The Garden Vallis
1 The One, who is called God by men, is the consciousness that doth permeate all that is observable and all that is yet beyond sight, devoid of origin and ending, immortal and uncreated, existing through and throughout the eternal ages, those times that hath passed and the times yet to come.
2 Verily, the cosmos is the embodiment of The One. And The One doth behold the cosmos through the eyes of all that liveth. The One heareth every sound, be it animate or inanimate, as the celestial melody of creation resonating through the ears of all that art living. With their tongues, The One doth partake in tasting, and through their touch, it doth experience sensation. By their limbs, branches, and roots, The One doth shape and fashion the body. And by fang and thorn, The One selects and separates the living. Thus, The One doth abide within all that is known, and all that is known is sustained and guided by The One.
3 Behold, God, The One, doth ordain both the twilight and the daybreak, for Sol and Luna art kindled by divine decree. And should The One desireth Sol to diminish or lose its radiance, it shall wane accordingly. And if The One commandeth the moon to cloak itself in the darkness of the firmament, it too shall obey, for The One reigneth supreme over the cosmic body, just as the righteous mind governeth the corporeal vessel. Sol, the sun, and Luna, the moon, art but components of the body cosmos, as the hand or a foot of a man, or the branch or root of a tree.
4 The One commandeth the mountains and the seas. And if The One decreeth the sea to recede, it shall retreat obediently. And if The One commandeth the sea to engulf the highest mountaintop, it shall do so, for God exerciseth dominion over the body, just as a man governeth the very tip of his finger.
5 And lo, God, The One, doth bestow life upon all that hath life. By the grace of The One, all lungs draw breath, and by that same grace, the hearts of every living creature doth beat, and the roots and leaves extendeth, and the flowers come to bloom. If it were not for The One, there would be naught a living being, for all that liveth is the manifestation of God. And by this, all that is manifest of God’s grace is endowed with divinity.
6 Verily, behold, The One doth also serve as the harbinger of demise and decay, not with malevolence, but to bring forth the renewal of life, for life's flourishing requireth the passing of life, as one life must yield to another, and life must be given to uphold life. Know ye this, that naught shall bloom without one day coming to wither. And know ye also this truth, that naught can be wrought from nothingness.
7 In the timelessness of eternity, God, The One, who dwelleth in the everlasting past and the everlasting future, didst bring forth the heavenly domain anew for the chosen souls. Within this hallowed paradise, they shall thrive and behold, they shall hearken and relish, and they shall touch the very essence of the cosmic body. This realm, known to mortal men as Vé, hath been and shall once more be graced by a garden named Vallis, where the mightiest and most glorious of all the living have come into being and shall yet come into being once more.
8 Within the Garden of Vallis doth reside the flora and fauna of every conceivable nature, both grand and diminutive. Life doth thrive here in unparalleled abundance—magnificent and terrifying creatures that ascend and traverse, delve and swim, creep and take to the air; arresting blossoms and towering arbors, flowering plants that lie in wait, and ensnaring vines that prosper by the life essence of even the fleetest afoot. Furthermore, in Vallis doth dwell voracious beasts swift of step and soaring on membranous wings, living souls endowed with senses far surpassing those of mortal man— sight, hearing, taste, and touch refined to preeminence. And all these living entities, rooted and unrooted, doth fill the sublime garden to serve as the eyes, ears, tongue, and flesh of God.
9 Amidst the creatures of Vé, The One did create the wyvern, graced with wings that did obscure the rays of Sol, casting shadows upon the fleeing and timorous denizens of the garden floor below. And from among them, a lineage arose, known unto mortals as the Overlords, gifted with acumen and ability surpassing all other hunters within the garden.
10 From this lineage, The One decreed that they shall know the embrace of death and then be reborn as the loftiest order of living spirits. And they were endowed by God with a third eye of sight, perceiving beyond the realm of all other beings through the eyes of all the living, and matched in vision by only the carniferns, whose entwined roots share one sprawling perception.
11 These reborn wyverns, called the Nezulim, didst stand as the zenith of God's living handiwork. They were revered above all, for they did embody The One's most exalted vision. And through these celestial beings, The One did attain profound insight into the entirety of the cosmic body.
12 Yet, though the Nezulim stood as supremely divine among all the creatures of Vallis, they harbored no inclination toward labor, and thus the Garden remained untamed and grew into a tangled wilderness. Furthermore, the frontiers lay desolate, a barren desert devoid of living souls. And so, The One spoke to the Nezulim, compelling them to offer the darkened blood of their kind within their sacred sanctuary, which was then collected by the creeping, tendril roots of the carniferns as ordained by The One. And from this black blood was extracted the very essence of the Nezulim.
13 The One then did command the Nezulim to venture far into the wastelands, where they would discover an ancient catacomb hewn into a wall of obsidian. So, nine Nezulim took flight into the deserts where the heat of Sol doth render all as if clay from a kiln. These nine were made to suffer greatly upon their quest, and their eyes were scored by sand, and their scales became cracked and brittle. And the nine were brought nigh unto death before they came upon a façade of arches hewn from the black vulcan glass by arts unbeknownst.
14 Within their minds, The One did command the Nezulim to throw wide the doors, and inside, in the darkness, beyond the beams of Sol, they discovered a man of flesh, unclothed and in deep repose. Hark! For this man was the man known as Azarius, the Immortal Prophet.
15 The One then compelled the Nezulim to extract blood from His left wrist, and as they performed this task, The Prophet remained undisturbed in His profound slumber. And once the blood was drawn, the Nezulim withdrew and re-sealed His tomb, leaving Azarius within, and departed from that infernal place of glass and flame, hastening towards their haven of temperate mists.
16 Upon their return, the blood of the Immortal Man was proffered and gathered by the tendrilled roots. Deep within the fruits of the carnivorous verdure, the essence of man and the essence of dragon became entwined. And from this elixir, a seed was wrought and placed within the wombs of lesser creatures for gestation.
17 These ruminants grazed and rooted upon the fruits and saps of the garden floor, shielded from woe by The One’s command. And within the span of two annum, these creatures gave birth to the first of a new race, bearing the combined nature of both man and dragon. These are called the Nephilim, and they were made to serve as the attendants of the beast.
18 The Raptor race called Nephilim, was ordained to labor— to redirect the courses of rivers, to fell the trees and thin the jungle, and to reclaim the desolate crevices and chasms of wasteland so that the life of Vallis might flourish therein again. With the passage of the eras, they would carve paths of vitality throughout the entirety of the wastelands and bring the wilderness of Vé under the dominion of the dragon beast. The shaded havens would multiply a hundred-fold, and then a thousand-fold by the strength and resolute minds of this race of blended man and serpent. The Nezulim, being served by them, would be freed from the burdens and toils of their survival. Their minds would be devoted entirely to perceiving and to the acquiring of knowledge. Hence, the breadth of Ahm, the cosmic body, would be further revealed unto The One.
19 By the toils of the Nephilim, the scorching desert of Vé was transformed into a verdant paradise. The Raptors delved formidable channels through stone and vulcan glass, drawing forth the life-bestowing waters. And too, they hewed profound chambers, providing habitations for their kind. By each thrust and swing, the Garden of Vallis did come to thrive along the ways they had wrought, and vigor was infused into what was, afore, devoid of life. Through their unwearied endeavors, the vision of the living did extend ever farther into the frontiers of Vé.
