Annals of Time: Patric Diaphan's Codex III

    We try to understand the darkness surrounding us, yet we stand to ignore the incomprehensible void within our being.  

     Sleeplessly I stare at the sanguine star which lights my path of dreams.  It emanates a dying glow and fades as I draw closer to its diminishing warmth.  The darkness everlasting melds together with the deepening red and within its amalgamation of bleeding black do I see a single orb of grey.  It lies there, cold and forgotten within that solemn emptiness, wrapped in a shroud of twilight.  

There it is! Our treasure that we have long searched for within the ebon sea! It is revealed to me at last!

     We have long forgotten the way and have since lit inside our wandering bastion, a new flame.  Forged in starry solitude by way of dreams, our path lies through interpretation of ancient texts, left behind by the starfathers who came before the first dawn of our time.  

 We have come claiming the birthright that is to become ascendent-being in all the glory that is deemed ours.

This is Eonara.

Dyr'Dvannon, Patric Diaphan, Navigator, Eonar

Annals of Time: Patric Elder's Codex I

The Fifth Echo

      We are within the Fifth Echo of time and space eternal.  Our existence is one of six totalities.  This is known to us.  All else is shadow to us.  These are our annals of time as we have come to know it.

Ar'Gganis Anosar, Patric Elder, Prime Keeper, Eonar

The Coming of the Grand Aegon Illuminate

     The Verse was chaosborne.  There is no balance to it- only insanity.  The truth of the Verse cannot be known to us for it would undo our very essence.  What is known however is the arrival of the Grand Aegon Illuminate, the beings of chaos which would shape the world to come.  As each Echo began as nothing, the Illuminate shaped the entirety of darkness into a state of being.  Naught of this is known to us, but the shaping of the Fifth Echo and those of the Illuminate who were involved.

The Mind of Four: The Starfathers

     There was no first.  There was no last.  There were simply four pillars of light, bearing seeds of creation unto the solace of night.  There were the Aegon Starfathers.

La'ridah of Twilight Being

Insha'hir of Midnight Being

Jahan'gir of Destruction Being

Nurru'daan of Creation Being

The Shaping of the Worlds

     From the depths of the great beyond, came four slivers of silver, spanning great and distant lengths.  These were the pillars of the Aegon and from them, emerged their tools of creation.  La'ridah gathered swarms of spectral dust and wove the stars into the tapestry of shadow.  Jahan'gir wrapped each burning sphere in a void of utter hunger and thirst, their desire pulling anything within the twilight into their swallowing midst.  Nurru'daan shaped spheres of living earth that would circle the ever-hungry stars, out of reach of the devouring flames that brought warmth and light to their celestial kin.  Covering the land in lush skins of green and blue, the brightness of the stars shone down and brought forth light.  Insha'hir slowly turned each living world away from the hunger of the high flames, allowing a blanket of cold and steady darkness to cover half of each world.

     Thus, the Verse was no longer barren.  The Aegon had formed it to their desires, to contain their touch where nothing once was.  Though their task was to be complete and allow chaos to flourish, the Mind of Four were bothered about the lack of life on their creations.  Against the missives of the Aegon Illuminate, the Mind of Four chose to create their own touch of life and stray from their ostentatious delegation.

Eonarii: The Starchildren

     As the Verse is chaosborne, so is life itself.  To alter the course of life is to alter destiny itself.  The Aegon chose to follow this path and allow the ripples of evolution to echo throughout the Verse.  The Mind of Four challenged this idea and proposed a new constant of thought.  Whether the Illuminate allowed such action, it is not known.  The Eonar were born from the dissonance of introducing fragments of order into the chaos that was life.  As quickly as they appeared, did the Aegon vanish from the Eonarii.

     From within the confines of the Third Echo did they emerge and shape their own fate.  Although barred from interfering with their natural evolution, the Mind of Four left behind fragments of infrastructure and technology that would allow the Eonarii to evolve as the Aegon willed it.  This subtle manipulation however, could not prevent the eventual collapse of an entire species.  The Eonarii, too reliant on knowledge not of their own making, destroyed one another in pursuit of the stars above.  Only with the emergence of the Presence, did the Eonarii rise together- but it was too late.

     Were it not for the discovery of the Shard Ship, the Eonar would have been consumed along with the entirety of the Third Echo.  The Shard Ship, designated Kalid Valirus- The Black Eternal, could only take but a handful of the Eonar.  Kalid Valirus was the largest and most functional of all Aegon artifacts.  Escaping from impending extinction, the black shard pierced through the fade of the Third Echo and began the Great Transformation.

The Presence

     The Presence is shadow to us.  It is ancient, beyond the time of the Third Echo.  We do not know its purpose or desire.  It simply invades.  The Third Echo has been lost to the Eonar.  The Verse shall fall into a state beyond chaos and control- one of utter displacement of existence.  All calculations left within Kalid Valirus confirm the inevitability.  We will all perish.

The Grand Design

   You do not seem to realize my intent, Eiron.  I come not to threaten or destroy, but to make you understand that which is.  Your mind has already grasped the Partial Truth.  It is time for you to comprehend the other half.  The hidden half.  The Axiom.

