Writing/Worldbuilding/Art/Tabletop project
Probably won't be posting continuous stories each day
Loredump/Historical Event on Thursdays
Q&As at some point on the weekends after gaining some traction
https://www.purelyhuman.xyz/artists/ValdoesArt for related art
They/Them
Then would they all break apart,
And the Spider would see the Dolls,
And It would realize that there needed to be one amongst them like itself,
One which would be an inventor and a designer.
So the Spider would weave this doll from leaves and bits of Its own thread,
And It would plate the doll in stone.
Then It would give the doll a small piece of Its own will and knowledge,
And It would be careful not to allow Its pride to flow into the Doll.
"You shall be the inventor of Machines,
And you shall be the Architect that shall design creation.
You shall listen only to your desires,
And all shall find wisdom in your words and shall aspire to your actions."
Then Fallista would draw breath as well,
And as soon as her eyes were open she would begin to plan,
She would see that the other Dolls were unprepared for the battle to come,
So She would turn to the Spider.
"How many of us shall there be?"
Her voice was as strong and sure,
And It did give the Spider some reassurance,
And It would answer.
"Of you I shall make twelve.
Yet should you desire,
You may make more once the battle has done.
If you are able. I truly do not know."
So Fallista would gaze upon Sidhannah,
And She would smile at Sidhannah,
And the Spider knew they would take pleasure in each other's company,
For they were to each other as Urundahl and Kyranthial,
Though tinged with less tragedy.
So then she would join Sidhannah,
And they would go with the others to search for more of the Forest's fruit,
And as they went to gather it they would do so also for the Brothers,
For they returned to their task.
So then the Duchess did breathe,
And the Bear did rejoice and cheer at her breathing,
And He was stirred from His sorrow,
But She would speak to Him in a voice like a cool breeze in a desert.
"Is it expected that I am to step out into the world unwitnessed?
Is my splendor meant to go unseen by the others?
Am I to give them joy and receive nothing,
Not even their adoration?"
And the Bear did start at that,
And He would speak with His brothers,
For He would agree with the Duchess,
And the two went to gather their Dolls.
So then the Hawk would take to the task with great amusement,
So He would go to find the Dolls,
Yet the Spider would sulk alone,
For the Bear's successes did anger It.
But the Spider did love Its brothers,
So would take care to calm itself before it spoke,
"You are better fit to this task than I," It said.
"Yet I would not know how to do it without you."
And the Bear's humility brought love again into the Spider's thoughts,
And It would embrace Its brother and weep,
Both for the love It had for Its brothers,
And also for the fear It now realized It had of losing them.
Then the Hawk returned,
And with Him were the Dolls,
With Kyranthial and Urundahl at their head,
And all would join in the embrace.
So then would the fruit split open,
And the Duchess would join them,
And Her skin was soft and warm,
And her touch eased all tension and ache.
The Spider would watch the Hawk's Doll leave in astonishment,
And It would rise from Its rest in a start.
"How is it that your doll already knows Its purpose?
All of those that I have made I have had to tell theirs."
"If you keep nothing from them as they are made,
They know what they must.
Your secrecy is foolish,
As a being made to cast aside darkness will tolerate no secret."
And then the Spider did feel foolish,
For It should have known this to be true.
Yet It would laugh at Its own foolishness,
And both brothers would go to the Bear.
"This shall be great fun!" The Bear exclaimed upon the Spider explaining Its work,
"I shall create a doll that shall be the mightiest!
It shall be a creator too!
And It shall-"
"Perhaps it is wise to temper yourself," The Spider would caution,
"The ritual is arduous and painful.
It will take all of your focus and your will,
And it still may not work."
"I am unafraid,
For you are both with me.
Should my hands falter I know you will keep them steady,
Should my eye wander I know you will guide my sight."
Then the Bear would begin His work.
So He would gather a great many sticks which He would sharpen,
Then He would bind them into the shape of a figure with a thread that He wove from his fur.
Last He would find the tooth that had been knocked from his mouth in the battle within the web.
He would wrap the tooth carefully in cloth,
And He placed it in the center of the Doll.
Then He would close the Doll again,
And He spoke to It.
"You are the first I have made,
And you shall be the protector that will watch the others.
You shall not be the mightiest,
Nor shall you be the greatest.
All shall love you,
For you shall give to them your self,
And they shall give their selves to you,
Though betrayal will take you.
You shall hunt the champions of our foes wherever they stand,
And you shall cut them down.
No fear shall touch your heart that you cannot overcome,
And you shall wear your heart openly."
And He took the Doll into His hands,
And He would breathe life into the Doll,
And She would open Her eyes,
And She was Arristura.
From the moment she opened Her eyes,
Arristura saw Soluhn,
For the He would hover above all of the twelve upon their creation,
And His eyes of brilliant gold were fixed upon Her.
She would fly away,
Where She would seek Soluhn's company,
And He would show Her where he had found the best fruits,
And the places where the Forest felt most joyful to Him.
"Are you not tired then?" The Spider would ask the Bear,
For He looked as though He had just woken from a rest,
Eager and joyful He was,
And He shook His head gleefully as He began to work again.
So He would gather what seeds he could find,
And also he would rip out one of his teeth.
The doll itself would be made of clay which the Spider would harden,
And Upon that structure the Bear would grow moss.
Within the doll He would place the seeds as a bed,
And within that bed He would place His fang,
And the pain of His fang came to both Him and the Doll,
And it was exhilarating.
So He also gave to Her a drop of His own blood,
Which was in Her core,
Then He would give Her His breath,
And He would speak to Her.
"You shall be the source of life within the web.
You shall be my ferocity and my bravery,
You shall not be mindless in your ferocity,
And your love and justice shall guide you.
When all things change and begin to crumble,
You shall be constant,
For you shall be always in flux,
As that is our nature."
And the last words were not only His,
And all fixed Him with a strange gaze,
Yet the words did work,
And the Doll did stir.
Then Sidhanna would take Her first breath,
And she fixed eyes upon Her creator with joy,
And they would embrace,
But then the Bear would turn to work again.
