But without the Great Serpent to enforce such an agreement, the Hours feared that there would be no real way to ensure such an agreement was honored. Both sides feared that as soon as the other acquired the upper hand, they would use their advantage to destroy the other, kicking off an uneasy peace that would devolve into an arms race. Their mission to guide humanity forward became a secondary concern to most, both as the sides mainly using used the lull in fighting not to repair the House damage but to prepare for what they saw was an inevitable return to the fighting.

==FNORD WIP material==Soon after the end of the war, Long began disappearing from the Upper House. The Upper House was considered to be the joint paradise of the Hours, where most of their heavenly domains were located. The notion that someone or some''thing'' was picking them off was deeply concerning to them.  Investigations were launched, and the fate of the disappearing Long was eventually discovered. To the confusion of the Hours, their servants were not being killed or kidnapped. Instead, they were defecting ''en-masse''. The Peacock's so-called Revel Unending was bolstering its numbers not only from bizarre Long and gathered Dead, but Long of every Principle who were for reasons no one could explain abruptly breaking their vows to serve the Upstart. All attempts to convince the Long to return were unsuccessful, and often only led to more loyal Long abruptly defecting. It was as if the Peacock's influence was a social disease, spread by communicating with the infected.

The disappearance of the Great Serpent Peacock was technically residing in an area that was felt throughout the Mansus joint property of all Hours, and the Historieswas making no overtly hostile moves on his own. Some Hours felt that their ability He was, however seemingly laying claim to experiment with the world this area as his personal palace, and steer the Histories in the direction they felt they ''should'' be going number of Long he was had control over was restricted unduly by growing distressingly large. All attempts to convince him to return the Serpentdefectors were staunchly refused, and were eager it became clear the only way to "rectify" this perceived wrong deal with him was with the 21st Hour now absentviolent intervention. [[The Anaconda]], which As that would now become only lead to the Hour re-ignition of stealth, ascended to take up the responsibilities of conflict the Hours delayed taking action as the Great Serpent Upstart's influence grew larger and keep the peacelarger.

Relationships between It was the Cuckoo, the gods became strained as oldest shame of the tensions mountedMaker, particularly between who finally came forth with the Hours truth of the Maker and Young Upstart's true nature. The Peacock hadn't escaped the AnvilCuckoo's trap as it was initially believed. The Maker Upstart had ever indeed been dedicated to its work slain by the Cuckoo in her attempts to find perfection in its creationsconsume him, but this obsession deepened as time went on, immediately resurrected himself and fled.She was the first to learn the point it no longer seemed horrifying truth: that the death of a Hour would lead to care for the ultimate wellcreation of a new God-being of those from-Nowhere. Rising again almost as quickly as it modified. The Anvil however was dutiful and unyielding in its purposeslain, this not-Hour now knew nothing of death, and grew disturbed by the lengths existed now only to spread its friend seemed willing terribly warped notion of joy to go to in pursuit the rest of perfecting its craftthe world. A Broken-Bird.

These tensions grew to a head when a dispute between the Snake-Tail and As the Anaconda blossomed into a full-scale war as both Hours used the dispute as a excuse to vent their pent-up frustrations upon each other. The Hours that opposed learned the war and sought to maintain a sense circumstances of order took the names [[The Doors]]Peacock's creation, while those that sought an upset she had dared to keep hidden the statusexistence of the ''true'' first God-quo From-by violent means if necessary- became known as [[The Keys]]Nowhere in their midst, she decided she'd had enough of the Crone's endless thefts and lies. It is during this time a new Hour [[The Peacock]]Brandishing her mighty sword, emerged from hiding within she swiftly traveled to the Cuckoo's Nest. Nestled high in the thick branches of the eldest Wood and aligned itself with the Keys-tree, for reasons the Snake-Tail bloated nest was piled high with countless stolen treasures and the bird kept to themselvesbloated corpses. The spoils of decades of plunder.