   Our entire species is a lie.  A genetic flaw, repeatedly doomed to fail, like countless others that undoubtedly came before us.  What your kind refer to as gods are merely like you- strains to serve a greater purpose.  But unlike us, you were a mistake.  Uncalculated.  You were an unpredicted variance born out of chance and fate.  Pure unprecedented chaos.

   We thought you weak and primitive.  Truly, we had manipulated your kind to this state of savagery, never once realizing the hidden potential that lay dormant within you.  We had taken advantage of your mundane state.  We entrusted ourselves to the mantle of the Starfathers before us and became the twilight gods that you have worshiped for countless millennia.  You must understand, we relished you serving to our every whim and pleasure.  The circle was bound to repeat eventually, this time in our favor.  We came to be the masters of ascendency after once being just like you.

   Oh yes.  We too, were once a primordial species.  Afraid.  Confused.  Easily manipulated.  But we eventually learned the truth of our kind.  We had the potential for more.  Ours was meant to exist beyond the boundaries of the earth.  We drifted beyond the darkness and toward this eventual truth.  We realized what we were meant to become, and in this metamorphosis, we reforged ourselves as the forecoming hands of destiny itself.

   The Starfathers are a mystery to us all, Eiron.  We- no... Some of us are different, however.  There are those who have cast away the veil of divinity to pursue the ancient truth.  It is all part of the Grand Design and you... you are the one great wave amongst the bleak and continuous ripples of progress.  You will turn the tide of this perpetual experiment which has doomed all of existence to the whims of a civilization long gone.

   What you wield, bladebearer, is a dark and terrible secret.  It is a darkness to us all.  Your blade, and the entity it bears within, is not of this world- perhaps not even of this verse in which we reside; yet it is shadow enough to engulf even the Starfathers and their animus.  Do not let it compel you into transfiguration as it did its previous host.  Its function is mystery and architecture no different.  You will find the maxim of it all eventually, but be ready to sacrifice everything for such a truth, if one truly exists within our limited understanding.

   The truth of my words will destroy you, Eiron. You are centuries unprepared for any of this.  But you of all possible people- of all possible races, must understand this conception.  Our role in this grand play is forfeit.  We have been the catalysts to our own destruction and your ascendency into the unimaginable.  Though immortal, we have lost ourselves to the miserable demise of greed and folly.  We shall diminish into the fade, akin to those who are ever eternal in age but ephemeral in design.

  But you will continue.  You must continue.  You are Eiron.

   

Small Steps

I normally reserve this blog to actual ideas and stories but seeing how I haven't updated it in a bit, I thought I needed to put something/anything into writing.

I've been expanding on Adulis Opacus (Current Name of the Western Shard) in order to try to recreate Tserai's story (From WoW) within my own world. Aside from the main storyline, I am still trying to finish up the shard's layout from a geographic perspective. I want to make this into a huge shard with so many locations. The one thing that I always disliked in WoW was how enclosed everything was. Things that should've been miles apart were traversed in mere minutes. I want to make distance seem relatively real in this world. It is a huge shard with a growing story full of rich connections to the other shards as well as the general locations that were my inspirations in WoW.

I still can't decide whether to choose Tserai or Kieran, nor can I decide the ending to this tale. I know how it ended personally, when the majority of the interaction was happening in WoW with another roleplayer. To say the least, it ended abruptly. It's been an idea that hasn't moved for years and I've lost much feeling and emotion towards the story, as opposed to when it was fresh and constantly evolving.

When I first came up with Adulis Opacus, it was nothing more then a doodle with absolutely no story. I was focusing more on the other shards but figured that since I had a northern, southern, and eastern shard, I needed a western one too. It was supposed to be an apocalyptic land, completely destroyed by feuding gods. However, I slowly began to develop more ideas and eventually changed up a large bit of the landscape. I'll include the original and updated maps once I get a scanner set up. I know I won't be holding my breath for that though.

The primary focus on this land was utter chaos and madness. However, once I realized that I had a better story that I could incorporate into this shard instead of a handful of ideas, I began to incorporate aspects of WoW-Tserai's life into this shard. I have no intention of recycling what I have already experienced. Instead, I want to build upon it and connect the missing pieces as well as give it a proper ending.

I would love to get back with the individual who allowed Tserai to have free rein over his own destiny and story but unfortunately, I don't believe that is possible so I will have to choose Tserai's fate eventually. I don't want to leave it adrift upon an endless sea. I think he deserves more then that, no matter what destiny I choose for him.

Note: I use the term Shard alot. I see the entirety of Urun as if it were a gem. I refer to the individual "worlds" within it as Shards and the actual continents themselves as Facets.

Urun: The Multi-World

A decade ago, when I first visualized the world that was going to be Urun, it was drawn on a small piece of paper. It was based off the 3rd Age of Califran, which had two continents and many small islands. Needless to say, things were very cramped. A lot of the names for most of the places made no sense and it was simply a drawing.

A lot has changed since then. I've re-drawn Califran many times, changed things drastically, and have added its separate Ages. A decade later, I am still working on this continent. Its incomplete. I do not have much history written for it, as I have with other material. Things are still cramped. Some places still make no sense. So what exactly have I done?

I've expanded the world. My little two continents have become an entire planet- not just a normal planet, but a hollow-earth. Most of my ideas are contained within this earth. The surface... well, lets say there is somewhat of a story about that as well. However, that is very unfinished and needs a lot of work.