And the others would warn the Bear as Sidhanna left,
But He would take of the Forest's sweetest fruit,
And He would wash the fruit in streams of light,
And He took the fur of his stomach where it was softest.
So He would wrap the Fruit in the fur,
After He had shaped into into a figure,
And He would speak to Her,
Though His voice was ragged with exhaustion.
"You shall be opulent and decadent,
And from you shall the others learn of pleasure and joy.
You shall never settle for that which you do not want,
And you shall be the creator of desire.
None who share your company shall find anything but joy from it,
And you shall enjoy a neutrality that others will not."
Yet the Forest reached through the Bear and spoke,
And It would scratch upon his throat and boil his blood.
"You shall be a line unbroken and unyielding,
Always shall you be the Duchess,
But the Duchess shall not always be you.
Where blood spills and falls you shall be the one to offer comfort,
Yet there shall be precious little comfort for you,
Save some others."
Then the Bear would collapse,
And dark blood spilled from His scratched and damaged throat,
And His chest heaved and buckled with effort,
But the Spider would tend to Him.
It would offer no lecture as It would gather starlight and fruit,
And the Bear would weep,
For the figure remained still,
And He knew He had failed.
Yet the Spider was not so sure,
For there was a sense of indignity that came from the fruit,
And one of entitlement,
And the Spider was fairly certain that fruit did not breathe.
"How many of these Dolls have you made?" the Hawk would ask the Spider,
And for the first time the Spider did hear distrust in Its brother's voice,
And It did bring the Spider pain and sorrow,
For never would it strike against Its brothers.
"Three Dolls I have made,
All three of whom have given me cause for concern.
I have been preparing them to do battle with our foes,
So that we three may again go forth together united."
Then the Spider would feel deep irritation towards the Hawk.
"My beloved Brother,
Why do you question me so?
Never before have you accused me of falsity!
I have spent all of my effort,
I am weakened and injured,
And all of this I do out of my love for the both of you!
Why is it good and right that I am to be questioned when I work to your benefit?"
"And still now I do not accuse you of falsity.
Do not forget that we have suffered and endured pain for you as well.
Did the Bear not spill of His own blood rather than see harm befall you?
Did I not grasp you and bear you away from harm?
I merely seek to question your methods and motives,
For it is wise to know what drives you forward.
Is it not fair to ask after my Brother?
Is it not fair to ensure It is acting in Its best mind?"
Thus the Spider would feel shame for its Anger towards the Hawk.
"Indeed both of you have come to my aid,
But I must ask you to trust me.
This task must be mine."
"Indeed this task is yours," the Hawk would say,
And His voice was gentle and caring,
"Yet this task need not be confronted alone,
For the both of us are willing to help you."
The Spider would find this agreeable,
For It did love Its brothers,
And their aid would lessen the burden of the task,
As well as making the task swifter.
So the Brothers would begin to construct a doll together,
Which largely consisted of the Spider giving instruction to the Hawk,
Then the Hawk gathered some of His own feathers,
And He would bind them with sticks and died grass.
Then the Hawk would breathe onto the Doll,
And He would give the Doll His Freedom and His vision,
Yet He would also give the Doll some of His doubt,
So that there would be someone to guide if the Spider's plan was to go awry.
Then the Hawk would speak;
"You shall gaze into the fabric that is Creation,
And it shall give you both Joy and Fear,
Yet all of the others shall look to you for guidance.
At the hour of your death,
You shall know peace."
So then Hald would open his eyes,
And knowing His purpose,
He left.
Then the Hawk spoke with the Spider,
And He held disquiet in His voice as He spoke,
"What have you done Brother?
Have you created thinking beasts to serve us?
What if they were to defy you?
Would you undermine their will to serve your own?"
"They are not like us,"
The Spider retorted,
"They do not think as we do,
They do not feel as we do."
"And yet still they think and feel.
What right have we to take from them their determination-
What right do you have to define their purpose?"
"We have no other options to face our foes,
Yet your concern is understandable.
I did not intend to give them free will.
It was a mistake."
"Yet they do have that free will.
To take that from them would be monstrous.
Do we not plan to do battle with our foes to protect determination?
To protect our own freedom of purpose?"
"Yet if our foes win,"
And the Doll's voice was strong as He interjected,
"All shall lose our will and determination.
We shall lose our Purpose."
"But this war shall not be your purpose," The Spider said,
"For you shall define yourselves,
The War you wage shall be eternal.
It shall not be unbroken."
"I shall battle your foes with you,
For otherwise those other Dolls shall be destroyed.
Never forget that your freedom is bought with blood.
Never forget that you allowed your creations to die for you."
Yet the Doll's resolve did surprise the Spider,
And It found that It admired the Doll,
Yet feared that He could undermine the Doll's plan,
Which It could never allow.
So It would speak to Him.
"You shall be Soluhn,
And your purpose shall be great enough that Shadow cannot touch you,
And you shall walk in such glory that the branches of the Mad Tree shall burn to ash at your touch.
Yet you shall bear that terrible purpose for long enough that it shall break you,
And your wake shall always be wet with blood,
Which shall soak into even stone.
You shall take the place of the Martyrs,
Their deaths shall guide you to that place.
You shall be my general.
You shall lead my armies.
Yet you shall not bear this burden alone.
For all who unite under your banner shall carry you,
And you shall carry them,
So they too shall guide you to that place."
"Am I to die?"
"Not every time,
Yet most times you shall.
Each time you die it shall be at the hands of one you love.
It will always seem a worthy sacrifice."
"Then I suppose I have no choice other than to obey you.
May I take my leave?"
So the Spider would grant Him leave,
And It would lie down to rest.
It was then that the Spider knew that all of the Dolls would have their own will,
For a task so complex could not be undertaken with an unchanging mind.
Then the Spider rested for some time,
For although Urundahl's construction had been easier It had still exhausted the Spider.
Next It would decide upon the purpose of the third Doll,
For It would need to balance the temperaments of the two,
And It would need to be the leader of the others,
For Martyrs could not last forever.
So this Doll would need to be forged from greater materials,
Its purpose would need to be unshakeable,
And it would need to be mightier than each of the other Dolls.
