Part 9: Ice And Fire

Update 08: Ice And Fire No talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Download




Golem

A biological weapon made by the God of Chaos as a means of protecting his city.

It is able to freely shapeshift into countless biological creatures, accessing their signatures and morphing its liquid metal body into their form. Upon encountering an invader, Golem immediately analyzes their threat level and switches to the most appropriate battle form for their disposal.

With the God of Chaos presently absent, it is still said to lie dormant, ready to obliterate those who would carelessly enter Aesir's realm.


Allegiance

Allegiance belongs to the Principalities, ranked seventh in the angelic hierarchy and part of the Third Sphere. While Third Sphere angels are the most common type encountered in the physical realm, Allegiance, clad in solid gold armor, appears only during times of strife between Paradiso and the human world, in order to purge the armies of evil spirits.

Legends exist of Allegiance appearing before the kings of feudal nations who have prayed for the emergence of a hero; however, there are also stories of Allegiance seeing through the evil in these kings' hearts and instantly reducing their thrones to rubble.




Greed

An abnormal creature possessing three necks, six legs, and nine stomachs.

Though they are constantly hungry, they are unable to shed the waste left behind from their constant gluttony. Those who are devoured by Greed are destined to be trapped for eternity, forever cut off from the cycle of death and rebirth.

At times he was tasked as the gatekeeper of hell, denying entrance to unwanted visitors, yet no victim can ever satiate his endless appetite. Previous "owners" still remain trapped inside his stomachs, waiting for the day of his defeat.


Pride

A fallen angel from Paradiso who once served God as a blazing chariot.

Bearing the name Pride, those who summon him trade their ears and eyes for power and pleasure.

However, those who call him forth must be careful with his power: he controls his reins, not the one who summoned him. And once the flames of the chariot have been ignited, they cannot be extinguished. Not even by Pride himself.




A Seal

A seal.
That which is used to keep what is dangerous or important from the reach of others.

When the human world was still new, they say there used to be entrances to Inferno and Paradiso all over, but with time they were almost all destroyed by the followers of God.

Yet, other entrances were too large to be torn down by human hands. God sealed these gates away in almost impossible to reach areas: some so high that only his eyes could see, and some far, far under the water's surface. He created impenetrable barriers around the doors so no one could ever enter.

If you think about it in another way, this means that those entrances still exist. They've simply been sealed away.

And as they say, seals are made to be broken. If the door's locked, all you need to do is find the key.

Although, I suppose the first problem you have to face is actually finding one of these gates in the first place...


Angels and Demons

While we call our own kind in this realm "humans," we also give names to the inhabitants of other worlds as well: beings from Paradiso are angels, and the creatures of Inferno are known as demons. Sometimes they're the focus of our worship, and sometimes they're the source of our fear.

You might not be able to see them, but have you ever felt their presence?

Their worlds are right next to ours. Sometimes, they're standing right beside us. We are told that they're "watching over" the human world, but they've been sighted plenty of times as well.

There are people who actually have the power to see these angels and demons. Looking at the descriptions and pictures they leave behind, we usually see angels depicted as punishers of evil who lead the pious to a land overflowing with pure light. Demons get depicted as humans who have died unfortunate deaths or fallen angels who are reborn to spread death and suffering.

Witches most likely get their bad reputation from their association with demons, even though the Umbra are just as human as we are.

And when it comes down to it, we possess qualities of both angels and demons, while constantly doing anything to accomplish our own selfish ends... which might make us the most terrifying creatures in existence.


Guardian

God made a special place to protect his Remembrances of Time, which came to be known as the Garden of God. The garden needed a strong protector to watch over his creations.

The guardian was a robot-like soldier, built to obey only the orders of its creator. It could change its form freely to whatever would defeat its opponent in the swiftest manner possible.

With time, humans discovered the fearful soldier God had created and imitated this technology to build their own soldier of war, the Golem. While Golem was originally intended to be used as a protector of their homelands, its power became too great to control. Eventually, mankind was left with no other choice but to seal the Golem off in another dimension.

As for the original guardian that God created, what it's doing now is anyone's guess. Who knows, it might still be lying in wait somewhere, keeping its territory safe from intruders.

This means it's not the safest bet to be loitering around in any kind of sacred realm, if you catch my drift.


Garden of God

In the past, God watched over the human world all by himself.

The human world is always in a state of flux. Time flows endlessly, bringing death and new life. That which disappears is eventually forgotten. God felt mercy for existence and tried to grant them eternity with the Remembrance of Time.

At intervals, he would quietly appear in the human world and observe creation, slowly building Remembrances of Time.

He created a special place to store the great deal of memories he had created. This place was known as the Garden of God and described in children's stories as a place in the depths of Lake Noatun.

It is said to be full of the places and things found in the lives of ancient civilizations cut off from the ebb of time. Something tells me it wouldn't be the best place for your normal citizen to go wandering around in.

Even if the whole thing is just made up, I wouldn't be me if I didn't at least try to find it.


Demonic Currency

Every once in a while, you find someone either brave or stupid enough to pick a fight with angels and demons. A word of advice: save the epic battles for video games. Meet one of these monsters for real, and the only smart choice is to run.

If you have a death wish, I won't try and stop you, but at least make sure to arm yourself with the proper weaponry. Everyday guns and knives are nothing more than a minor irritation to these beings; they won't even leave a scratch. You need something with a lot more bite.

How does one acquire such a weapon?

As hardworking, upstanding citizens like you and I eke out our meagre existence, in a certain establishment these types of goods switch hands daily. Sequestered in the shadow of gaudy neon, this part bar, part armory makes its home in the dankest corner of the city.

The Gates of Hell.

The unremarkable façade opens into an equally unremarkable pub. But those who enter via a secret door will meet a weaponsmith without equal. This, however, is easier said than done: even if you find the door, one look from the barkeep, and most don't make it past the threshold.

And don't even think of trying to buy these articles with money. Remarkable weapons require something remarkable in payment--namely, the glowing halos that crown angels or the metals that carry a demon's essence. The types of currency that, while sinister, are said to be treasures of incomparable beauty.

If you are looking for a discount, the right brand of Japanese sake makes any deal more palatable. You should be able to get him to hand over at least a priceless talisman or two.