Most of the places are named in the ancient tongue of the Aegon, which have been translated into more common terms. While most of them are regarded in common, it isn't exactly unheard of, to hear of something in the ancient language.

I won't explain the meanings behind most of these terms, as I don't want to spoil too many things or find out in the future that I've contradicted myself in a certain fashion, since I tend to change things up a bit. However, to put things into perspective, the Verse is the matter of space inside the world, with the Red Star being in the very center.

I'm no scientist and I haven't attempted to make any of this realistic in any way. However, this sort of creation is known as a Dyson Sphere. Look it up. Its a mind blowing concept- probably my favorite one. This would make my multi-world very big. Incredibly big, in fact that there is room for hundreds and hundreds of continents. But for now, I'm sticking to my main four "shards" as I call them.

La'ridah Avatarim - Part III

Although the second-conscience of Sharil stayed invisible to Calus, it caused deluded suffering to the boy. Controlling his actions under absolute rule, Sharil attempted to break free from the child by breaking him. However, the boy only grew stronger with each attempt and with the help of the Magus, Tiberius Moongazer, he was able to understand the foreign entity within him.

As both Calus and Ganis grew aware of the child that had now become a beacon of sorts, La'ridah attempted to prevent a conspiracy from tearing fragile alliances asunder, only to watch races destroy each other to the brink of extinction. As war rages on throughout the lands, Sharil attempts to contact the boy through his dreams and reveal the land's past age to him. The near-annihilation of the world had happened once before, and it was destined to happen again.

It would happen, whether he would succeed or fail in uniting the lands, for no living creature could possibly prepare for the unforeseen danger looming over them. Despite this known knowledge, La'ridah and his growing band of companions quested to join major cities in hopes of ending a growing conflict.

Through time, Calus managed to find ways to contact the boy and direct him towards the suspected enemy, Ganis of Storms himself. His defeat was the key to unification, according to him. It was his ilk that had destroyed La'ridah's home and his will that continued to threaten the world.

Ultimately encountering the great elder Eonar lord, Ganis relentlessly assaulted the boy with all his strength but to no avail for the boy had grown more powerful. Eventually, he would be sealed within the Dark Core, a fragment of a powerful artifact but not without price. La'ridah's very youth and strength would be sapped, for he did not contain Ganis with proper countermeasure. Sharil could finally break free and take physical form as well, with all of La'ridah's former power. Broken down to be but a mortal man with no spirit nor strength, his hope waned. In a desperate act to destroy Sharil, who he realized to be the invisible threat, he pierced the Dark Core with Aurendil in order to gain strength. Infused with twilight essence of his own, he battled Sharil and defeated her.

For a creature who in the past, acted savagely and scornful to the very existence around him, she now pleaded for mercy, wanting to exist and be free of her former mistress. Granting her compassion, La'ridah ordered her to disappear and pronounced himself to be Calus' new magus and guardian of the land.

"Poor fool. You know so very little of yourself and your mechanistic ways. What is it you want most of all, do you even know?" The lord asked scornfully, a twisted visage upon his face.
"Your destruction, Ganis. For everything you have done to my people. To my father."
"I see the puppeteer has created a masterpiece of a story. Even I did not expect such an outcome. You blame me for your misery then?"
"My misery and the land's conflict, Storm Lord. You are the wheel to it all. A wheel that must never turn again."
"I see she has twisted you well, boy. So be it. If we are to deal with absolutes, our words are but whispers in the dark. But let this be my final warning to you, La'ridah Avatarim- if that is what you have accepted yourself to be." Like an explosion from a spark, Ganis' voice grew to a blinding roar as his very being grew under the guise of black shadow. It filled the chamber to the ceiling, a massive cloak of sheer penumbra, spreading far beyond the walls and surrounding La'ridah in nothing but a black realm of death.
"I have no plans to let this land be rid of me, but should you decide otherwise, you will have to face the consequences of your actions. Do not think me a haggard old man, boy. You face an elder lord of the Eonarii, the very principality of divine power!"
- - - - -
"I had thought my enemy to be him! I was blinded by hatred, and for that I have lost everything and everyone!" He screamed, Aurendil aimed for her very heart.
Pressed against the floor with the tip of the blade at her chest, Sharil silently stared at the withered figure, feeling Aurendil's metal sheen burn away at her life.
"You made me a monster. I was drunk with power! I followed voices and dreams like a madman, and for that, I lost my friends! I lost her!"
"No... no. I was never your enemy, La'ridah. I wanted to be your voice but like you, my heart is torn with rage and anger. I led you astray yes, but not towards this land's demise! Please, you must see that!"
"I cannot trust you."
"Yet I've protected you, despite what you thought of me." She tried to smile, a broken expression of defeat and sorrow conflicting with her ability to do so. "I just want to be left alone, La'ridah."
It seemed those words held enough in them to cause him to lower his sword. As the tip struck the ground, it appeared to release a dark liquid energy unto the floor, flowing back towards the pulsing core behind them.
"You have my mercy, Sharil. But not the freedom you so desire." He turned away towards the black machine and watched as the dark liquid touched the crystalline mechanism and disappeared, absorbed back from where it had come from.
"You will never return here nor speak of this place. You will disappear from these lands and never be seen or heard by me again. Do you understand?"
She stood up and looked at his back silently, backing away slowly anticipating his words of release to turn on her when least expected.
"A difficult bargain, but one I will take, La'ridah. Thank you."

