Songweavers

[Darkness Ascendant]

So last night I couldn't sleep. I was restless and worrying about alot of crap.

Then I just sort of started writing, and well, here's what I came up with. This is the creation myth for the world I conceived. And I think it could apply to our world as well  

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On Harmony, and the Creation of the world

In the beginning, there was a single note. A pure, clear, constant note. This was known as the tune of Chaos. Then one day, the note was broken, and out rushed the ocean from the discord. The ocean created and filled the first sphere of existence, and added it’s own song to the tune of chaos.

And there was harmony once more.

5 more discords occurred, and with each one something new was made.

The second discord happened, and the sky spread from the broken harmony, overlapping the ocean and it created and filled the second sphere of existence.

But the sky was empty, and it only rang with one note.

But there was harmony again nonetheless.

Then the third discord struck, and out spurted the heavens, greater and even more all-encompassing than the sky. They pushed and redefined the boundaries of the world, creating and filling the third sphere. There were 7 layers to the heavens, and each brought with them an octave to add to the song of the universe, for before then, the world sung on one octave, and was mostly empty. They added their tranquil and ethereal siren song to the symphony that was creation.

For now the heavens were empty, there was nothing but chaos that filled the gaps.

And there was harmony once again.

From the fourth discord came the first manifestation of life.

The Mariner.

Sprung from one of the greatest discords the music had experienced. The Mariner was flung into the oceans with a ship and a lantern. His advent created and filled the fourth sphere of existence. The Immortal Plane.

The symphony became a cacophony now.

There was no more harmony.

For with the mariner came his discordant tunes, the song of displaced life.

And the mariner spent his days sailing the now chaotic seas,

concepting land wherever he went, all sprung from the discords of his music

Thus he created and filled the fifth sphere of existence

Earth itself

The discord continued for many centuries, until the mariner finally began to question the world truly. These questions, tho he had no answers, slowly brought a semblance of order as the mariner endeavoured to find answers. Over time, the heavens stopped reaching into the world, the oceans stilled, the storms stopped and the sky sang a pure note once more

Finally, there was a recognisable melody, the melody of a the mind. A quiet piercing melody.

Not quite harmony,

but a semblance of it.

But one day. The Mariner gave up,

he stopped looking for answers,

stopped asking questions.

And with his broken will, the harmony was shattered.

And with this tumultuous discord,

came mortal life

First in the form of a bird, a white dove. It was the first animal to to explore the new world, the first creature to travel the land.

It created and filled the sixth sphere of existence: The Mortal Plane

And with it, the music became wilder and chaotic, a complicated, overlapping on-rush of discord.

One day, as the dove sung its song,

a bolt of lightning struck it asunder,

and the Mariner, by the fate of the music, stumbled upon it's broken corpse.

For then, the spirit couldn't leave the body after death, unless the proper rites were performed

The mariner fashioned a draught of life, with his tears and the waters of the ocean.

And administered to the bird, nurturing it and rejuvenating it back to life.

And with this came a special thing,

for the Mariner created something,

Love.

Love was created, and it filled the six known spheres of existence.

And the mariner found an answer.

Love was the answer. And with this revelation, the bird died a second time,

but with it's death, a star, twinkled into existence in the sky,

the first star, the morning star, the evening star. A sign of hope and love for all!

The star represented the first story of the world.

The story of creation and love. The song of first age of the earth.

The Mariner ascended to the heavens after burying the dove's limp body.

He no longer sailed the seas, but sailed the stars themselves!

And he became both sun and moon, his lantern the sun, himself the moon. His arm was always outstretched, carrying the lantern before him and lighting the way for the world.

And so there was Day and Night.

The Mariner knew his purpose now, and it was to nurture and kindle the stars, to preserve the stories made and pass them down to the land he now oversaw. To guide the world beneath him and shed light on the answers that were sought by all, just as the dove shed light on the answers he sought.

With the advent of love; burst forward more life and music; filling the mortal sphere, the land, the sky, the oceans.

And with these creatures, they brought their own stories, developing over the course of their mortal existence

Whereupon the end, they ascend to the stars and heavens. Their souls continuing to the heavens, their light, their story, painted on the dark canvas of night.

Kept and kindled by the Mariner, their souls able to enter the heavens peacefully.

There was a seventh sphere,

not one of existence

but one of non-existence.

A counterpoint to to the creation of everything.

The seventh sphere was a subtle one. The Void. No harmony, no discord, no music.

This sphere seeped into the other spheres, corrupting and defiling. The music was the genetic code of the universe, and the Void removed the music, taking away notes and tones, “chromosomes”. Mutating and defiling the symphony.

The only way to battle it was to look to the stars, and find hope.

For hope was the only thing that the void feared.

And that was how the world was created, not through some divine plan, but through mistakes. Many many mistakes. And questioning, and searching for answers, through ideas and stories, for they are truly the things that shape the world around us.

Our flaws can be our greatest source of strength, our reasons for asking questions, for searching for answers. They are the reasons we strive to be better people, the reason we love, live and endeavour.

But they can also be the reasons we fall, the source of our darkest thoughts and deeds. But through our stories, through our compassion which is innate in all things. we can bring harmony to the discord and guide others. support each others and add our tales to the stars. Nothing was ever perfect and nothing will always be perfect

Our stories are the tools from which we change and shape the world, our songs are the partof a greater symphony of life. Always have hope and never throw away your story, everything is worth it and there is no reason to stop living and evolving.

And there was harmony forevermore.

--------------------------

This is just the scribblings I wrote, I still need to explain things like the clouds, the rain and crap heh.

[Darkness Ascendant]

So before I cam up with the Creation Myth, I had been feeling down and I made a comic about The Mariner (He is the idea from which I got the creation myth and the world in general). I really relate to this story and I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I had writing it?

(Comic will be edited in later)

Spoiler

 

Here's the transcript of it tho.

-----------------------------------------------

On Love and the Mariner

My name is irrelevant
I have sailed these seas for many a year now
I do not remember how I came into these mystical waters, but I know that I had been lost for a long time now.
I was confused
How had I woken to this...place?
All I had was a ship, a strange lantern and myself

I wandered a lot

I "stumbled" through these waters, i didn't know what I was to do, what I had to find

But as I passed, strange forms would rise before me

formless and undefined

much like my mind was

I ventured through storms

I saw great things

I saw pillars of rock rise from the ground at a thought

I saw mountains form

Volcanoes erupt

Sometimes I thought I had found an answer to my half-formed questions

Sometimes. I thought there wasn't a question in the first place

But the questions still remained

Who was I?

Why was I here?

To what end?

What for?

It was on a night like this. Much as I am now speaking to you, I was then speaking to myself

"When will this oceans end? I tire of this endless cycle"

*These oceans only end when you stop seeing them as oceans. Look around you*

*Look. The sights, the scents. FEEL THE MUSIC I know it's hard. I know it seems as though there is no point-* “But does it matter?"

"Does it matter how many mountains have risen, how many oceans have fallen. Does it matter how many steps I have taken, how far I’ve gone?”

*Of course it matters. The things you have experienced, the places You’ve been, the steps you have taken. They all have shaped who you are today. Do you really want to throw all that away?*

“...No...but to what end? Why am I who I am?"

*The answer to that is anything you want it to be. There is no answer, and yet there is an answer. Time will reveal it*

And just like that it ended

Leaving me angry and spiteful

I looked to the sky and sighed. As usual, it was empty, much like I was inside.

You see, there weren’t any stars, there was no moon, no sun. No night, no day. Only now do I know why

And so, once again, I continued sailing, drifting through the world aimlessly. No mountains rose before me, no islands sprung up, no land was made.

I look back to these days sadly. I endured storm after storm, saw great things. But they didn’t excite me like they used to. There was no joy in the world

Only pain and hopelessness

And then it happened

I had been drifting through some misty crags

And a light pierced the mists. A little bit of my old curiosity was kindled by its luminosity.

I sailed closer to it, the mists slowly dispersed

The light was emitted by a bird

a white, beautiful, most probably dead dove.

It lay on the sands of an island, I don't remember making that one. It lay prone, charred feathers breaking the white of it. I hadn't noticed the damage before. But the light it was emitting was fading now.

It was dying

So I did the only thing that came to my mind. I took it aboard my ship. And I warmed it by the light of my lantern and the heat of my embrace.

I drafted a remedy from my tears and the sea itself

It took 7 days of crying and collecting. Administering the remedy and rejuvenating the bird.

On the first day I fixed and set its broken wings

On the second I found myself staring at the bird. Willing it to survive

The third, I sang to it, and some light returned to its eyes. I had never felt joy like this before.

On the fourth, it began to stir, I hugged it close and opened my heart to it, sheltering it inside.

The fifth it tried to speak to me. The feathers had returned to their natural luminescent, pure gleam. It fell into a deep slumber however. By now I cared for it more than I cared for myself

On the sixth I realised that the ship had been prone on the island. I had never stayed in one place for this long before. The dove flexed its wings and cawed to me softly. I laughed for the first time that day. It was wonderful, a beautiful, loud and strange sound.

On the seventh I cried non-stop. It had finally woken fully from its slumber, and as it got up, my ship was filled with such a blinding light. Never had I seen a light as bright as that one that day. As it got up steadily, it looked at me in the eye and whispered two words.

"Thank you"

And with those words it flew off, leaving me with the brightest of feathers and a shattered dream. Suddenly, despair overcame me. The dove had given me life, it made me whole.

And now it was gone.

I looked at the sky and sighed

The dove was gone

But one thing caught my eye

a glimmering in the sky, a twinkling, a glittering, a miracle!

That was how the first star entered the sky

and suddenly, I wasn't so alone

I looked down and saw that my lantern was brighter than ever before! And both these lights illuminated the answer.

Shedding light to the question I had always asked.

My name is irrelevant

I have sailed these seas for many a year now.

I do not know how I came into these mystical waters.

But that doesn't matter

I was never lost

It didn't matter how, or what or why

The things that mattered, now fell into place before me

I have weathered storms

I have seen, amazing, wonderful things

I wondered a lot

I "stumbled" through these waters. I never stayed in one place, I had been through so much.

I found an answer

there was no question!

It was on a night like this. I was speaking to myself much like I am speaking to you now

I had been through so much, seen so much, learnt so much, discovered who I was.

All I needed was my lantern, my ship and myself

With these three I looked for other birds, set more spirits free. I loved, I cared, I let go.

It was who I was. I was the nurturer.

The guardian

the carer

the Shield

I look to the sky and I laugh

I was blind. And now I could see.