Then The Spider would search the Forest,
And first it would descend into a deep and dark cave,
Where it found a crystal It had never seen.
The crystal would be of great strength - such that the beings of the tree could not break it.
Then the Spider left the cave,
And It knew that the crystal must be hardened against the Void,
So It called upon the Hawk,
And He would answer.
"What help do you need?"
And the Hawk's voice was thick with joy,
For always He was eager to answer His Brothers.
Then the Spider showed the Crystal to Him.
"This next tool must be hardened against the Void,
So within It I plan to gather the pure light of Creation,
Which the Serpent has shown it cannot Devour,
And the Doll must be unbreakable by our foes."
"How far above the canopy must we fly?
To approach that light is dangerous,
For it before has scorched flesh and feather from me,
And what it has left behind was for a while changed."
"I know not,
For it must be enough to gather that light within the crystal.
Once it has had its fill we may fall,
And we shall prosper in the light of my Creation."
So then the Spider would climb upon the Hawk,
Where it would crawl upon His neck.
Then the Hawk would begin to beat its wings,
Which the Spider had long ago learned to avoid.
Then they crossed the infinite space between the floor and the canopy,
And stray branches broke upon both of their backs.
Then the light struck them,
And the heat was unbearable.
And this light from which they had formed did burn them,
And the Spider would begin to feel the fluids within it beginning to boil,
Which surprised It,
For It had not known that It contained fluid which could boil.
Yet even as the unbearable light stripped away the Spider's outermost layers,
Leaving upon the Spider layers of other matter,
From stone to wood to meat,
But the Crystal was still cold.
So the Spider made use of the Practice,
And in doing so would define what the Practice would be.
Then it gathered about Itself all of Its Will,
And would drive both the light and the heat from itself and the Hawk,
And It channeled that will into the Crystal which it carried.
The shadows of the cave did crave the light,
So the crystal would greedily drink of the light and heat,
And when that did not suffice it would reach into both the Spider and the Hawk,
And it would take whatever it would find.
So the Hawk would fall from the light,
Strength taken from His body.
Yet the shadows within the crystal would fuse with the light of creation,
And the crystal would shatter with a blinding and searing light.
And where the crystal had been was a figure that was great in His radiance,
And He would catch both the Spider and the Hawk,
And He would lower them all to the ground safely,
Borne upon wings of white-hot light.
At once He would speak with the Spider,
And He was furious.
"For what purpose did you awaken me?
I was happy enough as a stone,
Then you went and gave me will and movement!"
And the Spider was afraid for It had not known that the material of the forest was alive.
Yet the Doll's insolence also angered the Spider,
And It rounded upon Him with terrible fury.
"Already do you know your purpose!
You have stolen it from my mind - as well as my other thoughts!"
"And I am displeased by what I have found there.
You have created me to take the place of those who I shall care for greatly,
For you have already placed Kyranthial in the Serpent's Maw,
And you have burdened Urundahl with sin."
"Yet you will not defy the purpose for which you have been made."
And the Spider was sure in Its words,
For It had witnessed how the futures entwined with themselves,
And It tried to understand the Doll's anger.
"I will not," the Doll would agree,
And though his voice was more gentle,
He was still quite bitter.
"It is not only my fate that I bear."
Then the Spider decided to create a companion for the Doll,
Which would be His opposite and also His equal,
And this new Doll's name would be Urundahl,
And His structure would be the bones of mindless beasts,
And He would be dressed in their skin.
"From beasts you are made,
And so it shall be that you shall know of their desires,
And of their bonds.
So you shall be bound to Kyranthial,
For you shall know and seek His purpose,
As though it was your purpose to ensure he meets his.
And you shall also have your own purpose,
For while He was created to face against the Void,
With Light and Creation,
You shall oppose the Mad Tree with fire and blade.
You shall be the Tree's greatest foe,
You shall salt the earth wheresoever it may grow,
And Its words shall never reach you.
Still shall you have a third purpose,
For you must bear much weight.
You shall be a martyr as well,
And your death shall be at the hands of those who love you most deeply,
And it is your death that shall birth the new iteration of the Cycle."
Then Urundahl would take His first breath,
Which brought to Him the smell of fruit and flowers,
And He felt the warmth of light upon Him,
So He knew desire.
Yet where Kyranthial had taken gleefully to His purpose,
Urundahl was sullen and despondent,
Which gave the Spider great concern,
And so It spoke to the Doll.
"Why do you despair?" It asked,
"All about you is abundance and light,
All of which may bring you joy.
Why do you weep?"
Yet Urundahl knew that the Spider cared only for Its plan,
And He knew that it could only ever care for Its plans and Its Brothers,
Yet still he would speak with It.
"How many times will this repeat?
How many times have we done this before?
Why must we die?
Why must I keep dying?"
And the Spider was confused,
For Urundahl was not meant to be Aware,
Yet now It understood His pain easier,
And as It thought It would gaze upon futures which overlapped upon each other.
"This is the first of many," The Spider would answer,
"Yet you alone need not serve that purpose.
Pick another,
And they may bear the burden for you."
And Urundahl knew that the Spider would never understand,
For the Three Brothers were always willing to suffer for each other,
Their suffering being an incomplete piece of their being,
Something which they may cast off.
"Why does He leave me alone?" Urundahl would ask as He gazed up into the trees,
And the Spider knew they were no longer speaking of the Cycle,
Yet It knew It had failed to comfort the Doll.
"Why is it that He can cast me aside for Your purpose?"
"It is my Purpose which has created each of you," The Spider would answer.
"Yet within Him is also my pride,
And so He must also see that Purpose brought to its completion,
Even should it destroy Him.
It was not my plan to instill my pride within Him,
Yet I am proud of Him.
I did not believe that I was able to create a being with Will,
And a Purpose of His own.
You will be the only one who can temper His pride,
Yet there will be times that he abandons you.
That is my fault.
There will be times that He will stay by your side.
You are companions,
In all ways,
And He shall love you as you love Him.