La'ridah Avatarim - Part II

Found on the outskirts of the shoreline in midwinter, the child was thought to be a symbol of survival for the kingdom. Different interpretations led to multitudes of manipulation but in the end, the ruler of the land took action. Taken under the personal care of King Reslin of Argorath, La'ridah was raised as a prince. The kingdom survived under harsh times, surviving freezing winters and constant savage attacks by creatures of the south for generations. Unknown to nearly every great kingdom in the northern lands due to its distance and size, Algorath was a kingdom rarely visited yet ancient with a long forgotten heritage.

As the boy grew, so did his abilities to understand the world around him. Unlike most children of his age, the boy seemed out of place and distant from reality, and yet fully aware of his surroundings.

However, the boy's growing prowess quickly caught the eye of the King's court advisor, the wizard Enilo of the Black Raven Society, a sect of magi under the service of Ganis of Storms. Suspecting the boy of greater heritage, he was carefully watched for years as he grew to become the kingdom's heir. As the boy grew to be a young lad, the entire kingdom was finally beset by the Kaladari of Overworld, who quickly overtook the kingdom, ravaging its people and razing it to the ground.

Reslin, understanding the end of his world, sacrificed himself to help the boy escape by boat, leaving the entire kingdom's future in La'ridah's hands. It was at this time that King Reslin passed to La'ridah, the last heritage of the kingdom and it's lost past- the Sword of Dawn, Aurendil.

Venturing forth into an unknown world, La'ridah quickly learned of the events that led to the downfall of his kingdom. As he became involved in the conspiracies surrounding him, he grew more powerful. Closely observed by the Elder Eonarii, the boy often came into conflict with his twin self within his conscience- the dreaming representation of Sharil herself, who in fury attempted to break from the boy, causing him to become unstable.

La'ridah Avatarim - Part I

La'ridah of mortal being was born a child- or better said- created as a child, from a single hint of twilight-infused essence of La'ridah of Twilight Being. Forged in the citadel of Tier Shabbeth, Calus attempted to enfuse the essence with that of another Shafiri chosen- Sharil. Realizing that the Eonar, Ganis of Storms, had become a threat to her land, she was unable to face him directly due to ancient pacts.

After the falling of Arcos, Calus was alone once more. Set to finding a second herald, she chose another ancient native of Califran. Locating a lone isle within the southern shard of Facundas Fatum, Calus chose one for her cause. Unlike Arcos who had been formed to her will, Sharil had a sentience of her own- a conscience that Calus hoped would not be tainted, as had been the first of the fallen. Infused with Calus' own essence as one of the Shafirii, Sharil acted as Calus' herald for millenia.

Desperate for a champion that could stop him, she acted with impulse to infuse Sharil with the only remnant of the ancient Aegon, La'ridah. Hoping to empower her chosen with the strength of the Aegon with a promise to allow Sharil to return to her land, Calus acted quickly to fuse the two within the citadel of creation. However, her underestimation of the Aegon remnant led to unanticipated events.

She had not taken to account that her herald had already been infused with the essence of herself- an Eonar. To infuse yet another essence- especially one of greater ascent was to delve into the erratic and unknown. Instead of a familiar herald, Calus found a child- a baby boy at her feet. Sensing Sharil's essence within the child, she attempted to free her herald with a touch, only to fly back in pain, drained of strength and mind.

With what little strength remained, Calus managed to wrap the child with a cloth and set him adrift in the endless sea, pushing him north towards his destined lands. As he grew distant, Calus could no longer sense Sharil, as the child had taken a great deal of strength from her. Lost in the sea from all, the boy continued to float north, until he would land at the shores of Argorath.

The Kir Kalad

The Kir Kalad are an enigmatic cabal within the Verse. It is not known as to how far their influence spans or how long they have existed. Their goals are obscure but it is known that they are the shapers of Causality for reasons unknown.

Whether masters of their own or servants for greater beings, they are not within the circle of existance within Califran. They cannot be controlled or watched by even the Eonarii, as they are beyond their manipulation. They are alien to Califran, and yet have unfathomable knowledge of the world.

Within the Calus Trilogy, the Kir Kalad are interested in Exodos which, like them, is an alien entity to Califran. It is unknown whether they are servants of Exodos or perhaps, an organization with greater intention. However, the fate of Califran does not matter to them.

One of their pawns is Ithillian Asiranth Alazon. To succeed in matters beyond his required knowledge (or existance), the Kir Kalad persuaded Ithillian that he was no simple Mithari but the last surviving descendent of the H'tarrin, an ancient race not from Califran. (Note: Also known as the Generi in Belias.) His life was of no importance to them, nor was his quest.

Their goals are secret. They are neither agents of order or chaos. Perhaps to them, it is all simply a game.

Excerpt:

"The fool believes he has a greater purpose."
"He is of a dead race. It is of no concern to us."
"Do you truly believe that a mere mortal can step through the Harrowing?"
"Others have done greater things. Things that should not be possible."
"Are they destined to meet?"
"Much more. They are destined to clash."
"And the victor?"
"There is no difference. The result will be the same."
"And the H'tarrin?"
"He will not release them from the Harrowing."
"All of this is nothing but a play then?"
"No. It is but an act within the play. When the tale stops, the story shall end as we wish it to."

