Mourning

Awake
Feel the light
Eyes open
Glorious sight

The Sun
She is out
My son
Be about

The bed
It is nice
And the floor
Is as ice

But arise
Come and see
The world
As it should be

Ten words

To hurt
To hate
To cry
To change
Too late

Scent

Spring breeze to bring solace

Where my last was spent

Light pooling on the surface

Where we'd made an end

This howling summer gale

Storming inside my heart

My candle glow so pale;

Can I forget the start?

A swift autumn wind

Spinning 'round my head

A fire in my bosom

Did Gaia wish me dead?

Now chilling winter will

grasping, gripping,

yet I remember still

Intoxicating

The scent of her hair in the air.

I, Me, Nothing.

I am a memory in the dark

I am a legend in the telling

I am a myth of unknowing

I am nothing.

To know me

is to not

To hate me

is to rot

To humor me

is to lie

To include me

is to deny

I am a candle

with wax down the sides

with flames all extinguished

unlovely to all eyes

I am a lore book

with torn leaves and broken cover

my spine bent and ruined

dusty and undiscovered

I am a key

with rust on the handle

hidden within its strongbox

forgotten on the mantle

I am a story

forgotten over time

told to none, heard by none

in any land or clime

I am nothing.

Light me, I will illuminate

Open me, I will elucidate

Use me, I will unlock

Tell me, I will reveal

I am still a candle, I can still be lit!

I am still a lore book, I can still be read!

I am still a key, I can still unlock!

I am still a story, I can still be sung!

Memory fades to legend, 

legend fades to myth, 

myth turns to nothingness.

Yet because I am nothing, I was borne from nothing.

I was nothing

myth faded

but I was a legend

after I am a memory

I am.

The Little Things

  Mr Wong rushed out of his apartment door without even grabbing a slice of bread, locking the doors hurriedly behind him, groaning as he fumbled with his keys. He was late for an early morning meeting, the seemingly endless bills had piled up and his project assignment (including the presentation on the early stages) was nearly due and still woefully incomplete. Too preoccupied to even consider breakfast, he deigned to tie up whatever loose ends he could manage on the train ride to his office. Adjusting his necktie, he half-walked, half-ran to the nearest MRT station, alerting passers-by to his stressed presence with the loud and incessant clopping of his sleek, heeled boots, ringing on the pavement in an excessive manner. He ignored the grumbling looks on the faces of other morning-goers and trotted on.
  7:00 am and he was still not on the train, or even the platform. He ran up the escalators, almost barging his way past people, tapped his fare card on the machine, watched the miniature gates open painfully slow, and sped up the second set of escalators, almost dropping his wallet in the process. Hearing the arrival of a train drawing up into the station, he gasped in panic and increased his speed, sprinting wildly. At the last moment, he just managed to jump through the doors of the large impatient contraption before it shut behind him.
  He relaxed slightly, and sat himself down on an empty train seat, brushing small beads of sweat off of his forehead. He tugged the zip on his bag, jerking it open and pulling out a large and thick folder. He unclipped it and pulled out several long and lengthy reports on logistics and resources. He read them through again and again, drawing out the important details and placing them in the back of his mind, where he could arrange them properly on paper later. "And the technical team can be reassigned to the drafting of..." he muttered under his breath, calculating the ideal staff size for such a task and cross referencing it to the resource limits whilst simultaneously checking the budget of the project.
  7:15 am. Mr Wong scratched his cheek, deep in thought as the train left another station, barely carrying any passengers and allowing him to breathe. He pulled out another piece of paper and looked at the graphs and statistics listed, trying to process them at the speed that he normally could. His clouded mind prevented him from doing so and he looked up in frustration as a young mother's child cried loudly in equal anger. All the preemptive tirades stuck on the edge of his tongue that stopped as his mouth closed.
  The Sun was rising.
  At that moment, the thought crossed his mind that such a weak description was terribly inadequate, and he tried to find words to place the strange feeling in his chest, and yet could not seem to find any of them inside of his brain.
  The small circle, no bigger than a fifty-cent coin, was climbing over the rolling hilltops and small houses before a large and empty field of green. It showered the land in a warm orange glow, whilst closer to it, brilliant mixtures of red, yellow and golden unleashed its glorious fury to the world. Piercing the clouds with sharp pinpricks of light, pouring into every dark crevice and illuminating the train, the very pinpricks of light landing on Mr Wong.
  He stopped thinking, and simply stared at the elaborate scene of nature before him, basking in it without a single word, as if he was lodged in an epiphany of universal proportions. A soft feeling spread through his heart that he had not felt for a long time and he relaxed, easing his back into the curves of the train seat, continuing to watch the Sunrise.
  The reports lay forgotten in his lap.

