Mythology RPG

(If you've created your character, this is the beginning. For each pantheon, it begins with a phone call.)

Lugh sits in his study, a phone clutched in his hand.

"Yes, yes..." He hangs up abruptly. "Another attack... Of course they had to attack our remaining bases. And what with this news in the Norse lands... Even the Greeks are facing their own problems! Fomorians, Titans, Giants, AND Apophis? Never in my life..."

He presses several numbers on his phone.

"Og? Send my stepson in. What do you mean 'which stepson?' There's only one I keep under lock and key!"

He sits impatiently, waiting for Aengus Og to bring his stepson in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bres sits alone in his cell. A creak is heard as Aengus Og appears.
"Ah, nephew. To what do I owe the honor of the great Aengus Og's company? It's only been over three thousand years."
"King Lugh wants you."
"For what? I thought he'd run out of uses for me when he imprisoned me for several millennia."
"Considering the alternative, you're lucky."
"You mean I put up a pathetic enough whine to satisfy him, so he merely imprisoned me?"
"Do you want to get out or not?"
"Very well. Take me to my dearest stepfather."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The trip is long and awkward between the two of them, with neither really sure what to say.
"So how's your father doing? The last I saw of the man, he'd been impaled by Cethlenn's spear." Bres asks.
"He got better."
"Good to know. Even though he caused me plenty of trouble in my reign."
"How so? By being innocent of something you charged him with?"
"No. By being innocent on account of a technicality of something I charged him with."
"You do realize I came up with that idea, don't you?"
"You were but a child!" Bres' face sinks as he comes to a realization, "I was outwitted by a child."
The trip is finally over as Aengus Og gets out of the car. Bres is unable to, though.
"What's the matter, Mac Elatha?" Aengus asks.
"I can't get this contraption to open."
"Pull the lever." Angus says.
"Which one?!"
"The one in the center, by the window."
With a large amount of force, Bres opens the car door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's with a slight amount of irritation and also a sense of relief that they hadn't killed each other that Lugh sees his stepson and Og arrive in the building. They enter the study. "Og, you may leave us," Lugh says.
Bres looks curiously at some of the gadgets.
"Magnificent, aren't they? Much more effective than what we had in Pre-Roman days," Lugh says.
"I don't recall having trouble getting out of a chariot," Bres says.
"Yes, well, times change, don't they?" Lugh says.
"Might I inquire as to why I've been summoned?" Bres asks.
"I received a phone call this morning. Our fort at Leinster was attacked."
"Who would dare to attack us?" Bres asks without a hint of sarcasm.
"Our people."
"They're dead. The Tuatha and the Fomorians fought ages ago and it was resolved. The remaining Fomorian Army was massacred. Believe me, I know."
"Not so well as believed. They're coming. And across the world, similar things are happening. In Egypt, they've recently recently had a long solar eclipse with reports of earthquakes. The mortals probably have something to explain it, but the truth is that Apophis has escaped the underworld where he was trapped."
"This is not good. Both of them?"
"It gets worse. My old friend Loki was just with me on the phone. He gave me a cryptic warning about giants and then gave this rather strange laugh. I really can't make heads or tails of most of what that boy says, though. There's a good chance he's behind it, if only for the purpose of chaos."
"What's next? The Greeks?"
"The Greeks. Typhon and Echidna."
"Please tell me they're not..."
"I'm afraid so. And they've brought back the Titans."
"They're dead. We're dead."
"Not quite. I've decided to send several champions to defeat them."
"You've got to be joking. For most of those horrors, it took the entire pantheon of each civilization to defeat them. We can't do it with just a few."
"No, put perhaps with one or two from each pantheon..."
"You can't expect any of our people to talk with them! They all think they're better than us!"
"I've decided to send one of the best minds and best tongues we have to offer. You."
Bres' mouth opens and closes several times before he finally musters out, "Have you finally decided to kill me off, stepfather?"
"Not at all! Ogma's busy working on his languages and you are both charismatic and smart."
"And expendable to you."
"Well, if you die on this, it IS better you than someone else."
"It's good to feel valued."
"If you succeed, I'm willing to offer you freedom."
Bres pauses slightly, "Very well. At least it'll be exciting."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As his stepson leaves, Lugh wonders if he truly WILL be enough for this. So this is how Nuada felt.
It might be worth checking into to send Bres some reinforcements...

