Intelligence Incarnate (Hoj’An’Tee) – Realm of Intellect
Things had begun so fortuitously.
The cycles of preparation for her future pet had finally started to pay their dividends.
Its species of origin had multiplied at a prolific rate, so much so that their advancements had failed to keep pace with their populace. In turn they had been unable to discover the existence of the Elevation System and as a direct result effectively removed any chance from interfering with her carefully laid plans.
It was difficult for one such as her to look on without being able to do much more then a minor tweak here or there on an un-initiated world. But the potential gain of a formidable instrument, unfettered by the usual handicapped starting position of those in the Elevated cosmos was just too tempting a prospect. And once such an idea had seeded it had remained well and truly lodged within all her minds.
Once it’s species was elevated, and the time came for more direct action, the initial expenditure of so much of her mana had been a worrisome gambit to give the being it’s exceedingly rare trait. Then there was the issue of avoiding the notice of the Seraph that was overseeing the individuals induction.
And while the continued expenditure was excessive, fortunately that too had gone off without so much as a casualty in a Guild sanctioned Siphon clear... The final hurdle or so Hoj’An’Tee had thought, was getting a sufficiently docile Wyvern spawned at just the right time and Zone.
What the Incarnate of Intelligence hadn’t counted on however, was how much more of her precious mana would be sacrificed to keep the phase one manabeast from instantly killing her pets pet...And although it was assuredly a close thing, with mana reserves all but spent her minds had breathed a monumental sigh of relief when the pets pet had sacrificed itself at just the right moment to give it the prerequisite behavioral trigger to slay the impossibly rare spawn.
Even though events had not played out as she had initially planned, it had still managed to acquire the spawned mana beasts trait along with the Forerunner titles, to give it its required advantageous foundation.
There was regrettably another factor Intelligence Incarnate had failed to take into account...
It was how poorly it would take the loss of its own pet...
Certainly, she had borne witness to its formative years, while playing an infinitesimal, if catalytic role in them, to help produce what it was at the point of it’s Elevation. But Hoj’An’Tee failed to see why it remained so fixated on the loss of an easily replaceable mixed breed of woefully untrained pack animal!
Still...She maintained her watch on the Elevant called 'Benjamin' in the hope that it would assert its dominance over its own species before rushing to the upper echelons of phasic power, so that she could use it to finally crush the ever present and now looming threat that was Zul.
But when it failed to socially reintegrate with its own kind after its handicap of an illness had been removed. That was when Hoj’An’Tee knew she had made a blunder by having instigated the illness upon it before it had a chance to form its basic center of reasoning...
In a last ditch effort to bring it back to its rightful path, Intelligence Incarnate undertook an exceedingly costly invasion of its subconscious mind, aiming to give it a more...adjusted purpose. Yet in this too, the being deviated from all logic and reason by spurning her mental entreaty with its forceful, and quite rude rejection of her generous conscription. To make matters even more infuriating it subsequently breached the Vitality threshold for its species which enabled it to no longer require sleep!
Now having completely exhausted all half measures available to her, The Intelligence Incarnate Hoj’An’Tee set her indomitable minds and near inexhaustible mana regeneration to the task of extinguishing the unnatural ingrate!
Her first attempt at proxy assassination by way of the herd of incompatible elevants known as 'Manacraven', was an exceedingly embarrassing disaster... As while it was supposed to be preoccupied with a large furred manabeast, it still managed use the progenitor class she had so generously helped it attain to decimate the mindless beasts, forcing them to flee instead.
The second more forceful attempt was when she expended yet more preciously regenerated mana to lure and prod a large reptile to the surface of its Zone while the Benjamin was paralyzed by way of pathetic rock elemental’s own attack of stealth.
Unfathomably this too ended in failure and resulted in the being attaining yet more titles as well as another progenitor class.
She had destroyed an unhealthy portion of her realm after that failure...
Why could it have not forgone its path of solitude and with it the chance at more titles by readying its race for the next phase while presiding to rule over them instead!?!
Putting aside her shame and humiliation at having failed to control one measly Elevant so utterly with such a exorbitant expenditure of her own mana, she was about to call for the aid of her fellow Incarnates when the being began to channel one of its new system granted skills. Thoughts of crawling to beg her fellow Incarnates for assistance all but evaporate when a moment of inspiration took all of Hoj’An’Tee’s minds. Eschewing all reason, Hoj’An’Tee did the unthinkable.