The continent of Saldivia in the Breaking Age: its peoples and its landmarks

  The Saldivian continent cannot be described with any basic shape. The most that could be said is that it had three vague 'points' similar to a triangle: one facing to the North West, one facing to the South, and one facing to the North East. Along the inland of this continent a clump of mountains were stationed, tall and majestic, only outmatched by the Giant's range in Argosant. Many rivers poured from its roots, flowing out through all of the nations and eventually, out to sea. These mountains were named "Ashagal Pierin", the 'focused' peaks, also translatable to the center peaks. These were the largest mountains in the land, and the nations were mainly divided around it.
  On the East coast of the continent, opposite the nation of Quenie, was the land of Dunal. Considered the trade center of the known world, they shipped large amounts of commodities everywhere, having a powerful trade navy (although the ships were not well equipped for war or battle of any sort), able to traverse the oceans to reach almost every nation. Directly descended from the Dunnallion in the old days of the Red Age, they possessed most the old lands they had, stretching from the Meldon River to the Caragan River, taking up most of the Eastern Coast. However, their actual control only stretched so far, and lands towards the north and south were mostly populated by villages and small towns that claimed to belong to none. Dunal was also famous for its large port city, Aldane Qala, "Bright(est) City", known for being the largest port in the known world and also for the Tower of Tiel Aldane, (in emphasis, meaning THE brighest, shiniest, normally related to those in majesty), a tall and seemingly topless building that was made of gold and iron and other precious materials, forged together to create the large and impressive structure, built in the older days of glory, (the Golden Age), when all prospered. It served as a meeting place for those of the Merchants' order, who controlled the land through a partially democratic system. The Dunalion look almost exactly the same as the Queniens, being of average height and having many colored hair and many colored eyes.
  The South was taken up by the Zanturians, the nation of Zanturia. They walled themselves off from the other lands, building an actual physical wall called by them "Zantu Yackmondan", in their strange language, Zantu's Long Arm, (referred to in their teachings as the arm that shields them from all harm, Yackmondan being a literal pronoun). It was referred to by the rest of the continent as "The Cult Blockade", having no relations with the strange Zanturians who worshipped their false god (for it was the Zantu that were long descended from the evils of Jal'Mansar, who had planted the seed of dissent in the previous War of the Powers. It could be said that the false god was in reality, Jal'Mansar, though he indirectly manipulated them), and also at times attacking the other nations at random. They were hostile and unwelcoming, guarding the Cult Blockade's gates with large numbers and preventing entry for anyone except those that explicitly vowed to server their god (on pain of death, in service for life, to never leave the lands except the Master willed it), and killing any others that approached without hesitation. Zanturia is supposedly independent, able to grow its own crop to feed its population and sustain its large armies. However, their ships that launch from their Eastern coast attempt raids on richly laden Dunalion ships, only repelled by the Quenien ships hired from time to time. The Zantu are pale and rather tall, alike to the Corallion, only shorter and much paler. Most of them possess piercings all over their body, in ritual and sacrifice to Zantu. They have only black hair and possess high cheekbones for the most part. This nation is regarded as a threat by every other land, even the Argosantic continent.
  North of Zanturia, West of Dunal, is the Nation of Corallion. Cold to most other foreigners, the northernmost part of it suffers from perpetual winter, ceasing only occasionally and for short periods of time. It is home to the world's most skilled swordsmen, using scimitars to weave their 'dance', the name of which they give to battle. They are unique among the world in terms of looks; pale and tall, ranging between 180 centimeters to 2 meters among the tallest. Because of this, they are easily recognizable in foreign lands and are sometimes shunned, leading the Corallion to become mostly introverted and secluded. However, their physical stature was not the only reason for their seeming eccentricity; they had strict codes of behavior inherited from the Alphin who migrated there in the early days of the Red Age (as such, even the original Doren, now referred to as the Dorin were founded there), becoming much like those of the mysterious and wise. In battle, they were terrifying, wearing hideous masks that struck fear into those that looked at them. Matching the Massodrians in single combat, they used their scimitars to great effect, having a great number of named techniques and sword strokes that could outsmart an average swordsman entirely. Stretching beyond this, their traditional method of tactical combat was unorthodox and unpredictable. 'Guerrilla warfare' was often used by their soldiers to great effect, knowing precisely the advantages of remaining unseen before and during the strike. As such, they were named by many as "the walking dead", (agraddin Grall in Zanturian, who feared them greatly for various reasons) and were respected in war and battle. Were they less reserved, a conquest of theirs might have been unstoppable. However, because of their nature, they hardly expand their territory, but also hardly entreat with others. They grow mostly potatoes, but also grow many Saugan, a tough crop of plant that produces sweet fruit all year round and has edible roots and leaves. The Corallion hold this plant in high regard, using it in many of their poems and their idioms and allegories of strength and providence.
  Finally, to the north are large wastelands that endure endless winter and snow. They are mostly uninhabited, being mostly unlivable, except for a small race of men that are unnamed among themselves. They live on the wild beasts that live up there and tougher species of Saugan that grow in the Northern parts. They occasionally make raids on both the Dunal and Corallion border, but very rarely, keeping mostly to themselves and and hardly even showing their presence, being skilled in the art of walking unseen in the winter lands. Among the people of Corallion, who have had the most contact with them, they are known as the Erene, the homeless/lost.
  In the earliest of times, Saldivia was known as Yarmon.

