Part 1

Eigengrau was floating in Vordea's black void, looking directly at the Primordial Goddess of Chaos. Vordea had a look of determination on her face, and spoke again.

"I'm certain, Eigengrau." Vordea said. "Tell me what happened."

"You wish to know of the failed future that we narrowly avoided? Why?"

"Because if we don't learn from our mistakes we'll repeat the same scene." Vordea answered, crossing her arms.

"It is a long story, like most worth telling. We will start with the failed encounter at the Inn." Eigengrau started, sitting down and motioning for Vordea to do the same. "Without the time stop, you fully enter the mortal realm. Not just your avatar body, your entire being."

Vordea blinked. She was surprised she actually would have done it. "So the mortals..."

"Every mage on Karand dies or goes insane in the first 13 seconds of you being on the mortal plane. Being on the mortal plane severs your connection with hell, and every demon except for King Xolarand is dead in the first five minutes."

"How do the other Gods die?" Vordea asks quietly.

"You crush Agbus's body, destroying his divine fire. He dies with a whimper, the angels being extinguished with him. This is when my hand is forced." Eigengrau answered, looking sad. "I end your time, and you die in an instant. Simply ceasing to live, falling over on the spot. Zalas was already dead, killed by the psychic pressure of you on the mortal plane, and the death of so many mortals at once."

Vordea was silent now. She was just sitting, her hands on her legs, shaking slightly.

"Sargon is enraged by all the death and blames me. He charges me and tries to kill me. His war-hammer is able to make contact with me, which means I have committed injustice. At that point I determine there is no going back, so I touch my hand to his face and he simply expires." Eigengrau says, her voice cracking. "The look on Vaust's face as I murder Sargon from that path is one that haunts me. Watching myself walk up to Vaust and apologize to him before killing him as well is one of the most difficult things I have done since I buried my parents."

Vordea held her head in her hands. They all died, so quickly? They all thought themselves so invincible, and just her and Eigengrau were enough to kill all of them within seconds?

"The dragons." Vordea whispered.

"Long dead. Despite their divinity, the psychic pressure of your presence killed them all. Vordea, you are far too powerful to enter the mortal plane. I still do not understand how Shadry withstood your divinity long enough to even speak with you."

"What of your Apprentice, and Neptis?" Vordea asked, looking up at Eigengrau.

"The only two mages who survive your majesty, sanity intact. Neptis's divine spark is destroyed by it, and she can no longer achieve apotheosis. Sirene fled to another dimension as soon as she felt your shadow approaching, and was hiding with the Rus when it occurred. But it gets worse."

"Is that even possible?" Vordea asks, slightly laughing at Eigengrau's joke.

"Something in me changes. It may have been from me being the last living God, but as I obtain dominion over the purviews, my mind cracks, then shatters. Any semblance of restraint is gone. I hunt mortals for sport, with no one to stop me or tell me what is right or wrong, my depravity deepens. I torture them, craft abominations, commit every atrocity and depravity imaginable. I treat them as playthings that only exist for my amusement, all the way until the end of the kalpa. I cannot see past the Dawn of the next, but from what I saw, it only gets worse."

Vordea is speechless. The level headed Eigengrau turning into the worst kind of monster? Absolute dominion over all purviews? She had no idea any of this was even possible.

"Eigengrau, we must take countermeasures to prevent this from ever happening. Even if it means a partial seal on me." Vordea said, standing up. "But we can't tell the others."

"I agree. I fear they would attempt far too restrictive measures if they knew. I know you are not level headed, but I also know you would not willingly end reality."

"Well..." Vordea said, trailing off.

Eigengrau laughed and shook her head. "I think the best countermeasure is to prevent you from fully manifesting, instead of sealing your power."

Eigengrau began making drawings of a proposed divine barrier, with Vordea nodding, asking questions, and adding additional runes.