She extended a sliver of her very being and delved into the Abyss itself to draw out one of its abominable denizens. Laying a trail of her precious mana, she lured the absence of its nonexistence toward a tear in the fabric of reality that would presumably bring it right next to where the Benjamin was currently channelling its new skill.
But it was as if the Progenitor’s themselves were mocking her, as once more events failed to unfurl how her triplicate minds had predicted. As, after the thing had made contact with the world that the Benjamin inhabited, all perception of not just Benjamin but the Zone itself, ceased to be!
Panic had consumed her minds for all too long cycles as they collectively feared the denizen she had single handedly lured free of its inhospitable environs was in the process of consuming the phase 1 world itself!
Normally having a hand in the extinguishing of a world, Phased or otherwise, would be of little issue to an Ascended such as her. But it was more the matter of incurring the ire of the very Elevation System itself, by way of ignoring one of its janitorial Seraph’s precious ‘Progenitor Codes’. Only once had she been deficient enough to be caught in such an act but the resultant penalty still scared her many selves.
So, as time had worn on and the world known as ‘Earth’ had evidently not been scoured of all mana and life, it had taken her quite some time to discover what might likely have occurred.
It seem that somehow the Benjamin was using a bit of the abomination she had painstakingly coaxed its way to cloak its presence from not just her self but any other Incarnates direct interference...Even more worryingly however, it appeared to be continuing to marshal its now unprecedented foundation of power under the unnatural veil of secrecy she had inadvertently laid at its illogical feet.
Truly horrified at the thing she had helped create, Hoj’An’Tee had covertly guided the hand of a third phase Elevant that was not even a chosen at the time, to send her strongest lesser chosen to end Benjamin’s unsightly existence once and for all!
The yet greater destruction she had wrought on her once pristine realm after yet another impossible failure which had taken more sacrifice of her precious mana that should have logically been better expended elsewhere!
Near hysterical at her persistent failures and out of any feasibly lethal options until a planet it was on successfully completed a transition to Phase 2, all the Intelligence Incarnate could do was rebuild her strategic mana reserves and bide her time.
Fixated as she had become on the monster of her inception, and well and truly in areers to her contributions to the Incarnates collective efforts to thwart Zul's Advance. Hoj’An’Tee was yanked from her triplicate homicidal prognostications when one of her precious few, third Phase Chosen was swiftly extinguished by one of the smug pile of shtak that was Wisdom Incarnate’s own Chosen!
Minds free of their frustrated malaise, she opened a portal unannounced to the Realm of Wisdom and to the abyss with the long held diplomatic accords:
[You have entered the Realm of Wisdom Incarnate Level 1000]
[You are present in an incarnates realm without invitation. All damage dealt reduced by 90% and all mana costs increased by 90%.]
Willing away the irksome notifications as she emerged into verdant hanging gardens, Hoj’An’Tee’s minds focused on the arrayed ascended honour guard of Wisdom Incarnate. Sighting on the cyclopian figure draped in a much too revealing semblance of a robe, that sat on a facsimile of a marble bench behind her underlings overlapped skills of shielding. All her minds did their best not to employ her lone enhanced skill and obliterate the simpering lot of the wisdom based pacifists!
At least not until she got an acceptable explanation that is...
Streaking toward the ashen faced honour guard and their relaxed progenitor. Hoj’An’Tee screamed whilst raising a blue hand in glowing menace.
“YOU DARE KILL ONE OF MY CHOSEN!”
Thoroughly unperturbed by her counterparts outburst Kuo-Tan-Oi Incarnate of Wisdom shook her white curly haired head whilst presenting an almost wistful smile. Further incensed by her relaxed indifference Hoj’An’Tee furthered.
“DO NOT THINK THESE PITIFUL BEINGS YOU CALL GUARDS WILL SAVE YOU FROM MY WRATH, ANSWER ME SISTER! OR I SHALL RIP THE REASON FROM YOUR BROKEN LIPS!”
To which the other, far larger Incarnate chuckled before countering.
“Really Hoj...All these thousands of cycles and you still haven't managed to reign in that temper of yours?”