------------------------

As you can tell, there are some inconsistencies, but I can easily remedy them by saying that he ascended to the heavens after this tale and that he became the sun and the moon, the guiding light  

Edited April 14, 2017 by Darkness Ascendant

[Darkness Ascendant]

So, now I had the main parts for my creation myth. I wasn't sure where I was going with this. I wasn't sure If I wanted a magic system but this morning while at Jamat prayer as it was Friday. I was listening to the Imaam talk about Isa (Jesus) and there was a particular anecdote which fired up my imagination. And I paraphrase here btw. It was a scenario perfect to implement a part of the magic system called Soulsong and what is basically Necromancy (I don't have an in-world name)

----------------------------

Rise

So Jesus sees this woman crying over a grave

And he asks the woman, "Why are you crying?"

And the woman responds, "I have lost my daughter,  she was everything I had"

"By god, I will stay by her grave, until I taste death myself or my daughter tastes life again"

"I just want to see her again"

this is where I diverge

In the original. Jesus calls the spirit of the girl, and commands it to Rise three times

in mine it goes like this

<my character> responds, "So if you see a glimpse of her, you shall leave this place?"

"By my soul, I will!"

<my character> nods and he sat down and crossed his legs. He hummed softly and attuned to the song of the soul.

His mind sifted through the melodies of the all the souls wandering through heaven. To the outside viewer, he sat for a mere 10 seconds. But to the mind, he was working for 10 years.

Finally, he found the spirit of the dead girl. And he sang to her.

Sang to her to return to the mortal plane, to return to her old body and . RISE. He commanded.

The word escaped his lips and the humming took a different turn, he opened his eyes and raised his arms, moving them in motion to his words.

RISE. he commanded, and the soul entered it's old body.

And then, he sang a last time, animated the body and took control over the soul of the girl.

RISE. he commanded. And the grave broke open. The girl rose, brushing dirt off her dress. Her eyes were closed the entire time.

The woman screamed. "My daughter! You have done it! A miracle!"

<my character> scowled at her. "Be silent" , for the music of silence was the best music to work from.(edited)

He asked the dead girl a question. "Why were your eyes closed?". Each word was attuned to a note, punctuated and released, for the words also released some of <my character>'s control over the girl's body, and he allowed her to speak.

"My eyes...I thought the time had come. For the resurrection, I was afraid my lord! Then I heard my mother's voice, and I opened my eyes. And I was angered"

"I am no lord" <my character> spoke. "What do you have to say to your mother?"

He turned the body to face the woman, once again, the words he had spoken before held commands for the body through each note and octave. He allowed her to speak once more.

"Mother, I am saddened and angered, that you brought me into this mortal form, only to taste the pain of life and death twice"(edited)

"I was at peace, I had done my part in the story, I have no more purpose in this narrative. Please, allow me to sleep once more"

<my character> took control of the girl's body once more, "Anything you would like to say?" He looked at the mother pointedly.

"Please, don't leave me again, you were all I had!"

<my character> scowled at his. Still, the woman didn't understand. He hummed once more. FALL. And the girl returned to her grave, lay down and closed her eyes. He looked at the woman, “Watch closely.” RISE. And with his words, a blazing white light, one that was only visible to him, but with his words, it was visible to the woman as well as long as he hummed.

RISE. And the light rose from the grave, in the form of the girl, and it shot off into the sky in a blazing path. The woman was agog with awe. The light continued until it settled in the sky, a glittering jewel, a star. The light remained as the spirit continued to the heavens. Finally, <my character> stopped humming.

heh

“Do you see now? You are never alone, your daughter found her place in the stars and one day, so will you, as long as you don’t end it prematurely. Stories deserve to be finished, allow yours the chance it needs”

He smiled at her and took her hand, "I think your story needs a new direction"

"Come with me"

--------------------------------

I'm going to make it that the woman then goes on to become a song-weaver herself or something

Phew, that was hard transcribing (lol!)

I will try and evolve this world and I'll keep y'all updated!

 

[Darkness Ascendant]

Um any feedback or anything? 

[Hemalurgic Headshot]

It's awesome! I bet everyone was speechless.

Your mythology is very thought out. However, I feel that you might not be able to stuff all of that into a story that would make sense, if you know what I mean? The idea is great, lots of room to move around in. The Mariner is a very interesting myth. 

In terms of power, is singing or and instrument more powerful?

Edited April 17, 2017 by Hemalurgic_Headshot

[Darkness Ascendant]

30 minutes ago, Hemalurgic_Headshot said:

It's awesome! I bet everyone was speechless.

Your mythology is very thought out. However, I feel that you might not be able to stuff all of that into a story that would make sense, if you know what I mean? The idea is great, lots of room to move around in. The Mariner is a very interesting myth. 

In terms of power, is singing or and instrument more powerful?

Alright, I've been working on a revamped creation myth. Basically the original but with alot more detail and continuity, and I threw alot of "How this was made" into it. I can see how you think they won't make sense but I need a second opinion on this new version. The new version doesn't discount what is said before, and reveals that the entire thing is written in the form of a letter from Void to his chosen "messenger/prophet" (Not written by Void as he cannot be corporeal, but through Void's son Life-It'll make sense when I finish transcribing this >>). The Mariner, mariner, mariner....it was originally a comic written to release some stress...it has evolved alot since then, and It's somehow made it's way into all the stories I've written about my world so far.

So, that completely depends on skill and control, as well as how many octaves you can play on, how fast you can play/sing/hum/whistle etc etc. So, my character above that engaged in SoulSong is extremely skilled and powerful. As he can hold more than one tune at once (I need to research about whether this is possible tbh). He controlled the girl's body and coaxed her soul back into it's shell temporarily...which is an almost godly feat, hence his inspiration from Jesus. I can use song-weaving to ascribe how mythological figures accomplished their feats. Someone who is playing an instrument has an advantage of being able to select and control music better, but singers of voice tend to be harder working and hence, more skilled. Also, there is the factor of things like coughs/hiccups/sore throats that can hinder a singer. If you were speechless while singing...you would be screwed, half-finished songs will backfire on the singer (made up that rule just then)  

I'm planning on that some Songs are better Woven by particular instruments, so like WindSong would be better with a lyre if you intend on creating a breeze, and better sung in voice or with harsh brass instruments. I also intend on percussion being a backing power, so clapping/stamping/drumming/clicking to a rythm will be able to add a second layer to the music and sort of boost the power of the original Song. And I'm also thinking of making EarthSong entirely percussion, so like, EarthWeavers may end up being people who walking around wearing a drumkit lmao. 

Achilles was proficient in GrowthWeaver and was aided by his mother who herself was an accomplished GrowthWeaver, hence his "invulnerability", Paris was proficient in DecaySong, and his singing was more powerful and complex, as decay is always harder than growth, and only a strong Weaver can master it, so when they do, the always do it well, the reason the heel was used was because Achilles never expected a wound to his heel to be well, fatal, so he focused his singing on healing the wounds which he thought were more important. But as the arrow was Woven with Decay, it's wound killed the body from the inside, and healing poisons,internal bleeding, organs, is alot harder from the inside, than the outside, and so Achilles was outsung and died. (Probably needs more work...I just made that up right now)

Or like how Moses sang to the Red Sea to part in the middle, showing great power in OceanSong to split such a massive body of water.

Keep these questions coming in! They are forcing me to think and in doing so, giving me more ideas  

--------------------------

Here's the mariner comic, just to keep it all here.

Spoiler

 

 

[Hemalurgic Headshot]

So your Songweaver saga is an alternate magical history of the world/universe? You mentioned Moses and Achilles.

And EarthSong is percussion-based? What would bassoon be...?

Could I have a list of ____Songs?

[Darkness Ascendant]

10 hours ago, Hemalurgic_Headshot said:

So your Songweaver saga is an alternate magical history of the world/universe? You mentioned Moses and Achilles.

And EarthSong is percussion-based? What would bassoon be...?

Could I have a list of ____Songs?

Nah, I'm going to do a completely different world, but with alot of allusions and things. Those were just examples of scenarios.

I'm still figuring out the "chosen" instruments. Typically any instrument can be used to play any song, it just depends on skill and power, and how much easier it is to play something on a particular instrument. Unless I make percussion simply for EarthSong...then I'll need to change some stuff.

As for a list of songs. here are some I've thought up.

GrowthSong

DecaySong

LoveSong

SorrowSong

LightSong (the bold )

ShadowSong

SandSong

WindSong

OceanSong

ForgeSong

FireSong

EarthSong

MindSong

StormSong

TruthSong

JoySong

LifeSong

FateSong

FrostSong

WinterSong

ClearSong

OrderSong

SoulSong

-----

I'm thinking of grouping them as Emotional songs, which evoke a particular emotion in the listeners, like SorrowSong etc and then Physical songs, which manipulate the environ such as EarthSong and SandSong. As well as a metaphysical group of songs, MindSong, FateSong, TruthSong, SoulSong etc

Edited April 18, 2017 by Darkness Ascendant

[Hemalurgic Headshot]

So of the Songs, which are the greatest? Which are the hardest to tune to and which do the most?

[Tristan]

On 4/17/2017 at 2:31 AM, Darkness Ascendant said:

Um any feedback or anything? 

I just read the first post--I will come back to read the others later. I cannot say how much I love this.

[Darkness Ascendant]

On 4/18/2017 at 7:35 PM, Hemalurgic_Headshot said:

So of the Songs, which are the greatest? Which are the hardest to tune to and which do the most?

"greatest" is relative. It all depends on skill and power again. I would say BodySong, MindSong and SoulSong be the most powerful and hardest. BodySong controls animate objects, MindSong controls inanimate objects and grants telepathy, and SoulSong allows you to speak with dead souls as long as you can find them, you can also coax them back into their shells (basically necromancy), to control it once it's back in it's shell is to use either BodySong or MindSong as the corpse is half-dead, half-alive. To not control it is to unleash an angry and hateful zombie/draugr as the soul hates tasting life a second time, it will endeavor to destroy it's caller if the Weaver doesn't take control the moment the soul enters the shell, then will commit suicide, and taste death a second time.

As for the hardest to tune to....FateSong, SoulSong, DecaySong are the ones I can think would be hard to tune to right now. Things might change.

As for what does the most? Those would be the elemental songs. The are by far the easiest and have the most raw power, plus with skill, time and patience one can learn to do all sorts of things, and combine Songs to do new marvelous things!

On 4/19/2017 at 5:00 AM, Tristan said:

I just read the first post--I will come back to read the others later. I cannot say how much I love this.

Aww thanks dear  

[Darkness Ascendant]

Ok, so this continues from the creation story, except I have decided to make it a letter. It is told from the viewpoint of Void and is a letter to his chosen “messenger”.

I feel very influenced by Tolkien’s letters in the fact that there are a lot of footnotes >> so instead of putting them as footnotes, they are done in brackets next to where the asterisk would have been.