The Concept of Pathos

The entire trilogy is one principle basis revolving around Causality. It is a story where Morality and Mortality are constantly on trial with one another, both being the catalyst to the events within history. In the final book, everything comes full circle, played out as a tragedy. With the ultimate antagonist being recognized by many names, ultimately known as Exodos, there are hints of Greek play involved.

In Greek tragedy, Exodos means “The final scene.” And that symbolizes the antagonist as he is quite literally, the Omega of all things. The ending chapter is called the Stasimon, which in tragedy, is a choral ode preceding the Exodos. So ultimately, it is the final battle with the Omega, brought into physical shape by a chorus of Monody- which is an ode sung by a single voice in a tragedy.

Now, as the main character soon realizes, he is connected with the Omega through Causality. This is where the most important fight between morality and mortality takes place. In the end, there is no possible way to destroy Exodos except by slaying himself and destroying the link between morality and mortality. This in turn, causes Exodos to become non-existant as the bridge that keeps him empowered is shattered.

Exodos cannot be given a single name, as he is beyond such mundane shapes. He is an entity that cannot be controlled by god or demon. His strength is unlimited and one could only imagine what power the protagonist could have wielded should he have accepted all of Exodos’ power. However, such would never happen since Exodos would then have free reign over him and have a mortal body in which to spread his chaos.

Exodos is a power hungry entity who has conquered limitless worlds only to finally be imprisoned by an ancient pantheon of gods. Most had unwillingly sacrificed themselves in order to seal Exodos within a single prison made of his own strength. Able to feed from within but not outside, Exodos’ power has no limit when it comes to Innisfal. However, he can not escape such a prison and instead feeds on the power of the fallen gods- gods that die or are banished to become fallen and imprisoned in Innisfal in order to provide greater support for the prison’s barriers.

Even though Exodos is unable to travel from Innisfal, he is free to send his agents into countless worlds and destroy them. When the protagonist had unexpectedly done the impossible and sealed Exodos within tools of his own demise, his essence was no longer bound to Innisfal and the protagonist had broken the carefully intricate prison that Exodos was bound to. His spirit was bound to the Mark of Kings ring, and his physical form was trapped within the Banesword, also known as Banewreaker. The sword was the ultimate weapon, unable to be broken and capable of cutting through anything mundane. The ring gives the protagonist artificial strength, immortality, and as much power as he demands from Exodos, in exchange for his own essence.

While the hero’s hair is fully brown at first, strands constantly become more silver as he uses more of Exodos’ power. In the end, his hair holds no more color and all his essence is within Exodos. However, this is the demise of Exodos because when the main character sacrifices himself, his essence is ripped from Exodos and without any for himself, the bridge disappears and Exodos ceases to exist.

Little does anyone know though that Azurio’s essence never ceased to be but returned to him through Aurendil. Due to his abilities to realm-walk, he had already become more powerful then most mortals. Along with Exodos, he could be a mortal god. Being fully exposed to Ultideum Arcadius within Ithillien’s realm of the H’tarrin, Azurio truly became a god, capable of anything. However, he did not know of this strength due to Exodos’ quick capture of his essence within the Banesword.

As he intoned the words to escape from the collapsing realm, Exodos briefly for a split second was no longer bound to the sword but to Ultideum Arcadius instead in order to escape with Azurio. However, Exodos took that moment of time to swiftly seal Azurio’s essence within the sword and switch places with him, via Ultideum Arcadius. This switch covertly kept Azurio from realizing his potential and he was helpless to stop Exodos’ in bringing about, the collapse of civilization. During this time, Exodos, in Azurio’s form called himself Eidolon.

When Azurio sacrificed himself to destroy Exodos, he gained back all his essence.. Because Exodos had all of Azurio’s essence, the only way Azurio still lived was due to Exodos’ essence flowing through him, due to the constant corruption of soul and body via the Banesword. When he plunged Aurendil into himself, the sword began to purge the corruption from Azurio’s body as well as draw his own essence back from Exodos. Because of this, Exodos no longer had a bridge that he had built over a steady amount of time, and ceased to be. Exodos’ power was gone but since Azurio’s essence was mingled within the entity, its power was on the same level as Exodos. Azurio then, became as powerful as Exodos if not more.

However, he was still mortal and his physical form died. However, his spiritual being was drawn to Calus who sensed how powerful he had become. Fearing the worst over her champion, she convinced him to enter a portal and find peace at last. When he stepped through, he found tranquility at last but it but an illusion. Calus quickly converted Innisfal’s looks to that of a paradise for Azurio. Unknown to him, it was nothing more then a prison for a new Exodos.

How much power did Azurio have? Being a proficient swordsman, his skill with the Banesword made him an unstoppable foe. Able to cut through anything, the sword was able to change its shape, depending on what it fought. The blade could suddenly thicken, curve, or become longer. Unlike most rumors, it did not take souls. The blade simply killed.

