Floating in the abyss, a molten planet rotated around a red star. Surrounding them was a nebula, dense with twisting and turning cosmic energies.
On the planet, with rivers of lava and molten rock, a ring of glowing, floating rocks encircled a strange entity. Each rock, in the shape of a bipyramid, glowed with a different color and intensity while their igneous surfaces reflected distinct patterns. The strength of their glow was reflected by how many surfaces they had.
In the middle of these bipyramidal beings, above molten rock and lava, a gray and amorphous entity hovered. Mana from the world rose and chunks of rock and magma broke free to encase this anomaly.
They crunched and melded together to create a protective tomb of igneous rock before it fell lifelessly to the ground.
The circle stopped glowing and the other bipyramids hovered closer. Their bright colors began to darken to reflect their sadness until a flicker of gray emerged.
Luminous, blinding colors erupted from the creatures as the one in the center rose to hover two feet above the ground. Like the others, it was over eight feet in height and three in width, and this one glowed silver.
The colors of the other creatures, more typical of this world, ranged from red, orange, purple, and black. Silver was a rare and joyful occasion.
Except this was not the time to be joyful.
Climbing the mountain on all sides, a fierce battle was underway. The bipyramids glowed angrily, unleashing magical attacks and waves of magic that matched their color to kill the invaders. Green for acid, red for fire, purple for lightning, and silver for holy physical attacks.
Their bodies creaked and groaned, an ethereal whine echoing as goblins or insects clambered atop them after their shields were broken from repeated attacks. They dug and tore, the creatures shaking under their onslaught until one of these nightmarish attackers managed to grip or tear the liquid creature within.
When this happened, the glow and movement died with a noise that sounded like a dying breath from a human before the rock crumbled. The remnants of these organisms were taken and piled into different mounds.
Some were all red, others orange, black, and a very small pile of silvers or purples that vanished from the world.
These creatures, enraged, channeled their mana into the newly born golem-type creature, which rose up and began spinning. It spun violently before hurling itself into the mountain.
The screams and roars, the violent crackling of flesh and breaking of rock, never ceased as the ground began to erupt beneath them. Geysers of lava and steam burst from the ground searing dragons and wasps, goblins and insects, and fracturing the remaining golems.
This was one of many battlefields that dotted the highly toxic and dangerous world.
Mixed into these battles, much like the entities that formed on the ground, a new one formed in the sky. The mana from the earth visibly flowed upward, while the purple cosmic energies twisted downward toward an amorphous blob.
It crackled and twisted before a deafening explosion sent hundreds of creatures hurling backward. The living creature evolved into a black hole with purple and blue energies marking its boundary. No matter which side you looked at, however, you couldn't see a definite edge that gave it a three-dimensional shape.
When the assaults on these newly birthed, special creations renewed, crackling lightning erupted from their center. Each time it flashed, purple lightning crackled out.
It didn't matter whether it was a dragon or Primordial, tens or hundreds, anything it struck turned to ash.
The problem with it, unfortunately, was the cooldown duration.
These entities sparsely dotted the world. Flames, magma, acid- nothing inorganic affected it. But when these organic, corrupted beings tried to strike it, the creature was sucked in and in an explosion, every creature within a hundred-meter radius became a red mist.
The entity was destroyed and a crater was left as its grave.
Just like when the invasion of An-Ki happened, five portals opened up on this planet. Selena's swarms surged forth in an unending tidal wave upon these beings. Goblins, insects, dragons, Primordial dragons, and Primordial dragonflies.
When the Primordial dragons were discovered to be ineffective, Selena intelligently withdrew them back to her world.
"She's an intelligent hive-world of sorts," Atlas mused after he watched this happen.
Now, with the world almost conquered, Atlas stared at two mixed piles of these strange dead creatures.
One was next to his forge system, to one day tamper with, and the other had appeared atop the Summit, next to a surprised Celeste.
"They look similar... Silver ones look like molten aluminum, except..."
Atlas poked it. It wasn't hot and it felt gelatinous. He pressed harder and his finger punctured it, but there was no ooze to replicate blood, just a lifeless, strange material.
When he walked back to the globe, he changed the view back to An-Ki and watched Celeste, the Primordial Dragon Queen.
She stared at it in confusion before looking up to the sky for guidance. Her sapphire eyes scanned the horizon, and her pure white scales reflected the sun's rays.
"Sorry, Celeste, this is not for you. This is for the dwarves to tamper with," Atlas muttered to himself.
"Do you wish to use Myra to communicate to her?"
"No. The dwarves will ascend on their own and ask to tinker with it when they see it. I don't need to use Myra."
–Divinity: 102–
–Material: Living Metal–
"Except it is no longer living metal. The dwarves need to make it living again. Perhaps I should teleport survivors that surrender to the Summit?"
"That will cost divinity," Wisp chirped in a reminder. "Those entities will likely attack if you bring them to An-Ki. They showed signs of emotion and intelligence."
"I'll get my divinity back when I absorb the Weaver," Atlas dismissed the critique. "But your right about the latter. The question remains, then, should I let Selena have this world or do I absorb it..."
"It is doubtful her creatures could survive for long on that planet. Her body cannot spawn these creatures, too, it seems."
Atlas sighed in disappointment. "That's annoying. Since this is 'metal', maybe the dwarves can recreate the creatures. That or if I absorb their world, I might be able to use the resources to recreate their species."
"For what purpose? Their abilities feel... limited."
"You're correct. But I see free resources. Free production of flames, acid, electricity... We just need to figure out how to tame them."
Wisp tilted its head, its eyes flickering between colored hues. "An interesting idea. But their intelligence may lead to revolt."
"Can I see their stats?"
"Not until the war is over."
Atlas sighed, fingers tapping against the console. "Fair enough."
While they were talking, some dwarves were already climbing the mountain.
"Well, while Selena cleans up, let's check up on the dwarves and dragons."