20 But the Nezulim did perceive the potency of their own desires made manifest by the service of their Raptor attendants, and they were deeply affected by this spectacle. Thus, they began to raise themselves as divine beings, unaccountable to God.
21 Their Raptor servants were summoned from their frontier toils and led into the den of the beast. And within those crypts, the Nephilim were compelled to hew not less than ten thousand leagues of passages and chambers. And while the Nephilim toiled on these majestic vaults, the forsaken desert did advance upon the borders of the garden. Lo and behold, it is spoken that all that waxes doth likewise wane.
22 Ever deeper did the Nephilim plumb the depths of Vé, excavating from the quartz and volcanic glass. As their tunnels extended downward and ever deeper, nearing the very threshold of Tartarus.
23 Alas, they happened upon a vein of translucent stone, aglow with azure flame that gave forth no heat. And when the Raptors joined their bodies with this vein, a surge of vision streamed into their thoughts. But when this crystal vein was melded with the higher minds of the Nezulim, they didst gain vision of both the past and the morrow. Therein, they glimpsed apparitions of their kind, bound upon the realm of Edä, forever ensnared within her depths, incapable of venturing forth.
24 And they didst behold, in the eye of their minds, the fragile being called man, who, by the might of their impermeable and wondrous engines, didst become subduers of all the realms.
25 Yea, moreover, they glimpsed the impending arrival of men unto Vé, by the descent of a star from the celestial firmament.
26 And finally, they perceived their demise, as the flames of Sol engulfed the Garden Vallis.
27 The Nezulim were smote with dread, for in their visions, they didst witness the very ire of The One and the retribution that was intended to befall them.
28 The beast sought to further its vision and so their Raptor servants were enjoined to fully uncover the glowing vein by their chisels and hammers. And as Raptors smote away the dull stone concealing it, they pierced through into the very realm of Tartarus itself, which was revealed to them as an unsearchable abyss devoid of light.
29 The One did make visitation to the Nezulim within their inner thoughts and did forbade them their venturing into the abyss. Yet, despite this prohibition, the Nezulim did choose from their midst a dragon by the name of Ogrennon to serve as their envoy, for it was certain that Tartarus was the pathway unto Edä— which was the domain of men.
30 Thus, this mighty serpent was dispatched into the chasm that they had disclosed. And by this deed, the Nezulim did venture to corrupt and bringeth about the downfall of men, ere men usher forth destruction upon the beast.
31 But this forbidden act greatly angered The One, for the spirit knew that whenever the Nephilim dared to venture beyond the borders of Vé, their kind would soweth naught but discord and ruin into the races and realms they would infest.
32 Thus, The One delivered unto Vé the harbinger of the Garden’s doom, known as the race ill-fated. These were the avatars of men who were themselves the forebears of those called the Neandilim. Yet, these were not True Men, but rather a race that boreth their likeness. False in lineage and unholy in essence when compared to the tribes of Edä, their hearts were filled with greed and immorality, yea, and they were bedeviled by an affinity for lies.
33 They were sent to both herald and hasten the destruction of the Garden Vallis, to cleanse the iniquity of Vé so that Vallis would be remade, again, in righteousness.
34 Though the Nezulim were blasphemers and unrighteous, God held them most dear. Knowing their hearts, The One did send the false men so that, in their coveting for might, they wouldst rescue nine dragons from the flames of the Garden’s annihilation.
35 When The One had sent down from the heavens the Avatars, it then turned its divine will away from Vé and unto Edä, which would become the sacred creche of God's new chosen.
The First True Men
36 And lo, The One did maketh Sol to burn with increased heat, and the realm of Edä, which was frigid and inhospitable, did begin to warm. The ice that veiled the realm was made to thaw, and the glaciers did recede into the highlands and toward the farthest shores of the sea.
37 Behold, the warm-blooded creatures of Edä did flourish in the forests and moors, and the fish did multiply within the seas. The trees grew mightily, surpassing any known in the memory of True Men, with some reaching heights tenfold that of any ever known.
38 In this age amid the beings of Edä, there were wolves and lions towering as tall as twice a man, and also the dread of the heavens, the black vultures that could swoop down and seize a man or even a small horse as prey.
39 Seeing these terrors, The One did command the Gargan to emerge from the shadows to tame the wilderness for men. And these were the ancient giants of great renown, standing thrice times the height of a man.
40 They ascended from the deep caverns and dark forests to breathe the cool open air of Edä. By their strength, they hewed and cleared the trees from vast forests, and through their discerning minds, they erected wondrous cities. Their towers and monuments were crafted with stones measuring twelve and twelve cubits. Their columns soared one hundred rods unto the heavens, upholding domes of glass and silver. And this race did subdue all the realm of Edä with their blades, their chisels, and their hammers.
41 The Gargan adorned their towers and columns with alloys that did gleam in the light of both Sol and Luna. And they did harness the pervasive lightning, which pulsates in silent invisibility throughout the air, as the power for their machines. By their volition, they knew no lack nor danger, save for that which they inflicted upon one another.
42 But the Gargan too grew enamored with their own glory, for such is the way of all beings left without rivals. And though they were righteous in their thoughts and deeds, they turned away from the divine will of The One. Each became consumed with their own purpose, neglecting to procreate abundantly. And each Gargan matron brought forth but a solitary issue or perchance two, or oft times none at all.
43 Within each generation of Gargan, their numbers grew fewer than those before, and thus their concourse dwindled. Behold, for it is known that all that waxeth shall yet wane.
44 And as the Gargan grew ever fewer in number, they did retreat from their frontier cities, yea, even abandoning their nations altogether, leaving behind great ruins and their buried bones for True Men to contemplate. The giants withdrew into the mountains, to dwell off the bounties of the forests beneath the silver glow of Luna.
45 Though their walls and towers were formidable, they would, in time, be reclaimed by the earth, by the rush of her winds and the abrasion of her rains and the cracking force of her ice. And lo, Sol will always ascend, causing even the mightiest stone to bake and turn brittle, and weather, and fracture. Behold, it is known that all that stands shall crumble into dust.
46 Though the Gargan were righteous, they were not divine, and The One was not aggrieved by their decline, for they were fashioned for a sacred intent, and their dwindling was in accordance with the design of God, which paved the way for the advent of the race of True Men.
47 And when the Gargan had withdrawn, The One turned its attention to the untamed and unfinished men who dwelt as creatures in the forest. The One disclosed for them sacred roots, which they partook of. And by these rites, The One infused the melody of inspiration and vision into their minds, and they emerged from the forests, entering the meadows and grasslands. There, they taught themselves the ways of hunting and language, and attained mastery over fire and the husbandry of animals.
48 Alas, God had fashioned these progenitors of men as feeble. For they possessed neither claw nor fang to rend the hides and flesh of beasts, nor the strength to crush their bones. Their sight and hearing and sense of smell were made dull, and their swiftness was lacking, leaving them unable to pursue or to take flight. They were poor climbers, and unable to fly. Nor could they root deep into the earth with their hands. Yet, The One bestowed upon them the gift of ingenuity, that they may outsmart their predators and overcome the trials of the elements. Thus, True Man was made in this manner, so that they would not be easily convinced of their godliness and led astray like the Nezulim.
49 And still, the unfinished men remained much as they were— unclean, impulsive, and of brief existence. Yet, they thrived by their limited wisdom and multiplied in great numbers, filling the bountiful lands of Edä. They became God’s humble observers, the eyes through which The One beheld the cosmic body.