The ring gave Azurio an artificial mortality. He would not age nor die from wounds as long as that ring was on his finger. He could shield himself with fire, cast down flames from the heavens, or heal himself through Exodos but it all came for a price. Every drawing from the ring took a bit of Azurio’s own essence, seen by the silver strands of hair on his head. The more he drew, the weaker he became. If his entire essence was eventually consumed, he would no longer have enough mortality to keep Exodos sealed and the entity would be able to free itself, as it did in the Sacred Grove.

With the ability to realm-walk, Azurio had the power to travel to any outside portal surrounding Calus. He could alter reality within these realms and practically change any laws that were the foundation of the realm. With his exposure to Ultideum Arcadius, his power was no longer limited to only realms, but to actual reality itself. This made him a living god, able to do things beyond imagination.

However, not realizing his potential, the only source of power he kept tapping into was Exodos’ core. Exodos attempted to contain Azurio within the Banesword in order to keep him from realizing his potential as well as obtain the power from him. When Azurio’s enriched essence was returned to him in Innisfal, he became the most powerful entity in existence. Even though he was still human, his mortality was only limited to his body. Even though he died, his spirit lingered on. Calus, realizing that Azurio would soon control his power, was quick to react and contained him in Innisfal, recreating it as a paradise.

The Power of Words

"What did you do to him? What did you show Azurio?"

His complacent smile revealed everything, she realized. His influence had become her fear for what her champion was now capable of. Chaos, in its purest form. The unraveling of her makers' world. Utter destruction.

"Why, I showed him the truth. Does he not deserve that much?"

"The truth of what? What could he possibly see in your madness?"

The Lord of Dreams raised an eyebrow curiously as one finger calmly probed through his beard.

"Madness? I merely showed him the truth of the world, sister. Of what it is meant to be."

She stared at him, aghast of what he dared to do. No line such as this had ever been crossed much less ever thought capable of occuring. All her foresight and careful planning had now become hopeless. Each second that passed would slip through her fingers, tearing everything she had hoped to accomplish into shreds of futility.

"You thought him your champion? You believed he could be your second pawn after the first realized the truth of this world? No, dear sister. I would not allow you to repeat your mistake."

"Mistake? You've brought ruin to our fathers' world! This world was meant to be more then simply a sphere of life!"

"Then what was he meant to be, Calus? An ignorant soldier of a dying race heeding the word of a 'goddess' that cares simply for her one true people? How many lies can you bear?"

"My lies are their promise."

"A race built on ignorance, but one who will endure beyond us both. You know that."

"I will change-,"

"You will not change the inevitable. You cannot. That power is beyond us both. Where our strength fails, the power of words cannot. It took Arcos from you. And so, shall it take Azurio."

"No..."

"I've done to him what I did to the first. I showed him the truth of the world. And it broke him. Now watch, Calus. Watch as every deceitful dream you've ever created comes crashing down atop each beating heart within this miserable ceiling."

Ithil - Azurio's Mortal Foe

Aside from the constant struggle against Exodos, Azurio has another foe, more different from any man he had ever encountered. While Azurio can be seen as the man within the mirror, this antagonist is the shattered reflection that stares back at him. They are both the same in nature, but their moral values are completely different.

Enter Ithillian Asiranth Alazon. One of the last remaining Grey Elves that has not yet been hunted down to extinction for the sins of his race. His mother was a victim of a pillaged village. Raped and taken by a human mercenary band, she eventually brought him into the world, paying with her life as he was taken by the humans. Raised to an abusive system, his childhood was filled with torture and despair, as he wandered in a state of captivity unable to escape the clutches of his caretakers.

Grey Elves have the innate ability to pass down mental projections to their targets. Ithil's father had passed down his last memories unto his child before his death at the hands of the mercenaries. Two simple words that drove the boy to survive the beatings that plagued him daily.

Slaughter everyone. That simple message kept him alive. Yet as he grew older, the torture worsened. His body was covered in scars and wounds, and yet to the surprise of his captors, he still lived. Deciding to tear the man apart, the mercenaries tied his arms to two horses and watched in cruel satisfaction as Ithil screamed in pain, his muscles slowly tearing apart.

At that moment, his innate ability to project mental focus fell upon his captors. Every bit of pain that he suffered throughout his life, he released upon each individual man and animal within the camp. Every beating- every punishment- each man recieved tenfold within their minds.

The deep inner hatred within Ithil did more then simply drive the men insane. It destroyed their minds, instantly killing each individual within the camp, including the animals.

And so, was Ithil given his freedom. Through hatred for humanity, he survived.

Yet even with his hatred, Ithil was no simple murderer, slaying anyone in his path. He had no goal, no path in life. His kind was hated throughout the land. He was unaccepted in all but the most devious of orders. And so, he became a master assassin within the Kir Kalad, an order that spanned beyond mortal timelines.

Within that order, he was revealed his destiny. The Kir Kalad explained to him, that he was the last descendant of an ancient race known as the H'tarrin, a demon-like race. Ages ago, the H'tarrin were defeated and banished away from the world, never to see the light of day again. Ithil's destiny was to free them and bring the world to chaos once more.

With his goal explained, he set about to finding the H'tarrin, only to encounter Azurio. Not realizing their great differences, both temporarily banded together at first to escape a dangerous situation. Yet they would meet again, and eventually realize how similar and yet different they were.