You shall never truly be without Him,
For obliteration is also impermanent,
And you shall also see his touch in all of the light of creation,
In places you have shared with Him,
And in the things you know He has done,
You shall see Him.
This is the only comfort that I can give you."
And Urundahl would think for a moment,
And He gazed upon Kyranthial for some time as He did.
"Then it must be enough."
And Urundahl would leave to join Kyranthial.
So next the Spider would begin the creation of a new Doll,
One which would give company to the First,
And the new Doll would be the opposite and the compliment of the First,
And It too would be a martyr.
So the Doll would be made from the bones of mindless Beasts,
Then would be dressed in their skins,
And the Doll would be named Urundahl,
And the Spider would give the Doll a modicum of Its own desires.
"From the bones and skins of mindless beasts I have made you,
And you shall know of their desires and of my own.
You shall always be an ally to Kyranthial,
For His Purpose shall be your own.
You shall be made to lead the others as Kyranthial was,
But you shall be different,
For your radiance shall not be that which banishes the void,
But instead you shall be the flame that burns the tree.
You shall be the Tree's greatest foe,
For you and your kin shall never hear Its words,
And you shall salt the earth wherever it has been,
So that it may never again grow there.
You shall serve another purpose as well,
For you shall also be a Martyr,
And your death shall be at the hands of those who love you most deeply,
And the manner of your death shall change the path of time."
Then Urundahl would draw His first breath,
Which would bring the smell of the Fruit of the Forest,
And He felt the light of warmth upon Him,
And He would come to understand Desire.
Yet where Kyranthial had taken gleefully to His purpose,
Urundahl would be sullen and despondent,
So the Spider would speak with Him,
Fearing the Doll was broken.
"Why is it that you despair?
All about you is light and abundance,
All about you are caves to explore and trees to climb,
Why do you weep?"
"I weep for myself,
For all of these glorious things shall be taken from me,
And never again shall I know them.
How many times have we done this before?
How many times have I died?"
Then the Spider would come to understand that Urundahl was Aware,
So He saw how the threads of creation inter-weaved and mingled,
Which had not been the Spider's intent,
Yet now it could know Him easier.
"All are created for a Purpose," the Spider would say,
"Yet we are not created solely for that purpose.
You need not be the one that dies at the trial,
but someone must."
"Why does He leave me alone?"
And no longer were they speaking of the Plan,
"Why does He see it so easy to cast me aside,
When I will give Him only love?"
"Within Him is my Pride,
Which drives Him to follow my plan.
It was not my intent to instill that Pride within Him,
But I was proud of Him.
You will be forced to temper that Pride,
And there will be times when it drives Him to madness,
And He will abandon you.
This is my fault.
There will also be times when He shall be by your side,
For as you are His companion,
So shall He be yours,
And He shall love you in all ways you love Him.
You shall never be without Him forever,
For even endings are impermanent,
As all things exist in Cycles,
And you shall see Him again.
While He is gone,
You shall see Him in all of the light of the Cosmos.
This is all the comfort I can give you."
"Then I suppose it must be enough,"
And Urundahl the Shepherd would turn away from the Spider.
The Spider would see only one practical use for the Dolls,
For of them it had no purpose but war,
Yet they would need to have another purpose,
Else they would be distracted in their search for it.
For it would not only be in War that the Dolls would be needed,
But also would they be Wardens.
And they would forever tend the Prison,
Which would contain both them and their foes.
So the Spider would speak to the Doll,
Who it had named Kyranthial.
It would speak with measured surety,
For it was calculating in its answer.
"Your purpose is to guide and inspire them,
And during your time you shall be the Greatest among them.
You shall be the radiance against which all light to come shall be measured.
You are the first I have made.
You shall be terrible in your radiance and your fury.
You shall bring them together in Unity.
But they shall not love you,
Save a few.
You shall be plagued with my pride.
You shall carry my hate.
Your light shall ignite the cosmos.
They will love you,
Save a few.
You shall venture from the stars alone.
The Void shall seize you.
You will cease to be.
It is needed."
And the Spider was exhausted in its efforts,
So it realized that it had no task for Kyranthial,
For there was no work to be done.
So It would, for a time, turn Him to the freedom of the forest.
"No task do I have for you,"
the Spider would tell Him,
"For before I continue this work I must rest.
You may eat of the fruit of the Trees of the Forest,
Yet of the mindless beasts you shall not eat,
Else I shall bring punishment upon you.
Nor shall you stray from the Forest to enter the Web.
To walk within that shadowed place is to greet Death,
And it shall be a meaningless Death,
And my purpose shall go undone."
"Was I not created to die?" The Doll asked,
Which unnerved the Spider.
"You will Die when I have need of it,
As will all of you.
Your death shall not come before then,
Not until I will it to be so."
Then Kyranthial took flight upon feathered wings,
and He would seek fruit from among the branches,
So the Spider would rest for some time.
And It would think on the matter of the Doll's Will.
For a time It would consider destroying the Doll,
But It would decide that there was no true problem,
So long as the Doll could be made to follow the Spider's plan.
Then the Spider would emerge from Its rest,
Eager to return to Its task.
It would think it cruel to leave a thinking being alone.
So it was decided that the Dolls would be free of their own Will.
"I shall stand an eternal watch," the Bear would say,
"For it is my doing that this trap has failed,
And so it is by my doing that our foes must still be watched."
And the Bear had given himself fully to that service,
And he drove from his mind the taste of meat and berries,
And he drove from his mind the pleasures of the streams and the light.
Yet the Spider did laugh at him,
For it had no such intent.
"If you are here to watch this place, who shall laugh with us in the dark and tell us stories?
Who shall tell us which trees bear the best fruit and make us wine?
No, no person shall watch this place.
I shall make a plan,
But for now we shall take shifts,
Until I have come up with a new plan."
So it was that the Spider would cast its mind to the work of its foes,
For within the web the Spider had been vastly outnumbered,
Both by many-legged things,
And the masked spawn of the Void.
And these masked spawn did have legs clad in black fur,
Upon which were cloven hooves,
And of them there were the Thirty-Three.
