[Sedna]

R'lyeh, Turn 58

Young fool!

Magic swords do not grant a mortal the right to challenge a god! Some cobbled together army and a rotten human prophecy do not make Pandokos worthy to challenge me for supremacy of this sphere! I will crush him like a bug, and await the coming of my true adversary.

But I... I dream again. I flew out to witness his attack on some boring, two-bit human city. I felt no god-like being among their ranks, so I called out in my native tongue for Pandokos- and Pandokos came forth. The pull of his dream was strong, and before I could stop him, we were in this evil-looking place with bright sunlight and nasty green grass and young trees everywhere. A hideous monster was attempting to eat his tongue- and he didn't even object, or seem to notice. I tried to save him by sucking this monster's brain, but she shape-shifted, turned to crunchy-spicy kracken beneath my tentacle. The monster fell back. I was puzzled by the other god's form. I reasoned that perhaps taking a human form is a good way to trick the local peasants into trusting you long enough to eat them, and we chatted about this and that. He seemed very startled when I told him that the prophecy had several gods dying in the upcoming battle to decide the fate of the world, and broke off contact.

Later I ate a scout, and tasted in his eyes the Arco army. It was then that I realized that this human form was no dream-shape, no facade. This is just a tiny human with a sword that is bigger than he. In vain, I summoned scout after scout, trying to find one who tasted like he had seen a god. The northern scum have acquired several beings of power- a queen of the air, a few tartarians from beyond the gate. There is one blue skinned fellow with many arms who is a legitimate (if weak) god. One of those karmic-the-universe-is-a-cycle-I'll-spend-my-time-seducing-milk-maids-and-eating-butter-rather-than-conquer-the-world types. I doubt he'll even remember to show up to the final fight.

And so I head back to the Caves of Passing time, and stare glumly into them. Is there some other god who will come- unforeseen at the last hour? When Pandokos sees the force that I am assembling on the isle he will turn in fear and not fight. But even if he does fight, his tiny army will barely wet the field of conflict; while the prophecy speaks of rivers of blood and death of gods. I do not think Man has a god left. The vampire of the west, and the spider-king of the east are both busy and far from the isle. Even the birds, who keep my armies so busy in the south, are a long way from the isle. I have not met their pretender- but all reports taste that he is merely some unwilling ghost, dragged back from the grave by power-hungry priests.

So if the prophecy is right, there is someone I'm not counting on. Perhaps from outside of this dimension? Some greater being who will storm through in two month's time? Seize the isle and the caves from me? Hold possession of it for the long hours of May Day as the ancient fires burn and this world spins in a favored part of the time-stream? Attract the attention of the beyond through the blood of the battle, master time, stop time, end the world as ruler of all?

I must consult my books, I must gather my forces-- too long I have toyed with these humans. Something deadly is coming and I must be ready.