Ithil is Azurio's temptation into succumbing to Exodos. In all aspects, Ithil was supposed to be the bearer of the blade and bring ruin onto the world with no hesitation. It was his goal and mission. To obliterate everything. And yet, Azurio wielded the blade against him, refusing to release Exodos and kill him.

What would have happened if their places would have been switched?

The Sealing (The Words of Exodos)

You have questioned and I shall answer. I am neither Arcos or Belial. Nor am I a simple being, created by the whims of a simple master. I am their successor! I am fate incarnate and chaos unleashed. I am the maker and the destroyer, the incarnate father of sin! My names are beyond legend, mortal. Tyrus, Alam'gir, X'os- I am all of these! But you. You will know me by another name, fitting for a new era. You shall be my herald of the coming dawn, by this name will worlds know of my coming! Exodos! Exodos! I am Exodos!

See me now and know fear, mortal! I am no demon, nor am I a god- fallen or risen! I control those that enter my prison and take from them, what is to be mine forevermore!

This is my pandemonium, little herald. It was built to contain my very essence by the pantheon itself! Do you know of the pantheon, human? Of course not. It is beyond your time. It was the order of your gods, a basis of all things. But by sealing me, they were forced to close the bastion with most of their own inside. Inside, human! How I enjoyed taking their powers for my own. And when that happened, the pantheon collapsed and dissension ran amok their ranks, spreading until the remaining gods became nothing more then feudal lords.

How do I know this? Fool! Insect! This is my domain! All who dare enter stand no chance resisting me! They tell me all! They give me all! This is Innisfal, prison of eternity! Those who fall, land here and from them, I take all!

Belial. The first of the fallen. The most powerful of Twilight. He stood against me, like most. But… like all others, he too had no chance. Belial. Were you sent to seal him, instead? Little fool. You came to your doom. You were tricked. Decieved! Yes. Let the hope leave your eyes. Let your soul know the cost of betrayal!

Aurendil? Do you think such a tool has any power over me? What? You don’t even know what you wield? It is an elvish blade, human! Designed by an elven race of old who are nothing more then a forgotten memory now. Aurendil, the bringer of light. But there is no light in this darkness, herald. There is no hope. Like the crafters of the blade you now hold, you too shall perish. There is no hope!

What? What have you done? I bleed! What have you done to me? That is not Aurendil! That is not Aurendil! Come, assassin! Show me your claws, so that I may recognize the works of cowardice! So even Exodos may bleed. How is it that I can not feel the blade’s glow even though it is from my land, human? What weapon has the power to hurt me so? Tell me!

I understand now. Bearer and blade, one and the same. You are Bane, Bringer of Ruin, and the sword you hold is nothing more then yourself, crafted by my blood. So you plan to destroy me and seal Belial at last? It seems you’ve succeeded. But I cannot die. Not now. Not ever! I am eternal, Azurio! You cannot destroy me!

What? No. No, no, no! Stop! This cannot be! You cannot seal me, Azurio! It is impossible! I am Exodos! I am eternal! You cannot seal me!

You won’t need that now, Azurio. You have me now.

Yes. Exodos. That is me. You’ve sealed me within yourself, Azurio. You’ve traded your soul- your very essence in order to contain me. And now you’ve become the most powerful of mortals. My secrets are yours. My powers are yours. For a price, of course.

Leave it. Leave behind your shattered heritage and create a new one, with me. We shall walk amongst worlds, with crowds of thousands shouting our many names. Together we shall be almighty! Side with me and we shall be, the chosen of eternity.
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Commentary:
These are the major words of one of the most important events in the Calus Trilogy. Azurio had traveled to Innisfal in order to seal Belial as was told by the Light Elves. However, the given objective was misinterpreted and Azurio was doomed to face the being that is known as Exodos. This is not one large soliloquy. It is a number of his major sayings within this chapter, before and after he is sealed within the Mark of Kings and the Banesword.

Little detail is given about this chapter but it is the beginning of Azurio's burden that ultimately leads to complete chaos.

Dark Partings

He never even looked at her after that bolt flew right next to her. He didn't hear her scream, or the shouts of the elven envoy. All he saw was a blood haze surrounding the one who shattered his only hope. All he saw was Tyler.

Like a beast he leapt from the horse with Exodos in hand, sprinting forth through the deep snow straight for the man who had clearly gone mad to commit such a crime. Was the missile intended for him or Mae? Azurio didn't care. It didn't matter. Either way, Tyler would be dead.

Frozen branches seemed to move out of his way, afraid to even block the man's rampant charge. Like a specter, Azurio flew amongst the trees, his eyes set on the man ahead, who was hastily readying the crossbow once more.

Another bolt flew by him, missing his head by a mere few inches. He could see Tyler's eyes now, full of fear as quivering hands tried to hold the crossbow steady for the next shot. It would not come.

With a final lunge, he brought Exodos' entire force down on Tyler, watching the man desperately block with the crossbow, shattering the frail weapon with the mighty blow like shards of ice fit for such a frozen forest. Exodos quickly came up again, going for the man's chest in one quick strike.

But Tyler had managed to unsheathe his own weapon, parrying the blow frantically. He screamed into Azurio's face, his disheveled appearance giving him the look of a mad man. He leapt away on the defensive, his long sword ready to parry Exodos' strikes.