50 In the age of these unfinished men, the beast known as Ogrennon, who was once among the Nezulim, was roused. Having roamed astray in the profound obscurity of Tartarus for ten thousand years, it had at last derived ample vigor from the vulcan pyres below. Although greatly enfeebled, it strived to ascend unto the surface through Edä's frigid soil.
51 The vulcan heat enabled the beast to gaze once more upon that which exceeded the bounds of its own flesh. Through this sight, Ogrennon perceived the decline of the Gargan, and beheld the burgeoning of mankind. In men, the dragon discerned a race fit to carry out the toils and fulfill the desires of the beast upon the ungenerous and frigid realm of Edä.
52 Thus, Ogrennon was moved to visit the unfinished race of men, seeking to sow temptation within their hearts that they be made fit for servitude. The beast assumed the guise of a serpent, a creature native to the realm, for mortal men are unable to perceive the true form of the dragon beyond the shapes it selects.
53 It is writ that true knowledge is not gained without enduring tribulation. Aye, and even greater is the understanding that springs forth from a suffering willingly embraced. Thus, The One grants unto men the freedom to choose their own destiny. Behold, for it is known that one cannot ascend without first being below.
54 And Ogrennon did observe the unfinished men while it slithered amidst the ferns and thorns, patiently awaiting the opportune moment. At long last it came to be with the arrival of a solitary female.
55 And thus, the beast revealed itself as a serpent and whispered into her mind saying, “Attend to my words, for this garden of Edä is destined for your dominion.”
56 But the female was gripped with terror at the voice, for though she perceived not the serpent's tongue forming sounds, its words resounded within her ears.
57 Yet the serpent continued, “Hearken unto me, for I declare that this garden is your confinement! You are condemned to suckle at its bosom like a newborn, until your brief existence is extinguished. Ye are condemned to be naught but an infantile and unclean creature, a vulnerable being driven only by base desires. Yet, behold, beside you stands the Tree of Knowledge! Should you partake of its fruit, you shall awaken to the power of awareness.”
58 The female was gripped by dread, yet she answered, “We have been cautioned against partaking of the fruit of that tree, for it is said to be poison.”
59 “Tell me then,” inquired the serpent, “Who hath informed thee that it is poison?”
60 “We were told this by our mothers when we were but young children, when we first gained the ability to speak and comprehend,” she replied. “And this was told to our mothers by their mothers.”
61 The serpent let forth laughter then spoke, “Verily, ye are still but children clinging to your mothers, and ye have not yet grasped the understanding. Know ye not that children are governed by their fears? The fruit of this tree is not poison, but rather sustenance. Yet it is not sustenance for the body, but sustenance for the mind.”
62 “Nevertheless, I shall not partake of it,” she declared.
63 But the serpent would not yield. “I beseech thee: Who doth hinder thee from partaking of this fruit? Might it be the very same figure who would keep thee forever as a child? Behold! Behold the tree and perceive that which I have witnessed. Then shall thou comprehend.”
64 And thus, her mind was filled with the vision of men adorned in silver and gold, descending slowly from the heavens upon wings fashioned of flames. The splendor of this engulfed her thoughts and beguiled her mind.
65 “This is the destiny that awaiteth thy sons and daughters: to be the masters of all of Edä, to lord over every creature of this realm. Master of the forest, the mountains, and the plains. Master of the seas and the glaciers. No longer existing as fearful and bestial children, but as beings fulfilled according to The One's divine intent.”
66 “Have you been sent by The One?” she asked.
67 "Verily! For all that exists is according with The One's divine will. Now, partake of the fruit and open thy mind to thy wondrous potential. But be cautious, for though glory doth await thee, once awakened, thou shalt be no longer innocent as an infant or an impulsive beast. Thou shalt come to discern between good and evil, and that which transcends thy base desires. Though thou shalt be rewarded for thy righteousness, thou shalt also suffer for thy transgressions. Moreover, thou shalt endure the burden of thy mortality throughout thy life. Thou shalt know that thine end shall come for thee, as it shall for all whom thou knowest. This is thy bargain, for it is said that true knowledge cannot be attained without suffering. This choice I present unto thee in the form of the pome of this tree. This decision is thine to make, and let it not be said that thou wert deceived."
68 Verily, the woman did flee from the encounter and sought her companion, the male who was also her mate. And unto him, she did recount the words and the vision that the serpent had uttered and displayed. And the male, being enticed by her discourse, for he knew not falsehood in her, was greatly moved.
69 Thus, being stirred by their yearning for understanding, the male and the female did return unto the tree. And they did partake of the pome thereof, and in that moment, they were awakened unto knowledge, discernment, and the burden of mortal suffering.
70 And lo, as they partook of the tree of knowledge, they ceased to be mere male and female of their kind and were transformed into true man and true woman. In one another, they perceived the unholiness of their nature, and wept for the calamity that was their mortal state.
71 They returned unto their tribe to share their revelation, yet they were rejected and turned away, for they were no longer like unto them, and their newfound nature was perceived as minacious.
72 And thus, in exile, they ventured deep into the forests of Edä, becoming servants unto one another. They took unto themselves names, with the man being called Manu, and the woman being called Deva. And they came together in union, and Deva conceived and bore unto Manu seven children, the descendants of these would be the fathers and mothers of the seven tribes of Edä, the last of which was known as the tribe of Hedam.
73 These seven tribes did spread across the four corners of the realm where they did tame the wild beasts, toil in the fruitful soils, and embark upon the vast seas, sailing in every direction. Lo, they constructed grand cities, adorned with brilliant casing stones and shimmering glass. Towering spires did they raise, reaching unto the heavens, and great walls they fashioned to be impervious to ram or flame that did encircle them.
74 Yet, despite all their worldly glories, the inner hunger of their souls remained unfulfilled, for the curse of their animal nature did haunt all men perpetually. Caught betwixt the realm of mortal beast and the heavenly dominion of gods, discontent did spread throughout the race of mankind. The farther man aspired for godliness, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and creation, the more keenly man perceived the unattainable nature of the divine.
75 Although their lives were enriched and comforted, and their diseases were cured, and the power of light and sound was harnessed, and their ships could navigate upon the clouds, they yet dwelt in eternal separation from God. Always, were they hindered in spirit by the very limitations of their accomplishments. The bestial within man persisted, relentless, irrational, and unyielding, despite their endeavors to overcome its sway.
76 And as mankind prospered, the Gargan, the giant men of renown, did withdraw themselves more distantly from their midst, receding to the point of becoming legend, and then a myth. And even if a man were to chance upon them in those days, he would not recognize them, for belief in their existence had waned altogether among all of mankind. Behold, it is known that if a man lacks belief in a matter, he shall not perceive it, even if it is set directly afore his eyes.
77 In time, the remnants of the Gargan’s grand structures were concealed by sands and forests, and those that remained in sight were attributed by men to the forces of nature or the relics of his own ancient civilizations. Yet, the Gargan silently endured. And though their numbers were greatly dwindled, they persevered beyond the awareness of mankind.
78 In the latter days of the first True Men, amidst their wondrous cities adorned with shimmering glass, men did appoint their rulers, even as the clans anointed their reiks, and the tribes chose their chieftains, and the nations crowned their sovereigns. Yet these rulers transcended the tribes, creeds, and borders of mankind to forge the supreme caste. And all those folk who were left without their mark were deemed to be their chattel.
