| It's an overgrown jungle that the Red Pyramid is located in. Before,
an ancient and proud people known as the Olmecs had inhabited the land
around this strange magical edifice....but no longer. You see, it has something
entirely to due with....you guessed it!....Atlantis!
This is a two part revelation, so hang onto your hats.
You see, this now defunct empire of evil had spread out from various
realities for trade and conquest by way of their magical teleportation
system. But you must understand that not all the worlds that interested
them had the level of mystical energies that the world they'd originally
come from. So, they soon discovered just HOW to cause an increase the level
to acceptable levels and so "seeded" hundreds upon hundreds of worlds and
thus their empire grew and grew. Sometimes, however, their "seeding" program
failed to bear fruit.
This version of Earth happens to be one of those very worlds.
However, the "seeds" had lain dormant....still awaiting a massive infusion
of energy and what basically was the sacrifice of intelligent beings. So
when the results of what would have been this world's future got
sucked through a TARDIS' Eye of Harmony and the resulting explosion afterwards......
In this reality, the island of Nantucket arriving thousands of years
in the past was one of only a few handful of places and peoples to survive
the destruction of that disaster.
The being who did, Randall Flagg, it did it out of a sense of fun. See,
this was going to be one of the few worlds where "modern," rational, and
scientific man was going to run smack into things he doesn't believe in....but
will prove to be all too real. Things out of fantasy, as it were. A departure
from the S.M. Stirling book that these events seem to mimic, but....that's
life.
Hey, he had to do something to amuse himself while he worked with his
cohorts (the Norns) in bring destruction to the Dark Tower. Before, he'd
just....bent the Beams that radiated out from the Tower order to further
the goals of the Head Demons. Now, he wanted more. He wanted to be the
Head Demon in the resulting New Order when the Higher Ups, seeing the incompetency
of the various Offices, replaced the old hierarchy with him and the Norns!
He and the three women had struck a delicious bargain, and Flagg was all
to happy with the deal. Heck, they even gave back to him his lost memories
(vastly increasing his powers in the process) so the Demon was even grateful,
in his own manner.
The fact that an entire world died didn't flag any alarms back at the
Dark Tower (the Home Office for the Rules, Agents, Demons, and Angels).
Death comes to almost all who dwelled on the mortal planes.....sometimes
even on a planetary scale.
Yes, billions of lives lost is tragic, but in the big picture of things
(an entire universe), a few billion is only a drop in the bucket.
Anyway, what happened next was a perfect Atlantian textbook case of
preparation. A dragon mage named Minestus, believing the magical rituals
he'd used had been sucessful, crowed in triumph and stepped through a teleportation
gate from the world of Fred 5a's world and into a world where the ancient
Altantian grimier said the object of his quest was. Overhead, the land
was transmuting into something alien. Human's caught withing the wave of
transmutation cried and shouted in pain....and soon found themselves transformed
into various exotic animals native to the worlds where the Atlantians dwelled.
They only had a few moments left to contemplate and wonder what had befallen
them before their minds finally clouded and the last part of the metamorphosis
was complete..... They were now just dumb beasts of the field and such.
Next came laying the laying what would soon become the beginning of a slipgate
system. They were ancient white and silver pathways made of stone and unidentifiable
materials that spread above the jungle canopy like spiderwebs. Support
came from pillars drilled into nearby sturdy trees.
This web spread from horizon to horizon. There was a large pyramid
shape about ten miles one way from the edge of this spider web system.
Originally, it had been merely an Olmec pyramid, but it had been assimilated
and transformed into what would eventually be the dwelling place for the
Book. It was red as blood and poked up above the canopy like a boil. Those
who soon found themselves found that food could be plucked from nearby
branches but drinkable water wasn't in reach. A lake, however, could be
seen through a break in the trees. Since the spiderweb system was well
above the ground, travelers would soon be forced to head for that lake....else
die of thirst.