He would have none of it. Pure hatred ran through both mens' eyes. Whether for Mae's soul or their own, neither would not allow the other to live. One had to die.

Azurio would not strike. He stood there with Exodos in hand, staring into the eyes of the betrayer, remembering seeing Tyler for the first time in the Thundering Hall, his hand intertwined with Mae's.

He remembered watching Tyler pushing him from Mae, remembering the disappointment in her face every time he did it.

He remembered his emotionless face as they watched Mae depart into the sunset like a phoenix flying toward the sun. She knew the dangers. Azurio knew what she could face. Tyler simply didn't care.

No. He didn't care. Not for Mae. Not for the woman who saved Azurio's soul while Tyler simply stared from the shadows. This man had to die.

Raising Exodos, he lunged at Tyler without hesitation, watching the man's eyes go wide as the mundane blade prepared to block the upcoming attack. It would have shattered and left Tyler defenseless, his helplessness exploiting the weakness in Azurio's heart. But he would not have it. Not anymore. Not after what Exodos taught him or after what Ithil did to him.

Exodos swept down to meet the sword, both blades ready to equally lock in combat, one's strength surpassing the other. But Exodos was no mere sword.

"Now!" Azurio screamed at the sword, his eyes filled with inhumane fury as he felt the blade in his hands change shape, becoming larger, heavier, - and longer. Both blades met and the mundane metal of Tyler's steel shattered effortlessly. He tried to fall back but Exodos had grown longer in such a short time.

The blade kept flying through the air until it cut through Tyler's neck without pause, hungry for the man's death.

Decapitation.

Tyler's headless body fell forward, the head landing next to his shoulders, a mist of crimson spraying from the severed corpse.

Azurio stood there, breathing heavily and watching the head roll in the bloody snow with Exodos- back to its normal form, clenched in his grasp. He was gone. Tyler was dead. Mae was-

She screamed. Azurio turned towards her, looking at the terrified horror on her face. Her eyes were wide, wet with a flood of tears that dripped down a silken face and unto the snow below.

He could only watch with bloody sword in hand, as she collapsed onto her knees into the snow, her eyes locked on the fallen body of the man she cared for.

The man she cared for. Was it not Azurio? Did he not sacrifice his very heart to her? Who was Tyler to her? What made him matter to her so?

"Mae.." He whispered, pushing himself towards her. He hardly took a step before the very wind was knocked from him, his body thrown against a tree. It was Tyson with a hand clamped upon Azurio's throat, the massive war hammer merely inches from his face.

He could feel Exodos' warmth in his hand, silently suggesting that he fight back and defend himself.

"What are you doing?" Azurio shouted, his very strength fading from Exodos' aid while trying desperately to ignore the creature's call. "I was protecting her!"

"Protecting her? By killing Tyler?" Tyson shouted back in rage, his grip on the man's throat growing tighter. This man was a friend, but his life belonged to Mae. He would not hesitate to strike Azurio down.

"He tried to kill her, Tyson!" Azurio stammered. "I was only-."

"You were only doing what you always do, Tserai!" Mae screamed as she grasped at the bloody snow, sobbing without end. "You never stop! You can't stop! You don't want to!"

She turned to look at him, her face ashen with sorrow.

His eyes widened at her words and his mouth opened, but no words emerged. His tongue- his very mind, searched helplessly for words that could offer any meaning. Any consolation.

"You always have to kill, Tserai! You can never stop!" Her eyes met his, and he could see no love anymore. Only a darkness like no other. Only enmity.

"You enjoy killing others!" She cried, ripping her eyes from his and back to the fallen corpse.

Others. He enjoyed killing others. No. This could not be true. It wasn't possible. He didn't fight because he wanted to. He fought because he had to. It was his goal to protect her. He loved-.

"Get away from me." She whispered through her tears, her face buried behind that auburn hair.

He couldn't move. Not after such words. Even Exodos was silent now, offering no emotion or dark whisper. All he could do was stand there and stare at her, his mouth open in disillusion.

He'd killed Tyler. For her. And now she wanted him gone from her sight. Who did she love? Who did she want?

She wanted Tyler.

If that was what she wanted, Azurio would grant her that wish.

Turning away from her and Tyson with Exodos in hand, he silently strode through the snow, Mae's sobs echoing through his mind. Feeling a streak of wetness flow down his cheek, he hastily wiped it away before proceeding into the forest, once again alone in the world.
------
Commentary:
I was compelled to write a brief and slightly detailed story in regards to the final scene between Azurio and Tyler. While Tyler remained enshrouded in intrigue and mystery in regards to his actions and decisions, Azurio's actions were fully revealed as those of revenge, zealous protection of Mae, and personal rage compiled from the tolerance of Exodos' actions against him.
As seen, there was a relationship between Mae and Tyler even though it was not fully explained. In a previous chapter, Mae had painfully cast Tyler out from Rain and Thunder for his actions and ended anything they might have had. However her feelings for Tyler, whether from simple respect or lingering attraction, remained till his death. She realized the savagery within Azurio, even if not thinking about the past in regards to finding out about Exodos.
Azurio was quick to be cast out, realizing Tyson's passionate loyalty for Mae. Friendship was second to him when it came to Mae. And even though this would come near the end of the entire tale, this once again brings Azurio to the epitomy of his madness- being alone with Exodos.