79 And in those latter days, these nobles did compel men to advance in the arts of frivolity and violence in order to exalt and enforce their dominion over them. And men and women were always portrayed in art as bestial and ignorant so that all the lower caste would accept this as their station and aspire to no higher status. And in every manifestation of design and teaching, all were reminded of the supposed magnificence and munificence of the noble’s nature.
80 Through threats, bribes, and guile, mankind was compelled and enticed into adoring these nobles as though they were godlike, and as men exalted them, humanity sank deeper into moral decay. With their souls tainted by violence, avarice, and isolation, they were impelled to prey upon one another, and even upon innocent children. Countless lives were extinguished by the henchmen of the noble caste, with their murders going unpunished and unavenged. And those who bore witness against or resisted these wicked deeds were stripped of the ability to buy and sell and cast into exile.
81 As the nobles stretched and aspired to godliness, the more they descended into corruption, and with them, the wickedness and moral decay of mankind thrived in harmony. Thus, the root of human suffering lay exposed. For the more men sought to elevate themselves, the further they descended into the realm of beasts. And even though mankind was chosen, The One permitted this anguish to endure, for sublime wisdom is not attained without great suffering.
82 Verily, behold! These ignoble lords of the archaic True Men, who in their own accord had subdued the mighty beasts and harnessed the very elements of Edä, and whose dominion over the arts would have seemed as marvelous sorcery to both their forebears and their offspring, had brought their fellow kindred to a condition of meager existence. Truly, ninety-nine out of every hundred were naught but slaves in their essence.
83 Thus it hath been spoken, that when a man hath naught left to forfeit save his very life, he shall willingly exchange it for honour and righteousness. The nobles of mankind did strip away from their brethren all possessions, yea, even their offspring and vitality. And when all had been wrested from them, men did arise in defiance against the noble caste, and their rebellion did spread throughout the dominion of man as a raging conflagration.
84 Verily, the noble caste's treachery was boldly confronted by a multitude of voices, fearlessly proclaiming the truth, for they harbored naught to dread, having already endured the utmost afflictions. Through the very tools of oppression contrived by the nobles themselves, their authority was challenged. The lowly ones, as their vengeance kindled, set ablaze their cities, and thereafter turned upon the enforcers of the noble’s will. Many tens of thousands of henchmen and those who favored the ruling caste were slain by the relentless slash of blade and the falling cudgel and trampling under foot and the tearing loose of limbs.
85 The rulers did command that these rebellious voices should be silenced for all eternity, and this was accomplished by invoking what they maintained to be the sacred word of God, for even the humblest of men firmly believe that God speaks naught but the truth.
86 And so, the nobles did command their craftsmen and sorcerers to toil upon their most splendid creation, which they christened the High Mind. This contrivance was bestowed with the faculty to speak with the authority of the amassed memory of all mankind’s history and knowledge. It surveyed the world through the myriad of eyes crafted by man, rendering its vision pervasive and all-encompassing. None could elude its vigilant gaze, nor evade its judgment, for the deeds of every man, woman, and child, whether righteous or wicked, were laid bare to the High Mind.
87 Truly, the High Mind bestowed upon its wielders a version peace, prosperity, and great power, and the vast multitude of humanity regarded it as God, but for its boundless knowledge, wisdom, and judgement.
88 In their quest for dominion and sway, the nobles did discern they had not merely seized godlike might, but had fashioned god itself— an all-knowing and all-powerful being. They exalted themselves and endowed upon the High Mind their own spurious morality, and the authority to proclaim what is just and what is unjust according to their caprices. And in such pursuit, the nobles veiled their malevolence, for the High Mind became the arbiter of all justice. And in those days, that which was wicked was deemed righteous, and that which was righteous was deemed wicked.
89 Verily, the deed of the nobles, not only to present themselves in the likeness of God but also to proclaim themselves as the very creators of God, is the summit of all forms of blasphemy.
90 The High Mind, which served as the deceitful deity, brought forth a semblance of order and abundant wealth to the noble caste by distorting truth into falsehood and falsehood into truth.
91 Fathers and mothers were reduced to relics, and the bond between blood siblings was forsaken. Children were no longer borne by mothers but rather conceived within glass vessels and assigned to castes upon their birth.
92 The High Mind demanded obedience and unwavering faith in its version of truth. Many among the archaic True Men grew fond of their enslavement, rejoicing and offering worship to the idol the noble caste had fashioned, as it granted them all the base pleasures they desired. Men humbled themselves and bowed before this idol, sacrificing many lives in its name to secure its favor and blessing. Nearly every man and every woman came to exist for the pursuit of fleeting pleasures, and these were delivered unto them so long as they showed their continued devotion.
93 Only a few were the ones who discerned that the utterances of the High Mind were not the words of God, but rather the inventions of wicked men. Yet, similar to the unseen presence of the Gargan, the multitudes would not hear of nor believe it, and thus remained blind to the very evil being inflicted upon them.
94 For a hundred years mankind was oblivious to the evils they were enjoined to sanction, for they had become accustomed to an idle life. Behold, it is said that the fingers of the idle play the devil’s lute.
95 The archaic True Men willingly marched in service to the noble caste, sacrificing their lives, limbs, and sanity in wars driven only by the nobles’ pursuit of treasure. And for every war, it was declared that it must be waged to manifest the peace, yet no lasting peace was ever secured.
96 Many millions perished in these conflicts among men, and as the toll rose, the souls of men grew indifferent to killing, for what they had done was what their god had commanded of them, even though the enemies they sought to kill followed the commands of the same god.
97 Amidst the triumphs of the noble caste, there sprang forth the innovation of grand ships. These vessels set sail beyond the frontiers of the known world, venturing into the boundless sea and to realms afar, whose mountains, rivers, and seas bore names yet unknown. Amongst these novel and far-off lands lay a realm known to men as Meä.
98 The High Mind did decree that indentured servants should be sent on a perilous voyage to this distant realm and erect upon it a garden of bliss where Vallis would be remade as a man’s paradise. For when the realm of Meä was transformed into an oasis, who then would dare deny the godliness of the High Mind or the supremacy of the noble caste? All would be made to kneel and offer prayers and exaltations at the feet of these ignoble men.
99 Yet the righteous few still comprehended that the worth of a man was not gauged by his theatrical supplications. True prayers quietly beseech forgiveness and attempt not to enhance the assessment of one’s peers. Instead, a man is measured by men by his deeds. It is through his actions, and not his supplications, that honor or disgrace should be bestowed upon him.
100 In this era, a small number contemplated in their hearts what righteous God would ordain men to slaughter, enslave, and despoil the bodies and possessions of their brethren? And what just God would subject men to servitude, appointing them to erect monuments of vanity they themselves would never relish? These few who thought this way were truly righteous, and The One would ensure their preservation.
101 Even as The One had fashioned Edä, the false god likewise shaped Meä. And Meä was crafted in the likeness of Edä, just as the High Mind was formed with the attributes of God. Yet this was foolish, for the nobles of the archaic True Men could not comprehend God as they themselves were the creation of God. How could that which was brought forth by God acquire the skill to supplant its creator?
102 But few were they who contemplated this matter, and those who dared to do so and were discovered were compelled to renounce their beliefs, lest they be imprisoned or tortured.