The continent of Argosant in the Breaking Age: Its peoples and its landmarks

  The continent of Argosant was shaped like a vague hour glass; to the north the land 'stretched out' into two 'arms', the West reaching down south in a large hook that encircled the land of Lurnuva, whilst the East wing was in a shallow Northward slope. Along the north edge of this continent ran a long wall of near impassable mountains, tall and majestic, given the name of "Emperor's Wall", translated from the old speech of the previous ages "Eladar Giel", when the north was still ruled by the single nation of Parius. To the south, across the narrow lands which were the alleged Argo border, splitting the north and south nations; the land too did stretch out in 'wings', the West being populated by a large and wide Savannah, with an enormous forest separating it from the rest of the continent. Traversing this forest was among the most dangerous of tasks. The East 'wing' was the land of Apochem, another large and spacious land largely populated by the fearsome beasts "Tarkhu", and other larger and more dangerous creatures. These were lands held to be uninhabitable and of utmost danger, separated from more civilized lands by mountains even taller and more fearsome than the Emeperor's Wall, named the Giant's Range for their incredible size, and also for rumors of Giants being wanderers along this great wall.

  A total of five nations were in existence on the continent of Argosant during the last of the Old Ages; to the north most east was the nation of Quenie, who resided upon the coasts closest to the other continent of Saldivia. They were expert seafarers and sailors, thriving upon the trade economy of the not so distant Dunal, just across the ocean. The Queniens also lived very much on fish and mostly other commodities traded in from other nations. Their military was not very strong, but considerably well trained, and their might at sea was nigh unbeatable, using small and swift ships to patrol the straits and defeat pirates where necessary. Many a time, a Ledarn, a small and fast travelling ship equipped mainly for battle, was hired by other countries to ensure the safety of their oceans and trade routes. Queniens were mainly equipped with strange layered armor that was durable, held together by nails and axles, causing them to move relatively freely yet still be rather well protected. Their swords were mainly curved, very much alike to those used by the Dorin. Their cavalry was largely limited, giving more priority to the building of ships than to the raising of horses. They also used tall spears in battle to fortify the front lines against reckless charges, but bows were few among them. Queniens were mostly alike to the Ocaren, but were closer in appearance to the Dunalion, having many varieties of colored hairs, red, blond, brown, and black. Their eyes were just as many colored as their hair.

  Along the Emperor's wall, next to Quenie, was Ocaren, the nation of the brave. Home to the headquarters of the Dorin, these lands featured rolling hills and mountains, with pockets of forest spread throughout. Rivers from the Emperor's wall networked the land, heading out into the seas. Ocaren held great might in cavalry and spears, and each individual soldier was very well armed. They were held as one of the strongest nations militarily, and in the sun were akin to the old nation Parius in the days of the Red Age, which stood the strongest against the might of the oncoming shadow. The nation took pride in a