[OOC: This thread is a combination of the perspectives of three people–Sylvain, Auron, and Shiloh on an event that took place early in the latter's godhood before any of their children were born. These short vignettes give some background on changes in their relationships with each other that I haven't been able to explain in my other threads.]

The early days of Antikythera were not what most remember. Shortly after I and Auron were drafted into her service, a terrible and bloody incident took place which only we and those who were present can recall. It is something that neither my wife nor the Steward's husband know in full, and we have chosen to keep it that way. Once upon a time, the white marble halls of the Machinarium were stained with blood. It began after returning from gathering information with Nerine in Abed. Auron had encountered the elusive beings marked with the crimson moon during his trip gathering information in Canelux and narrowly avoided a grisly fate. Shiloh herself had found traces of their presence in Nisshoki, specifically Menomori. These were beings who devoured others–humans, elves, orcs, vampires, werewolves, any sort of sentient creature. Like ghouls with far higher intelligence. They were crafty, capable of blending in to hunt their prey just like vampires outside of Kurayo. However their insatiable appetites did not stop at just blood. 

One day she called me aside. We spoke in private, none of the other employees and attendants were nearby. There she told me without any precedent that she was dissolving my contract with her and I was free to leave. Under past circumstances I would have jumped at the chance and would have never looked back, however this was all too sudden. For someone who was hell-bent on ensuring promises were kept it made little sense for her to simply drop it all. I refused, demanding a straight answer. Why end the contract now when she could have ended it at any other time? She went silent for a while before turning to me. I still remember that face and how coldly she said those words.

She told me of a time when she encountered a vampire, before she became a deity. How he pretended to help her as pretense to twist her words and use her trust. When he asked her what sort of punishment those who had intended to sell her like cattle should receive, she said that she wanted them to know the weight of their sins. At her 'request', he proceeded to torture and kill an entire group of cultists. And when he was finished, he made a mockery of her wish knowing full well that wasn't what she had asked for. The name and face of that man was forever burned into her memory, and though the years went by she never forgot that man's cruel manipulation. Turning her back to me, she mused that was why she forcibly placed me under contract. When she had met me, she saw the shadow of that same vampire and sought to do unto me the 'favor' she wished to return to him. Before she could keep going I stormed out; furious, indignant, betrayed. That was why she had kept me, as a way to indirectly get her revenge back on that hated man from her past. 

Something was off. When she came up to me and told me my debts were annulled out of the blue, it was a sign. Normally I'd be overjoyed knowing I wasn't bound by contract, however I had grown wise to the way Shiloh worked. There were a few things I had learned about the deity. First, she never did anything without a reason. It might not be something we could comprehend–or want to–but never done on a whim. For someone who seemed to enjoy putting me through trials and tribulations this sudden turn of generosity was incredibly suspicious. I half expected it to be another obscure test or a practical joke. When I saw Sylvain storm by in a fury, that nagging suspicion became serious concern. Personally, I liked to stay clear of the vampire, especially when he was hot under the collar. But I needed to know why, and I had a good guess it was related to Shiloh.

Going after him and grabbing a hold of the man's arm, I pulled the lord aside. With an uncharacteristic level of boldness for someone such as myself, I began drilling Sylvain for answers. Sylvain repeated the terrible things she had said about forcing him under contract. The lord was about ready to leave when the realization hit. "You dolt! Are you really going to just believe what she said?" Anger was still burning in Sylvain's mind, and he turned to demand why not. I was shaking my head in disbelief. "Isn't it obvious? Ugh, I can't believe… Of course she'd tell you something like that! Don't you get it? The only reason why she called you in for that 'big reveal' is because she knew you would be so infuriated that you would have to leave!" It was so blatantly easy to see. Shiloh, for all her strangeness, was a terrible liar. But even the truth could be deceptive with the right framing and selective wording. While I wouldn't confirm that her claims of a twisted revenge weren't false, I at least understood her real objective. "This isn't about releasing us from our contracts–she's trying to push us away. For all the harassment she's given me on paying my debt, suddenly declaring it void doesn't make a lick of sense."

But why? Why go through all this trouble to craft this charade? For someone who never acted without purpose, there had to be an ulterior motive. Deliberately forcing us away with offers we couldn't refuse and insults to our pride, it was like she was afraid of something. Knowing that, I was even more determined not to leave. I wasn't going to let her have her way and throw us out without a straight answer. We might not be as powerful as the deity, but we deserved a little credit for surviving more than a century. Whatever she was trying to hold back from us, we could take it. We aren't children.   

