Cruxius

## Introduction

Cruxius is a trickster, who plays with the universe on a level beneath the notice of most gods.

My form is usually that of an average man, perhaps a bit nerdy, but wholly unremarkable with brown tousled hair and unkempt stubble. I always appear to be looking past or through you, if I acknowledge you at all, and seem obsessed with oddities. I take full responsibility for why you forget why you walked into a room the second you make it through the door, that time you lost your keys that you were sure you set in the bowl by the door, the fact that the table must have shifted just an inch or so causing you to stub your pinky toe so bad it broke, and the one stair that must be higher than all the others because you keep tripping over it, but you can't figure out which one it is, so you walk up and down a few times trying to figure it out, only to be sure they're all the same height, until you forget and trip again. Really, you just hesitated on raising your foot that extra millimeter or so. (I had a good laugh at that one.)

My powers appear limited at first, but the tide of battle can often be the difference of just a minor hesitation.

All of existence is the crossing of paths, strings vibrating in an endless expanse of time in dimensions even I fail to fully understand. My very existence is merely the vibration of the universe at this moment, choosing to observe itself in all it's majesty through my unremarkable eyes. You bore me now. I hear there's something odd brewing in Gaea's Heart. A hesitant blow may leave moons to drift.....

## Actions

Cruxius created and maintains the crossroads between realms.

The first path, the gilded path, is known as the Hecate Road, a road to all realms, with gates barring passage to certain realms, and guardians provided to guard their own entrances to private realms of gods. The second path, the perilous forest, is known as the Primrose Path, and it is here that the realm of backdoors and unguarded entry may be obtained, either by those with nefarious goals, or truly noble tasks. The survive the Primrose Path is a feat of Legendary status, as it is guarded by the powers of both Cruxius, and Umbralocht's...gift. As Umbralocht stated:

"*Have your road. But to this road, I'll add a guide. A beckoning call of the wind, wispy and difficult to discern. It leads the traveler down an obscure and circuitous route; A route with dangers, yes, but with the chance of success. Around and past your guardians!*

*It will throw up challenges, but also, provide solutions. Those who can heed the call of the winds will hear what they must do to survive the '**dangers. But this advice will change them. None who follow it will be the same as they were. It will teach them to sew shut their eyes, or cut gills into their neck, whatever is required to survive the road.***
*Those dedicated and persistent few who would hear the guide and follow through all '**perils, they shall find their way. Wherever they may seek to go. Even to the steps of the gods themselves."***

And to Umbralocht's wind Cruxius added the harshness of uncertainty, so that those strong of body but weak of mind or will shall not succeed to posses that of which they are not worthy. Through great strife and peril shall they be transformed both body and soul, and being so transformed, deserving of a reward.

Hence forth the Hecate Roads and Primrose Paths shall be as one, but as separate parts of a whole. The Road for the traveler invited, marked with waysigns and gates to lead the anointed to safe passage, the Path for those who seek to earn rewards not promised to them, or for those who wander from the gilded tiles of the Road, tempted by the winds that weave their minds into obsession. In this, we shall ha

   ve balance.

To guard the gate of Death's domain, Dreka created guardian of death, thus unnamed.

To guard Tempest's gates, he has provided The Great Vortex. Let those who wish to gain access to his realm brave the briny deep of his domain.

Tymoro summoned a guardian of pure probability. The guardian, if touched, will reshuffle all the matter that makes up whatever touched it, leaving it a destroyed shell, though a small possibility remains that the shuffling ends in the same configuration as the original, it is assumed. Let those who seek Luck's domain roll the dice with such a being. It's form is as of yet unknown.
During this time, Zille visited Tempest, and bestowed upon him the gift of the Leviathans, but in the moment of the last creation, as Zille sought to bind and grow serpents from Tempest's domain, Cruxius stole away the last, unfinished Leviathan, as much a heaping mess of snakes as a single unified being.

Cruxius, with the help of Umbralocht and Tuum, created an Avatar upon the Path from the body of the unfinished Leviathan, a being known as Ouroboros.

From Umbralocht it was asked that the creature be allowed to keep the energy of transformation it was imbued with as Zille sought to change it, and through this may it grow vast through great strife and struggle in the forest of the Primroses, as each blow and tear imparts it with growth. Where one should fall, let it then become twice as it was, so that it may grow to protect this crossroads.

From Tuum it was asked that its parts be granted unity, so that even in separation they are as one. Through this, the serpent shall be able to see many things, and act upon many unwelcome guests at once, splitting itself asunder, but remaining a whole being.

A creature of vine and flesh. Of strife and transformation. Of the sea and of the land. A creature of parts but of the same whole. A serpent to guard the crossroads, and an avatar of my will upon the realms of gods and mortals. I unleash upon the crossroads an as of yet small creation: Ouroboros, Serpent of the Crossroads.

Tuum was the first to answer:

*"Aye. I'll allow it, under a specific caveat. This creature of yours must not interfere with any of my work or the work of those under my blessings. Am I clear?"*

Cruxius responded:

*"Certainly, Tuum. Within reason, of course, you and yours will be free of the serpent. So long as its home is undisturbed by yours, yours should know no fear of the beast, nor even of its existence. As for you, why, how could such a beast compare to a god? You needn't worry. The crossroads connect all realms, and none should ever wish to see the realms adrift in the endless infinity, I'm s*

    *ure."*

Umbralocht was the second to answer:

*"Grow, and grow, and grow it shall.*

*Ah, but it may become too big, it were to keep growing. Paths need room to be traveled, do they not.*

*A solution! It will grow mighty, and large, and every blow shall teach it lessons, but when it reaches a certain size, one hundred lengths, then it shall split in twain. And the twain shall fight. Fight and fight! For years, perhaps, their fight will rage. A battle across the crossroads, during which they shall heed no call, hear no distraction, obey no summons, be focused only on each other. And one shall win. It will be stronger, better learned, having just come from the greatest fight it's yet had.*

*Then it will devour its other.*

*And it will resume the growth, and learn and grow, 'ere the fight begins anew with another splitting.*

*In this way you should have a strong guardian, one that in many generations will rival any of the more static titanic creations of the others.*

*Let this amend your protection of unity, Tuum. Let this amend your design, Cruxius. And you shall have your ever-changing, ever-growing, ever-fighting guardian."*

In the end, Cruxius had his Avatar, Ouroboros: Serpent of the Crossroads, though it began life no larger than the collection of snakes of which is was composed.