For With but a time single swing she severed the Hours waged bloody warbranches, greatly damaging sending the hoard and its unholy mistress crashing to the ground. The soil of the Wood, wet with the blood of Long and the deluge of water and viscous fluid leaking from the shattered House 's plumbing, turned to mud and destroying many of began to greedily swallow up the Gates through which both mortal Crone and god accessed its hallsher ill-gotten spoils. The battle only ended when She screamed her unending hatred of the mortals Serpents, but knew she could take no vengeance upon them. For every moment of her days must now be spent finding more loot to keep her hoard afloat on the Snake-Tail and Anaconda had originally fought over were all killed save onemud. The Hours put down their weapons thought of flying away and ceased their fightingabandoning it did not even occur to her, but as lost to greed as she was. The site of the damage to both nest's ruin became known as [[The Sunken Place]]. A cursed, evil place, where everything living is poisoned by the Mansus and their relationships with each other had been doneCuckoo's hatred.

All Some Hours moved to set themselves against this rising monstrosity, but by the time the truth was not wellknown, howeverthe damage had been done. The War Peacock had amassed a wealth of stolen power from the Doors had damaged the fabric of realityother gods, making navigation its forces' numbers swollen innumerably by vast hoards of Long dominated by the Lower House difficult if not impossiblePeacock's power and put under his control. These rifts shined like a beacon to NowhereHe at last used these "Stolen-Long" against the other Hours, overwhelming the Upper Mansus and new Gods-driving all but the Maker and the Anvil from-Nowhere emergedtheir own domains. Among them was This vast army of thralls came to be known as [[The InsidiousChoir Unceasing]]for the unending, which began to spread its malign influence throughout obscene cries and otherworldly music they made. Many Keys aligned themselves with this rising power, and for a time the unholy alliance of the Keys and Nowhere reigned dominant over the Wood. Also FNORDUpper Mansus.

Tensions again began The Doors were fortunate in that their investigations into the Upstart managed to rise as a previously unheard of phenomenon began to manifest among uncover the Long: defection. En masse many of the seemingly-devoted servants Empire of Keys before it could grow into the Hours of vast powerbase the House began Keys needed to turn away from their masters, and pledge themselves to the fledgling Hour of secure final victory over the PeacockDoors. Heedless of the complaints of his fellowsImmediately, the great red bird continued Doors moved to preach to the congregations of the other gods, luring them away with promises of unparalleled delight put down this rising threat and what was described as an "unnatural charm". As undermine the Peacock's power grew to levels unprecedented, inquiries were made as to of the origin of this young Hournow ascendant Keys.

It was the The Cuckoo, whispered into the oldest shame minds of the Makermortals, who finally came forth filling their dreams with the truth visions of the Young Upstart's true nature. In a shocking act of callousness never seen before or since, the Cuckoo had gathered together treasure and slaughtered riches on the sum total of her cults in the waking world, luring them to her with promises other side of pleasure and delivering only pain. All in the pursuit of creating a God-from-Bloodsea. The Cuckoo succeeded, and while Star guided their ships so that they were certain to arrive on the infant HourEmpire's guard was lowered immediately attacked and murdered it, seeking to take its power for her own and dominate the other shores. The Hours. She was the first to learn the horrifying truth: that the death of a Hour would lead to the creation of a new God-from-Nowhere. Rising again almost as quickly as it was slain, this not-Hour now knew nothing of death, Edge concentrated their power and existed now only to spread its terribly warped notion of joy to the rest of the world. A Broken-Birdbestowed upon their soldiers great prowess in battle.

As the Anaconda learned the circumstances of the Peacock's creation, she decided she'd had enough of the Crone's endless thefts One man among these explorers and lies. Brandishing her mighty sword, she swiftly traveled to conquerors was chosen as the CuckooDoors's Nest. Nestled high in the thick branches of the eldest Wood-tree, the bloated nest was piled high with countless stolen treasures and bloated corpses. The spoils of decades of plunderchampion. ==FNORD WIP material==