Nathrangking

A breeze carries the haunting power of the melody around us. The soft caressing breeze fused with the sound that rose from a place beyond mortal comprehension. Nath floats his eyes closed and the song grew within him spilling out. Magic filled the music now infusing the world with a feeling not felt for an eon of eons. Power wove its way into the very soul of creation. Everything in him went into the most sublime piece ever conceived by the language of creation. Peace, war, life, death, destiny, and freedom were all there at one time. The power reached for something unseen and unimaginable.

Nath begins to hum an old song. Nay to call it old is to tell the most reprehensible of lies. Its ancient melody was old when primordial beings were birthed. It shakes the mountains to their hearts and holds the seas firm. The depths remember the vaguest of melodies. It is beautiful and vibrant yet stately and cold. Each refrain rises to the heights and never falls.

"Only fools seek to fight. In this you are wise." "I would imagine we can. However, it is best that we never find out." Nath floats at speed up the hill.

Way to save the thread and hit hard with the poetry. I like the directness of it. The power is emotional, not visual. It demands that the reader feel what the words say that they should feel. It's very effective!

I'm not sure that I understand. Here is the text: וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֖ים יְהִ֣י א֑וֹר וַֽיְהִי־אֽוֹר. וַיַּ֧רְא אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־הָא֖וֹר כִּי־ט֑וֹב וַיַּבְדֵּ֣ל אֱלֹהִ֔ים בֵּ֥ין הָא֖וֹר וּבֵ֥ין הַחֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ ׃ Again interpretation aside "God says let there be light and there was light. God sees the light is good and separates darkness from light. You are correct the words evening and morning are present. However, to interpret them to mean that there is a 24-hour cycle taking place in the absence of the heavenly bodies that make such things relevant is a stretch. If I am reading day one it seems that on day one God creates the concepts of light and dark and night and day. Then this moment of creation is over. Time exists now. On day four we get to days, weeks, months, seasons, and years.

Nath hovers above the ground and moves in the direction that Wizard indicated. He is in ancient places. Mountains shattering armies clashing. Carnage tears the land asunder. In a flash, he is back but those memories they are burned deep into that which passes for his immortal spirit.

Well actually, it is not so easy to argue that the actual cycle of day and night was what was created on the first day especially if one reads it in the original Hebrew. Interpretation aside God says let there be light (which could well be the concept of light mind you) He then separates light and darkness (Again could be conceptually speaking as without a source of light darkness cannot exist.) Now to bring the text most relevant. וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ לָאוֹר֙ י֔וֹם וְלַחֹ֖שֶׁךְ קָ֣רָא לָ֑יְלָה וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם אֶחָֽד׃- God calls light day and darkness night, It was morning it was evening one day (Mind you not the first day. The word used means one, it does not mean the first.) The text itself never says that he creates day and night. In this context, any word meaning to create is absent. It only ever says that he gives names to phenomena that will exist in the future. Those are what the actual words mean.

Take my chances and eat it. What would you do if you found a cup of tea in your pocket?

I would say this. Until the 4th day, the term day cannot mean a 24 hr period. A day as we know it cannot exist without a sun which only starts existing on that particular day. There is a concept in Jewish thought that when god dictated the bible he used terms that people would understand. What would be the point of using a frame of reference that would not be meaningful to anyone except for god? Therefore terms like the outstretched arm of God or the anger of God are terms that are meant to be understandable on a particular level. The idea of a day can be understood in this light. It can be seen as a complete creative cycle as it were. A particular group of things came into being. A class of creation was formed and a complete cycle is done. Hence, a day.

Now Nath is chuckling lightly. His voice floats as the slightest breeze on a spring day. It drifts and surrounds the group. "What is that you thought? You imagined that we would smite a legion of enemies and be done? We have not begun. We are in a hostile realm surrounded by the enemy. We are certainly not safe. As for being safe enough to have an awakening occur. The process requires those undergoing it to not be in a situation where at any moment they might have to flee an enemy attack. We should not linger."

A smidgen of amusement pushes away the smallest measure of darkness from where it cloaks Nath. "The monsters that reside in shadowrealms of course. Things spoken of in hushed voices in the dark of night." Images of a thousand beasts from a thousand myths appear. They slaughter invisible victims and let out silent bellows. "These are creatures that some think are stories to frighten. Rest assured they are real." The images fade. "An awakening is a bold move indeed. This is not the place to be doing this I think. We should wait until we are more secure in our position."

Go into hiding until I had read it. WWYDIYF the monkey's paw in your pocket?

Nath floats to the archway and lays a hand on it for a moment. A single tear falls as he bows his head. A short dirge mumbled under his breath is all that he can give. He floats through.

"Impressive. Death indeed. Upon your enemies." He allows no suprise to show.

"Some that I have known have claimed such power, title, and knowledge. None were. Such is a vain hope." He floats now over the earth. The monstrosity rising from the earth freezing his blood. He curses in a dozen languages long dead before spitting out one almost wimper. "Cowards." Nath can only nod rage filling him.

"This is the nature of such battles. In the end if we survive then an unbearable cost was paid." His voice fills with emotion for the first time.

Nath includes all of the members of their party within the cloak of silence that appears at his command. Nath responds without turning around. "Depressing you say? This is what happens when gods get to do whatever they wish without consequences. One day I will tell you about the Shadowrealm where the rivers ran with boiling blood."

Use it of course. What would you do if you found a whispering music box in your pocket?

In silence Nath appears alongside Wizard. His light is faint. He throws up a shroud of muffling silence. "The myths that too few heed. The molevolence of this flows like water set free. I hope that those who would join us can keep up."

Nath remembered flashes of a city with a pyramid. Lands so utterly twisted. He senses the gathering power as the gate begins to open.

If I may jump in here and try to address the question I think that I can add an additional perspective. @Ixthos was highly comprehensive as usual. I would like to address a question that is related and may lead to an answer to your question. What is spirituality? My approach will be far less mathematical than the previous response. One might say that defining spirituality is easy. You know it when you see it. Yet I'm not so convinced. In many religions this thing called spirituality gets tossed around. To some people it is a metaphysical reality that is sometimes superimposed over our own. To others it's like deja vu totally in the mind. Some people find nature to be utterly spiritual. Wise men would sometimes isolate themselves in the wilds of nature to achieve a state of spiritual enlightenment. There are those who look at art and find it spiritual. One of the great jewish philosophers of the 20th and 21st centuries was said that music was a spiritual force that moved him like nothing else. Others find spirituality in abstinance and asceticism. In short, it is not so easy to reach an answer. I think that a better answer depends on how one is looking at the question to begin with. This is where your question of "what is a spiritual experience?", becomes significant. Outside of a religious framework one should forget I think about the framework that we have been using. The word "spiritual" or "spirituality" is a vague word that means very little outside of religious bounds. You have said, "I am married to the most incredible woman, I've seen gorgeous views in nature, all sorts of amazing things." How do these things make you feel? Have you felt a sense of wonder or awe? If so then I think that you have had "Spiritual" experiences, you simply never called them that. Spirituality is a term that really only works in a single context. To know it you have to look outside of the term and burrow into the passion, feeling of oneness, smallness, and wonder that reach that place where words are not enough.

I find that interesting. As a religious person I don't have a frame of reference for non belief. I'm interested in opposing views. Why don't you believe? What is it about the idea of the divine or religion that brings you the conclusion that a higher power cannot and does not exist?

Take the high ground. What would you do if you found a dawnshard in your pocket?

Be shocked. What would you do if you found Shaekspeare's first folio in you pocket?