The Void's Spawn did carry the most interest for the Spider,
For it would need tools that had the ability to think and plan,
For It would not wish to oversee Its spawn forever.
Then It would See,
And it would be Aware,
So it would know all things that would come to be within the Web.
So It would decide to create Dolls,
These Dolls would be made to oppose Its foes,
For they would be made of the Stuff of the Forest.
These beings would be immutable in their purpose,
So that the Tree could not take them,
And the Light of the Forest Would keep the Void from them.
Yet the Spider knew that It could not keep them safe forever,
For the Dolls were beings of Willpower,
And should that Will be undermined they would be destroyed.
It was in this process that the Spider would come to prepare the first of spells,
For It would need the dolls to live and move on their own,
So It began planning.
Of the Dolls It would have only one purpose in mind,
Yet It knew that should the war be won,
Should the foes it faced be driven back -for the Spider knew they could never truly be defeated-,
The Dolls would need to make their own purpose.
So It would write words of thinking and working on the doll,
Which It made from a polished and carved stone,
Which was pure white and flecked with gold.
It had shaped the doll in the image of a fine man,
A being which did not exist yet,
And the words It etched into the Doll did glow.
So the Spider would pour into the doll all of Its might,
And It would pour all of Its energy,
Yet even as the stone threatened to heat and warp,
The Doll would not wake.
And so the Spider sighed and wiped sweat from Its brow,
And within the sweat was the pride of the effort It had put forth,
And this sweat fell upon the Doll.
It was then that Kyranthial would breathe,
And His first breath was a deep and greedy one,
So the light and warmth of the Forest would fill Him,
And He would stand before His Creator.
"What would you have of me?"
So the Spider was alone within the Web,
And was surrounded by only shadow,
For the Web had sealed behind It.
And the Void would begin to encroach upon the Spider,
Who would feel it lurking in the darkness,
And It was enclosing the Spider,
Until It was close enough that It could reach out and touch the Spider.
So the Spider would feel pain at the Void's touch,
Yet so too did the Lurking-Thing shrink from the Spider's fangs,
And they found themselves in a trial of endurance.
One which the Void would surely win.
Then there would be a sickly glow,
And the Light of that glow would feel unwholesome upon the Spider,
Yet where that Light was,
The Void was not.
And the Mad Tree was casting a glow out into the dark,
Yet the Spider could feel the Void rush towards the Tree,
Only to crash against that dull light,
For the Void could not find a gap within it.
Then the Spider would crawl to the light,
Where it could recover from Its wounds,
And may rest from its weariness.
"You may rest in my light Outsider," the Tree would say,
"For I shall need your assistance to leave this place,
So I must keep the Void from devouring you.
Then I shall make you my own."
The Spider would then collapse in Its exhaustion,
For It heard no falsehood in the words of the Tree,
Yet this would spell greater disaster to come,
And yet also greater wonders.
The Spider would rest for some time,
Then It would begin to plan.
Perhaps the Tree would not be a greater threat,
For It seemed that it could be reasoned with.
So in trusting the Tree the Spider would make a plan,
And It would speak with the Tree.
"If you should take us to the edge of the Web,
It may be that I can take us from this place."
So the Tree would move,
Those many-legged things would fall behind,
Yet those who were slowest would be devoured by darkness,
But the Tree did not mourn them.
Then they reached the edge of the web,
Though it was not certain how much time had passed,
For the Tree was the only source of light in a sea of dark.
The Spider would place a leg upon the Web,
And after some time and testing It would have a horrid revelation.
It had made the Web strong enough to hold both the Void and Tree,
And both of those beings were stronger than the Spider.
"I cannot free us," It would confess to the Tree fearfully,
Though It was not also without pride in Its construction.
"The webbing is too thick,
I made sure that neither of you would be able to escape."
"So then I shall take of your mind,
For It shall add your intellect to my own."
So then the Spider would fear Its own demise,
And It would let out a scream of anguish and sorrow.
So then would the Web be torn asunder,
And there would be a great roar of fury and might,
So the Bear joined with the Spider,
And brilliant sunlight came with Him.
Yet both would flee that place,
For both foes together were altogether too much.
Yet for the time the Light of the Forest would keep the Void at bay,
And the Spider would watch the Web to ensure nothing left.
"I cannot repair this construction," the Spider would say.
"The webbing was too thick,
And Its pattern too complex.
Nor do I think this trick would work again."
So In this Way were the bounds of the Cosmos made,
Which would be the theater of great tragedy,
And of great comedy and horror as well,
And which would inevitably be devoured.
The Spider was wise and knew that a simple plan was a good one,
So it would not take much time for It to think of a way to exploit their foes,
And It would come up with a plan It believed would work,
So It would speak with Its brothers.
"Our foes are of two opposing interests,
And this may be played against them,
For one seeks only to devour,
And the other seeks to create."
For the Spider did not truly understand the nature of the Tree,
And believed it a creator rather than a changer.
"I believe in a simple solution to our problem,
So I shall weave a great web all about the trees and canopy,
And within that web shall be the Mad Tree,
And it shall not escape.
Yet I know you wonder what we shall do with the Lurking-Thing,
That thing which eats and rots all it touches,
My plan for which is equally as simple,
And it shall require no more planning or material.
We shall lure the Lurking-Thing into the Web,
Where it shall do battle with the Mad Tree,
And they shall be caught in battle eternal,
And within that web they shall be sealed."
And the Hawk would be nervous,
"Who shall lure the Lurker?" He would ask,
Though She knew how the Spider would answer.
"I believe you to be most suited to this task,
For the Lurking-Thing cannot fly.
It shall follow you and be mad in Its hunger,
And it shall be mindless and foolish.
You shall have no cause to fear for your life,
Though should this task be distasteful for you,
I may do so myself."
The Hawk would balk at this,
And though He spoke with some fear He would assent.
"Though it causes me great fear I shall do this for you,
For I trust you to care for me as I care for you."
"And what am I to do?" The Bear would roar,
"As you two are gallivanting about and weaving webs,
Luring monsters and trapping beasts,
Is poor Bear to be condemned to cowardice and uselessness?"