I had pulled all the right strings, pressed all the right buttons, said things you couldn't take back. Yet despite all of my calculations–I failed. This wasn't supposed to happen! I thought I had everything planned out. When I saw Sylvain storm out I was sure he'd leave Antikythera and Auron would've left when I told him I had absolved his debt. They were the ones with the greatest reasons to leave, but even after all that I put them through, they wouldn't go. Auron confronted me today about trying to set them both up into leaving. I should've known he would have figured it out. I rushed the process and he caught on. I should've started it earlier, gradually pressuring them over a longer period of time. But I still can't tell him, even if it kills me.

Ever since we started learning about the mysterious ghouls that were killing people around the world, I had a feeling we'd just kicked a hornet's nest. For creatures that seemed nigh-invulnerable and could devour lycanthorpes and vampires alike, the only thing keep us from death was the rising of the sun. The Kougetsu clan, especially their progenitor, was depraved and ruthless. From the information the Onizuka clan's religious branch gathered through scrying and divination, we were able to shed some light on how awful abominations like them came into existence. It all started in Karith, the center of alchemy. There was a man who like most alchemists of the time, sought the secret to eternal life. Through some mad stroke of luck, he made himself into the first ghoul when an experiment of his 'succeeded'. However the success of his discovery was short-lived when he was nearly killed by the rays of the sun. Shunned by the heavens for his violation of the laws of the nature, in turn he gained superhuman regeneration and the ability to change the very structure of his body. The high-ranking ghouls who made up the Kougetsu's elite were turned by accepting his mutagenic blood. Even though they can't reproduce, with enough numbers they could wipe out entire kingdoms and seize power. Fortunately most ghouls could care less about increasing their members since they'd have more competition for food sources. That leaves the clan's elite and the progenitor as our biggest threat. And if my assumptions are correct, it won't be long before he sets his sight on the Machinarium, even if it means usurping the seat of a god.

Geographically speaking, Antikythera is an ideal fortress. The constant storms and barren landscape make it difficult to siege, while it's situated between Gobethio, the Tori Mountains, and Nisshoki. This would give them an easy spot to attack Gobethio, Komiteia, the Savannah, and even Iria if they wanted. Lightning strikes aren't much of a problem for creatures who can only be killed by sunlight and regenerate from other types of damage. However, as long as I'm inside my own territory I have absolute control over everything, so if we want to wipe the Kougetsu clan out once and for all it'll have to be on my turf. As soon as they breach the Machinarium's defenses they'll be gunning for me. My only chance will be to find a way to lure them into a false sense of security. And in order to do that…I'll have to fake my death.

When we confronted her and said we refused to leave her face went pale. For a few brief seconds I saw an emotion I thought the woman was incapable of–fear. No, it was more than that. It was absolute terror. Then right after she proceeded to act like it was of no consequence, as if she was disappointed at our stubbornness. There was something about that reaction that felt wrong but I didn't know why. Why did she become afraid when we told her we chose to stay? It wasn't long when we found out for ourselves. 

The only word I can find to describe those following months is 'hell'. Suddenly without any warning–Antikythera was breached by the Kougetsu Clan. There was no way they could have tracked us all the way to Railoch; Shiloh would have sensed them as soon as they set foot. They must have laid low, waiting and watching until the time was right to invade. For fiends who didn't die from magic or weapons the storms outside were nothing. Lightning would do nothing to slow them down. The attendants in the Entrance Hall were torn apart alerting Shiloh we were under attack and everything fell into pandemonium. The same look on her face when we refused to go was there when one of the sentries informed her on what was happening. She forcibly sealed off the outer entrance and the Marble Corridor but I could tell that would only be a temporary solution. The enemy was already inside and they couldn't be stopped. It was then that Auron and I came to the same chilling realization behind why she tried to drive us out. Even if we hated her she was willing to do anything to prevent us from becoming involved.

She had asked Nerine to go ask for certain information in Arri weeks ahead, likely for something she knew wouldn't be easy to find. That left Auron and I as the last two besides herself who weren't automatons in the Machinarium. The Marble Corridor wouldn't hold them back for long, and Shiloh turned to run into an empty workroom. I followed but before I could get in she sealed the door shut. I pounded on the door, tried to wrench it open with my hands to no avail. The last words I heard from her were: "Sylvain, get out while you still can. I'm sorry." I shouted and screamed clawing at the doors until I heard the dull sound of something being cut followed by a thud. There was a terrible silence from the locked room after that. Even though I couldn't see it I could smell blood. Instead of triggering hunger the scent made me sick to my stomach because I knew whose blood that was.