It is written by Life, word by word from what Void tells him to write (occasionally Discord adds his own little bits)

My notes are written in <>

Spoilered for length (7.5K words >>)

Spoiler

On the Truth and the messenger of the Void

So that's most of the telling done, most of the important bits at least

 

Now surely by now you must have wondered my part in the creation of the world my chosen one.

Surely the music didn't write this tale, surely the mariner couldn't have, for even if he asked about how things were made , he wouldn't have been able to find an answer.

And besides, it's hard to write when one is preoccupied with preserving all the stories of the world* (* You all should appreciate him more)

But the greatest reason why is merely because of the fact I'm writing this in this manner, as I am referring to them  in second person they surely cannot be the ones to have wrote this/

So, who am I?

Well, to understand this, I have to tell you the real account of what happened, the creation of the universe and the beginnings of time.

I need to tell you my side of the story (for in the end I am not a bad person, I believe, and I may have done terrible things, and still do terrible things, but they are necessary and I cannot help my nature, for it is more human than you humans can conceive of. I strive to limit my faults, and so I presented the previous tale, shedding myself in a bad light to stop you all from pitying me, or worse, attempting to help me. The only reason I am writing this is , although I had no intention of showing this to anyone, that my dear wife believes that the way the majority of the world sees me is "unfair" and that the fact people curse by my name and hate me so. She says its not fair that people curse by my name when I am a "mere force of nature". but they don't curse Life, my son, when he stops writing their mortal tales and decides they have sung for long enough)

 

You are now even more confused I imagine.

Life?

my son?

a wife?

Where did all these beings come from?

Well, all will be explained in time

but until then, sit back and hear my story.

Before the song of non-existence (referred to as Chaos before), there was no music.

There was only myself.

The Void (Hi! I like tap dancing!)

Back then, there wasn't much of anything, well, there was nothing at all.

It was just me, myself and I. Manifestations of nothing(these paradoxes hurt my head, but I'm glad to be here)
Or well
the lack of thereof.

I was lonely. No-one can go alone for as long as I did and stay sane (except Death, she's weird)
I talked to myself alot, and in my "mind" of course, as I had no, and still don't, have a voice.
I could only take away what was already there (nothing at that time, so I did nothing)
I could never create anything of my own.
And this is one of the sources of my sorrows, that I was constricted to taking away.
Anyway, so I was talking to myself one moment during that Non-time (for time, chronologically at least, did not exist).
And I thought to myself
"Wouldn't it be great if I had someone to talk to, or at least think to?"
And well.
I have no idea what happened during the conception of that thought.
(this is the part where all creation myths have their flaw am I not wrong)
Anyway, so I was suddenly, split into two personas
split by a single, powerful, note.

A crystal clear and beautiful note. I had never heard anything before that sound. And I was transfixed, it was so alien, yet rather than being repulsed by it, I felt myself attracted to it, and I guess this is the second source of my sorrows. I had no voice. So I couldn't communicate with this strange new manifestation, I wasn't alone anymore, yet I had never been so painfully aware that I was alone.

 

When I was split in two, the second part of my sentience...transformed(don't ask me). The second part turned into two new beings, Harmony (who became my loving wife, whom I care for more than myself) and her "brother" (I guess) -they are in the end, all a part of me and I of them. Don’t ask me how this works, because in the end Love cannot be explained nor restrained and things like incest, marrying yourself, creating and marrying your creations may have been practised by us, but we are incorporeal, not physical being such as you humans (and we used MindSong, not that curious practise you humans indulge in), so you all should never indulge in these practises as they are disgusting, but an-or necrophilia, bestiality or anything messed up like that, control your urges please. But an- or rape, sexual assault or anything as simple as catcalling, Love is sacred and such a defilery of what is intimately a good and great thing is something that pains me endlessly. Love should be accomplished willingly and mutual, physically in this sense, emotionally and mentally it need not. Love cannot be explained nor restrained, as in things like homosexuality and asexuality are perfectly within the “boundaries” of Love-I speak figuratively. Anyway, her brother Discord (soon to be brother-in law….and me as well either way)

 

Now allow me to speak of their nature first. Harmony...she was the perfect balance(I say she is a she as she identifies as this weird idea of hers called gender, Idk why we have that either, we are all beings of Love in the end). She was the soft melody to the crashing cymbals yet also the drums that supported the sound and provided a backbeat.  She was the opposite, yet she was co-operation. She never dictated what needed to be done, and instead changed to fit the needs and commands of others. She was beautiful, I would call her subservient, if it weren't for her overwhelming intelligence and tact, she definitely isn't prone to speaking her mind occasionally(Although she does so in the sweetest and way imaginable heh). She is the wind that moves around rocks yet slowly caresses and manipulates the rocks themselves. And I knew I loved her from the moment she was conceived. If nothingness could somehow stop existing and become something (these paradoxes twist my MindSong), I would do it for her in a “heartbeat”

 

And there was Discord, her bored, restless yet amazing and creative brother. I know he can be quite annoying and has a tendency of interrupting (I really like tap dancing!) but he’s definitely beloved to all, and if truth be told, I “live” to see the great things he accomplishes, he spices up non-existence and makes things interesting. He’s one the greatest distractors, it’s impossible to be depressed around him, and he’s the reason I don’t wallow as much as I had done before.

 

The main thing that separated them from me, was that...they had voices...they could sing, laugh, speak. This is a great cause of my sorrows. It seemed like everyone could sing, laugh, cry and speak out loud save for myself…all I could do was listen in agony and talk to myself. So now there was a single note, a clear perfect note that rang through the silence. And Discord being Discord, he broke the note. And out gushed this magnificent, sparkling, aquamarine, liquid, flowing through the broken harmony. It created and filled the first sphere of existence in the Void (And with it a part of me was used and filled in the process. It was a...curious feeling, feeling a part of me turn from nonexistence to existence). With the music, came a melody which played alongside the note of Chaos, a song of ceaseless stirrings and deep movements, of gushing waters and ideas.

 

So Harmony being Harmony, she adjusted herself to the new music and reasserted harmony upon the world, returning the single note back to it’s unbroken days. It sounded marvellous. I had never heard of such music, the song of the ocean entwined itself around the note of chaos, frequently I found myself singing along to them in my mind, a little song I like to call VoidSong. It was around this time that Harmony and I made first contact, I...we...shared a strange connection. One beyond the fact that she came from me heh. Things were awkward at first, partly due to the fact that Discord was always buzzing around in the background (There is no sense of privacy when all in the Void are connected in mind and spirit) (I liked eavesdropping on those buffoons, honestly, you should have seen the first couple of centuries of contact…there was so much tension and awkwardness, I had to tread lightly just so I didn’t step in it by accident). What we shared didn’t need to be put into words or thoughts for that matter, because, well, we just knew and felt that we were meant to be together. This reminds me to make a clarification before I continue. Love didn’t exist in the spheres of existence until after the Mariner felt it for the first tim, once he had tasted the Void and created Love to fill it up. I guess this is the one thing I can appreciate about myself, however...no matter how empty I may be, the more capacity to love and care I have! When you hit rock bottom...the only way you can go is “up”.

 

And another clarification, of all my talk about there not having been a Plan to the creation of all things, I myself find myself feeling as if there is a hidden working to everything, unseen and all-powerful, perhaps for good reason. I mean, I couldn’t help but question what I was, who I was during my days of lone, much like our Mariner friend. This was further reinforced by my sudden, unexplainable drawing and desire to my wife Harmony. I do not believe that Love is incidental and mere happenstance...it is something far, far, more deeper and primal. A power that controls the hearts of all and drives us to do great things, both terrible and wonderful. I believe that Love is the workings of when Time and Fate coincide and bring two people or beings together, joining and entwining them in harmony and as one. Love controls us all in the end, whether it be a love for gold, for companionship, friendship, ourselves and the world itself. Truly it is the greatest enigma, and one best left unsolved, yet deep down we all know the answer, perhaps a remnant, an imprint of the effects love has on us, one that we simply cannot express in a way our feeble minds can comprehend. Indeed the only way we seem to be able to understand love is by understanding that it isn’t understandable….

Or, I could just be a being in my own sphere of non-existence (which inside there are spheres of existence) and my sphere itself is encircled by many, many others…

 

But there is no point in dwelling on such questions, many have gone insane in the ponderings of the universe, it is simply far too complex for ourselves. If there is an ultimate plan at all, if there is some “God”, then that means there is a Goal, and for good or bad, we must continue trudging along our paths, playing along to the plans, writing our stories, because once again, they shape who we are and the world around us (Just imagine how much you, yourself have changed over the years!). Stories, or plans deserve to be completed, executed to their fullest and most glorious  heights! The stars are your canvas, the sky isn’t the limit, it is the beginning! There is no limit, only the speed at which you travel on currently. There is no reason to throw these chances away, and like our friend The Mariner we will find our place, where we can sing our stories and add to the great symphony that is life (Or like me, write your stories through your children like I’m doing right now…you are wonderful Life!)

 

Everything was in harmony, until the second discord struck. By then Harmony and I were a lot more comfortable with each other and we spent decades talking at a time, just rambling and chatting (in MindSong not voice…). With this second discord came the Sky, it spread out from the broken harmony and created and filled the second sphere of existence. The sky was empty and so only held a single deep penetrating note, twirling into the music of the universe. I experienced the peculiar feeling of being filled once again. Where there was more space for the spheres, there was less space for me, but I wasn’t bothered by this at the time, I truly loved the universe more than myself, and if I was used up in the creation of such a masterpiece, then so be it!

 

And once again Harmony reasserted “balance”(Oh how I wish we were mortal and corporeal, how I long for a physical incarnation of us both, and feel so much more than her thoughts and music which filled my “mind”). We married not long afterwards (I MADE THE CEEREEEEMONYY) I do not know how to describe our decision, why we felt there should be some form of a ritual or ceremony to unite us “officially” when we were already entwined in MindSong, our mental music already attuned as one. But it felt it needed to be done, as a step we needed to take. Credit goes to my brother in law Discord (FINALLY!) for creating the concept of marriage, a small oath which we took without hesitation.

(I translate as best as I can...the words in your tongue are so...constricting)

 

By Love for it is eternal

Our love for each other is eternal

Our songs are one

Our minds are one

Now we shed what we were old

Now together we shall grow old

No force shall pull us apart

Not even death shall make us part

By the great symphony which is eternal.