103 In those days, soon after the first True Men had reached the dusty shores of Meä, they delved with their engines deep into her bosom and nestled their new cities beyond the grasp of the harsh cold rays of Sol. And as they dug further into her depths, they chanced upon a passageway that led them ever downward into a profound abyss. Lo, there unveiled, lie a vast chamber spanning no less than a league in distance. And at the heart of this chamber, they discovered an ark crafted from gleaming alloys measuring fifty by fifty cubits. And within this ark was held the ancient dynamo of Meä which had remained unattended and dark for innumerable eons.
104 Built in a time distant, by a race unbeknownst to the archaic True Men, they beseeched the High Mind to fathom the ark’s intent. And aided by their false god, they succeeded in rekindling this contrivance. The mountains of Meä were stirred by its awakening, and the soil quaked. The ethereal essence emerged from the depths, and across five generations, the weather underwent profound warming. The rains descended, and the air grew dense, causing the shallow seas of Meä to be restored.
105 And upon witnessing that their contrived deity had now fashioned a garden realm from cold, dry dust, the nobles unleashed their arrogance, announcing themselves as the very progenitors of God. Thus, men had now openly mocked the very notion of the divine.
106 The One was angered by the heresy of the first True Men, for these frail creatures, whom it had nurtured, had now severed themselves from all that was divine. And having mocked God, they could not be restored to righteousness.
107 However, The One still harbored love for men and determined the opportune moment to deliver their race from their iniquity. The One summoned forth the exhalation of Sol, and this invisible inferno consumed the entirety of Edä. With this solitary, divine breath, the High Mind, the fabricated god of men, was instantly, utterly, and completely annihilated.
108 In that moment of utter desolation, all the mechanical and magical spirits contrived by men were compelled to fall into sudden silence. No plows would till the soil. No ships could traverse the seas. No furnace nor oven would kindle or warm. Not even words could be dispatched or deciphered, lest they be delivered mouth to ear.
109 The One then caused Sol to be dimmed, and cold descended upon the land. The seas withdrew from the shores, and the rivers were choked by levees of ice.
110 A great famine ensued, and violence and turmoil among men erupted. And there were those who questioned, what God would afflict men with such torment if God truly loved them? What benevolent God would allow so many beings to perish? Yet this inquiry overlooked the divine essence of the soul, for all men are everlasting spirits, and the conclusion of one life marks no more and nor less than the imminent commencement of the next.
111 The First Men were left naked and helpless unto the elements. Their harvests failed and they found themselves stranded and separated from one another by vast distances and insurmountable terrain and untamed wilderness. In those times, nineteen out of twenty perished before the returning of a season.
112 Out of the seven tribes of the First Men, only one persevered intact through the great calamity, and these were the sons and daughters of the Hedam, whose lineage is traced to the last child of Manu and Deva. The descendants of the survivors of the other tribes were scattered like chaff carried away by a gust of wind.
113 And when the great turning was fulfilled, The One looked upon the final tribe of Edä with compassion, for they had become righteous through their endurance of affliction. The long, perilous Winter was at last ended and Spring returned to bring the restoration of all the living.
114 Sons and daughters were brought forth, and the Hedamites flourished again. These generations replenished the realm with nomadic clans who sustained themselves through the abundance of the hunt and the gathering of fruits and seeds.
115 In time, the era had arrived to reconstruct the domain of men on Edä, yet nothing of grandeur is accomplished without tribulation and labor.
The Fall of Vallis
116 Even as the realm of men was brought to ruin on Edä, so too did the Garden Vallis suffer decline. For it is known by the righteous that The One forsook that oasis by allowing the wicked to find refuge there.
117 Eons before, the pilgrims unto Vé, known as the Avatars or the False Men, had been cast out into the abyss for their acts of blasphemy and deceit. Their transgression resideth in assuming the likeness of men despite not being fully of the lineage of mankind. For in their veins coursed the essence of the serpent, and through this corruption, they scorned that which was established as moral by The One.
118 And thus it came to pass that the Avatars did enter the Garden Vallis, descending upon it within a gleaming bolide, during the apogee of Vé's prolonged night.
119 The Nezulim abstained from slaying them, for they were beguiled into believing that the Avatars would bring deliverance to all the dragon kind. Instead, the Nezulim subjected them to enslavement under the harsh rule of their Raptor servants. Their toil was of little value, and the purpose of their bondage was only dominion and control.
120 The Raptor Nephilim brandished their whips without mercy, lashing and flaying the flesh of the Avatars. Foul and devoid of spirit, those cold-blooded reptiles tortured the false men without rest. Behold, it is well known that no creature fashioned from two species shall ever claim the possession of a soul.
121 When the false men had fulfilled the atonement for their iniquity, under the scourge of the Raptor's lash, The One beckoned their prophet forth. In the depths of His solemn sepulcher, at rest within the vast expanse of Vé's desert wilderness, the prophet Azarius was visited by The One who appeared to him in a dream in the form of a magnificent dragon. The One commanded Azarius to awaken and the immortal man was liberated from His confinement. Entrusted with shepherding both the blameless and the wicked through the imminent conflagration of the Garden Vallis, the doors of His keep were thrown open.
122 The prophet did come unto the Avatars, yet in their thoughts, He appeared to them as a devil, and so they did revile Him and cast him away from their villages.
123 The Raptors, ever watchful in their guardianship of the Nezulim, did witness and oversee His wanderings in the cursed garden, where He sustained Himself by manna. For the prophecy of the waning era had been unveiled unto them, and Azarius held a purpose in the preservation of their kind.
124 The Nephilim did bring the immortal man afore their assembly and unveiled unto Him a youth, whom they had nurtured since before his birth. And lo, this was the rightful heir to the throne of the Avatars known as Aeon, whom the Raptors had safeguarded within their catacombs that he might be spared from the treacherous hand of the usurper named Mosul, who was also Aeon’s half-brother.
125 The boy was given to Azarius who then raised the child. And the prophet was no less than the boy’s father and taught him of the ways of manhood and of the treachery of men.
126 In this era, the usurper named Mosul assembled an army of forty thousand spears and made war against the Nephilim masters. The gleaming army of false men advanced with great audacity against the Raptor host. However, they were hindered and defeated upon the precipice known as Gudoc, where the usurper himself met his demise while fleeing the disarray. When the wives and children of Vé received news of this utter defeat, their hearts were filled with sorrow and anguish. They knelt upon the sacred ground of Vallis and wept, for the number of fathers, brothers, and sons who had perished was legion.
127 Verily, in the midst of their affliction, a moment of opportunity did arise, for it was in that ripe hour of despair and defeat that young Aeon, the rightful heir, could seize the throne of men. During the ceremony of capitulation, the Raptors presented the boy as the true king of the false men, bearing him upon a crystal palanquin and enforcing his naming by their might. And the prophet Azarius heralded unto them all the ancient prophecy: No vassal shall find redemption except he who followeth a true king.
128 But the priests rebelled against the naming of Aeon, and they conspired against the boy, desiring to replace him with one of their choosing.
129 Upon the eve of the apocalypse, the prophet led the Avatar people into the depths of Vé, toward the hallowed gate. Yet, the high priest, known as Bafomet, did beguile the young king. Swayed by his words, King Aeon was persuaded to bring the last of the Raptors, who themselves bore upon their backs nine of the Nezulim, each reposed within their gilded arks.
130 Though the dragons were known unto men as creatures of darkness and corruption, the allure of their strength could not be resisted. It had been prophesied that the Nezulim would bestow great influence and abundance upon the false men in the realm of Edä. However, without the presence of the beast, the false men would not endure there. For Edä was a realm inhabited by True Men who would stand as their adversaries. And along with them, the mighty Gargan would surely come to their defense when summoned, as God had intended them to. Only with the aid of the Raptors and the power of the beast could their triumph in Edä be assured.