I heard the sound of something being shattered, the sound of stone being smashed. Panic was thick in the air as the automatons were running into the Marble Corridor before the Entrance Hall was sealed off. It was like boulders were being thrown against the walls from outside, the usual howling of the winds were drowned out by the shaking. I didn't know what was going on, none of the automatons had a moment to stop and tell me anything. In the mad dash through the Corridor I found Sylvain pounding on a set of shut doors, screaming at Shiloh to open them. "OPEN THIS DOOR, YOU ACCURSED GOD!!" His face was already ashen, but I saw the fear in his eyes. "What's going on Sylvain?! Where is she?!" Breathless, he pounded his fists on the doors again and braced himself against them. "She ran in and locked herself in there. Auron, I smell blood." 

"You can't be serious! Why would she–she wouldn't do something so drastic!" But would she? With Antikythera seemingly falling apart, there was no telling what Shiloh was capable of. For a god to commit suicide in their own temple… Then, it all made sense. When the realization hit, the strength in my body drained away. She was trying to drive us away not out of spite or hatred, but because she felt she couldn't protect us. Even with her status as a deity she always acted as if her existence was expendable. Because we failed to leave before disaster occurred, she fell into despair. What good is a god who can't ensure the safety of her own people? The silence from the room was broken when metal was twisted apart and the sounds of fighting were quelled in an instant. Something slammed against the doors from within, unlocking them in the process. Sylvain yanked them open for a mangled torso of an automaton to crumple at his feet. The damage done to it was horrific, like it was forcibly torn off. But that wasn't what Sylvain was staring at inside the room.

Standing in the middle in a pool of blood was a ghoul of the Kougetsu clan, with Shiloh's mutilated body below. The ghoul's face was stained with blood, fangs forming a wicked grin when she saw us. Sylvain screamed and threw himself at her in a rage, missing her with the slash of his claymore. Cackling, she escaped into the Corridor and he gave chase, then Coppelia rushed in. "You need to leave, now!" Her metal hand grabbed my arm, dragging me by force out of the workshop. I resisted, but an automaton's strength was far greater than mine. "NO!" I shouted, "Let me see her!! She can't be dead–Shiloh can't be dead!! She's a god! She can't be–"  I kept shouting over and over in denial, desperately trying to reach her as the other remaining automatons came in and took her body away. Before I was completely pulled out of sight, I caught a glimpse of them carrying out a stone and steel casket while the pool of drying blood no longer had her remains lying within. 

Galatea was the one who came up with the idea. Although I would be their primary target, we had an advantage over the ghouls due to being a newly-ascended deity. When Parvpora forsook polytheism for science and rationality, most knowledge of the gods of old were lost or buried. We knew more about them than they did about us. In order to make this plan work, it would require several months of preparation. The first step would be a complex bait-and-switch impersonation. Galatea suggested to swap places with me in the event that the Machinarium was breached as both of us never encountered the ghouls directly. As she and I shared similar height and build, the next part would hinge on circumstantial manipulation. To lure an animal into a trap, one must use the right bait. And there was no better bait than an opportunity the Kougetsu clan progenitor could not refuse. If he wished to make himself a god, then why not let him? Then when they were lulled into a false sense of security, they would leave themselves completely defenseless. Although we Parvporan deities are weaker than those in Canelux, within our own temples our powers are absolute.

Long before the day of the attack, I would draw out a small portion of blood and set it aside every so often. Gradually I collected just enough to make a crime scene believable. Using my own blood for the trick was key. To ensure this all went smoothly I would have to fool both the ghouls and Sylvain into thinking I had bled to death. The place where we stored the blood kept it in a state of suspension so it would stay fresh. The following steps were more difficult. When it was time to put our plan into action, we would only have a small window of time to switch our places. Once everyone saw my 'body', we would have to switch again to prevent anyone from realizing it was mechanical. The other automatons would take Galatea away while I would enter a casket and it would be carried to a secret chamber constructed within Antikythera. Once everything was all in place, that chamber would be sealed off so no force living or otherwise could access it. To complete the deception, it would require me to put myself in a state near death so not even the other members of the Conclave save for Angela or Dalanesca would know. 