 

Shortly after our union, the third discord struck (Sorry, things were getting quiet) and with it came the heavens in a glorious and powerful tempest, exploding out of the broken symphony and they were more larger and all-encompassing than the sky even. They rumbled and shook the very music of the universe, expanding and redefining the limits of music. The Heavens were of 7 layers, and with each came whole new “steps” of notes to play from. Octaves, 6 octaves, and the music was opened to more possibility! They created and filled the third sphere of existence, adding an ethereal and tranquil song to the symphony, one of peace and fulfillment, a song from beyond the veil. The music became alive yet soothing, fiery yet tranquil. With the heavens came souls (I do not know how they came to be….I do not remember having an idea for them when I caused the third discord). The souls were innumerable and infinite, filling the heavens (not as empty as I said they were before. I wonder what should happen should we run out of souls-though that is an occurrence nowhere in sight currently). The souls all hummed and harmonised in a single hymn of possibility and patience, and at once I knew that they would be a form of parchment on which mortal life (Barely a seed in Discord’s mind) would write their stories upon, scribed by my son Life (we will come to him and my daughter Death in due time).

 

But with all of this, a great part of me was used...and I felt true pain for the first time. It was an unnatural, new, horrible development.

And I reacted horribly in turn to it.

Before life or even anything mortal was conceived, I felt Pain, and I let out a raw and anguished scream in MindSong, disrupting the harmony between myself and my wife, pushing her out of my mind (and kicking Discord out while I was at it). Confused and shocked, they both retreated, for they had tastes the pain in my music, and they had never experienced anything such like this new feeling that had just been discovered. It may have not been physical pain, but it was pain nonetheless, one of anguish and loss...I felt crammed into a small box and I longed to free myself from these restraints, Harmony and Discord overlapped into the spheres of existence, whereas I was confined to Void, for I was Void the silent, the empty, the hollow.

With Pain came a new manifestation, 7 serpents; Hunger, Lust, Misery, Calamity, Rumour, Manipulation and Trust <I will need to change these names eventually, these are just placeholders>. At once they escaped Void, never to return again, and unleashed themselves upon the spheres of existence. Pain wrought itself upon the music of the universe, adding a strained sense to the sounds. The Serpents rushed off into the spheres and wreaked havoc with the music, changing, manipulating and removing, undoing the workings of creation.

They were barred from the Heavens and the Immortal Plane (Which we shall come to later) however, as Harmony and Discord were far too powerful and in control, and the Serpents were repulsed by such a culmination of souls.

 

Once I calmed down from my turmoil and I finally “opened my eyes”...I was horrified. What had I done? The world was in ruin, the music was a seething, twisting mass of struggle and conflict. While I had been thrashing and screaming in pain, my beautiful wife, my poor, sweet Harmony and her dauntless brother Discord had been battling the serpents, repairing the damage they had dealt and singing the world to persevere. Oh how I hated myself! I refused to engage in MindSong, I didn’t respond to Discord as he tried to lighten my mood with strange ideas of creatures which he had devised (You may recognise some…). I didn’t speak with Harmony, ashamed at what I had made her go through, truly I was the worst of husbands...I put the Harm in Harmony.

 

I created a labyrinth and isolated myself within its heart. I built walls around myself and hid inside...I just wanted to be alone, I had brought nothing but pain and suffering to the world and I was best left locked away, punished for my crimes. I was so ashamed of myself, of what I had done and the sorrow I had caused. (Perhaps I was being immature, but at the time, I didn’t see anything else I could do besides hide. I regret doing this now, but in the end, had I not done this, my wife and I would never have reforged our relationship in a far stronger and united form)

 

Harmony and Discord were distraught, for verily they loved me dearly and worried and cared for me deeply. But I was undeserving of such affections, and I closed my mind from them (something that I somehow could only do then), I stopped Harmony’s soothing and worried song from reaching me, I stopped Discord’s visions of fantastic beasts and amazing visions from entering my mind.

 

Unable to both fight the Serpents and attempt to break me out of the prison of my own devising, Harmony and Discord came together, joined in MindSong and split into three separate beings. They had attempted and succeeded in creating a new sibling for themselves, for three minds were better than two. (I strongly suggest your kind do not engage in activities such as these, for what we did is completely different to the things you guys do...it would simply not work and would raise more than one question to the ones around you…).

And so Hope, sister to Discord and Harmony was concepted.

 

My, she was a valiant one, strongest in spirit and will. Noble-hearted, dauntless. Blind yet all-seeing. She was a beacon of light...and she was fighting my battles for me. I felt even more ashamed, for while this...child was off battling the demons of my making, here I was hiding in my labyrinth.

Hope was the only one of us that seemed to remain unchanging, verily she grew up, loved and was spurned as the times passed. She never seemed to grow “older”. She was childish, playing pranks and sparring with the others in games of wordplay, but she had wisdom beyond her time as well, often bringing wise council and leading others upon the right path. She was reckless and impulsive at times, yet was clear of mind and composed when it mattered. She was lightning in battle and yet the ocean as it caressed the sands of the beaches. Soothing and calming, washing over oneself and bringing hope to all. When she was made, 7 beings were created alongside her, not of the essence which made up the 4 of us, but of the idea of Hope. Just as the Serpents emerged from Pain, the...angels as you would call them emerged from Hope. Aztral the astral avenger, Maethos the harbinger of justice, Jezroan of the purifying light, Ezmond and Tulittses the hammers of hope and the anvils of redemption. Lunankhes the guider of the innocent and Docanthes the healer of the needy. They too left the Void, never to return and entered the spheres of existence, welcome in all spheres in this case. They established their Halls of Hope in the heavens, where they watched over the souls and protected the spheres from the the most of the Serpents attacks. As the Serpents corrupted, the places which were corrupted “emptied” of music, and bits of Void returned to me, but as the three Siblings and the first 7 angels battled against the Serpents and repaired the musics, the Void was filled once more, and so my prison became a fluctuating stronghold.

 

Finally, Harmony and Discord had some breathing room, and hey could invest their time and effort into breaking me free. I had created 7 parts of my Labyrinth. Each had a gate save for the last and would bring the venturer closer to the center. I believe that a part of my subconscious created the gates as a way to save myself from myself, a futile attempt to create a form of backdoor from which others may come and whisk me away from my isolation. Rather than break down my walls, which my beloved companions knew not to do, they entered the labyrinth by opening the first gate, and with much arduous effort and time, they relentlessly wove through the labyrinth, finding their way through the winding passages of my mind.

 

To understand this better, one must understand MindSong. MindSong is the way one’s mind connects with the world, using cognitive power, channelled through music, to control inanimate objects (Telekinesis as you’d humans call it) and to communicate directly through the mind with others (Telepathy). The main point in focus here is communication. The Mind is initially an open...palace shall we call it. These palaces are composed of music of the MindSong which is always singing, at different tempos depending on how one is using their mind. These Mind Palaces are our own places, they appear as we feel, but with practise and skill one can turn their Palaces into whatever they wish (It will only appear in their mind however, unless you are engaged in MindSong in another’s mind). The owner of the Palace, you in this scenario, can condition their Palace to be “closed” to others with enough skill and strength, devising traps, locks, doors etc etc to hinder and stop any unwanted visitors. In my case I built a labyrinth in my Palace. In the Mind we appear as we see ourselves, and others appear as they see themselves, one can make the illusion to look like something else as long as you believe in this version of you. A lonely accountant can appear as a valiant dragon so long as they believe they are one. I usually appear as a swirling shadow against a wall, nothing casts this shadow, but the shadow is there. During the time that I had entrapped myself inside my labyrinth I had appeared as a pinprick of darkness according to Harmony.

 

Ok, moving on. One by one, Harmony and Discord (Occasionally aided by Hope) opened each Gate, using their MindSong to overpower mine. As they travelled through the labyrinth they marked their progress using a string of notes as a way to make sure they didn’t get lost. Finally they reached the final wall, but no gate could be found. The following reinforces my belief that if there is an almighty being, then it would be Love. As the final wall they ended up melting with their tears as they cried distraughtly.  

 

And out of nowhere another discord struck. I believe this one was involuntary and must have been caused out of Discord’s frustration (or out of the divine plan), accidently manifesting the Immortal Plane (I had deviated in the original to simplify it all, although a part of me didn’t want to put down in writing what was my lowest point in “existence”). It created and filled the fourth sphere of existence, but it came with a terrible cost. Although it didn’t use a part of me (as it was incorporeal and was bound to the limits of the Heavens, so didn’t “fill” any more space). Instead, it trapped Hope, her servants and all the Immortal beings (those without a soul) in the spheres of existence. No longer could they visit the rest of us in the Void, and we knew then, that should we step into the spheres of existence from thereon, we would be trapped forevermore as well (not that I could,  refer to Discord and Harmony). My sister-in-law had paid the greatest of prices, she had suffered and endured and now she was barred from her brethren. Alone (for the angels were a part of her and were barely more than robots, they couldn’t supply  her with the companionship that all desire). She had fought my battles for me...and I couldn’t hide any longer. I was a pitiful wreck when Discord and Harmony found me. And I sang for the first time in a long time to them. I sang to them a song of lament and pain, of mourning and loss. It emerged from me fully formed, flowed from my mind as if it had always been on the tip of my “tongue”. You will recognise it now as SorrowSong, but the one you know is far,far,far weaker than the song I sang that day.

 

And Harmony, my beautiful, sweet, undeserving wife. She opened her heart to me and sheltered me within, we were One once again, it had been so long...it was like falling in love with her the first time. We were phoenix, arising from the ashes of old, fresh and stronger than before. It was the closest I had been to her...and I could almost feel her, if we are to ever enjoy physical company, I believe it would have felt like that day.

 

And she sang to me, her words wrapped and cloaked me, protecting me from the Pain just as she cradled me in my Palace, her song cradled my spirit. There was no judgement...only understanding. What happened that time was something special only the two of us shared (Discord had hastily departed long before). If I hadn’t known Love before, surely I knew it then. And from our union and our singing came two beautiful new creations.

Our children, Life and Death.

 

And I knew at that moment what I had to do. What I needed to do to redeem myself and make the best of the situation. All the tools were at my disposal...I just hadn’t known them before. I couldn’t reverse what I had done (And in this day and age, I can say I am proud we went through all this and created such a beautiful world).

I was going to compose the greatest song any sphere had ever heard. LoveSong…but I needed stories, and I needed to discover other songs and complete the universe first before I could complete this piece. So I commanded Discord to create the first being of life (not affiliated with Life). And as the fifth discord struck. The world was silent and still for a mere, but memorable moment. So ceased the battle between Hope and Pain, so ceased the music entirely.

And as he came into the world, the music resumed, the battle raged on as if it had never stopped in the first place.

The Mariner.

Thrown into the oceans of the world, armed with nothing but his ship <insert name> “Stormrider-the-one-who-shelters-and-protects-in-the-search-of-answers” (In your constricting tongue of course), his lantern, <insert name> “Soulflame-the-guider-of-the-lost” and himself. Indeed The Mariner can embody in part the struggle of all life, of all manifestations in all the spheres, at least in some sense.

