Kevin's Watch

Are We to understand that the entire continent of Halym is now off limits, except to the Paragons? What has happened to those followers of Koel and Halideva who also lived on Halym? Do they remain, or are they now seeking refuge in the seas? It would be unwise of them to flee to Noptae. That place will soon become uninhabitable.

Halideva did seem to say that.

I have been notified to move my followers off Halym ... and I will do so. I would suggest others do the same ... unelss you want to support the Tree and the Paragons by givening them the life force of your followers.

I don't know how anyone else feels about the balance of the Courts. It was Aarklar's belief that an imbalance would be disastrous. And greater balance has given the Eclipse Court greater power, which we have used (once spectacularly successfully, once not) for the good of Eiran. If we gain power again, I will listen to all suggestions as to how to use it for Eiran. Likely, it would be against the Bleeds, unless we solve that problem beforehand.

As things stand now:

SUNRISE
Bel 6
Brid 10
Mirificus 7
O-gon-cho 9
Unknowable 6
38
DRDRPs:

SUNSET
Arcadia 6
Koel 8
Madadeva 6
The Numen 6
26
DRDRPs:

ECLIPSE
Simjen 8
uKulwa 11
Zephyr 9
28

I don't think Eclipse's strength relative to the other courts has nearly as much to do with how much power the court generates as the balance between Sunrise and Sunset does.

Obviously, Sunrise's relative strength puts things far out of balance. Of course, all courts could use all their court-power to , for example, seal the Bleeds. But, if Aarklar's belief was correct, the imbalance would need to be addressed, or the world, itself, will (as it were) wobble, off-kilter, and fall apart.

So what are your opinions?

One action I can see to aid the balance ... While Bel is trapped, his followers are still poisioned with the desire to cleanse Eiran of all mortal life. It is we who must cleanse Eiran of them ... that will bring Sunrise more in line!

It's certainly true. Bel will break free of Simjen's trap, and, when he does, he must not have to power to do all the things he wanted to do before. Which will only be worse now, since he'll have failed in destroying those who wanted to get away from Eiran (Odd that he wanted that, since their absence would only have helped the Peace), and he'll learn that he was attacked when he planned that bit of evil. The attacks on him will be continuing this season, which will make him less able to harm us, and will help the balance.

Still, his power will likely only be reduced by, I would guess, a third. The balance would need more. The Unknowable switching courts would get us closest to perfect balance.

And yes, I know, not all are necessarily in favor of balance. Especially those of Sunrise who want Sunrise to remain on top. Eclipse has always tried to keep the balance, but it may not be of the slightest concern to, for example, O-gon-cho. I'm just throwing ideas out there.

In homage to Uncle Rothmog, Lord of Plagues, the Numen have released a plague upon Noptae and the followers of Bel. Let all know that Noptae is not safe. Soon, it will become a place given over to mindless undead, hungering for the taste of living flesh. Not even the undead followers of Bel will escape their doom, while their deceitful patron sits helpless in Simjen's trap, silent to their cries.

Only the ancient followers of Argothoth, and those undead who pledge their Souls to the eternal quest for Knowledge may safely tread these shores. Step no foot upon Noptae, all who draw breath. Be you warned.

Madness, flesh eating undeath ... ah, my friends, perhaps the demon's the besiege brother War are some of the gentler sentinence on Eiran. Such has the AllFather's neglect made of Eiran; either directly or by forcing distasteful choices on us.

Court Master, do We sense criticism? You speak of flesh eating undeath as if it were a bad thing.

Well ... you must understand ... I find much more interesting things to do to flesh!! !!

Ah, this is a good point. We care naught for the flesh, as long as it continues to provide housing for the mind. But We remember the pleasures that others took in the flesh; even in the flesh of others.

Winter


Brid stumbles from the mists, distraught.

Once before, Brid had been persuaded to forsake her doctrine and no good had come of it. Why had she been beguiled again?

Her personality threatens to re-fragment, Raffa’s healing barely sufficient to contain it. The Assassin within her screams for revenge against Zephyr. The Mother yearns for her forsaken child, demanding reunion. The Enfant Terrible rages against the injustices of the world, as always.

The Aura of Halym slaps Brid across the face. An association with the past appeals to her:- she once encouraged her followers to make pilgrimage to Imray, to relish the very land itself rejecting them. Halideva’s Aura is strong enough to scourge even a goddess – and so she stays manifested, and walks towards the Tree.

She Passes Unnoticed to avoid confrontation with the Paragons.

At the Tree, Brid plaits her hair and uses it to hang herself from a high bough, enduring the agony as a penance for abandoning her dogma. She donates her divine power to the Tree, strengthening its Forsaking of the Worldbreaker and at the same time sharing her experience of banishing his minions from Eiran.

I try the pleasures of the flesh. But with my twin gone ... they no longer suffice.

I did not image I would feel ... loss.

PAIN.

Another God gives their essense to the Tree.

...

My heart breaks with the beautiful sacrifice of these gods.

It looks to me that Brid is just giving her power this turn to the Tree of Life. And who can guess what she might learn by doing so in this manner!! I hope something that helps save Eiran.

Brothers and Sisters, and the Unknowable (who lacks gender), our number is dropping. Dagon is gone, Rothmog, Vashitva, The Void, Nor Yekith, Tawhiri-Matea and now Halideva as well. All within the time The Numen have existed. Perhaps now Moxinomial is lost to us, by his own hand. Bel's suicide will soon be completed as well, though he forces Us to be the instrument of his demise.

Who else will fall? How can we insure that those of us who remain honor the loss of our siblings, and grow from those losses? And, perhaps more importantly, what does the loss of these gods mean for the future of Eiran?

Are we not all avatars of the beliefs of our followers? If the world embraces magic, is that not reflected in the creation of the Unknowable? If the world ceases to fear disease, is that not reflected in the destruction of Rothmog? And so, those who worshipped Oblivion in The Void turned instead to worshiping Knowledge. And then later, instead of seeking their own eventual destruction, they now seek eternity in Undeath. At the same time, the followers of Peace decided to embrace a more immediate flavor of Oblivion for all the world. When Bel falls, perhaps that is symbolic of Eiran finally casting aside its urge for self-destruction.

Perhaps it is this schism that the AllFather senses, and why he has been unwilling to act on behalf of his world. If the will of the people is so fractured, so bent on its own demise, can the AllFather act against it? Perhaps the AllFather is as bound to beliefs of the populace as we are, though while we each respond to a subset of those fractured wishes, He responds to them all.

It is not enough that some do not hinder our goals. If all on Eiran do not embrace a continued existence, we all are at risk. And so, we must foster an enthusiasm in our followers, and we must excise all those who will not share our goals. If they wish to cease, let them. But let them do so now, not later. Let us not share in their doom.