special brand of soldiers that were well trained to face the front lines, the Alciers, men that wielded hafted blade-spears, shields and short swords, dressed in especially strong armor and able to confront even the toughest of Massodrians in the wars. They were devastating both on horseback and on foot, charging down enemy defenses on the former and holding lines against the enemy on the latter. The Ocaren traded well with the Queniens, but were on short terms with the Iantarans, having warred with them once before. However, Ocaren was constantly at war with Massodria, the bloodshed only punctuated by short treaties and respites such that both sides could regain their strength. This limited the normally great might of Ocaren. The people of Ocaren were of average height, between 170 centimeters to 180, the tallest being 190. They were mostly slender, many with dark hair and eyes of various colors, although distinguishing features such as blonde hair or reddish hair were by and large.

  The East wing of the North was held by Iantara, one of the greatest military nations in the Breaking Age. Their wide lands were cultivated with wheat and potato farms, and they traded with the Queniens. Their military largely consisted of infantry, armed with large shields, short sword, and the occasional spear or halberd. They held a moderate force of archers, but their cavalry was close to nonexistent, having dedicated most of the open land to farming and training grounds. Their lands used a system of forced recruitment for a year or more, taking men of age to become soldiers for a short time, disciplining them in the ways of their army. The Iantaran military strength was in the large amount of numbers it could muster in a short time, along with the coordination of each unit, as the soldiers trained were highly united and disciplined to follow orders. However, they were vulnerable to cavalry flanks and spearhead assaults, making them easily defeated in open areas. They spoke the same language as the Ocaren, and the culture was greatly similar. They were also very much alike in physical appearances to them

  Finally, the South nations. Across the Argo border were the fearsome Massodrians, stout men with a strict warrior code that led each individual soldier to be terrors in combat. They were strong militarily, regarded as the fiercest fighters and most immovable kinds of people. They cultivated rice, grain, vegetables and other commodities in their homeland, being highly self reliant and rarely entreating with other countries, being quite isolated because of the Great Forest, the Giant's Range, and Ocaren. Each Massodrian had their own individual weapon that they trained with, thus having a great variety of soldiers to choose from. However, horses were rarely used for combat in their land, mostly for heavy loading and transport. The North forgets, but the nation of Massodria traditionally holds back the tide of Tarkhu from the East, having strongly fortified the Gap in the Giant's Range, which allowed easy access to the civilized lands. This was the main reason that Massodrians had to be fierce and wild in combat; to face the regular raids of the terrible beasts of the East, and drive them back. Thus, the Massodrians were almost constantly 'at war', facing threats from two sides. The people of Massodria were relatively 'short',  but stockier and tougher. They ranged mainly between 160 centimeters and 170 centimeters, tall people being extremely rare, and only of average height among the Ocaren.