Obliterating a faux plant encrusted column with a bolt of raw mana she rejoined.
“DO NOT TRY MY PATIENCE YOU UNFAIRLY FORSIGHTED OAF! I DEMAND AN ANSWER THIS INSTANT!”
Clearly still unmoved by her persistent threats, Kuo-Tan-Oi teleported her concerned looking guards away with a wave, before offering bemusedly.
“I take it this is about ‘Commander’ Fhan then?”
Doing her best not to throw the Ascnended Realms into a war, the likes of which had not been witnessed since the ousting of the last Incarnate of Strength.
Hoj’An’Tee forcibly becalmed her minds before she countered in menace.
“The very same…”
Leading the other Incarnate to shrug and rejoin.
“That was Lei-Xulla’s doing not mine, sister…”
Anger re-stoked, she began.
“DO NOT PLA-”
Before she caught the silent shaking laughter of her contemporary and exhaled loudly before continuing.
“Please tell me why Kuo?”
Apparently taking pity upon her, the Incarnate of Wisdom proffered matter of factly.
“To clean up your mess of course.”
All three of her could do little else but blink in shock for a moment before one of her countered.
“What do you me-”
But her sister cut her off, amusement rife in her tone.
“Now who is the one who is playing games Hoj…”
Scowling at the taciturn rebuttal, another of her minds attempted obfuscation once more.
“You will have to be spec-”
Once more, Kuo-Tan-Oi interjected bemusedly.
“Your little monstrosity that goes by the name of Benjamin, oh Incarnate of Intelligence...”
Shoulders falling in defeat, it took her a long few moments, to regain her minds enough for one to timorously counter.
“H-how long have you known?”
Letting out a guffaw, the Incarnate of Wisdom slapped her crassly exposed knee before allowing.
“Since you instilled it’s trait!”
Hoj’An’Tee was unsure how long all of her stared at the still laughing creche mate she had known for thousands upon thousands of cycles. But when she came to her-selves once more, she could only stammer pathetically.
“B-but how?”
Smirking still, Kuo-Tan-Oi rejoined.
“Well you have never been the most subtle of voyeurs dear sister...And when you kept expending enough mana to fund a Phase Two planatery invasion to scry the same un-Elevated planet over and over and over again, I must admit that my curiosity got the better of all my minds…So imagine my surprise when I discovered my oh so intelligent fellow Incarnate had shunned all decorum and strictures to seed an un-elevated with an unnatural trait while kill its mother in the process!”
Anger filled her once again at her step siblings continued gloating, leading her to bite out.
“Well if you know this much then you obviously know what it has become…”
Finally Wisdom Incarnate’s good cheer seemed to have run its insulting course as her one eyed expression sobered as she replied.
“How could I not Hoj...What you have made is far too powerful to be left unchecked...Worse still, in the process of moulding it you seem to have broken its mind…The reports I have been able to acquire from other phase one species that its come in to contact with, tell a tale of an unhinged deviant, bent on only sewing the seeds of chaos while leaving nought but destruction in its wake!”
All of Hoj’An’Tee’s minds refused to flinch from the accusatory tone and glare her counterpart sent their way. Now the secret was out, there seemed little reason to do anything but work toward the greater good. So, with this in minds, she offered.
“So that means you will help me correct my...mistake?”
Snorting in apparent disbelief the orange skinned cyclopian female waved a hand in her direction and a wave of mana shot straight for her, leading Hoj’An’Tee to summon a barrier reflexively. In turn Kuo-Tan-Oi shook her head and released a chuckle before instructing.
“Sit”
Blinking in collective surprise, the Incarnate of Intelligence turned to use her eyes to confirm what her spere of perception told her was a replica of her counter parts marble seat that had apparently been materialised. Doing her best to save all her minds faces, she sat with as much poise as her attributes could afford before she turned her re-composed gaze expectantly, toward the spaces far too smug other occupant. Seeming to take it as invitation Kuo-Tan-Oi continued.
“I will assist you with your not so little...mistake…”
Relief flooded through her minds and one made to speak, but was swiftly cut off by Wisdom Incarnate.
“But only if you agree to certain terms.”
Collectively scowling at her creche-mate, one of her bit out.
“Very well...State your tithe’s...”
Smiling once more, Wisdom Incarnate nodded to further.