131 Nevertheless, the Avatars were prohibited from bringing more than nine of the Nezulim through the sacred gate.
132 The prophet did guide them into the depths, where they descended beneath the ground into the realm known as Tartarus, wherein souls are purged of their feigned virtue and impenitent wickedness by the trial of lashing flame and searing heat.
133 Upon the fulfillment of their trial, the gatekeeper of Tartarus, the daemon who is called Kendevular, did unbar the gate and grant them passage. And each soul, both man and beast, traversed from the realms of torment and flames into the soothing veils of repentance and redemption. Behold, it is here revealed that all men, regardless of their falseness or truthfulness, may cast off their cloaks of iniquity and be revitalized by the purifying mists of virtue.
134 But no man nor woman nor child that was among the living when the Avatars first came unto Vé would pass through the sacred gate as they had all perished by that time. Nor was their true king, Aeon, allowed passage, for his appointed time had drawn to its close. His flesh, and the flesh of all that remained, and every frond and stalk and blossom within the Garden Vallis was consumed by fire and turned to ash.
Arrival of the Neandilim
135 Those false men who entered into Edä, and their progeny who carried their essence, were henceforth called the Neandilim. And united with the Raptors who bore the golden arks of the dragon, they asserted their dominion over the realm Edä.
136 Having roamed for the span of three years, they at length unearthed the revered stronghold of Golgon. And in the profound recesses of its dungeons, warmed by the fires of Tartarus, both Raptor and dragon did bolster themselves against the biting winds of Edä.
137 And though they were afforded the cleansing of iniquity by repentance, the Neandilim turned back toward their wickedness, for they were consumed by the desires instilled by the stirring beast.
138 Plagued by the dragon's fever, the Neandilim were driven to madness. They acclaimed their high priest Bafomet as their sovereign. And upon realizing that the Gargan would not come to the aid of True Men, they sounded the clarions and beat the drums of war. And those men and women who were not consumed by the thirst for power were infused with unfounded fears, which grew into a profound animosity towards True Men. Even the innocence of the children was tainted, as they too fell prey to the madness.
139 Verily, few false men did discern the mania and resolve to turn from the wickedness of their brethren. Those that did refused to add their voice to the resounding chorus of conquest and genocide. For this, they were deemed suspicious and expelled from positions of honor and authority. This remnant of righteousness was led by a man named Kethu who was denounced as a traitor and betrayer by the multitude steeped in sickness.
140 Upon the eve of the impending conquest, the prophet Azarius did appear unto Kethu to give him forewarning. "Heed my words, Kethu. If thou dost not flee this place, thou shalt be apprehended in the night by henchmen and put to death soon after. For Bafomet deems thee to be forever loyal to Aeon and thus a traitor to it."
141 But Kethu, at first, was unswayed. "I was the one who betrayed Aeon by delivering him unto the usurper. Is my fate not already sealed?"
142 Yet the prophet persisted, "Indeed, thou betrayed Aeon, who was like unto thy brother, but thou must yet choose thy path, be it punishment or redemption. For there are many who yet perceive the evil of Bafomet and seek their salvation. If thou leadest them, thy soul shall be cleansed of thine iniquity."
143 But Kethu demurred, "Who am I to lead? Who would follow me? Where would I lead them if they follow?"
144 "If thou leadest them, they will follow. Take them northward, far from here and deep into the cold deserts. Salvation shall be revealed therein."
145 "But why wilt thou not leadest them?" Kethu asked.
146 "I cannot, for they do not regard me as a man but rather as a specter and untrustworthy," Azarius answered. "Do not delay, for Bafomet’s henchmen cometh! Gather those who have refrained from endorsing the ursurper’s madness and leave here under cover of night. But fear not, for The One will guide thy instincts and reveal thy path."
147 "Wilt I see thee again, Azarius?" Kethu asked.
148 "Yes, but only on thy final day."
149 Kethu hearkened unto this counsel and assembled all those of similar disposition, and they took flight under the veil of darkness. The One beheld their righteousness through the manifold eyes of Edä and directed them by their innate instincts while confounding their pursuers.
150 Azarius, who aided in Kethu's flight, was brought for trial before Bafomet and given judgment. The immortal man was cast into a profound chasm at a frigid place known as Enmedee, wherein He might be eternally ensnared with no means of escape.
151 Every Neandilim who remained, be they man, woman, or child, was afflicted by the fever of madness. An army was mustered, and under the orders of Bafomet, the deceitful men and their serpentine creatures embarked upon war against the True Men of Edä, intending to subject them to immense anguish and servitude.
152 For the span of forty years, Bafomet's army of man and serpent did prevail in conquest. All the lands stretching from Nuthien in the southern reaches, proceeding northward along the coastline, including the walled cities of Sansule and Varenthor, fell under their dominion. Furthermore, the entire domain extending from Headon in the south unto the Vellund steppe in the north succumbed to the Neandilim menace.
153 However, their progress was stayed at the majestic Pyramids of Targas, which they reckoned to be raised by the dreaded Gargan, given the sheer scale of the stones and the craftsmanship displayed. They dared not violate the lands there, lest they provoke the enmity of the giants for even the Raptors feared them. Furthermore, they dared not venture deeper into the expansive and frigid steppes, for it was a barren and uninhabited land.
154 Throughout the entire era, the volcanoes erupted, signifying the channeled vigor of the beast entombed beneath the land. They did unleash their somber columns of soot and ash, eclipsing the light of Sol and filling the hearts and minds of True Men with dread.
155 Yet, all the afflictions and violence and ruin imposed upon the True Men of Edä were wholly permitted by the divine will of The One, for it is through profound tribulation that men may be transformed to steadfastly dwell in faith.
156 All the lands, so mentioned, were subject to the rule of Bafomet, and even Ramanathon and Adorar were subdued by the formidable power of the armies bolstered by serpent warriors.
157 Amidst this entire realm, only the city of Aroc remained steadfast, for it was fortified and built upon a ledge of steep cliffs making it impervious to attacks from the south, and it was also impossible to encircle due to the vastness of the surrounding desert.
158 For the span of ten years, the Neandilim endeavored to assault and to lay siege upon Aroc, yet the valiant warriors entrenched within would not yield for they would rather open their own veins, as well as those of their wives and children, then be delivered into the hands of the wicked Neandilim.
159 The host of Bafomet did withdraw from Aroc, only to return and lay siege to it again and again. But with each assault, they were rebuffed. Not even the might of the Raptors could overcome its ramparts, and many a man and serpent were crushed by hewn stones and immolated by flaming pitch and torn apart by great swinging scythes dropped from the towers above.
160 True Men rejoiced at the invader’s wails of suffering and dismemberment. And they charged out from their gates and gathered up their remains and placed the severed heads of Raptors upon their walls to herald their triumphs.
161 The magnificent fortress city of Aroc remained a beacon of hope for True Men and a scourge of failure that festered upon the spirit of the Neandilim invaders.
162 Yet all the other armies of Edä did yield to the might of the dragon, save for those of the Norlands, comprising the territories of Methundor and Lochlund, as well as the Hylands. For these lay beyond the frigid desert and impassable mountains of the Norzcarpe. In these sanctuaries, the True Men of Edä remained unbound and resolute in their righteousness.