  Lastly, the land of Pedi'imon. This wild Savannah held many different names by nations, but was called Pedi'imon by its own people. It was separated from Massodria by the Great Forest, a dangerous and enormous stretch of wild trees even wilder beasts, made passable only by the old forest road made in earlier times. What is special about Pedi'imon is that it still remembers the Oldest Language, spoken by the humans in the Time of Happiness, now long forgotten and not even having its own myth. However, it had been reduced and simplified greatly into a crude sounding language spoken by the people of Pedi'imon, who had taken to other dialects and sometimes the 'common speech' of the continent, which was that of Massodria, Ocaren and Iantara. They were dark skinned people, and militarily were not so strong. However, they were known for their mastery of the wild creatures in their land, and of the knowledge of special herbs that were more effective than any designed medicines by the Dunalion. They were large in number, spread out across the lands that they inhabited in small villages and communities, rarely making contact with one another. In times of peril, 'warlords' would rise up and unite villages into larger armies, and attempt to beat back whatever threat there was. Their height was of great variance, though they were, as aforementioned, of especially dark skin.

  In the earliest of times, Argosant was known as Oshavia.

Walk

I stepped out into the world for the first time.
Where was I going?
I didn't know.
What did I do it for?
How could I have known.

A few steps forward, and a few prints behind.
As the foot flew forward
The prints disappeared
They faded away
As if they were naught


I carried on walking, and as I did others followed.
They stepped where I stepped
They walked as I walked
Their prints faded
As did mine

I changed my steps, I narrowed them down
The prints were closer
The prints were deeper
They faded away
As if they were naught

The others did not follow. The kept their steps wide
Their prints were the same
Their prints were the same
They stayed
As if they were something

I kept walking.

Before the Record Ages

The Divine Siblings and the Eternal War

It is unnecessary to address the beginnings of the Divines and the One himself. Indeed, it would almost be sacrilegious to even discuss such a topic. What truly matters in this story are the annals of the world, and how the ‘Earth’ of this world came to be. There existed a realm long ago where ‘gods’, for lack of a better word, existed with humans. It was said that in days of old, this realm had achieved righteousness beyond human comprehension, and were thus lifted up into the heavenly realm. These days were ones filled with blessedness and peace, the Divines able to live in plain sight and work their own personal miracles among men. During this time, the men of this holy realm received long life and progress beyond imagination.

Though there were many lesser Divines and holy spirits that dwelt among the humans, a few of these took precedence and ‘controlled’ lands and continents. They were Er’anade, In’Latrin, To’Mrall, Sa’Marin, Jal’Mansar and Len’Eewin. It should be noted that these were their given names in the Eldest Tongue that was created by the existing humans in that time. The secret language of the Divines has never been translated, and out of any form of circumstance, would be impossible to translate into any known languages used my men.

Er’anade ruled the continent of Oshavia, In’Latrin of Yarmon, Len’Eewin of Aersa, To’Mrall of Taimpovly, Sa’marin of Kishrin and Jal’Mansar of Uldunar. These six Divines were named siblings, whether because they were truly blood related as gods or because of the closeness of their friendship, it cannot be said.

