been my mortal enemy almost as long as the universe has existed. Since that moment, I have always considered Wotan as my nemesis. And yet Malignon was my mortal enemy for many times longer than Wotan. And still I forgot about him. Something is seriously wrong!" "The magic seems to indicate that though Malignon is involved, he's not the danger we face," Carter pointed out, practical as always. "We need to be prepared for anything!" There was silence for several seconds, as each hero pondered the possible dangers they would soon be facing. When Fate judged the time to be right, he stood straight and stepped between his friends. With a brief chant: "Let the Cloak of Destiny transport us to the source of this evil!" he swirled his cloak around the three of them, and suddenly the vault was empty.
|
|
|
Post by lawrenceliberty on Apr 17, 2024 14:58:11 GMT
Very interesting.
|
|
|
Post by dans on Apr 18, 2024 18:59:18 GMT
5 Musing, Interrupted Wotan, the almost invincible and immortal evil wizard,sat deep in thought, contemplating his unparalleled power. After eons of accumulating strength, he still found it lacking. But soon, yes, very soon, he would ascend to even greater heights of supremacy. His powerful enchantments had scoured the Earth and Moon for the most potent magical artifacts, charms, and fetishes, all to add to his ever-growing collection. Soon he would demand that the Lords of Chaos recognize his mastery and bow before him, destroying any who dared deny his rightful claim. Today marked the completion of his search for these artifacts; one final spell had been cast to uncover any hidden sources of power in Egypt. He did not expect to find anything new, but it was a mere triviality for one as mighty as himself. With this final task completed, he would set out first to acquire abandoned treasures such as the Staff of Earth and Fire buried deep within the Rocky Mountains or the Star Sapphire carelessly forgotten in Vandal Savage's hoard. And with their power augmenting his own, he would then overpower those who possess more closely guarded items such as Green Lantern's Power Ring and Dr. Fate's Amulet of Anubis. And he would become powerful beyond measure! "And then," Wotan boasted with self-satisfaction, "I will bring those so-called Lords of Chaos to their knees! The riches of the universe shall belong solely to me, not just the insignificant spoils found on this puny planet!" As he mused of his glorious future, Wotan felt a thrill of excitement course through him. His spell had uncovered something in Egypt that had been magically concealed since the ancestors of humans still swung from the trees. It had been hidden by powerful magic but was now revealed. A shiver of anticipation ran through him at the power that was soon to be his - surely whatever this puissant spell was concealing would be even more powerful! He turned his focus towards deciphering the spell of secrecy. He couldn't learn much at this distance, but he could discern that it was ancient and potent, created by a master of Chaos perhaps almost equal to himself, and it was beginning to weaken. Perhaps his own spell had accelerated its downfall. Now that it was exposed, he would journey to Egypt and destroy the spell of secrecy, claiming whatever lay within as his own. With less mental effort than it takes to blink, Wotan vanished from his lair, transported by a powerful spell instantly to Egypt.
|
|
|
Post by DocQuantum on Apr 18, 2024 22:23:30 GMT
Interesting. When does this story take place?