Thor sighed. He was going to have to call him. Again. He took his hammer, which then transformed into a phone. He dialed in a number, and then said, "I'm going to need my brother to stay in prison if we are to do this. He can shapeshift and create mirages of himself, and he would use those skills to help the enemy, and then try to take over himself. Yes, I am serious. JUST DO IT!!" Thor shouted into the phone. He transformed the phone back into a hammer, and shoved it in his belt.
..........................
Thor walked through room after room, fortress after fortress. His brother was kept under lock and key, and he was determined to keep it that way. Finally, he reached his brother's prison. Thor peered inside.
..........................
Loki was aware of Thor staring at him and said, "Here for my help, brother?" Without raising his eyes from the ground.
"No, actually I'm here to make sure your in prison." Thor opened the door and walked in.
"Stupid brother." The door slammed behind him. Thor whirled around to see Loki. "Will you ever not fall for that trick?" He sneered, and then he walked away, leaving Thor in prison.

Lugh is surprised to get another phone call, this time from a number at Valhalla.

"What could it be?" He wonders.
"Oh, come on! Really? Of all the- Yes, we'll be there right away. I'll bring a lock pick." He hangs up the phone and turnsto Bres, who is patiently seated on the couch, "I'm afraid we'll have to meet our Norse cousins a bit sooner than expected."
"Why?" Bres asks.
Lugh gives a grimace, "Thor got himself locked up in Loki's prison. Loki himself has escaped and is out creating terror. I told you he was behind at least part of it. Do you know how to pick a lock?"
"It depends on if the locks haven't changed that much since the Old Days. If they haven't, I've got a fair chance. I used to be capable of picking any lock."
"Good. Tell me, Bres, did you ever get seasick?" Lugh now has a rather frightening grin on his face.
"No, not that I recall. Why?"
"It would appear that I might have to have a larger part in this whole affair than I originally thought. After all, it takes a trickster to defeat a trickster. And the fastest way to get to faraway lands is by plane."
"I'm afraid to ask what a 'plane' is."
"Oh, you'll love it, I'm sure..." Bres isn't reassured in the least.
Lugh sends for Aengus Og. He walks through the door, "Ready to send him back to prison?"
"No. I want you to take care of the Tuatha de Danann for a while. It'll only be a few months."
"A FEW MONTHS!"
"Circumstances beyond my control have made it so that I have to be gone for a conference for a few months."
"Only a few months...only a few months," Og tries to reassure himself, "Commitment...commitment."
"If it's any consolation, if you do this for me, I'll never ask for it again from you. And I'll speak with Manannan Mac Lir about letting you ride Embarr. He's a good horse..." He allows his voice to carry on.
"I'll do it," Aengus Og says.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bres had been right. These 'planes' were much, much worse than he thought.
"Can I please have another bag or two for my friend here?" Lugh nods towards Bres.
The stewardess runs to get another barf bag.
"You're not doing so bad, you know."
"Forgive me for not being pleased."
"I'm surprised, you know. I always thought that turbulence is better than seasickness."
"It's not just the shaking; it's the heights, the shaking, AND the tight spaces."
"It's hard to get first class on such short notice. And the back part of the plane is always the last to go. Really, we were lucky," Lugh says.
"I'm sure," Bres says. He starts paging through the English book Lugh had given him before starting off. He reminds himself that at least it's better than prison. Supposedly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They arrive at the prison. "This way," a guard says. They're led to a cell with a rather ticked off thunder god in it.

Thor could see them coming, "Finally, your here! Get me out of here so I can bring Loki BACK!" He saw one of the Celts fiddling with a lockpick, and then opened the door.
Thor hed to hold his dignity together as he said, "Thank you." Really? Celts? He had waited THREE DAYS for somebody, maybe Frey or Sif, but no one came. It was only a last resort to call Bres and Lugh. Thor stiffly walked past them, summoning his hammer as he walked passed. Thankfully, Loki hadn't taken it, because only Thor could lift it.
"I will find you Loki, and you will come back." He growled.
....................
Loki had ran away from prison, defeated the Gate Keeper, and used the space bridge* to go to Earth. This time, the planet would be his.
"...If Thor would leave it alone for once!" He sighed. Thor. Thor was the bane of his life, allways taking the attention, and making his life miserable. He had grown up in Thor's shadow. His own father didn't even love him. He didn't even tell him he was adopted. There were so many He didn't's... in Loki's life.
"This time, Earth will be mine, and I will be in full sun, not the shadow of Thor."
Truthfully, Loki was enjoying running less and less. Sometimes, he wanted a real life, but he shook the idea from his head. He was a jotun. Nobody could ever let him be normal
....................
Thor didn't understand Loki. He had a life before, then he just left and tried to rule the world. Sure, father ignored him sometimes, and he was adopted, but he had no reason at all to run.