The six nations and Divines ruled in peace for years beyond counting, each cooperating with each other to bring better life for all the lands. But the fall came, and Jal’Mansar began to lust over the idea of complete domination; to rule over all the lands, even over his own siblings. He began to taint Uldunar with his wicked ideas, slowly spreading evil across it, turning the pure hearts of men and spirits into dire thoughts and black feelings. Soon, Uldunar had become a haven for the impure in that holy realm. It was then that Jal’Mansar began the preparations for war, an idea unheard of within the lands. He, using his machinations, wrought spears, clubs, swords; weapons used to maim and kill. Thus began the end of the ageless peace. Jal’Mansar sent his armed men into the continent of Kishrin, the smallest among all the nations. There he wreaked havoc, transforming it into a horrific wasteland, destroying all life that existed within it. Sa’Marin, surprised and frightened, fled the land and took refuge with her sister, In’Latrin, within Yarmon, hoping that the madness of Jal’Mansar would subside

Er’anade, infuriated by the destruction, and equally fearful of Jal’Mansar, for his lands were closest to Kishrin, appealed to his siblings to allow him to raise his own army, and bring forth the punishment of his brother along with an end to all his evil machinations. However, despite showing he was beyond repentance with the continuous slaughter of innocents, the siblings kept blind faith that he would eventually return to his old self; kind, compassionate and loving and rejected Er’anade’s requests. Angered and reckless, Er’anade knew he was forbidden to bring the people under him to arms, and loving them far too much to put them in danger, used all manner of things he could gather, and the magic availed to him as a Divine, and created creatures of war. The Tork’ashu, the Thra’un’greth, and highest and most celebrated as a creation of war, the D’ragonn, who were made with higher intelligence and given special powers of Er’anade’s own making. Thus began what was called the ‘Eternal War’; it was held that Jal’Mansar had begun what could never be ended. The Eternal War is a legend of much debate in current times.

It was during this time that the lands were ravaged immeasurably, and the deeds of the Divines played the most part in the ongoing battles. Er’anade’s beasts fought with the corruptions of Jal’Mansar, and both clashed numerous times with the rages of godly powers shredding apart oceans and tearing up the earth as was known. These two were the main contenders in the war.

In’Latrin, lover of peace, refused to join any form of war, walling the land of Yarmon against all and any, save those that pledged never to do harm or violence again. It was in this way that Sa’Marin cast herself out of the lands, for she could not take the oath, gaining feelings of vengeance against her brother in her long time of hiding. Thus, Sa’Marin eventually joined hands with Er’anade, and helped wage the terrible war in attempts to crush Jal’Mansar. Ever after was she vengeful and unforgiving, losing her trust in all man and beast. Though her power of creation was limited, she gained great knowledge in the art of destruction; it was her that gave the energies granted only to the D’ragonn: Do’Ma.

Len’Eewin did not participate in the war. Though he held great powers of creation, he withheld them from his siblings, refusing to do battle with his own kin. However, he aided the lands by bringing healing and blessings. Much more destruction could have remained in the world if Len’Eewin had not cured some of its deep hurts, brought about by the constant bloodshed.

To’Mrall was one of hot-headedness, though surpassed by that of his brother, and though he himself did not possess great powers of his own, he bequeathed it to the entire human race, allowing them a small fraction of the ability of the gods, whereby they could now manipulate the essences of creations and beings. However, this gift of enormous proportions left To’Mrall weakened and weary. It was then that Jal’Mansar decided upon a timely attack on Taimpovly. Much was destroyed, but the attackers were eventually repelled. Not wishing further harm to come upon his land, and realizing that he was far too weak to defend it personally, he used the last of his powers to raise it up, creating almost impassable cliffs around the entire land, deterring attackers. Then, with the aid of Sa’Marin, his closest sister, he laid layer upon layer of protection around it, such that even would have much difficulty breaking through. Thereafter, he sealed himself away to recover his strength, trusting in the rest of his siblings to use his gift wisely. This was the annals of the Maielders.

The war continued for 1000 human years, though it must have been disproportionate to the Divines, to which time seemed a trifle. Furthermore, humans had life spans of a maximum of over 300 years at the time. Long though the war was, it was not as long to them as it would have been to the current rate of humans.