The other revelation in this little intermission is just why
the Atlantians called themselves the Elder race! See, general belief had
it that humanity was the youngest race of all the intelligent races of
Terra Prime (at least....before the recent events with the coming of the
Alliance/Enemy War and all the strange things that soon came afterwards).
However, this branch of humanity (a rather dark and twisted branch) predates
all the "fantasy" races of Terra Prime. You see, the Griffins were correct
in their legends of having been created in a land of witches and evil magic
users. That was true with ALL of these races. And just what did they make
these new races out of? Out of various human slave and criminals accused
of crimes against the Atlantian powers that be, naturally (and this explained
somewhat just why the fantasy races were similar to humans in many ways).
And why create these new races? Why, as something as a safari. See, after
their creation, the Atlantians would sooner or later turn them loose on
various worlds.....and then years or centuries later come in and fight
a recreational war! It was a perfect means of placating the masses, this
recreation!
And this plays hand in hand with what happens next
The Book mutters something in disgust at the results of it's ministrations.
Apparently, this Fred and Astra set had been close to what it had
been looking for, but apparently the relationship hadn't developed to the
point between the Book's victims. From afar, it had appeared that the strong
emotions were there, but alas, the interference that had made it necessary
to send in servants to retrieve them....had also thrown off it's scryings
as well in this manner. This Fred and Astra had been nothing but friends,
alas.
However, as the Book watches the pale humanoid forms (only humanoid
now with their Matrixes stability removed). It's original intentions for
these two (the first of seven) foiled, the Book still has use for them.
The Book, if it could, would nod in satisfaction as the humanoid forms
lose the last of their hold on their original form and collapse in on themselves
into a mass of writhing, rolling and squirming white.....necrotic looking
flesh....lumps of flesh still useful.
It's creator had, it knew, had created this "seeding" foundation for
both "seeding" this world for both mystical energy AND future conquest
of the "safari" races.
Though it knew that It had been placed her on this world (fed a trickle
of magic to keep it functional....but not usable by the locals) for safe
keeping (that had been implanted by It's creator soon after It's creation)
from rivals, the Book felt It was duty bound in carrying out this task!
The fact that It's creator (who the Book now understood now wore the form
of a "safari" race for now since it was fashionable back in Atlantis) wished
to participate in the creation of yet another "safari" race was an honor
indeed. First it was to extract certain key components in seven couples
made of the Matrixes of heroes that had strong feelings for each other
and apply it in a world wide curse that would create the first step in
It's creator's plans for making a new race. Then, the Book's creator would
return soon to reveal the next phase of his plans.
Might as well, considering it would take a bit of time to recover enough
to try again soon. It allows the "guests" to awaken, knowing that while
it would perhaps be more convenient keeping them asleep...it wouldn't be
too healthy for them.
And so while the remaining "guests" slowly awaken, the Book sends a
signal to it's brother, the slipgate system, and had the two Chrysalis
sent out. In several dozen points throughout Earth, a slipgate platform
suddenly formed out of thin air. On two different continents they appear.
One on the North American continent near a new and anachronistic logging
camp....on what would have been called the Connecticut One form appeared
deep in what would be called Russia. Both shamble off the platform....and
start to fission off large lumps of flesh that start to grow....into small
humanoid forms. Hardly diminished by the shedding, the growing shambling
mound gives off a mindless, inhuman moan and stumbles back onto the slipgate
platform.
Christopher Stevenson, curious at the noise and a bit wary, walks slowly
into the clearing he'd hear the groan coming from and finds......over a
dozen young sleeping..... naked elven children?!
A dozen or so....the beginning of what could be an elven tribe....perhaps.
"What the f*ck?" he whispers.
"Sir, do mind your tongue!" a voice calls over from the side, "There
are not only ladies present here, but young ears as well!"
The thunderstruck lumberjack turns and sees Count Yorga and friends
looking at him sternly.
Now, one may have a few questions, like just why all the Champions and
places seem to have been drawn together here, right?
-
 The answer
to that lays in something called Chaos Energy and it's present holder,
Frank Marn. Basically, he's now what some would call a "Weirdness Magnet!"
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