 

I sent my children, Life and Death into the world, trailing the Mariner. Death I sent to govern the Heavens alongside Hope (for she was in need of someone to relieve her of her position and provide her with company, indeed, there weren’t two friends more inseparable than Hope and Death), she became the keeper of souls and the one who carried them from the Heavens to their shells. She performed the rites for the dead, carried their souls to heaven and placed their stories into the sky. Knowing how arduous a task this would be, I ordered her to create 700 pairs of Angels from MindSong, to aide her in ferrying and overseeing that the souls received the correct rites.

 

Life I made the scribe of these stores. Writing with starlight and and weaving with song, his task was to write the histories of the world. His was the hardest task of all, one that provided him with no company yet all the company he needed for he was to scribe the histories of the world, and write down each song which had ever been sung. Hope and Death would often visit him often, as he chronicled the Annals of All-things. With him as well I ordered to create 700 pairs of angels from his MindSong. They would work in tandem and scribe the stories of all the people in the world. Each pair had a host of thousands of spirits. These spirits would pick a mortal life form (For I knew they were to come) and scribe the life of each mortal, sending them to their commanding duo of angels who in turn would weave them into starlight and send them to Death and her angels to be placed in the sky. Life was everywhere in the spheres yet nowhere. Nothing escaped his sight and he chronicled everything of importance which he oversaw.

 

The Serpents fell upon the Mariner in the form of great storms and ravaging waves, silent whispers and plagues of doubt, worry and anxiety.  Hunger whispered paranoia into his ears, Lust seduced him with hopelessness , Misery soothed him with despair, Calamity wrought him with storms, Rumour confused him with lies, Manipulation eased him into false misconceptions and Trust was there, telling him it was normal to be depressed and anxious.

 

In opposition, Hope and her Angels supported the Mariner, each urged him to persevere and endure, to ask questions and search for answers. They protected him from the worst of the storms Calamity wrought and repaired an damage done to <the ship>. Hope was always there with The Mariner, the voice in the back of his mind, easing his worries, conversing with him, soothing him and loving him. But he never knew it was her, he probably thought that was him going insane, trapped between the conflict of Hope and the Serpents. And so the Mariner always found hope in her words and in spirit, and he endured all this just as Life and his angels chronicled his journey across the oceans.

 

The Mariner and his silent companions brought a discordant tune to the universe, one which Harmony worked hard to keep in balance, as the Mariner sailed, Discord would create land from his dissonant song, mountains would rise in his wake, pillars of rock ascending the waters. Volcanoes would form and erupt, endless forays of lava bathing the waters and cooling to form islands. For centuries this went on, creating and filling the fifth sphere of existence.

The Mariner’s story was far from over, he faced clouds of worries, doubts and questioning, but Hope was always there for him. The oceans, the sky, and now the earth sang together as one, a great tempo and beat radiated from the core of the world and through a mixture of the mariner’s tears, the ocean and the life of the earth (Not to mention some tinkering by yours truly) the world burst with life and foliage, greenery and flowers of all colours. Fruits hung from the branches of great trees which rose from the earth and brushed the skies. Grass rushed and grew wherever it could, in the well watered and sunny plains. Trees entwined and grew in burroughs, filling the sides of mountains and the surface of the earth with forests and jungles. Vines snaked from the cracks of the ground, entwining around whatever they could grasp, flowers bloomed and sprouted from the fertile soil creating seas of all colours and hues. All things sang in unison, entwining around the discord which snaked through all things. It was a lovely, lively and inspiring song, one which I deemed GrowthSong.

 

And finally one of the final pieces of the puzzle, no, one of the final cogs in the wheels which played the instruments of the universal song, LoveSong, fell into place. And so I commanded Discord to bring to life the creatures and beasts which he had shown to me in a time which now seemed so long ago, back when I had been trapped within the labyrinth of my own devising.

 

Oh how his eyes lit up! None did anything without my command those days, I had finally come to assert control over myself, and in extension, everything that had come from me, and the lack of me. And so the sixth and final discord struck (The Final as far as I know) and the Mortal Plane was established, creating and filling the sixth sphere of existence, the final sphere of existence. And so the sky, seas and the lands were filled with the marvellous and fantastical creatures of Discord’s devising. Dragons, unicorns, great turtles and griffons. Fish, birds, lions. The great creations of Discord now walked, flew and swum the world and he couldn’t be happier. He nearly “wept” with joy, singing in a new song which I dubbed PrideSong. He begged me to allow him entrance to the spheres of existence, he knew full well that he would never be able to return and see his sister or I again. There was nothing for him in the Void save for the two of us, and he longed to be among his work in the spheres. How could I deny him? Truly he was as happy as I had ever seen him, and his joy brought me joy. How could I force him to stay in the Void, sunder him from his beloved creations?

And so Harmony and I were the only ones in the Void, content with each others’ company. It’s been quiet in the Void since then, a mutual silence, for there was no more need for sounds as Harmony could only speak in MindSong for me. Discord entered the spheres and took a new name, <insert name> “The Wanderer”. He would go on to do and create amazing things, wondrous and awesome things. He would go on to create the first instruments, uncover the secrets of SongWeaving; the manipulation of the environment through song.

He explored the world, rode the dragons, swam with the Sauranthians. And so he entered a new chapter in his story, as Life and his workers scribed the stories of the world, as Death ferried and watched over the new souls.

 

By the advent of life, our Mariner friend’s story was looking dire. He had begun allowing the Serpents to get the best of him, and he now sailed in despair where he once sailed in wonder. Hope couldn’t reach him, and many tears were shed, tears of worry and sorrow, and she sung in a new song, one I dubbed CareSong. For indeed Hope had come to love and care for the Mariner deeply, far more than he cared for himself (remind you of anyone?). The Mariner was never to know her love however, as beings on the Immortal Plane are invisible to all sentient mortal life, in all but action and word. All Hope and her Angels could do was protect him to the best of their ability against the storms Calamity brewed and attempt to ward off the Serpents. But to no avail as they had already rooted themselves deep within the Mariner. Where Hope sang of protection, they tore it down with screams of silence, where she cried of love, they wrought waves of despair.

 

The first creature that had descended from the heavens with a soul from Death herself was a dove. And it only flew for a mere two minutes from conception, two minutes of pure song and happiness a song I dubbed FreeSong. And then it was struck asunder by the lightning of Calamity as the bird had strayed close to the storm of the Serpents (These storms were wrought by their chaotic “unsinging” to whip up the ocean and the sky into a frenzy) <other reason made is; They wrought the storms by creating gaps in the music of the sky and the ocean, and as the music and Harmony rushed to fill these gaps, the frenzied music would whip up a storm>

And so the dove fell from it’s short-lived freedom, its spirit struck asunder mere moments after conception. Its lifeless body plummeted and landed on a island not far from where the Mariner had been drifting through some misty crags. Death knew not to intervene just yet, by some miracle or intuition she held her hand back and stayed her grasp. The soul lit up within the bird, calling for Death to reclaim it, it’s light growing stronger as Death refused to reclaim it. Soon it shone with such an exuberance, radiant shafts of light piercing and dissipating the mists and kindling an old curiosity within the eyes of the Mariner, a curiosity long dead and now smoldering with passion. And then finally, it caught flame and The Mariner could resist no more, the curiosity took ahold of him, filled him with a drive and determination, drowning out both Hope, her angels and the Serpents, and he sailed to the heart of the radiance.

And so he found the bird, and the sight of its mangled, charred corpse, the contrast between the dimness of its eyes and the shining of its soul wrenched The Mariner’s heart from its wallowing abandon, for surely the bird was even more pitiful than he was. This drove the Mariner to disembark his ship for the first tie, take the bird into his arms and cradle it close. And he knew that he had to bring it back from Death and return it to life. So he took it aboard his ship and concocted a draught of life, for after seeing how his tears, the ocean and the earth had brought plant life to the world. With sand from the beach, his briny tears and the waters of the ocean, he created the draught (It must be said that the reason that the oceans are now so dense with salt is that when the Mariner’s salty tears had fell into the ocean long ago, the salt multiplied and spread through the waters, producing at a fast rate, men now use this salt and remove it from the ocean, using it as a valuable commodity). For 7 days he administered this draught, concocting it each morning, and for 7 days he cared and repaired the bird, returning it to its former glory. The storms may have raged around him, but The Mariner was finally at peace, sinking into the task of rejuvenating the bird, for it deserved to be alive and free. Over the 7 days he set and repaired the bird’s wings, warming its lifeless body with the heat of his bosom and the flame of his lantern. Soon the bird’s light began to fade as the soul returned to funcitoning within the shell, the Mariner worried at this but noticed that as the bird’s light faded, his lantern’s flame shone brighter, and his worries were eased, for surely that was a good sign. And so the Mariner came to love for the bird, and he was overjoyed as the muscles reknit, the feathers returned to their former splendour. But then the 7th day struck, and the bird woke, raised its head, flexed its wings and cawed softly. And it spoke two words, two words spoken by me through Harmony, as thanks to the Mariner I had discovered a pure, unadulterated form of mortal LoveSong and had uncovered the final workings of SoulSong.

“Thank you”

And the Mariner wept, for he had finally accomplished something meaningful, and he wept harder and more so as the dove died a second time. Its soul finally taken by Death as it had finally ended its tale truly, it had done its part in the song of the world and Death was never one to allow a soul to have a second story.

 

And the Mariner wept, and he wept, for the one thing that had filled his empty husk had ascended just as quickly as it had fell. And ascend it did, taking its place in the sky as the first star, the Morning star and the evening star, a sign of hope and love for all, the first story to be woven onto the tapestry of Life. The Mariner buried the body which the dove had left behind in the sands of the island, and from the tear soaked sand rose a magnificent tree, one only mentioned in legend, <insert name> “The-tree-that-rejuvenates-life”. From the tree grew and hung special apples, fabled apples that are said to bring youth and extend the lives of those who consumed them. And the Mariner lay under the tree, besides the grave of the dove, and he looked up to the sky. A glimmering, a glint caught his eye and he found hope. The dove wasn’t truly gone, he wasn’t truly alone. He laughed for the first time and rejoiced, for with this revelation came the answer to the question he had always asked himself, an answer he had been searching for since time immemorial. There was no question and the answer was Love!

