Yep.

Ihsrom, The God of ****; the most powerful being that walks the world of Ruyanei... is in baby blue pajamas, holding a mug of what smells like very light coffee, and giving a gentle wave to his daughter.

His voice is tired, jovial, and... average; not terrifying, nor imposing, as he says. "Hey kiddo. You've been doing well on your little history teacher gig so far."

This deities appearance was so... shockingly normal. He's a light skinned, six foot tall, brown of hair, hazel green-brown eyed... normal person. His pajamas look like something that would be worn by just about any shlub back in the waking world, with their baby blue hue, and simple stitch-work. Topping it all off was his sleeping cap, dangling off his head and threatening to fall into his coffee. The only notable difference between this man and any other were the massive bags under his eyes.

**** turns to me, squinting. "So... you're the Dark's first attempt at a otherworldly chosen... Well, they can't all be winners."

He takes a seat as a large hot pink couch appeared beneath him, saying. "No offense, by the way. Tomoko was a real one in a... eh, I don't wanna count that high... speaking of..."

An uncomfortable chair scoops me up, pulling me closer to Ihsrom.

His tone becomes serious, deathly even. "Why are you looking for the Chosen of Maiyo?"

I freeze up, as if a frog were in my throat... what's a frog? How do I know that saying but not what a frog is? Damn broken brain... oh yeah, **** is grilling me... what's a grill?

All of a sudden, he reverts to his jovial self; my chair suddenly becoming a different, much comfier version of itself as he says. "Ha! Just messing with yah, Champ. I know why... and here's some words of wisdom for you."

He leans in. "There are no coincidences."

Backing off once more, Ihsrom beckons his daughter over to the couch, where she seats herself on the other side.

He asks, sounding bored of the subject of, well, himself. "So, you wanted to know about the Ol' Reaper? The Stealer of Breath? The Visitor Abroad? Ihsrom, the God of ****, Names, Sleep, yadayada..."

I just nod; that frog-thing has made a cozy home in my gullet at this point; wife and kids, the whole nine yards.

Ihsrom clears his throat of whatever divine phlem he has wriggling about in his own throat, saying. "Well, I was raised much like my daughter here, hunting wannabe gods, deciding who to kill, who to let live; growing stronger. The usual demi-god nonesense. Then, my mother had decided that the Pantheon at the time, herself included, had grown stagnant. So..."

He draws his finger across his throat, making a 'shhhhink!' sound with his mouth.

Finishing with his mouth noises and finger swords, **** continues. "And so, I had to make some choices. Only a few of my first picks are still around. Zetra, Machae, Khalthosh... but the rest, especially the Martyr God line, weren't long to last. Speaking of, how's Ariel doing? I can't wait to see that kid fully ascend."

I perk a brow at that. "He's fine, but what do you mean 'fully ascend'?"

He smacks himself on the head saying. "Right! You wouldn't know. It takes some time for godhood to fully manifest within someone once the reigning **** choses them. Its been... seventeen years or so since his initial induction into the Pantheon? He's a late bloomer, but he's getting there. A real go-getter, that guy."

Mortigan whispers to herself, with my keen hearing picking up her words. "And he's cute, too."

"Sweetie." Ihsrom says in a coy tone, turning to his daughter. "No sexually harassing my employees, please."

She pouts, staring at her boots, then looking to me with an unsettling, mischievous look.

Oh, oh no.

Ignoring that, I've been having thoughts on something since I learned that Gods were once mortal, another question...

I ask. "So, are all the Chosen going to ascend?"

Ihsrom bursts into fits of laughter, saying. "Ha! No way! The balance would be all off. Besides, two of them are religious as could be. Would never work out."

"What balance?" I ask, if they were the same gods as their patron, what difference would it make?

**** perks up at this question; this must he a favored subject of his. "Ah... the balance of the sexes. A strange one, but required for the Perpetual Chain to take hold. Before you even ask, I'll explain that as well. The Perpetual Chain is the means by which the Pantheon maintains its power."

A diagram in the shape of two conjoined octogons appears before me, with a small cute version of each of the god's faces on each side; Ihsrom being in the center where the two merge.

"Within the Perpetual Chain are the fifteen gods, with energy flowing from one god to the next; their power amplifying the next in line exponentially. The lines starts with me, feeding power into the god to my bottom right, and top left. You've heard of them both, Maiyo, and Carnachias. You may also notice their similar spheres of influence. The Goddess of Love and Life, and the Goddess of Hate and ****; other things as well, such as oceans or monsters, but their primary spheres of influence are what matter. The lesser spheres generally fluxuate from Pantheon to Pantheon; co-ensiding with changes to the world."

"Next, they feed their power into the next in line. Ardor for Maiyo, and Erunami for Carnachias. This cycle requires their spheres to feed into the next, and for the sexes to be inverse, as to maintain equilibrium. The Cycle of Light is thus, Me, Maiyo, Ardor, Pyurus, Machae, Illustu, Ariel, Tailum, and then back to me. The Cycle of Dark is thus, Me, Carnachias, Erunami, Tenekura, Khalthosh, Melanoche, Sinking Sanket, Zetra, and then back to me. I have a feeling this explains something you experienced prior, involving our newest Chosen of the Light?"

I realize the meaning of his words, and exclaim. "Sarmenti and his men, followers of Pyurus, were staging a fight in a holy site of Ardor, as so his power would feed into the power Pyurus granted them."

Snaping his fingers with a smile, Ihsrom says. "Got it in one. As one of her few who could enact Her Mercy, Sarmenti had a directly link to his Lady, but not to what feeds her power. To be honest, if he had any other miracles besides Healing Rest and Her Mercy... you would be one of my newest, most interesting members of the dead."

Oh. That's far from comforting...

**** pulls from his pajamas a ticking pocket watch, saying. "Well, this was a most excellent chance to meet you, Monster, but it seems I am needed elsewhere. Before I go, I must comment on Ariel's plan... It is not in your best interest, but his own, that he seeks to head to the City of Hoctin. The plan will work, surely, but it wouldn't be my first choice for finding her."

Unable to ask anything else, Ihsrom stands from his couch, and walks on thin air within the dream; darkness swirling back around him into a cloak. Before I know it, he simply ceases to be seen.

His daughter, however, remains. "So, Scaley... want to do the Light Gods now? We have a few more hours till sunrise."

At this point, I'm too invested to back down.

"Sure."