Hestia sat in the back garden on mount Olympus. She was alone, all the other gods, and minor gods off fighting in the war against the Titans and the Monsters. She was the only one who never played a part in the wars in every battle she was always left out to tend to the gardens and the fires. Sometimes she wished she could help but how could she? she was just a god who was being forgotten. She had no great power, she had given up her chair among the gods for Dionysus. Some days she regretted her chose but then she would remember what made her happy. To be in the gardens among all the rare animals that would wander around she was there care taker, and she had to keep the fires all going in this big lonely place. If the main fire went out then Olympus fell and then she would be cast out to fend for herself in the human world. She ran a hand through her hair thinking making the size of a torch that was stuck on the side of a path beside her. A fax running from bush to bush near by.

Loki was annoyed. First of all, he didn't like these "airplanes" and second of all, he just read a book of norse mythology. That was... painful. It was one of the most innacurate things ever. First of all, he was not adopter by Odin as a brother; he was his adopted son! And the way the pictured him... he would rant later. Loki gripped the arms of the chair tighter. He would have to get off of this plane first.
.............................................................................................................
"Where is he?!?!?" Thor yelled at the sky, but he got no response. "Stupid sky..." Then, Set appeared next to Thor.
"Hello Thor." He hissed.
"What do you want, Set? This is not your problem!"
"Every thing that is evil is... connected to me."
"Loki is not evil! He's just..."
"A criminal genius? No, I think I like evil better." Set grinned.
Thor was annoyed by Set. He threw his hammer at him. Set vanished.

"So, are you coming to the conference? Or are you going to stay and let strange anteater things taunt you?" Lugh watches Thor from over his shoulder. I wonder how long it would take to make him lose it? If Set can make him go crazy, I wonder just how low his breaking point is... This could be fun.

Loki was glad when the airplane finally landed. He didn't enjoy heights, as they made him think of... No, he thought, You are NOT going to think of him. He walked off the plane, his stomach in his mouth.
"Why, hello Loki."
Loki didn't even bother to turn around. "Go away Set. They don't need to find me."
"I know THAT. I'm on your side, that's why we must... work together...
"No, I NEED to do this myself. I need to squish my stinkin' brother out of existance!"
"Loki, your language is not what it used to be... did your silver toung turn to lead?
"Set, just, leave me alone. This is what I must do, and I alone."

Hestia's thoughts were interrupted when an iris message shimmered in front of her. She emidetly took a knee "my brother and lord Zeus what do i owe the plessure?" she asked
"i need you to go check something out for use..it has seemed that Loki is back, and i would enjoy hearing what he has to do here this time"
"but my lord-"
"do not question me Hestia!" Zeus's booming voice rising
"yes my lord" she said bowing then the iris message dispearing.
"and off i go on an adventure" she said then she got up and shimmered into an orange mist then took off threw the wind

Lugh has learned to keep his cell phone on hand in case of future calls. It is now coming in handy as he's receiving a call from Mt Olympus. "Yes...please don't say it's Ares. He nearly pummeled me last time. I was able to duck out of the way so he'd hit the wall, but still... Oh, really? Unusual choice... No, I have no problem with it. In fact, I'm rather fond of her. No, not like that! I know of her vow, and far be it from me to try to entice someone to break it. Glad we can see eye to eye on this. Yes, Zeus, I'll be at the meeting. I was just saving Thor from having to explain to his Norse buddies how he managed to lock himself into a jail. Then Set came in and... No, I wouldn't miss it for the world. After all, we're all suffering, aren't we? Oh, and by the way, Bres is coming to the meeting, so please don't try to kill him." He hears a click as Zeus hangs up.

"Hestia's been sent out to investigate the recent occurrences," Lugh says.
"Hestia...Zeus' youngest sister?" Bres asks.
"Or eldest, depending on whether you count the time in Cronos' stomach or the order in which they came out."
"I think I met her once. I was attending Greece on business while I was king. I think I scared the poor thing half to death," Bres says, "Please don't say that means that we'll be going on one of those accursed planes. Pleeeeaaassseee." It's amusing watching a man who one knows can kill 150 men on the battlefield in a furious rage begging like a toddler for a piece of candy.
"Relax. Zeus says that right now, she's doing individual investigations. When she wants to join up...well, the Greeks have the habit of appearing whether you want them to or not. Normally directly behind you, just after you say something bad about them. Oh, and Zeus informed me that Ares is going to be attending the meeting. And Hephaestus. And, in fact, all of the Twelve Olympians. My bet goes to Hephaestus, personally, if there's a battle."
"Should we send more of our people to even things out?"
"No, we might be fewer in number, but we have more personality. A lot more personality. And, quite frankly, if I was EVER able to lose in battle to Ares, I'd willingly surrender my crown. He might have muscle, but it seems that to compensate, the man has the brain of a goldfish. One that has a small brain even by goldfish standards."
"Nonetheless, the 'goldfish' has brawn. A lot of brawn."
"Let's just hope that Zeus decides that Hestia's enough. Otherwise he could very well send Ares," Lugh shudders.