 

And with the answer fresh upon his mind, he lay on the sand and died peacefully. Hope shed 7 tears over the body of her dead love, he had finally noticed her through the star, and now he was gone. And from her tears sprouted the first beings to walk the land. His boat ascended to the sky as a constellation, for his story needed to be written across many stars. His heart and soul rose and became the Sun, giver of life and glorious light to all, and his lantern became the moon, shining alongside him, shedding light on truth and nurturing the light of the stars. It pulls on its home, the  oceans still just as Love pulled on The Mariner’s heart. It’s light waxes and wanes over each lunar month, as Love was not a constant force, but fluctuated in the predictable manner evident in the battle between Hope and the Serpents. The New Moon was when the Serpents were strongest, only to be fought back by Hope, bringing way to the Full Moon where they were strongest, just as the Serpents too push back, repeating the cycle.

 

And so the Mariner sailed no longer the sea, but the stars themselves. His story representing one of the greatest tales to be told, a source of inspiration and determination to many. The dove became the morning star, and the evening star, a herald of Night and the harbinger of Day, of the continuation of the Mariner, a sign of hope and love to all. The Mariner’s light now nurtured and preserved the stories through the stars, just as he had preserved the doce before he had died.

 

I do not know if I answered my original question, or if I’m still looking for an answer. Perhaps I am Void, empty cup of Love. Perhaps I am Void, silent composer. Perhaps I am Void, the one who was filled.  Or perhaps I am none of these and I am stll to find out, or perhaps I am all of these and there is more to be discovered.

But one thing is for certain, one thing you must know.

We are not gods.

We are more human than humans can perceive themselves to be.

We are not to be worshipped, indeed we are the prototypes and mortal life is perfection.

If anything, you must hate us before you revere us.

Your flaws are caused by our flaws. Yet these flaws are what make us up, your mistakes are from our mistakes, but if we never made these mistakes, we would never had made something so wonderful.

Perhaps your successes are from our falls, perhaps our falls are really successes.

We stumbled through the dark until we found our way, our saviour the Mariner and my saviour Harmony. They shed light on what is right, and that is Love.

 

Here is your first commandment.

Love all others as you would be yourself.

Woot! Now onto the next myth!

[Hemalurgic Headshot]

I just finished reading through that... maybe a bit faster than I would a textbook, but more slowly than I would an action scene in my favorite fantasy. Yes, it was a lot. As I read, there was this conflict; the informality of the letter, yet the eloquent formality of the language, combating each other in tone and feeling. I was slightly confused, and perhaps this was your intent, but it is something I would not do. The informality connected me to Void, but the often poetic-ness gave the feeling of something brought from ancient to new and translated halfway. It was profound and silly simultaneously.

However, it was very interesting. It was like a Greek pantheon... lots of inter-familial "relationships". It was much different from your mysterious "In the beginning, there was Void" creation myth. I'm sure there will be a Great Library somewhere in your world, where you can put all of these myths. Then you can release them as separate novellas after you are a published author! "Tales from the Great Library of <insert name>"

[Darkness Ascendant]

10 hours ago, Hemalurgic_Headshot said:

I just finished reading through that... maybe a bit faster than I would a textbook, but more slowly than I would an action scene in my favorite fantasy. Yes, it was a lot. As I read, there was this conflict; the informality of the letter, yet the eloquent formality of the language, combating each other in tone and feeling. I was slightly confused, and perhaps this was your intent, but it is something I would not do. The informality connected me to Void, but the often poetic-ness gave the feeling of something brought from ancient to new and translated halfway. It was profound and silly simultaneously.

However, it was very interesting. It was like a Greek pantheon... lots of inter-familial "relationships". It was much different from your mysterious "In the beginning, there was Void" creation myth. I'm sure there will be a Great Library somewhere in your world, where you can put all of these myths. Then you can release them as separate novellas after you are a published author! "Tales from the Great Library of <insert name>"

holy crap.

How did you guess the library thing  Life is the writer, and the things he scribes are kept in one of the Guardian's Halls.

They are going to be a series of  letters from Void to his messenger. They'll be kept in the finished book just as a sort of...interesting read I guess. The finished work will be released after I finish the main series, as a history of the realms.

And I think I found an instrument for the people who follow the Serpents XD

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpent_(instrument)

XD. They look sexy af and I want to get and learn how to play them lol.

[Quiver]

On 4/14/2017 at 1:26 PM, Darkness Ascendant said:

On Harmony, and the Creation of the world

I have to be honest, I kind of hate commenting on this stuff.

It isn't anything personal; I've mentioned on the forums, and in PM's, that I've been batting around ideas for a music-based fantasy of mine own for a bit. The problem, then, is that I'm kind of worried of stealing ideas by reading this stuff, or by letting my opinions on stuff colour how I'm viewing yours.  So... apologies in advance if I'm not exactly 'on point' when it comes to commentaries.

So far as this creation myth goes... it seems solid enough to me. The opening lines, about a sphere developing from nothing, kind of puts me in mind of the Egyptian creation myth, with life springing out of chaos; I'm not sure if that was intentional or not, but it was how I read things.

Out of interest, you seem to be using a lot of nautical imagery (as in the Mariner). Which, makes sense: the Sirens are probably the most famous expressions of music in mythology, after all. I'm just curious if that marine theme is one you'll be exploring in the work itself?

Only thing I have to ask is... why a dove? Given the fact that it dies, and the fact that the Mariner is water themed, I would have expected... well, waterfowl. Specifically -as cliché as it might be- I would have been expecting perhaps a swan. I mean, 'swan song' is a turn of phrase that people use, even if swans themselves aren't particularly musical.

And are only a few degrees less evil than geese. Good lord. 

But... sure, nice creation myth. Kind of reminds me of the Silmarillion in terms of tone. I'll... try and get to the rest of your posts in due course? Apologies for the delay!

[Darkness Ascendant]

10 hours ago, Quiver said:

I have to be honest, I kind of hate commenting on this stuff.

It isn't anything personal; I've mentioned on the forums, and in PM's, that I've been batting around ideas for a music-based fantasy of mine own for a bit. The problem, then, is that I'm kind of worried of stealing ideas by reading this stuff, or by letting my opinions on stuff colour how I'm viewing yours.  So... apologies in advance if I'm not exactly 'on point' when it comes to commentaries.

So far as this creation myth goes... it seems solid enough to me. The opening lines, about a sphere developing from nothing, kind of puts me in mind of the Egyptian creation myth, with life springing out of chaos; I'm not sure if that was intentional or not, but it was how I read things.

Out of interest, you seem to be using a lot of nautical imagery (as in the Mariner). Which, makes sense: the Sirens are probably the most famous expressions of music in mythology, after all. I'm just curious if that marine theme is one you'll be exploring in the work itself?

Only thing I have to ask is... why a dove? Given the fact that it dies, and the fact that the Mariner is water themed, I would have expected... well, waterfowl. Specifically -as cliché as it might be- I would have been expecting perhaps a swan. I mean, 'swan song' is a turn of phrase that people use, even if swans themselves aren't particularly musical.

And are only a few degrees less evil than geese. Good lord. 

But... sure, nice creation myth. Kind of reminds me of the Silmarillion in terms of tone. I'll... try and get to the rest of your posts in due course? Apologies for the delay!

Yeah...the whole thing came to me on a night I was depressed lol...and I kind of feel obliged to finish it now.

Yeah, I'm drawing from alot of mythology...I'm a nut when it comes to myths.

The humans are primarily going to be wayfarers. I'm writing up the next myth (2K in XD) and it'll make a bit more sense then. There's also going to be a recurring motif of cold and winter. Seas freezing over and stuff.

So a Dove. Well, dove's do symbolise Love, as they are Aphrodite's bird of choice, And Venus is Aphrodite's Roman counterpart, and Venus in the night sky is also known as the morning star.

No apologies necessary...the silmarillion was a massive influence XD

[Darkness Ascendant]

And after a few hours of hard labour, I present to ye all this

(I am attempting to make that the guardians are neither male or female, simply...themselves, not exactly androgynous or “other”..hmm. I also may have messed up the use of they a few times >> )

On Guardians, the races of Earth and whispers of Winter

Tears contain the most raw of power. For truly tears are the best sign of love. Whether shed in sorrow or anger, fear, joy, passion, each can be traced to Love, as can all things in the end. The Mariner brought life to the soil of the Earth through his tears, brought life to the dove “<insert name>”. Harmony’s tears shed in MindSong too had power, dissolving the final wall of my prison. But this tale concerns not those tears. It concerns 7 of the most powerful tears to be ever shed.

The Tears of Hope.

Shed over the lifeless shell of The Mariner, the one she had come to love the most, yet the one who had never lived to return that love. The one whom she loved in his shadow and in silence, unable to be acknowledged nor understood by him. The one who finally found hope in the end, yet was taken from it while it lay fresh in his heart. For him she shed 7 tears, and from those seven tears, rose the first beings to walk the lands, the first beings to sing and shape the world, the first beings and the first guardians upon the soil of the world.

They are known as the <insert name> “First-of-the-crystal-heart”, <insert name> “Wanderers-of-here-now-and-then” and <insert name> “Those-who-were-silenced”. These are their most important names, the most truthful out of the many names they went by.

Each of these beings had one of Hope’s tears planted in their heart as they sprouted from The Mariner’s shell, one by one as each of Hope’s tears landed on his lifeless body.

The tears were their heart, and their hearts were their tear, the tears encasing their hearts in crystal and through the power of their tears granting them immortal life as well as transcending them to the Immortal Plane. And from the tears each being was one of Hope and the Mariner equally. But as they shared a common heritage, they also were different to one another, carrying different traits and personalities to each other.

 

Hope guided these beings from the island with the help of her brother Discord, The Wanderer, who crafted a great ship from a tree which lay in the middle of the misty crags. Built in emulation of <insert name>, the Mariner’s ship, this new ship called <insert name> “Bourner-of-the-First” as it is known in lore, carried them safely through the crags and onto the mainland. From there Discord took the beings into his care, teaching and nurturing them in the ways of the world. Bestowing upon them SongWeaving and knowledge on all things that existed then. He taught them of Love, of care and the protection of the world, from their <insert name> “Eternal-foes”, the Serpents. Of course, Time would test their mettle and morals, Time tests all in the turnings of the Sun and Moon.

 

So began their wanderings, mentored by the Wanderer himself, and for millennia did they wander, shaping and learning as they went, creating and forming new things. And as each travelled, they found themselves with a particular love for a place or element in the world, and so they settled one by one in their chosen realms and built their halls upon them.