And the Hawk and the Spider would laugh,
For it was quite like the Bear to demand to help,
He knew not what to do when His paws were idle,
But the Spider did have a task for Him.
"You shall have an important task,
And it shall be one that neither the Hawk nor I can accomplish,
For while I weave this web I suspect that I will do so under threat,
And I would ask you to weaken the Tree and its Kin,
And to keep me from harm."
Then the Bear would roar His approval at this,
And He would flex his muscles and flash his teeth,
For He was eager to turn to work that fell into His domain,
For He was might and bravery.
So The Spider and the bear would leave to begin the Web,
And the Spider gave clear instruction to the Hawk.
"Watch the trees for I shall send you a signal when I am ready for you to begin,
It shall be a great beacon of Light,
And I believe it shall aid you in luring the Lurking-Thing."
And of the Lurking-Thing the Spider did know more,
For It was in all ways opposed to the Spider,
And through that opposition the Spider knew what acts it would take,
For where the Spider was a creator and a builder,
The Lurking-Thing was Nothing.
So the Hawk would wait to begin His task with fear,
But He also held hope within His heart,
For the Spider had never led Him astray.
Then the Bear would make His way to the clearing where the Tree had been,
And He would roar with great fury and glee,
Then He would descend upon the Mad-Tree and the many smaller Trees it had made.
He would be swarmed by the many-legged things which would sting and bite and slash,
Though none would be able to breach the thick-fur on His body,
And His claws would lay waste to those things,
And He would crush them in His jaws.
He would find the Tree had made a second ring of saplings,
And it was larger than the first ring,
And there were many more of the many-legged things and the thralls,
Yet none could stand before His wrath.
So He would uproot what saplings He found.
While the Bear continued on His warpath the Spider would begin Its work,
Setting a great and thick web all around the Trees,
And It would make a great space between the edge of the Web and the Trees,
So It knew there were none outside of the Web.
The Work would continue through many of the days and nights of the forest,
Which was time unfathomable,
And once the web resembled a great and thick dome all about the clearing,
The Spider would construct the Beacon.
From a bit of starlight would the light be made,
And that Light was the greatest that the Spider could find,
And It knew the Lurking-Thing would seek to devour it.
The Hawk would see this beacon and would make His way to the Rotten Boughs,
Where the Lurking-Thing had been seen,
And to a mixture of relief and horror the Hawk would see It there,
And It fixed Its gaze upon Him.
"It is time already?" the Un-Voice wouldn't ask.
And the Hawk felt fear as the Lurking-Thing would begin to crawl from the portal in which It had been,
And where there had been unfathomable darkness and space there was only a passage between trees,
Yet the Hawk did not see this and would take flight,
For the Lurking-Thing brought Him great fear.
Then It was chasing Him,
And He flew through the Forest as quickly as He could,
For despite the size of the Thing following Him it rivaled his speed,
And the Hawk did whoop and scream with fear and excitement,
For nothing had ever chased Him so.
Then the web was ahead,
And the Spider had left a gap within the web,
So the Hawk would wait until the last possible moment before banking skyward,
Then the Lurking-Thing was within the web,
For It could not stop Itself nor move as the Hawk did.
Then the Spider would begin sealing the gap,
Yet at the last moment disaster would strike,
For within the darkness of the trap was the Void,
So It would reach out and grasp the Spider.
The Spider would cry out as It was taken,
Yet the gap was not large enough for either the Bear or Hawk to follow,
And then the Spider would be trapped within the darkness,
And Its only company would be hunger and madness.
The Spider and the Hawk would find themselves accosted by the Bear upon their arrival,
"For I was greatly worried for each of you,
As I knew that I could not prevail against such a creature."
Then He would embrace them.
"Now I am greatly afraid;" the Spider would confess,
"And I have not seen the second of our foes."
So the Spider would plan for a moment,
And a strike of foresight would give It Vision.
"The Hawk must watch over the first of our foes,
That Lurking Thing which gave us no chase,
For we must know that It shall not chase us,
Nor find where we have made our homes.
Next the Bear shall come with me,
For a worry has struck me that we shall not escape without conflict,
And I trust in His strength of arms,
And I trust in His bravery."
And this would worry the Hawk,
For without His vision the others could be brash,
Yet He knew that He must trust in the Spider,
For It had always trusted Him.
Then the Spider and the Bear would make their way deep into the Forest,
Heading the opposite way of the way the Spider had gone,
And along the path they would laugh and joke,
And the Bear had brought great food and wine.
So they would be in high spirits when they would first notice the sound,
Which was like a pleasant droning hum,
And which dulled thought,
And sense.
Then the Spider would notice the strange charm upon them,
For the droning had intruded upon their minds,
But the Spider's mind itself was another of Its webs,
Made against those strange beasts that lived in thoughts.
So the Spider would begin singing a Song,
And from this Song would come That Song Which is Creation,
Yet that would not come for some time,
But this Song would suffice.
As the Spider sang so too did the Bear,
For He trusted His Brother,
And the charm would leave them,
And they regained their senses.
Yet after that the Spider would feel a gentle pulling within Its mind,
As though It was being guided somewhere.
The Spider would follow that sensation with the Bear behind,
Towards a trap the Spider sought to spring.
Yet the Spider had not prepared for the extent of what lay ahead,
For It did not understand the foe It faced,
Yet as they stepped into a place the Spider had once gone,
The extent of the threat became clear.
Where once there had been a great swathe of life,
A great clearing overgrown with many beasts and fruits,
And a place teeming with the many-colored lights of creation,
All had become one.
The place had become one of wretched and singular purpose,
Filled with many-legged things that writhed and gnashed.
At the center of which was a tremendous White Tree,
Which stood as still as eternity,
Yet within it there were eyes that fixed upon the Spider.
All around the White Tree,
In a series of seven great circles,
Were saplings that were all equally distant from each other,
And each bore the White Tree's visage.
To each of these trees thralls would bring the Stuff of the Forest,
Which they would gather from the edge of the growing Hive and take to the Trees,
And these thralls were those beasts which had once lived within the Forest,
Yet they had come under the White Tree's charm.
