"Personal time loop?" I asked confused looking for more answers.
"Well I'm not just going to tell my secrets to you but I suppose such things aren't exclusive to me, I basically wrapped you up in time and hit you and sense you didn't know how to escape a time loop you got your ass whooped" Infin explained using some of his sand to create a series of demonstrations like a magical slideshow.
"Cool, or not so cool when on the receiving end..." I said getting to my feet looking around I saw the fighting had ceased and that for some reason the battlefield was filling with briny water.
"Don't sweat it you're a newborn, and decently powerful and if your predecessor is anything to go by then you can go far" Infin said clapping me on my back.
"Not when you consider the guy or gal died... Also what's happening with the arena?" I asked pointing to still filling arena.
"Oh.... Yeah we're going to practicing naval warfare, it'll be good to show off as the newest lieutenant, fire is dead useful on the sea" Infin stated as he clapped me on my back before making his way to a dock that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Bobbing in the obsidian waters with a smattering of chopping emerald was a pirate ship. Made of long planks of stark grey wood with thousands of etchings marking the doom of its enemies. It's mast was down due to the low ceilings, but as I watched Entities slowly interlocking it's pieces together and the steady growth of the ceiling I figured it wasn't going to be a problem.
Walking over I saw Infin talking to an assorted crowd of entities, most humanoid, some more a bit more like animals, and a few that were completely alien with numerous eyes and appendages.
"We have recently gained a new Lieutenant, who is also a newborn and legacy holder of the defunct Arch-Duke of the Burning Void, he will serve as my second hand during the war game today, let's give a nice welcome to, Lux!" As Infine pointed towards me I froze for a moment before determination seized me.
"Hello, all I'm Lux and yes I'm a newborn and the new 10th lieutenant, I hope to work with you all splendidly." I said hopefully diplomatically as I felt somewhat awkward afterwards.
"All Right folks battle stations, Lux with me" Infine stated and the Entities spread out and took their positions on the ship.
"So, Lux just so you know Eldritch combat tends to differ from mortal combat in that whereas for mortals its a matter of quality and quantity to some degree, In paradox it's all about quality so our battles tends to be a series of individual fights that snowball until one side wins, so your lieutenant rank is sign of power not leadership" he explained and he seemed to have some familiarity with the mortal plains.
"Have you ever been to mortal plains, I'm asking because you seemed familiar" I said and the Entity looked up fondly for a moment.
"Twice, once I set up a warlock circle as one does that was fun until some uptight paladins came and burnt the place, the other I served as a patron to an adventurer ah the horror when he realized I was the enemy at the end of his journey— had!" The Entity chuckled in some strange way I felt that I should find that humorous if a little immature.
"Is it typical to set up a warlock circle?" I asked out of curiosity.
"It was all rage a millennia ago and the mortals still haven't forgotten, like geez long memories for such short lived creatures" the entity stated chuckling at the last bit and then he seemed to change gears.
"Down to the trade, I want you to damage their ship, swimming in Paradox ain't a vacation back from where you came, so if their ship goes down then so do they" He explained to me.
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"Got it the crew goes down with the ship" I responded listening along.
"Yep, and next our opponents are a bunch of elite undead that will rise on the opposite side of the arena don't be afraid to kill, just no friendly fire" Infin stated the last part seriously.
"Okay-dokie, I replied as I climbed up one of the ladders behind Infin who continued to talk about the nitty gritty about naval warfare in paradox.
As a lieutenant my job was to distract and eliminate the heavy hitters so that way the others could kill the crew, and I also received an ominous warning.
'Dont go all out if you show to much weakness around your assigned crew they will kill you and say that it was the enemy in order to steal the credit but they won't do it if they think you could still kill them' Infin had stated seriously under whispered breath as we slowly pulled away from port.
Sure enough the ocean on the other end bubbled for a moment and the stern of a ship rose from the waters. Barnacles and gouges marred the surface of the ship it's crew was a mix of spectral figures and grinning skulls.
"FIRE" Infin cried and an inscription on the side of the hill glowed and a streak of lighting blasted out and struck the sea bitten ship which floated seemingly against the laws of nature.
The undead returned fire and javelins with pale white flames came towards us.
"RAISE THE SHIELDS" Infin shouted and an opaque barrier covering the side pointing towards the Skeleton ship hit and stopped the javelin throws.
"MAGES CAST THE SNARE!" Infine cried out and great spectral chains burst forward and dug into the ship tugging it forward and soon we where in combat range as fighters hopped across. Rasing my hands I squeezed the energy of paradox and tainted it with my own and deep half invisible bursts of flames burnt at the water logged planks.
The wood was annoyingly resistance but the smoke that rose also damaged visibility and yet I kept at until I saw an undead approach me, a skeleton with an oddly expressive face and a glowing crystal visible through his v-neck undershirt. Welp if Video games taught me one thing....
Summoning a burst and sending it towards the undeads chest it burnt through its clothes and then an unholy shriek tore through the battlefield as the undeads crystal turned to ash. Turning my notice towards the battlefield I saw Infin battling a floating blinged out undead who was sending necrotic greenish bolts at the Entity who was riding his sand like a demented version of sandman. Returning my attention to my goal I sent more and more flames into the enemy ship and I saw that even though the ship was slowly shrinking it was refusing to sink. That's when I saw it through the haze of smoke, lines of Mana that where thin but carried the ships supernatural Durability. Grasping the flames under my command I made them small thin and spread out like spider webs and slowly weaved them through the lines of the ships magic. It was slow methodical process but the ship was sinking faster and after it got below the halfway point the warriors of ours that had gone to battle the others started pulling back. The remaining undead though surged forward climbing aboard and as the Mages released their chains letting the rotting and now burning ship get reclaimed by the waves.
After the ship finally sunk I felt bone tired once again like my whole existence was strained.
...
+[5% Cohesion] with your Paradox
...
The random notification reignited a question that had fallen short under the abrasive presence of the Tyrant. Looking at the Infin who seemed to reviewing the battle from a projection of sand. Approaching him I received a few attaboys from my fellows before making it to him.
"Hey I'm sorry if your busy but I have a few questions?" I hopefully didn't interrupt him to rudely.
"Go ahead" He responded still clearly tied up in his work.
"Well I've been wondering why is the system here in Paradox I thought it was mainly in the Divine and Mortals Plains?" I asked bluntly and rather be surprised by the question Infin didn't seem bothered.
"Oh, simple when the Coalition of Divines created the System they didn't have the requisite power to do so, and the only other Higher Planars they had some what peaceful dealings with was us and the elementals, and so we gave them some help with it and in turn we have a dumbed down version of it, great for communicating with mortals, the old rituals were annoying from what I here" Infin stated as if it were common knowledge, well it might be just not to me.
"Wait How come I haven't heard of the Coalition of Divines before?" I asked as I figured a force so powerful would be mentioned more then once.
"Oh they were a dynasty of Divines that ruled for such a long time I don't think there's a word for it and then they kinda disappeared, and now it has been almost nearly as long since they have ruled that they faded into obscurity" Infin stated.