 

The first of the crystal heart was Azu, Seeker of Knowledge and the Impatient Wind. They delighted in the sands and the swift winds. Upon his wanderings with their sibling Ora, they found themselves in the great deserts now known as Ilmyazu, and so they discovered a great new thing, for the mobile forges of Ora and the fires that burned a trail wherever he went melted the sands of the desert and formed a new glittery substance which Azu simply fell in love with. Glass. And they knew that they simply had to settle in the shifting sands and the fiery desert heat. And Azu called all the followers that they had gained in their travels, sang to them to be with him, the great desert wolves,and scorpions bound and skittered to them , falcons, vultures and desert owls all flocked to them in storms of wing and wind. Lizards, scarabs, iguanas, snakes (Serpents are quite different, trust me) and monitors all answered their call. And with the aide of Ora, they set to work together, shaping and compressing stone out of the sand and a crystal which Ora had discovered after shifting and carving the stone under the sand, quartz. Great pillars of sandstone they sung out of the sand, and entwined glass into flowing, majestic structures around the pillars they wrought. Soon they had raised a shining citadel of sand and crystal, glimmering and shining with the light of knowledge. Light refracted through the shimmering prisms of glass, exploding into beams and rays of colour and light. So Azu became the guardian of the ever-shifting sands, of the swift, scorching desert winds and the guardian of knowledge and the searching of it.Their halls, <insert name> “Culmination-of-Knowledge” became a centre of learning and pondering, the other guardians would come to read and learn from the many books which they scribed and to write on their own subjects, spreading and storing knowledge. People would come to learn and think on the many questions of the world. The Halls also stored the histories which Life wrote, sent to Azu as each volume was completed. Frequently Azu would leave their halls and fly around the spheres on a blanket of sand, scorching wind following them wherever they went. But who would keep the Halls while they were gone? To answer this question they embarked to see Hope and Death, and with their permission, they crafted a race from the sands and the carapace of the scorpions. They formed the first beings, similar to the elven races you read of in your tales. They were the Az-makii, “Ones-of-the-sandstorm” and Hope bestowed them with souls. A tall, hard skinned people, carapace and shell overlapping and joining in a humanoid form. Their faces were one of scorpion's, pincers and mandibles clacking to communicate and like a scorpion each had a segmented tail ending in a venomous spike. They garbed themselves in robes of white and became the curators and keepers of the Halls. So Azu could now roam the realm freely, singing deeply of questions and answers, of secrets and untold truths. They would ask questions of all the things in the realm, weaseling out answers from their song and recording them in the empty books which they carried with them wherever they went. They became proficient in LightSong, MindSong, SandSong and WindSong.

 

Second of the crystal heart was Ora, the stubborn but adapting sibling of Azu, practical and logical where Azu was free-thinking and merited all knowledge. They delighted in the deep earth, the treasures kept there and the heat from the core which lay deeper still. They loved the rocks, gems and metals, loved the caves, the volcanoes and the chasms of the earth. The magma, lava brought them joy for perfect conditions which they brought to Ora’s forge, for Ora delighted in the makings of things and the crafting of contraptions and mechanical marvels, though they were not keen in the makings of beautiful things meant only for the pleasure of the eye that did not mean what they did not make was not visually pleasing, just that everything that they made always had a practical value and was useful in more than one way. But Ora knew not where to settle, for there were great volcanoes and ravines and cave systems scattered all over the realm, until after they left their sibling Azu in the deserts of Ilmyazu. They ventured forth westwards from the sands, travelling with their mobile forge and accompanied by automatons of Ora’s devising, created to man their forges and watch over when they were unable to do so, crafted to be impervious to all elemental interference. So they left the deserts of Ilmyazu, passed the plains of <insert name> and finally they came upon a wondrous sight indeed. A volcano, greatest of all they had seen since the beginnings of their wanderings, isolated at the heart of a great crater in the ground, belching smoke into the sky and sparks of flame. And Ora knew this was where they would build their halls, and so they descended into the pit and carved into the volcano, exposing great caverns of lava and stone. Surely it couldn’t get better than this! But it did, and upon further exploration they discovered glimmering strands of precious metal in the cavern walls, great crystals and gem growths glowing in the darkness of sub-terrania. The construction of Ora’s halls began immediately, under the volcano in the biggest cavern there was. So the great earthen halls of Khora-züd were erected, great smooth walls of metal and marble, strains of gold, silver and other precious metals creating a beautiful design in the walls, inset with sublime gemstones, crystal growths at the base of the walls, lighting up the grand design. This was merely the mansion of Ora however, and many forges were constructed, mines and quarries were established, all lit by the lava and the crystals. But Ora too desired to create a living race, for their automatons simply didn’t capture the animus of life. And Ora desired to teach and impart their knowledge, to create a race akin to them, to nurture and watch them grow. So Ora petitioned to Death and Hope as well, and they could see a reason why they shouldn’t. And so they began in the forming of a new race, the Or-Makii, “Ones-of-the-Forge”. Ora created them in the perfect form for digging, tunneling and mining, a compact form of muscle and sinew, hewn from the rocks themselves. Small in stature, but great in heart, Hope bestowed them with souls and they opened their crystal eyes, and their form softened to metallic flesh. They became the workers of Ora and their people, carving passageways and mines, establishing their own underground cities and homes, following in Ora’s teachings and becoming blacksmiths, scientists and inventors. This pleased Ora greatly and they loved their new people, bestowing them with knowledge and teaching them the way of the world much as Discord had done for them. They became known as the carvers of the veins of the world, for they spent many years exploring and creating cave systems, learning and discovering all to be known about deep earth. Ora would sing of treasure and exploration, digging and hunting in the hopes of finding something wonderful, of work and toil and the spoils of the earth. They were proficient in EarthSong, FlameSong and CraftSong, their halls a place of creation and wonder, the Guardians would come to it when in need of an answer to a problem, or to enlist the Or-makii to build any contraption that they would design.

 

Third of the crystal heart was Emu, the wise and patient, the slow moving and reliable. They delighted in the greenery of the world, in the forests and trees, of woodland creatures and the shadows cast by leaves. They loved the harmony of nature and the perfect balance in forests and groves, embodying the understanding, co-operation and wisdom of the ancient trees. Emu found their home in the sheltered forests of Semulan, where they were protected from the storms and winds of their reckless sibling Iko by the mountain of Daruk, and were close to the life-giving waters of their beloved sibling Usi.  Emu were known as the nurturer, the comforters, they were the kind understanding and the healing of wounds. They sang of loss and love and the growth of the world, and with it the inevitable evolution and loss of old, of ancient wisdom and soothing understanding. Their halls resided in the hollow of the Elder tree, most ancient of the Greatwoods which littered Semulan, and from the hollow connected to the most prominent of the other trees great bridges of SongWoven wood and vine, halls of rest and care, where all were welcome, the weak or strong, small or large, good or bad, it was a haven for all and a peaceful realm, no strife or worry, only peace and love for all. They too desired helpers and a race of their own, people to sing with them and allow for more to be cared for, so they petitioned to Death and Hope and their request was granted. So the Em-Makii “Ones-of-the-roots” were formed from the crystals of Emu’s own heart and fashioned from the dying trees, so they may continue on as new life. The Em-makii were the most beautiful of races, the clearest and most desirable of voice, the fairest and most lithe of mortal life, tall, gold and silver haired, soft and strong, wise and ever-learning. Emu created two beings at first, a male and a female, and to each they bestowed particular traits which would make them effective as helpers. The men became sages and advisors, priding themselves in the growth of their beards, which they would colour with henna and ichor and fashion them with ornate design, for the length of their beards would determine their age they declared, a symbol of wisdom and intelligence. The women became healers and Weavers, taught SongWeaving from Emu to aide them in their healings. The women would pride themselves in their singing, filling the forest with happy and soothing voices, encouraging growth and cooperation. They would embroid each other’s hair and adorn themselves with garlands and flowers guaranteed to bring joy to any heart and make anyone smile at their beauty. Azu would frequent the forests, bringing with them the hot desert air and adding their sand to the beaches, enjoying the activity of sparring with the people of the forest in competitions of wit and word-play, in games of song and debate. Emu was proficient in GrowthSong, MindSong and most of the emotion songs, guardians of nature, innocence, wisdom, peace and understanding.

 

Fourth of the crystal heart was Iko, the joyful and excitable sibling, quick to anger but also quick to forgive and laugh along as well. Their domain was of the sky and the winds, the storms and the stars which they loved dearly. Their laughter was thunder and their gaze lightning. Their eyes twinkled with mirth and the very stars. They lived in the moment and loved action and excitement...constantly at odds with their siblings, as their merry making was a source of annoyance to them, interfering with their song and playing “pranks” on them. Despite this, who couldn’t love Iko? They brought with them a feeling which energised everyone, none could wallow around them, they were the perfect distractions. They were the inquisitive sort, constantly asking questions, blurting out the first thing that came to mind. Why was this made? What is this? And it was a source of great amusement to all to supply them with false answers and watch as their face went from one of enlightenment to one of confusion, then anger at being fooled, only to end up laughing along with the others, truly they were the best of sport. Fiercely loyal and holding to a deep moral conduct, they were the first to aide Hope constantly and continuously in the fight against the Serpents, battling the storms that the Serpents whipped up with storms of their own making. Their halls lay upon the highest mountain upon the tallest mountain of the world at that time, Mount Rikompus. Shrouded in clouds and mist, broken only at night when the pillars of their halls shone with a great brilliance. A magnificent sight indeed, 7 great pillars supporting the halls, each shining with the light of the stars, telling the stories of each guardian, you know these pillars as the constellation The Pillars of Iko. The Pillars made way to a vast courtyard, covered in a sheet of the clearest, strongest glass, straight from Ilmyazu, giving vision to the clouds as they brewed above the mountain, swirling dark clouds, spiralling out from the top of the mountain, illuminated by the frequent lightning. And in the courtyard is a carpet on which Iko would sit on, listening to the woes and favours of people who would come in from all over the realm to hold counsel to them, and Iku would grant favours and give advice to those who they deemed worthy, settling disputes, saving lost girls, flocks of beasts and giving blessing to those who wished to sail, to protect them from the storms of the Serpents. Truly Iko was the hardest working of the guardians, constantly active and helping others, yet also the humblest, least asking for something in return. However loud and reckless they could be, no-one minded as they worked so much, if this was how they let loose their tension, then so be it. They sung boldly and greatly, a clear yet thunderous voice, loudest of all the guardians. They did not seeka people of their own, instead their helpers were the fleetest and fastest of creatures, the eagles and butterflies, messengers of the wind, the great cats and hares, messengers of the land and the dolphins and swordfish, messengers of the sea. They were proficient in StormSong, WindSong, StarSong, TruthSong and JoySong and were the guardians of the week and needy, of the victims and the just, of storms, speed and the skies and stars.