Both the Spider and the Bear would fear greatly,
Yet the Spider would seek to meet with the Tree.
So the many-legged things and thralls would part for the Spider and the Bear,
And the air buzzed with the pleasant hum,
But the Spider would continue to sing,
And finally they reached the Tree.
And the Tree was tremendous in Its size,
For even a single eye was greater by many times than the Bear,
And It would speak to the Spider.
The voice that pierced its mind would speak in shrieks and screams,
And within it would be every voice that could ever be,
And every voice that there ever had been,
And within it the Spider heard Its own voice.
"Why do you deny me?" The Tree would ask of It.
"None have before."
"I mean no offense to you if-"
"To exist with a face that I have not sculpted is offense.
Allow me to sculpt you,
I shall make you perfect.
Never shall you hunger,
Never shall you fear,
Never shall you despair.
Always shall you be with me,
Always shall you know love.
Always shall you draw breath through me."
Yet the Spider knew that the Tree spoke lies,
For It knew of the Unity the Tree spoke of,
And it was no union of love,
But it would be a union of control.
"I woul-"
Yet the many-legged things would encroach upon them,
And the Bear would prepare to face them,
And the Tree spoke once more.
"Should you beg for mercy I shall grant it,
I shall take you into me,
I shall take your tears,
I shall give you my joy."
Then they would be joined in battle,
And the Bear would break through the lines,
So He would bring with Him the Spider,
Who would cling to His fur.
The Bear would be injured in the battle,
Yet He would break free,
And the Spider would stitch His wounds,
And It would apologize.
"You need not apologize to me Brother,
I have sworn to protect you as you protect me,
Yet now it is your turn to protect us,
And to come up with a plan to face our foes."
And the Spider would know He spoke truth,
So they would go together back to their homes,
To commune with the Hawk and to begin the Spider's plan.
First the Spider would leave deep into the darkness of the Forest,
For it would see wisdom in confronting the Slithering Thing,
Believing the consumption of the Forest to be the more pressing threat.
The Hawk would fly above,
For It had promised to watch over the Spider.
So then the Spider would find its way to a place where the Forest was dark,
And He would find his way to a place where no starlight reached,
And the Forest had begun to rot.
Where once there had been great trees they were now sickly,
Where once great rivers of starlight flowed there was now dust,
And there was an arch of branches,
Much like a doorway,
And the Void was beyond it.
Within the Void was Nothing,
And the Spider could feel the Huger that the Nothing radiated,
And At once the Spider knew that the Void was a thinking thing,
Yet was not alive.
This would give the Spider fear,
And It would prepare to leave,
But the Void would communicate,
Though it did not speak.
Its words would be assembled from absence,
So the Spider would know Its meaning from the shape of the absence Its Un-speech created.
"Welcome," The Un-Voice didn't say.
In its un-speech the Spider would hear Its hunger,
And the Spider would learn to fear the Void.
Then the darkness behind the branches would shift,
And the Spider glimpsed a Great and Terrible form,
And a single arm would reach out from the darkness,
Pale and wretched - and it was slick with disease and rot,
Broken and cragged nails stretched from the fingers,
Yellow as the light of a star.
"Join me will you not?" The Un-Voice asked.
"So long have I been without company."
Yet the Spider knew the Un-Voice's desire,
And the Spider knew Its hunger.
"I am not able to,"
The Spider would say,
For It feared the Un-Voice's fury,
"For my Brothers will be needing me soon."
"A shame," the Un-Voice could not hide Its irritation,
Which would begin to seep from the shadows as a liquid darkness,
And the grass would wither and die wherever this darkness touched.
"I would have you for a meal," The hand reached the spider,
Then brushed it with a single cold finger.
So the Spider would bite the rotten hand,
And it would fill it with the Divine Light that filled the Spider,
Which would burn the Thing's hand and rot away Its flesh,
And the hand would fall from the arm.
So the arm would slither back into the darkness along the ground,
And the Spider would see one of the Void's Eyes.
Within the eye were tiny pinpricks of light,
Which the Spider knew were reflections of far distant light.
So the Spider knew that the Un-Voice had never been within the Light,
And never felt its warmth or its comfort,
Yet that troubled the Spider greatly,
For the Spider knew it did not care.
"All are welcome within my home," the thing continued,
As though the loss of an arm was no more worth noting than the wind,
"So perhaps bring your Brothers.
The three of you would make for great company."
And the Spider was afraid,
For It did not know how the Thing had counted them,
But the Spider was was and thought to ask its domain,
So it may be avoided.
"Perhaps one day I will bring my Brothers?
Where may we find you,
So we may come to join you?"
And the Thing didn't laugh,
Which didn't sound like lungs filled with mold and rot,
And the earth of the Grave,
And also dust.
"I see through you,
Yet still I shall answer you,
Thing which is young in this Forest.
I am That-Which-Lurks-Between,
So I shall be Between.
Within all things I can be,
And yet within Nothing I Am."
Then there was another shift behind the branches,
And the Spider was alone.
The Second Moon Event was an event lasting from the early summer of 388 AS until the late Fall. During the first stages of the event, Practitioners of the Prosperity Archipelago, as well as people monitoring the radio signals around the islands. In the Spring of 388, people would begin detecting signals that seemed to originate from outside of Earth's Atmosphere. The signal was speaking in a language that no one could translate, requiring the use of frequent use of the Comprehend Language spell.
The Practitioners exposed to the Signal found themselves growing more sympathetic towards it, and determined that it was probably influencing their minds. They would report their findings to David Alidson, who would request aid from the Dominion of Blades. The Dominion of Blades would send a Spear to their aid, the Dreamcatchers. The Spear Captain Daniel Westlake would begin preparing for a wide brainwashing event, and instead of setting up deprogramming facilities, would begin establishing a blockade around the islands. He would be given a further two Spears under his command, and a squad of Agents from the Pyramid Research Group
In the Late Spring, David Alidson would go public about the issue. He would make a long speech one night, decrying the response of the Dominion of Blades. He said that they had the resources to handle the issue, and simply refused. That the blockades were not for the safety of the people, but rather so the Dominion could keep the victims of whatever was to come on the islands. He would be found dead in his room the next day, having been stabbed in the back of the neck. His death was declared a suicide.