It was then that the One seemed finally to feel the tremors of a world under duress. Because the manual recreation of Tork’ashu and other such creatures at their time of death had become taxing, Er’anade created a process of mating and reproduction for them, such that his armies were replenished without him, and he could focus his energies on contending with his enemy. As a man, even I cannot comprehend the processes of a proverbial God of my creation, so it is unknown why the One allowed the destruction to continue in the first place. Perhaps it had truly slipped under his gaze while his attentions were turned elsewhere, or maybe he was waiting to see how events would unfold until the land reached a breaking point. At any rate, almost 1000 years into the war, he finally stood in the middle of the fighting, casting great lights from his hands and raining stars down from the sky, blinding the entire world and ceasing the bloodshed almost immediately. He then called council with his six ‘children’, seeking to let them state their reasons and to sentence them according to their deeds, to whatever punishment they deserved.

The Naming of the Divines

In’Latrin, because of her abstinence from battle, was named Lover of Peace. She became the Divine that represented peace in her world.

Er’Anade, because of his continued warring, was ever after known as the Overlord of Destruction, in that to men it would seem that bloodshed and war were ever his fault, though he was only a representative.

Sa’Marin was named the Bringer of Vengeance, for her cause of war was to go forth into battle to bring, not justice, but satisfaction. She would be with the tainted hearts of men that seek battle for revenge.

Len’Eewin, because of his deeds, was named the Healer of Hurts. For his work was always to cure wounds, whether they were of men or whether they were of the world.

To’Mrall, however, was not brought before the court. For though the One could easily tear his defenses down, he left him to sleep, for he knew that To’Mrall’s gift to men had left him on the point of reduction. However, he announced that To’Mrall was the Watchman of the World. For he spent much time in it, protecting his people and in the end, his main concern was for those that would be hurt by the issues of the gods.

Finally, Jal’Mansar was brought to the Heavenly Court. His heart was tainted, and though he feared the One, he also despised him, feeling his birthright of the world being taken from him.  Because there was no repentance in his heart, Jal’Mansar was cast out of the world. Though his position as a Divine was not reduced, he had become tainted beyond measure, and his hands were dripping with the blood of those he killed. From that time forth his place was in the deeps of the nether world, and his form took upon the opposite of the fair and majestic divines. Though still large and powerful, he was terrible in appearance, striking fear into those that saw him as he descended; a dark lord of the underworld. Thus, though the One gave no title, the Herald of Evil he was called, and though the name has been changed countless time throughout millennia, it is ever held that Jal’Mansar is one of evil, and that he tempts men to folly and destruction.

It is because In’Latrin held to the peace that she was given the most respect and reverence thereafter, though it was not her intention, giving rise to the most significant religious church in present days, the Church of Peace, in which it was a privilege to attend. Though the other Divines were given respect, they were not worshipped. Indeed, Er’Anade received the lasting dislike of the people, and known as a Warmonger and the reason for the destruction, never taking thought for how he never used a man for his part in war, caring for them too much to let them under dominion or cast their lives away for what seemed as his cause.

Though it seems that Er’Anade was named with a title that was akin to something dark, in reality, it was reasonable. His was the sphere of necessary destruction, as the One told him. “You are the Keeper of Peace. Though your sister holds the significance of Peace as a whole, you are the ultimate precursor. Though you may be unnecessary at times, it will be that In’Latrin will need you at the direst moments of the world.”

However, Er’Anade was still to be punished for wreaking havoc and almost completely obliterating the land that used to be so holy. Because it had been corrupted with dark energies and was no longer a land of peace, it could no longer dwell in the heavenly realm. Thus, the One cast it out as well; not to the deepest ends of the proverbial pit, but to the realm in between; the realm of the living. It did not mean that humans were suddenly mortal, but they were subject to evils of the realm below. Even as the world landed in the mortal realm, the terrible cracks in its fabric forged connections with the hell beneath it, allowing blight spirits of evil and impure destruction to roam the Earth and destroy it further. Er’Anade was put on parole; should he ever meddle in the affairs of humans for the space of a thousand years, he would be truly punished.