Havria’s words spoke a great deal of her character, though the more he heard of her world, the more intrigued he became by it. However, she somewhat surprised him by managing to hazard a guess at his true nature. The Magus stopped and turned to look at her. “And tell me: what is a god, Havria? What does the term truly mean?” Without even waiting for an answer, the Magus continued. “I have seen those worship beings of the cosmos. I have seen those who revere spirits and demons. I have even seen those that pay tribute to abominations of the Void… A god is a being that stands above all others, and in due time, I alone will become the ONLY being fitting of that title.”
The Magus stopped and looked toward a building in the distance, on top of which sat a broken, golden disc. “Yes, long ago, I was mortal. The empire of Shurima used the Rite of Ascension to elevate the ‘worthy’ into Ascended. However, they were deceived… Deluded. The Sunpriests would pick and choose who was ‘destined’ to Ascend based on ‘divine revelations,’ but that was merely a front. The Ascended of old were put pawns of politics, chosen for their blind loyalty and faith above all else. The priests received no sacred guidance or wisdom; they merely calculated who would be most beneficial to the empire’s conquests, and elevated them as icons.”
A sound of disgust left Xerath’s throat as he continued on. “But I learned the truth. Uncovered the secrets those fools would keep buried. I learned the true nature of Ascension, and that they had been limiting its potential for so long. The ‘chosen’ were half-baked creations; the ritual they underwent, incomplete… They used the Rite merely to transform their flesh, but I surpassed it. I became a being of pure energy, unrivaled by any who came before me. I became the one, true Ascended.”
The Magus paused and reached up, tightly grasping the seal. “They feared me, of course. They first tried to strike me down, but found it impossible. In the end, they could only imprison me… But in my absence, they tore asunder the very empire they were sworn to protect. Indeed, they were no true gods.” Finally, Xerath turned and addressed Havria again. “But I have spoken at length about myself and this world. Now, it is your turn, Havria. Tell me more of this Sal Terra you spoke of…”
As Havria listened it sounded like this world had a similar system of ascension to that of Teyvat with it’s Allogenes, but much more selective and much more corrupt. It was clear to her that Xerath had seen much of his words version of humanity corrupt even the divine rites, so it made sense he would claim responsibility and the mantel of ‘the only God’ for himself. He was a man who had seen the very faith betray it’s people... how could he not want to take every possible measure to defend against another betrayal of that magnitude?
Still while she could sympathize she could not agree with him on certain points so she figured it best to tell her story before stating her disagreement. “Is there someone less public we could discuss this? To speak of my home in such an open space is... troubling.” she said with a sigh. If he afforded her the curtesy she would begin telling him of her home and her past once they were alone, if not then she would still begin though hesitantly.
“To know of Sal Terra you must first be told of the world in which it resides... beyond the viel, and out of the reach of the Summoner’s Gate... there is a world known as Teyvat. This is where I call home. Teyvat’s Divine Pantheon was comprised of myself and my family originally, however the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles saw fit to allow humanity and it’s kind the chance to ascend to god hood. Soon the heavenly city of Celestia was over run by Major and Minor gods alike... and soon the ambition of those who rose to power gripped the Pantheon... war broke out as God’s fought God’s, and family fought family for the right to have a seat as an Archon. During this war I made a refuge away from the violence and conflict of a war that I considered foolish and ignorant. A place of protection for those of my followers and those who wished to avoid the horrors of war. That was Sal Terra.” she explained with a sad expression across her features.
“Even with the protection of a Goddess though... humanity is prone to fear and paranoia. My people began to consider me weak for refusing to join the conflict. The human Ruler I instated sought to give me an Ultimatum... Fight to protect Sal Terra when no other God or Goddess had dared to even point a weapon at our gates yet... or have my people turn on me.” she said gripping at her own chest, at the back of her clothing there was a hole where it was tied up and just through that whole Xerath would be able to see the entry point of a divine blade that would have stabbed through Havria’s heart... a scar left from when her own people literally stabbed her in the back.
“Sal Terra was a beautiful place... water flowed freely, precious ore veins ran in abundance, animals and plants a like were in high supply... we could have lived in peace for millennia.” she muttered before gathering her composure again. “Now there are 7 Archons who rule Teyvat God of Freedom and the Wind: Barbatos, God of Contracts and the Earth: Morax, Goddess of War and Fire Murata, Goddess of Eternity and Lightning: Beelzebul, Goddess of Wisdom and Flora: Kusanali, A deity of Justice and Water whose current identity is unknown to me, and a Goddess of Ice whose ideal’s and identity are unknown to me. I myself am still the Goddess of Salt and Death, but the people of Teyvat think me dead since the Archon War.” she explained with a heavy weight on her chest.
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