|
|
|
Post by dans on Apr 18, 2024 23:46:20 GMT
Interesting. When does this story take place? Must be some time before the story quote you posted where Wotan was already a Lord of Chaos and after the JSA came out of retirement... not sure when it fits best (somewhere between 65 and 85... there are no historical details that put it in one year over another, except it is the story of Wotan becoming a Lord of Chaos)
|
|
|
Post by dans on Apr 20, 2024 13:14:17 GMT
6 Dustup in the Desert The three heroes had thought they were prepared for anything, but they were stunned at what they found when they reappeared! They were in the canyon of a large river, and they were hovering over a very large pool of water the size of 3 Olympic swimming pools, constructed of granite blocks, in a grand, well tended courtyard in front of a massive stone building, fronted with polished marble pillars, next to the sculpted canyon wall. As archeologists, the three were fascinated. "At a glance, I'd say the style is pre-Egyptian - it predates the Egyptian civilization - and we're on the shore of the Nile. But how is it that this place has never been discovered before?" Carter was as close to awe as he ever got. "And who built it?" "I recognize this place," Fate said slowly, and to their surprise, he sounded uncertain. "It was my home, prior to my battle 1000 centuries ago with Malignon. Apparently..." he was very reluctant to continue... "apparently, when he vanished, he stole many of my memories as well!" He examined the surroundings much more closely, using his mysterious mystical senses and calling on the Amulet of Anubis and the Wisdom of Thoth to reveal the truth to him. It was as he had said - he had constructed this oasis and the massive buildings below, long before he had built the Tower of Fate - and then they had been erased from his memory! "When I vanquished Malignon, with the last gasp of his powers, he drew this place and his remains into a hidden pocket dimension where he could heal, regardless of how many eons elapsed, and erased my memories of everything associated with our last battle to keep me from returning for him." Now he snarled in frustration. "He should NOT have been able to do these things... but I was so much younger then..." He stopped for a moment, then chanted in an unfamiliar language, ending with a loudly snapped syllable and a complex gesture of his hands. "It will never happen again!" he sounded smug. "Yet while this place has been revealed to us, Malignon yet remains hidden..." "Am I to be forever plagued by swarms of nabobs, nattering endlessly your notions of 'Order'?" From above them, Wotan's voice rumbled louder than the loudest thunder, slamming into them with the force of an explosion. "No longer! After today you will plague me no more!" Wotan hadn't planned on confronting the accursed Dr. Fate again for at least a short while, until after he had recovered some of the more accessible artifacts and added their power to his own, but he was absolutely furious that these so-called heroes were interfering with his plans. Immediately following the thunder of his voice, he turned to Fate, pointed at him with both hands, and unleashed twin blasts of pulsing black and green pure chaotic magic. Before they could reach him, the air around Fate seemed to explode, leaving behind a glowing golden ankh larger than Fate, wrapping him in a golden aura. As the chaos magic splattered against the glow, it made great fizzling noises and quickly dissipated. Hawkman unleashed a powerful, high pitched screech that easily cut through the splats and sizzles of Wotan's first attack. "Split up!" he was yelling, in the language of raptors. Hawkgirl screeched back the scream that meant agreement, and the two zoomed off in different directions. Fate launched his own powerful attack, twin bolts of magical lightning from his outstretched hands, meanwhile chanting "Let the Helm of Nabu grant me the power of Fluent Interlocution!", which would allow him to understand 'Hawk Talk' for perhaps an hour. "Very clever, Hawks!" he thought to himself. And then Wotan returned his attack, and for a while Fate was too busy to think about anything else except spells for offense and defense. Though the auras of the Nth Metal belts gave the Hawks some protection from magic, it wasn't enough to protect from a direct hit from the powerful spells used by Wotan or Fate. "Dodge, attack, run, dodge!" Carter whistled and screeched, and Shiera replied agreement in the same language "Careful!" So they circled near Wotan, and when his attention was focused on a spell, one or the other of them would dive in, distract him with the hunting cry of a raptor, amplified hundreds of times to become a sonic weapon, and strike him with their mace and flail, then dart away, and while he tried to shoo them away like gnats, Fate would blast him with another spell. The titanium balls of their weapons had been coated in 'cold iron' to make them even more effective against magic. Though Wotan's defensive spells softened their blows somewhat, every time one of them swooped in and whacked him, he was weakened slightly. Of course, they were getting battered as well, as they could not totally escape all of Wotan's attacks. If it had been just the two of them against Wotan, it would have been a short fight with Wotan the easy winner. But Dr. Fate's command of the power of Order, as it always had been, was superior the chaotic magic wielded by Wotan, and it was clear that the evil warlock was weakening and becoming more desperate. But finally, he saw his chance! The constant weaving and dodging of the battle brought the three of them close enough together to target with a single spell. A spell he had labored over for millennia, keeping it unrevealed for an occasion of dire necessity - such as now! He focused his entire remaining power into a stream of pure destructive energy which instantly engulfed the heroes in a Sphere of Chaos, which started attacking and dissolving anything related to Order. The Hawks were instantly screaming in agony, and Dr. Fate knew he could only withstand this powerful magic for a few instants. He responded instantly in kind, unleashing the full power of Order. "By my ancient power, I, Nabu, impart Order unto Chaos!" Fate intoned in a reverberating voice that shook the landscape underneath them. Order and Chaos warred, but in this short term, the focus of Order overcame the inherent discord of Chaos and the sphere simply vanished. The expenditure of so much energy left Fate weakened - but his allies and Wotan were all falling from high in the sky, seemingly unconscious.