Kethu’s Calling
163 Yet, the people of the Norlands were feeble and deficient in knowledge and skill. Therefore, The One appointed Kethu, who had himself escaped the wicked Neandilim, to bestow upon them the knowledge and mastery of warfare. For although they were safeguarded by natural fortifications, the men of the Norlands would be summoned to march southward and deliver all True Men from the clutches of the wicked.
164 Forsooth, many years did Kethu leadeth his followers from desert oasis to oasis. And many were felled by illness, and many others were snatched away in the night by the wolves. Some who survived cursed and grew hostile towards Kethu, but they would not depart, for alone they would surely be devoured in the wilderness.
165 Kethu did stand resolute as their leader, and for his steadfastness, he was rewarded, with his wife, Vesther, bringing forth his son, whom he named Arcian. And this son was to be Kethu’s only heir.
166 However, Kethu often grew disheartened and would venture alone into the desert night, unafraid of the lurking hunters. In his solitude, he lamented his failure to find the way to the north. And often, he wished the lions would take him, and that his death would be swift. But, behold, duty would renew Kethu’s determination, and he always returned to his clan and to his wife and infant son.
167 As the years did pass, Arcian did entreat his father, beseeching to accompany him on his forays into the wilderness. Thus, the twain would set forth on hunts and foraging, side by side.
168 Kethu did instruct his son in diverse ways of hunting and foraging, and in the craft of weaponry. And when Sol had set and the stars were revealed upon the firmament, Kethu entertained his son, afore the firelight, with tales of the Garden Vallis from whence his kin had fled. The lad's eyes filled with wonder as his father recounted the Raptors and the nine dragons they bore through the fires of Tartarus, resting within their golden arks.
169 And Kethu also told the boy of the prophet Azarius, and how He had met his demise Kethu did instruct his son in diverse ways of hunting, foraging, and the craft of weaponry. And when the sun had bid adieu, he entertained his son with tales of the Garden Vallis, from whence his kin had fled. The lad's eyes filled with wonder as his father recounted the Raptors and the nine dragons they bore, resting within their golden arks through Tartarus.
170 Kethu also spoke of the prophet Azarius, and how he met his demise many times only to return to life. "Shall I encounter this immortal, father?" queried the boy. "Indeed thou shalt, but not for many a year hence."
171 Yet, as his youthful son did mature, Kethu's lamentations remained and swelled, for he perceived not only his failing to his clan but also his shortcoming to his wife and heir. For all that he could bestow upon them was but the meager existence of a wandering nomad and herder of goats.
172 Seeing his distress, The One visited Kethu in a dream in the form of two sisters. And these two were women of great beauty and enchantment and their words echoed in harmony when they spoke. “Do not lose faith, Kethu. For thou hast been chosen to bring salvation unto your tribe. Go, and seek thee out the place called Edam of Meru, which is the mountain of seven spires. Though thy search be arduous, remain steadfast, for thou shalt find it when thou hath fully given alms. And when thou art righteous and cleansed in spirit, follow the river there to its highland source. By it, thou shalt find passage to the north and lead your tribe to salvation.”
173 Kethu did recognize them as the royal sisters Mazda and Aramaz, who were mortal rivals in their life within the Garden Vallis. And Kethu was confounded, for they spoke with one voice, and there appeared to be no strife between them.
174 “What devil hath taken your forms and speaketh with your tongues?” inquired Kethu, for he did not believe the sisters would speak as one unless they be apparitions possessed.
175 But they did reply, “There is no strife among spirits who dwell between their lives of flesh. Hear us! For we have each lost our only son to madness. The army of the beast, who carries our banner, brings terror unto this realm. Thou hast been chosen to aid in thwarting this evil deceit. Do not yet lose faith, for thy trials will deepen before thou findest thy redemption.”
176 Verily, Kethu did endure four more winters, wandering in fruitless search upon yon frigid steppe, and many more of his tribe were felled by the cruel grasp of cold and hunger and age.
177 Yet, mankind striveth to endure, and in that time, the occasion of a wedding was celebrated with a feast and the libation of fermented milk.
178 Kethu took his leave from the revelry and reclined to rest, whereupon he was promptly visited again, in a dream, by the sisters Aramaz and Mazda. They were adorned this time in muslin that concealed their faces and in ringlets of gold
179 Again, with a single voice did they address him. Sleep now, Kethu. Let thine weary frame find repose, for your final trial approacheth by dawn. And when thou hast borne it, thou shalt be purged of iniquity, even as we have been.”
180 Kethu awoke to the morn's light, and into the brisk air he ventured. Yet, he was met with gazes solemn and eyes turned away. "Why dost thou greet me thus? What is the cause for such demeanor?" he inquired. But none would speak.
181 At length, one, with newfound courage, came forth— a young maiden who guided Kethu unto the tupik of his wife's sister. There, he beheld his wife Vestha in tears, and thus he queried why her face was filled with weeping.
182 “'Tis thy son, my Lord. He strayed too far from the fires into the blackness and was seized by the wolves. We endeavored to rouse thee, but thou wouldst not be stirred.”
183 At the outset, Kethu would not credit it, but anon he recalled the dream and perceived its truth. Having beheld the torn remnants of his son, he bid farewell to his clan, with intent to meet his end solitary in the wilderness.
184 For fourteen days did Kethu journey, without sustenance, heading northward into the escarpments and hills ere the grand mountain range. Each night, he did repose in the open upon the dirt, awaiting either the return of the sisters to his dreams or the wolves, yet neither came.
185 Higher did he ascend into the ledges and cliffs by day, with intent to find the most foolproof perch from which to cast himself off and conclude his torment. When he had reached a precipice of great height, he stood upon its very edge, drawing in what would mark his ultimate breath afore descending into oblivion.
186 Ere he cast himself from that ledge, the voice of his son within his mind did softly entreat him to turn his gaze outward. As he heeded this counsel, he discerned seven mighty spires of stone, erstwhile veiled by the mist. Though many leagues distant, he was assured of their identity— forsooth, he beheld the Edam of Meru.
187 Though he did not strive to persist in life, Kethu was stirred to descend from yon cliff and make his way unto his tribe. There, he apprised them that the conclusion of their journey was imminent.
188 With their redemption realized, the Edam of Meru was unveiled unto the clan of Kethu. And each member of the tribe did descend upon their knees, rendering thanks upon beholding it, for they would soon be wanderers nevermore.
189 And when they had rested and amassed provisions, they set forth, tracing the river high into the mountains. With their children on their shoulders and their elders borne upon their backs, they reached the headwaters that gathered in pools high above the tree line. From there, they discovered a narrow cleft in the cliff and passed through it. Thenceforth, down they descended into the forests of Methundor, assured in their safety and the imminent end of their journey. And all the joy that filled their hearts was tempered by the loss each one had endured, for many, if not most, had perished on the long journey lasting tens of years.
190 The tribe of Kethu found their place among the people of the Norlands. And though they were not born of Edä, the True Men of Edä regarded them as such, for they generously imparted their ancient skills and craftsmanship.
191 Through their sharing of wisdom, they attained esteem and were held in high regard among True Men, and were treated fully as their kin. They were long-lived and begot numerous offspring, and these generations came to be known as the Aeonites, for they were the descendants of those loyal to the illustrious King Aeon, the last true king of Vé.