When the attack started, we had to move quick. Galatea had already entered the closest workshop to me and she confirmed her location when I sent her a telepathic message. All the other automatons were informed and they moved into position for us to begin the ruse. I sealed the doors before anyone else could get in, however what I didn't expect was for the Kougetsu ghouls to tear through the Entrance Hall myrmidons so rapidly. I completely shifted the structure of the Machinarium to buy us a few seconds more of  time, sealing off the towers and access to the docking bay holding the Clepsydra. All other wings were then spatially detached from the central portion of Antikythera to ensure our enemies were concentrated here. Time was ticking as I could hear Sylvain on the other side of the doors, and I created a single ventilation duct for one of the weaker ghouls to 'find'. Once I felt its life signature inside, I sealed that off to prevent more from coming. The last and most risky part of the final deception would require one of the ghouls to be a witness.

She burst through the metal grating like it was nothing, but we were already waiting. Galatea moved in front of me while I trapped the ghoul mid-air in stasis. Her last thoughts before being suspended were of the automaton preparing to defend. With our witness frozen where we wanted her, we took out the containers of blood and slashed into them. I had been practicing weeks ahead with water and paint, so recreating a convincing blood splatter was easy. We spread it on the floor, flecked drops on the walls, even stained the ghoul woman's face and fingers. I took on the appearance of Galatea and she used the remaining blood on herself before slashing her own torso. A Reynash's mimic potion was more than enough to make her a splitting image of myself, and she laid down in the pool of blood to finish the scene. Now it was my turn to put the illusion into motion, unlocking the workshop doors and releasing the ghoul from stasis while enforcing false memories of her successfully killing me. Broken replacement parts I had set aside for fixing made it look as if the automatons who were with me were destroyed.

When Sylvain stormed in he didn't see me behind the back of the door. All he saw was the ghoul, the blood, and my supposed lifeless corpse. The ghoul ran taking Sylvain with her, and then Auron tried to rush in to see my 'body'. I warned the other remaining automatons and Coppelia was quick to react. Archytas and Erasmus joined in, all three taking Auron away while Diomedes and Pygmalion brought the casket. In front of Auron they opened it, and began lifting Galatea from the floor. With the first phase of the deception complete, we carried the empty casket to the secret chamber. Putting it in place, I drew my sword and closed my eyes one more time…before plunging it into my heart. The blade stayed in to prevent my body from fully healing the wound. No blood was spilled, another reason to keep it in. They helped me into the casket and I could hear the lid slowly grind shut as my senses were fading. There I would sleep in silence until the time came for the Kougetsu clan's divine retribution.

Before that moment, I had never truly felt pure hatred. Upon being turned I loathed my inability to control my desire for blood, upon losing myself to the bloodlust I looked upon mortals with disdain. When I was forced to serve Shiloh while bound by a curse, I despised her. But when I saw that she-devil standing over the deity's corpse my veins burned with an ire like hellfire. Because of them, Shiloh lied through her teeth to wound me with words. Because of them she was forced into a corner. Because of them, I would never be able to ask her what part had been lies and what had been truth. As I chased the ghoul relentlessly, her maniacal laughter was all too similar to that of my sire. The same woman who robbed me of everything–Friar Rodri, my humanity, my ability to live a normal human life. Even though I killed her, how many centuries had I been under her curse's crimson thrall? By the time I finally came to, everything I knew and loved had long been dead. I had no place in the sunlight.

As despicable as she was, that fiend of misfortune gave me back what time had taken. Things that power and strength could never bring. Her brusque and wild actions dragged me away and forced me to stand in the light, she never flinched at the threats I threw. Her inhuman methods made Sylvain Albaret human once again though the mark of Clarimonde's curse remained. "YOU MONSTER!" I howled, slashing my claymore at the sneering woman. "–I'LL KILL YOU!" I could track her no matter how fast she was by the scent of Shiloh's blood on her body. There was no where she could run, I thought. But I underestimated how abominable the Kougetsu ghouls were. Without slowing her speed, the locks of her hair shot forward like tendrils. They pierced in and out of the walls like a razor-sharp spider's web. Although my blade was able to cut through, their unpredictable movements were limiting my actions. When one merely grazed me, it left behind a gaping gash. No matter how many were sundered, more kept growing back. Like the mythical hydra, there was no end to them. All the while I was trapped, futilely trying to gain ground. 

Shocks of pain shook my body as two of them tore through my legs. It was like a dull spear had been shoved through my flesh, twisting and tearing on the way out. My body couldn't regenerate fast enough and the hair-tendrils flung me against the wall. These ghouls, they were too strong. I assumed they would be akin to vampires yet their taste for blood was the only thing they had in common. Their bodies distorted and changed at an alarming rate, it was like their forms were only to emulate a humanoid appearance. As I laid there bleeding, I was sure then and there she would devour me. If they could overwhelm and consume a lycanthorpe, why would a vampire be any different? 