“Firstly, I want you to promise to never attempt such foolishness again lest the system patches out, any or worse all of our lower phasic privileges for such petty meddling.”
All of her could see the wisdom in the stipulation. Thinking back, the last system patch had been 350,000 cycles ago to correct an error for a phase 2 world that was inexplicably overrun by rapidly reproducing four legged creatures that dropped far too many manamotes, even with her blatant transgressions against the pious Progenitor Codes Hoj’An’Tee thought it unlikely such a patching would occur...Still, she had no desire to repeat such a catastrophic chain of events that brought her to this cowed and lowly position. Thus she nodded readily to supply.
“Done.”
It was her cyclopian step sisters turn to scowl as she chastised.
“I need to hear the specific vow from your lip’s Intelligence…”
Huffing in annoyance, she proffered.
“I, Intelligence Incarnate, Vow never to meddle in the affairs of the Un-Chosen or Un-Elevated, on all my mana and my realm.”
Kuo-Tan-Oi offered a small but appreciative smile before furthering.
“Secondly, you or your chosen will take no aggressive action or actions for my chosen’s killing of your own.”
Incensed by the mere notion of having such a slight go unanswered, she began.
“I admitted my mistake and made the vow, yet surely you do not expect such a flagrant transgression to go unansw-”
Snorting a derisory laugh, Wisdom interjected.
“That is exactly what I expect Hoj’An’Tee.”
Fixing her once creche mate with her best disbelieving stare, she demanded.
“Even with my current...Predicament, what makes you think I would agree to such a prepos-”
Grinning openly at her incredulity, Wisdom swiftly countermanded.
“Because dearest and most intelligent sister of mine...If you adhere to my plan in its entirety, I can provide surety, on my mantle as The Incarnate of Wisdom with all my mana and realm, that the Elevant known as Benjamin, shall have its essence so utterly destroyed, that not even the repugnant eyesore that is Zul, would be able to survive it!”
Minds agog at the statement, Intelligence Incarnate lost control of her jaw for an embarrassing few moments...To be able to swear such a thing so blatantly and assuredly meant that Wisdom must have seen it occur. As a result, she eventually managed to release a weak.
“First tell me h-”
However Kuo-Tan-Oi cut her off once more.
“Not on all your woeful reserves of mana Hoj’An’Tee...You must unquestioningly follow my plan down to the very last detail!...Now for various reasons I am unable to tell you its totality, but what I can tell you is that we must involve Charisma t-”
Shooting up from her uncomfortably cold seat, Intelligence Incarnate half spat.
“Sister you cannot be seriously thinking of involving that...that...That ball of Daj’Gul’Aun slime!?”
The Incarnate of Wisdom merely gave a tight lipped smile before countering.
“I’m afraid it is the only way sister...But if it is any consolation he will not turn a...profit, from the endeavour in the least…”
Tension draining from her, the Incarnate of Intelligence sank back down to amend.
“W-Well as long as he stays far away from my Realm, then I suppose I can sully my good name to deal with such a moral deficient.”
Kuo-Tan-Oi’s face took on an impish appearance and one of her minds could have swore it saw her counterparts eye twinkle as she opined.
“Come now Hoj, you and he had a thing for a few thousand cycles...he can’t be that bad of a la-”
Whilst most of her minds scowled at the all too vivid memories, one sought to curtail her step sisters teasing with an instructorly.
“No need to be a vindictive Fou’Jio Worm and grind soliable crystals into weeping flesh Kuo…Just tell me what needs to be done!”
Smiling all too brightly the Incarnate of wisdom offered in mock petulance.
“You always were such a spoiler of games dear sister. Why, I remember a time when I was merely having a little fun with a certain Yad’Ok’n and you walked in and we-”
Collective anger flaring she half shouted.
“KUO, I’M WARNING YOU! CEASE THIS PE-”
To which Kuo-Tan-Oi tittered and waved her down to counter.
“Fine...fine…You dismantler of sports you...So...What you will need to do first is contact an Elevant by the name of Michelle Rodriguez and conv-”
And thus, the pair of Incarnates continued their good natured exchanging of ideas, in what many less attributed beings might term a conspiratorial manner. All in a multi-minded bid to bring to an end the existence of an Elevant who identified as Benjamin...