|
|
|
Post by dans on Apr 20, 2024 13:19:15 GMT
Retcon alert - I made a small change in part 1 of this story to show that Carter and Shiera are not using irreplaceable medieval weapons in their battle against Wotan, but modern replicas made of more durable materials. Highlighted that paragraph in blue, here is what it says now:
"Something, or someone, is coming!" Carter warned. He turned to a rack on the wall and selected modern replicas of two medieval weapons, which he and Shiera had forged themselves, tossing a mace with a titanium head to Shiera while he grabbed a flail and with a practiced flick of his wrist set the titanium ball and chain into a deadly whirl. The two warriors stood ready to face whatever was about to join them in the vault.
|
|
|
Post by dans on Apr 20, 2024 16:04:29 GMT
7 An Easy Decision "Now! Finish off our enemy!" boomed the powerful voice of the ancient Lord of Order, reverberating painfully inside the Helmet of Nabu, as Nabu attempted to exert control over his host body. "He falls towards the source of great power he has long pursued!" 'The rest of the story' flashed through the mind of Kent Nelson, memories of the final moments of that epic battle between Nabu and Malignon so long ago. He saw Malignon desperately sealing his essence into a tiny amulet in order to escape Nabu's overwhelming attack. In his overwhelming arrogant pride at so easily overcoming his ancient nemesis, Nabu refused to believe that Malignon could still be a threat to him - and relaxed his defenses, allowing the fallen but still powerful Lord of Choas to utilize a tiny flaw he had detected in Nabu's defensive spells to remove his memories, of both the amulet and the fortress, and for centuries they had both remained concealed in the hidden pocket dimension. As Order had appeared on Earth and grown in power, those chaotic spells had been eroded and weakened across the millennia until Fate, the Hawks, and Wotan had finally been able to detect the amulet and the pocket dimension had sprung open. Fate's last invocation of Order in the current battle had destroyed those spells. The Fortress of Fate vanished back into the pocket dimension - but the amulet remained somewhere below, barely radiating Chaotic energy - such a low level that it no longer registered with Dr. Fate. Kent Nelson made one of the easiest decisions of his life. "Regardless of your orders, I will not abandon my friends to die when I can save them," Nelson responded, and forced the body of Fate to obey his commands! "They are my friends! Some things are more urgent than the immediate defense of Order every second of every day!" Ignoring the falling Wotan for a few seconds, Dr. Fate reached deep inside himself to tap his remaining power to save his friends. "Let the Power of the Amulet of Anubis prevent them from falling and heal their wounds!" he ordered with a wave of his hand, and the yellow beam sprang forth to gently catch and rejuvenate his friends. Though Fate could no longer detect the amulet, Wotan was much more closely attuned to the magic of Chaos, and used the weak impulses from the amulet to guide his landing. He instantly seized the powerful artifact, and cast a spell that drained into him the chaotic power of the artifact - while leaving the essence of Malignon trapped! Revived, he again floated into the air, and taunted his enemies. "Farewell, losers! I go to banish Malignon to the interior of a far star, so he can never return to contest me. They I will seek out other Lords of Chaos, and demonstrate my power - by destroying any who refuse to acknowledge me as a peer. But I shall return and destroy you and this Earth you defend in the feeble cause of Order!" His evil laugh filled the air as he vanished. "Bwa ha ha ha ha!" "Should we pursue him?" asked Hawkgirl, breaking the silence he left behind. "No," replied Fate with a shake of his head. "Wotan is powerful and we have already exhausted ourselves in this battle. We must focus on healing our wounds and preparing for his return." "Along with the rest of our day to day duties in the Justice Society and the responsibilities of our daily lives..." Defiantly, Hawkgirl made a solemn vow: "And we will indeed stop Wotan if he returns - as we always have and always will!" A sentiment shared by her allies. For they knew that no matter how many times their enemy may return, they would always be there to protect the Earth against the forces of Chaos.
|
|