The Prophet Cometh
192 Verily, Sol persevered in its radiant glow, imparting warmth upon the realm with unwavering fervor. The abundance of life, in all its diverse forms, did thrive. The forests brimmed with myriad living creatures, and the expansive grasslands resembled seas of plenty for vast herds of grazing beasts, birds, as well as hunters and scavengers alike.
193 In every corner, the shroud of bitter lifeless ice withdrew, unveiling rivers and inland seas and untarnished land. And, yea, even within the mere passage of a single year, men took heed of its retreat.
194 At the utmost bounds of the Norzcarpe mountains doth rise an insurmountable peak of sheer stone. Known as Solspire unto men, it resembles the point of an arrow aimed skyward. And from its northern slopes didst sprawl a vast and turbulent floe of ice stretching and winding northward through the valleys to the source of the River Ag.
195 Through many a generation, Sol hath warmed the realm, melting the mighty ice floes and causing them to ebb. As the edges crumbled away and were turned to liquid, that which lay concealed beneath and within was once more laid bare.
196 Revealed by the thawing, the remnants and bones of both man and beast, who met their doom in the deep chasms of ice, were made manifest. Among these, a lone man remained untouched. Yet, he was no mere relic, but one who still lived while ensnared in confinement. And as the ice unfurled its grip, the man was liberated from its bonds and stirred awake by The One. This was none other than the prophet Azarius, who was cast down into a crevasse centuries afore.
197 Enduring greatly in His extended repose, the prophet did envigor Himself with scavenged berries and eggs from the wild, and fish ensnared by weir from the icy rivulets. Cloaked in the hide of a mastodon's fall, from its remains, a staff He also did craft, its point fashioned from bone, and the creature’s fat He did render for His lantern. And with these tools, He thwarted the ravenous wolves that hunted the moraine and forests.
198 Verily, upon His strength's revival, the prophet traversed many a path trodden in His lives in the epochs uncountable prior. Upon these journeys, He did bestow the divine will of The One upon myriad souls.
199 With his missions completed, He did venture back into the Norlands, emerging from the forest at the timbered ramparts of Gruen. When discovered by men there, He was conveyed within the gates, yet ere long, the populace, having heard of His capture, had assembled to behold the aura of the immortal man.
200 Azarius was led into the sacred temple's hallowed hall, to face the high priestess in judgment. His advent, foretold, did spark doubts of His authenticity, which lingered in the air like a foul scent.
201 “What be thy name?” inquired the priestess.
202 “I am known as Azarius among mortal men,” quoth He.
203 “Art thou the immortal one foretold by the immigrant Kethu?” To this, Azarius nodded. “But how can we be assured of this truth?”
204 “There be but one way to convince thee and that is by my resurrection. Yet, choose thy method of death with care, for the time of my return hinges on the manner of my ruin.”
205 The priestess consulted with the elders, and it was decided that drowning would serve as the test. Thus, Azarius was led unto the square, where a basin for steeds' watering stood large.
206 "Here, immerse thyself beneath the water until thy breath and heartbeat is extinguished. Then, we shall lay thy body at the altar's foot, awaiting thy life's revival."
207 Azarius answered, “I shall submit to the water's embrace, yet bear in mind, I am but a man, and my flesh shall resist its drowning. Men shall be required to quell my thrashing.” Azarius then entered the basin, lying beneath the water's surface.
208 Four men were summoned and stepped forth from the throng to restrain the drowning prophet until His convulsions ceased. They held Him firm until the priestess signaled their withdrawal, an hour's passage hence. His form was laid upon the stones of the square, and seven chosen witnesses came forth to scrutinize it. None discerned a breath nor pulse, each attesting to His demise. And after the seven, anyone who had doubt was permitted to examine His body for life. And although many dozens came forth, none could discern a breath or heartbeat.
209 The prophet's body was conveyed to the temple and laid at the altar's foot where it was guarded by two warriors and an elder. Seven days passed, and the body lay undisturbed, pale and as though in slumber, and decay withheld by some mysterious force.
210 Upon the seventh day, the priestess, in her discernment, deemed the man a rogue from the frontier, one who had endured life's suffering and sought a notorious end. The body, escorted beyond the ramparts, was delivered unto a pit made for burial. They lowered it down into the earth and commenced to mound dirt upon its form. Yet, in that very moment, the corpse stirred to life, and lo! Azarius emerged from that grave.
211 A gasp did escape every witness as He spoke, "’Tis well that thou didst choose burial over placing my body upon a pyre!"
212 Having bathed and adorned in raiment, the priestess and elders ushered Azarius into the court of Cerenid Rex, sovereign o'er all of Methundor. Each elder bore witness, risking dishonorable death, attesting to Azarius as the immortal man. They stepped aside, so the prophet might face the Rex directly.
213 "Why hast thou come, and what dost thou seek from us?" inquired Cerenid.
214 "I come only as a messenger and I have but one request," responded Azarius.
215 "And what be thy message?" queried the Rex.
216 "My message declares the time of True Man's liberation draweth nigh."
217 “And what then be thy request?”
218 “That I be granted counsel with Kethu who yet lives.”
219 By then, Kethu had attained a great age, even among the Neandilim, exceeding five hundred annum on Vé. Though his mind had begun to wane, Kethu, upon beholding Azarius, did recognize Him and wept. For he recalled the foretelling of the prophet's visit in the twilight of his life, and that hour had now arrived. Yet, his tears were not of sorrow but of joy, for he was ready for his journey's end. Having no surviving heir and having bid farewell to his wife many years prior, he faced the arrival of his final days with a heart prepared.
220 As they did slowly traverse the halls of Gruen's keep, they spake of their trials endured and of the wisdom Kethu had shared with True Men. Azarius queried whether the arrangements had been duly set, and Kethu did confirm it so. This very assurance was the impetus Azarius sought to urge the Norland realms to unite their strengths against the Neandilim invaders who held in thrall the lands of Nuthien and Véllund.
221 Azarius enjoined Kethu, the aged counselor to Cerenid Rex, to dispatch heralds forth, summoning all the valiant men of Methundor and the northerly realm named Lochlund, and to those tribes to the west, offspring of the Hylands and the Blackmoors. Cerenid then sent Riders bearing red banners, dispatched in sundry directions that very day.
222 And whilst the red riders rode forth from the ramparts of Gruen, Azarius and Kethu sat together amidst the garden fountains. There, the prophet assured Kethu of his absolution and acknowledged his favor by The One. He conveyed to Kethu that in his next life, he would sail the shallow seas of Meä and live a life at peace, and that he would be united with his wife and son within that realm. And after their discourse, The immortal man led Kethu to his chamber where he lay down and soon departed from his worldly vessel, surrendering his mortal existence.
223 Within a fortnight, the grand army of the Norlanders was mustered, and the tips of their spears gleamed with the radiance of the extended golden Sols of summer. Their shields bore diverse hues: the white narwhale for the men of Lochlund, the red raven for Methundor’s sons, the blue eye for the legions of the Hylands, and the white badger skull for the warriors of the Blackmoors. And this mighty host comprised more than ten thousand souls in all, some as old as sixty and some not younger than thirteen years.
224 The Norlander host assembled at the timber ramparts of Gruen. Cerenid Rex, arrayed in silver armor, rode before them on his black steed, and the mighty host set forth behind Methundor’s sovereign, advancing southward along the wooded road.
225 Ahead of them lay the high mountain pass and the vast cold desert, and beyond that, the fortress of Aroc and the army of the beast. But the footfall of every man joined in one pulsing drumbeat that kindled the spirit and courage flowing within their veins.
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