As gleeful hunger gleamed in her eyes, something made her stop. It was no act of mercy. The fleeting look that passed her face was as if she had been given a summons from someone superior. She turned with a lingering glance, as if she were loath to leave a fresh kill behind. In the next moment she was gone, only the faint stench of Shiloh's blood growing weaker the further she went. Then I heard it…. It was a great shudder that came over the Machinarium as the ever-present hum of machinery ground to a halt. The cogs and wheels that turned within the walls went silent.

When I managed to heal from my injuries, Antikythera was completely overrun. The oldest and strongest of the clan walked the halls, as if it all belonged to them. All of those left in Antikythera were tortured in turns as the leader of the Kougetsu clan seated himself upon the throne in the Hall of Thunder. They kept us barely alive, conscious enough to listen but incapable of resisting. The cold face of their leader stated to his inferiors that taking Antikythera was only the first step in his plan of conquest. Now that they had this fortress in their hands, he had finally usurped the power of a god. While I stopped fighting, Auron became like a man possessed. Despite knowing how weak he was compared to a ghoul, he still attacked them. His wounds were terrible, his body broken and back full of lacerations. He was convinced they had killed Shiloh rather than her turning the blade on herself.

I had always wondered what it was like to have a family. Ever since I was a child I had been on the streets. I remember seeing boys and girls my age walking hand in hand with their parents and listening to them laugh with their siblings. Of all the things I could steal, that was one thing I never had. I admit that I was jealous. If you had a family, someone would care for you when you were ill. They would love you even if you weren't perfect. They would comfort you when you were afraid and tell you there was nothing to be scared of. If you reached out your hand, they would take it. They would catch you when you fell. If I had a family, I would never be alone. When I saw Shiloh, I thought I could win her over. I tried so hard to obtain her approval in hopes of seeing her smile. I didn't even understand why I was trying so much. I thought we could be friends, her and I. We both had no family left in this world. Family need not always be related by blood, so maybe…

When I was a child I always wanted to have a brother or sister. A younger brother would look up to me and praise me while I could surprise a little sister with pretty things. An older brother would congratulate me when I learned well, and an older sister would whisper to me in hushed tones when the wind howled outside. But all of those dreams were dashed when I saw her lying there, lifeless and cold. They were too cruel. How could they take her away from me? How could they take her away before I had the chance to tell her what I wanted to say? It's not fair! I still haven't told you… If I had a sister, I'd want her to be someone like you. They took the one person I cared for besides myself, and I hated them for that. I'll never forgive them for stealing her life away when I was so close to making a confession.

With Shiloh dead, the ghouls overtook everything. Not even her precious automatons could stand against them. They were disassembled, torn apart, kicked about like broken toys. Sylvain and I were tortured too. Every time I saw their faces, screams began to well up in my throat. I threw myself at the ghouls even after countless days of being beaten, my heart burning with hatred. Time after time, despite the punishments, I still retaliated as my hate for them was stronger than the pain. I couldn't stand them desecrating everything she had worked so hard to build and them mocking her while she laid in the grave. Eventually I lost track of time with each day just like the next. After a while the ghouls grew bored of us.

My arms and legs were hurt so badly that it was painful to breathe. Having lost much blood, I was flickering in and out of consciousness. When I slept most of what I saw was a silent blackness. Each time I woke I vainly hoped this would all be just a bad dream. Then one day, I swore I thought I felt she was still alive. I was sure she was still here, somewhere in Antikythera. Crawling to my feet, I struggled to stand as I dragged myself towards that feeling. Even though I saw it, I couldn't accept she was dead. Shiloh was a god. Gods can't die that easily. 

I found a door that I had never seen before. Leaning my weight against it, I pushed it open. I fell in, and pulled myself up as quickly as I could. The door closed behind me as I dragged myself towards the single thing inside the chamber: the same casket the automatons carried away before I could reach it. It was a cold, dark casket–made of wrought metal and blackened steel. That feeling I had kept growing stronger and my heartbeat echoed in my ears. The ghouls, they hadn't found this place yet. With no more strength to stand, I pressed my hands and face against the coffin. "So you were here, you were here all along…" My parched, cracked throat shuddered a sob. "Gods, spirits, Celestials….anyone! I beg you–please bring her back to life! Whatever you ask for, whatever you want–I'll give anything…"