On the night of the third day of Summer, the Second Moon would arrive. It would take its place in the sky, appearing at first as though it was a natural moon. As it got closer, however, it could be seen that the surface was marred with craters that dug deep into the moon, from which further tunnels could be seen stretching into the moon. Practitioners began to batten down the hatches, aware of the Signal intensifying and muddying the Arcane Practice. Those who could leave the islands did so, save for a scant few practitioners who wanted to either aid their fellows or profit from the situation. Researchers watched the moon through telescopes with bated breath. Nonpractitioners who focused primarily on the holes were the first to be taken by the signal, their bodies wracked by mutation and their faces changing to glee. They would begin to turn on their unchanged comrades, seeking to either give them the enlightenment of the Signal or kill them. Practitioners who gazed upon the Second Moon were shocked and frightened to report that there were teeming masses of living creatures on the moon, crawling in and out of the holes.
On that night, reports would go out through the emergency PA system and on all radio channels to avoid looking at the moon, and to stay inside and lock doors. All individuals afflicted with lycanthropy would shift into their bestial form, and they would be brought under the Signal's control. This was the last transmission made during the incident that wasn't hijacked by the Second Moon.
There was a total of two Spears spread throughout the islands, and martial law was soon imposed as more of the mundane folk began to become corrupted by the Signal. The Spears were fighting a hard battle, but they were, for a time, winning. It was soon after martial law was imposed that the creatures from the moon began invading. First to arrive were the Repeaters, creatures that seemed somehow disconnected from the natural laws of the world. They would reinforce the effects of the Signal wherever they went, driving all but Practitioners and those with the strongest of wills to madness. The situation was rapidly escalating, and the use of celestial silver armaments was approved by the Spear Captain on the islands, Walton Summers.
As the situation deteriorated, Summers would beg Alidson to begin a general evacuation of the islands, or at least allow Summers to do so. Alidson would request additional aid from the mainland, and maintain a blockade around the island. When the Signal began to muddy transmissions from the island, Alidson would impose a radio blackout on the island, using the missile batteries of the battle cruisers to destroy their radio infrastructure. Alidson would give the warships under his command the orders to destroy any ship that tried to leave the Lion's Coast. During this time, two more warships would join the blockade.
The presence of the Second Moon would put a strain on the Reality Anchors throughout the Dominion, and would lead to minor fluctuations in the Veil. Through these fluctuations, the Choir of Celestial Bodies would become aware of the situation, but before they could inform anyone or react, the veil would seal again. Mercury would seek the aid of the other Choirs of Heaven in preparing to eradicate the Second Moon.
Back on the Lion's Coast, by midsummer, most people had fallen under the influence of the Signal. There was a small resistance made up largely of practitioners working alongside what few military assets remained in operation on the island. The main holdouts were the island of Lion's Rock and the Burning Mountain Research Facility, where some progress had been made in reversing the psychological changes brought about by exposure to the Signal. Lion's Rock would fall when the Harbingers arrived. The resilience of these beings was nearly impossible to contend with, and the sheer force of the Signal would drive even the stoutest minded of individuals to madness. Only Practitioners stood any chance of directly defeating Harbingers, with the only other option being indiscriminate artillery bombardment.
The survivors of the event would fight an incredibly desperate retreat from Lion's Rock, harried every step of the way by the forces of the Second Moon. The Practitioner Fraza Durk would be essential in maintaining these defensive lines, and became the de facto leader of the resistance when Walton Summers was killed in a last stand on Lion's Rock. Fraza would notice the fluctuations in the veil around the Second Moon, and would work with the researchers at the Burning Mountain Facility in an effort to pin the veil open so that she could draw arcane power from it. The Choirs, seeing this opening, tried to commune with her. Finding that she was, obviously, guarding her mind, they sent the Angel with the smallest impact that they could, a Dove named Na'Staala to earth. She would manifest in the research facility, sending it into a blackout. A frantic firefight with the forces of the Second Moon would ensue, supported by their new Angelic comrade. Na'Stalla would teach Fraza the ritual required to summon The Tempest, which she warned would likely kill Fraza from the Arcane Energy required. Fraza would unite with Na'Stalla and two of the researchers to call the attention of the Tempest. This attention would manifest as a single spear of searing light so bright that those who saw it were rendered blind. The moon would be splintered and shattered, its pieces falling to the earth. Fraza would perish with the effort of calling the Tempest forth, and Na'Stalla would retreat to her choir in the ensuing fluctuation of the Veil. Shortly afterwards, the Spears that had surrounded the Lion's Coast would move in with orders to execute any survivors they found. There was a small amount of resistance, but with the Moon shattered and the Signal seemingly gone, the forces of the Second Moon were easy to kill. Harder to deal with were the survivors of the incident, who had banded together to resist the Dominion. All who didn't flee were killed, leaving very few who remembered the Second Moon Event.
Impact:
The Second Moon Event had a crucial impact on the Dominion of Blades. With the sudden understanding that there could be threats lurking in the Stars, Algun Fleece authorized the Mooncatcher Project to act as a starting point for future exploration of space, and to operate as a bastion against the possibility of extraterrestrial threats.
The survivors of the Second Moon Event would go on to the Prosperity Archipelago, where they would report their experiences to the local governors, who would spread word of the Second Moon Event to resistance groups and governments that were considering joining the Dominion. This would lead to a large spike in conflict within the Dominion.
The Second Moon Event would also aid the Dominion in their experiments in mind control, as they would turn the Burning Mountain Facility into a facility to research the Second Moon and its effects. The antimagical properties of the Signal would be used in the Nexus of Flesh project.
The Dreamcatchers would be distinguished for their actions during the Event, gaining the commendation of Algul Fleece, and Daniel Westlake would be promoted to a Brace Commander, being given control of the Spears that he worked with throughout the event. His Brace would be known as the Devil's Bane for their actions in the War for Thassos.
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