 

Fifth of the crystal heart was Üsi, the drifter, the worrier and wallower. The one who is isolated yet everywhere. For they were tragically bestowed with the doubts and worries of the world, yet also were the kindest, most affectionate and loving of the brethren. While the Emu were understanding, they weren’t truly empathetic, not in the way Üsi was. In the Ocean did Üsi fall in love with, seeing themself in the endless, swirling waters, in the cold depths of the seas.  They became one with the water, engaging in BodySong to change themselves for underwater living, emulating the fish and growing gills and fins. So they sunk into the deep blue ocean, the perpetual darkness of the depths, where they sang of sorrow and worry, but also of life and hope, and the waters became a haunting place of song, their waters alive with the laments of Üsi, energised by their song and sorrow, their waters became even more nourishing than before, the milk of the universe, flowing through the Earth and around it, manifesting as rain, mist and vapour in the sky.  Üsi the isolated was also the closest at hand. They cried for the world, not for themselves. Beloved by all but infrequently seen, Üsi’s halls lay at the bottom of the ocean, in the darkness of the seabed, illuminated only by the algae and salt crystals woven with LightSong. Their Halls were one of coral, living polyps and shell, silent save for the haunting song of inevitable loss and mourning. Superstition is I believe is that should one hold a conch horn to their ear, they can hear the song of Üsi, however strange and incongruous it may seem. Hope and Death created a race of merpeople for Üsi, the Üs-Makii “Ones-of-the-depths”, and Üsi was grateful to them, for they couldn’t bring themselves to ask on their own. The Üs-Makii were entirely mute in speech, instead communicating purely through their haunting song, their songs are one of legend, and should a mariner hear their song, they know they are under the protection of the sea, and there is nothing to be feared. Only when their song changes to one of warning should a mariner fear, but they are hard to understand, and few mariners can translate their song and understand their meanings and intentions, so many superstitions have arisen around them. They supported Üsi and spread his song and love through the world, nourishing life as they went. Üsi and their Üs-Makii were guardians of the Ocean, of life and the passing of it. Üsi was proficient in BodySong, OceanSong, SorrowSong and LifeSong.

 

The sixth of the crystal heart was Ïyé, the silent darkness. Ïyé rarely sung aloud, instead humming to themself in FateSong. When they did sing aloud however, it was a song of prophecy and the future,past and present colliding. They were the only one of the guardians with an affinity for FateSong, perhaps the only SongWeaver to be proficient in it. Ïyé dwells in the deep underground, in an orifice of darkness and shadows deep under the roots of Semulan. Their only companion is Life, and they enjoy speaking to one another in MindSong, their only direct contact with the surface. Ïyé’s silence is one of resignation and contemplation, for they have seen the future, glimpses of it, and the future was dire indeed. Ïyé had seen the coming of Winter and the cycles of the FrostTimes. Now they only seek for its cause, and for ways to prevent it, however barren a search even though they knew that the future cannot be prevented, but only delayed and survived.  The sky would darken with thick clouds of ice, an endless torrent of snow and hail, great chunks of ice will fall from the sky.  The sun would be blotted out and the world would be encased in ice and all things, it would seem, would die. Now Ïyé seeked to discover its cause and warn the others when it would occur...but for now they would keep the knowledge to themself, trusting Life to tell them when the right time would be. Ïyé’s eyes are always closed, for they engage in SightSong, and need not to see physically when they can see the world through song. They surround themself with the spiders, their chosen messengers and helpers, some growing to an enormous size, their webs weaving the future itself, sending warnings to the ones above. Ïyé was a guardian of the past, future and present, the preserver of memory, of dreams, hopes and destiny, working behind the scenes to protect the realms, to warn of great disasters before they occurred, to minimise destruction and desolation (Like the eruption of Khora-züd), to preserve time and sleep. They were proficient in SightSong, FateSong, SleepSong, BodySong, MindSong and ShadowSong.

 

The last of the crystal heart was Uno, the cold and numbing apathy, yet the calm, observative and controlling parent. They resided in the great tundra of the north, Hünoz-run as they delighted in the cold and the frost. They are the analyser of the world, the calculator and perfectionist. Manipulating the works of others subtly to work better with their idea of order and harmony, their siblings only endure their endless criticism and changings as in the end, they know that Uno is almost always correct in their analysis, and that they mean well. Not to mention that most feared their power and might, one of subtle freezing and changing. Should they prevent Uno from bringing their touch of order to the world, the uneasy harmony they had would surely break out into war. They sang in a monotone and preferred to whistle their more complex tunes. They sang of order, control, of cold and unfeeling, for they believed that emotions meddled with one’s view of the world and made one biased to their perception of perfection, however ironic. They asked arrogantly to Hope and Death for a race of beings that would bring order to the world, and so Hope and Death delivered, with the creation of the Un-Makii “Ones-of-the-Cold”. But these new beings, these….humans, infuriated Usi, and they felt cheated in their request, for the humans were completely different to their idea of order, they were chaotic and constantly quarrelling, loud and raucous and it wasn’t long before the humans were expelled from Hünoz-run, the FrostLands as they were called. And so Discord the Wanderer befriended them, built them great ships and taught them what Uno couldn’t, taught them to become seafarers and mariners, to love all and nurture all. But humans were constantly devious and free-thinking, without someone to constantly guide them. They became wanderers and lovers of the ocean, but constantly raided and attacked one another for their worldly desires, indeed the Serpents crept easily into the hearts of men and directed them to evil pursuits. But just as easily as the Serpents directed them, so did Hope, and the humans were inherently a good people, if misguided. They settled on land and created civilisation of their own, quickly taking up space and multiplying. They lived the least longest of the mortal races, but they made up for that with the amount of activity and things they accomplished during their short life-spans.  They created the concept of automation and commerce, of producing goods and reaping the fruits of their labour, looking for the easiest way to become wealthy and easy-living. They conquered one another and brought war and strife to the lands, constantly at odds with the other races. They couldn’t seem to fit into the harmony of their new home. They were a displaced people, banished from their birthplace and unwelcome in their everywhere else. They were the most adaptive of the races, the most clever and devious of them as well, survival was a driving thought for them back then, and as time will tell, they would soon settle in and become peaceful, a compassionate people where they were once war-mongers.

 

Now, Uno, the guardian of Order, the Analyser, guardian of Cold and Ice, singer of FrostSong, OrdersSong, ClearSong was themself creating a masterpiece of song, one that would soon throw the world into their idea of perfect order. WinterSong, and with it, the coming of FrostTimes.

 

Ïyé opened his eyes.

[Hemalurgic Headshot]

And I am the Hearld of Uno, Singer of the North Winds, and Hallmark of Order, or at least I want to be. 

Nevermind that^

Very nice! I see you have developed a language. Or have you? Either way, I like the names. Your Guardians vaguely remind me of the LEGO Bionicle characters...

I sympathize with Uno, even though their WinterSong will probably cast the whole world into a frozen eternity of monotony.

upvotes

[StrikerEZ]

Man. I haven't commented on this yet, but I think that was your best part of the myth building yet. This world seems incredibly interesting. I love it. 

I just want to know, what exactly would the plotline be for this series of yours? 

[Hemalurgic Headshot]

Wait one second. Who is Iye?

[StrikerEZ]

Just now, Hemalurgic_Headshot said:

Wait one second. Who is Iye?

Ïyé was one of the guardians. He was the one who lived underground with the spiders and could predict the future and stuff.

[Hemalurgic Headshot]

*Skims through myth again* 

Oh, that one... the quiet moody one that I skipped over...

Better go read about them again.

[Darkness Ascendant]

15 hours ago, Hemalurgic_Headshot said:

And I am the Hearld of Uno, Singer of the North Winds, and Hallmark of Order, or at least I want to be. 

Nevermind that^

Very nice! I see you have developed a language. Or have you? Either way, I like the names. Your Guardians vaguely remind me of the LEGO Bionicle characters...

I sympathize with Uno, even though their WinterSong will probably cast the whole world into a frozen eternity of monotony.

upvotes

Eh...language, those are general ideas. I really need to get something down >>

yeah, Uno is misunderstood, it'll get better trust me  

thanks

11 hours ago, StrikerEZ said:

Man. I haven't commented on this yet, but I think that was your best part of the myth building yet. This world seems incredibly interesting. I love it. 

I just want to know, what exactly would the plotline be for this series of yours? 

Um, so for the first of the FrostTimes, it's going to be a quest to basically end the Winter, rest is RAFO. 

But not all of the guardians will make it to the main series

10 hours ago, StrikerEZ said:

Ïyé was one of the guardians. He was the one who lived underground with the spiders and could predict the future and stuff.

And do a lil dreameating, "astral projecting" and other smaller things. Btw you mean they, they don't have a gender.

10 hours ago, Hemalurgic_Headshot said:

*Skims through myth again* 

Oh, that one... the quiet moody one that I skipped over...

Better go read about them again.

heheheheh

[StrikerEZ]

@Darkness Ascendant Oh whoops, I'm so used to assigning genders to things. In my head, I knew they were a they. It just felt like Ïyé was a guy to me.

Azu feels like a guy, Ora feels like a guy, but I could imagine a girl, Emu feels very feminine, Iko honestly could be either, so could Üsi, and Uno definitely feels masculine.

Of course, that's all just me. I know they're all not gender-specific, but those are the genders I feel humans would be most likely to associate with this guardians, as humans (especially during early times) are prone to sticking to gender binary systems.

You could actually work with that, I guess. Maybe ask several people what they think the guardians' genders are, and base part of the humans' belief around this misguided ideas of genders applied to the guardians. If that makes sense.

Honestly, this is such a cool mythology universe you're setting up. I love it.

[Darkness Ascendant]

1 hour ago, StrikerEZ said:

@Darkness Ascendant Oh whoops, I'm so used to assigning genders to things. In my head, I knew they were a they. It just felt like Ïyé was a guy to me.

Azu feels like a guy, Ora feels like a guy, but I could imagine a girl, Emu feels very feminine, Iko honestly could be either, so could Üsi, and Uno definitely feels masculine.

Of course, that's all just me. I know they're all not gender-specific, but those are the genders I feel humans would be most likely to associate with this guardians, as humans (especially during early times) are prone to sticking to gender binary systems.

You could actually work with that, I guess. Maybe ask several people what they think the guardians' genders are, and base part of the humans' belief around this misguided ideas of genders applied to the guardians. If that makes sense.

Honestly, this is such a cool mythology universe you're setting up. I love it.

Aye..I may have subconsciously applied genders to them >>

its just that they are sort of...out of the system. They're simply guardians. I should get drawings of them down hmm, I'll make it so they have both female and male features but also a sort of non-human look.

I might do something with that. I have an idea of sort of "splitting"the guardians into 12 beings (by now Uno is not a guardian). As they are deemed too dangerous in the end.

thanks a tonne  I'm having a lot of fun writing this. But I'm going to have a lil break XD