A Passage Of Light In The Dark

To the most Holy Pontiff, U’Selekma,

As a member of the Pantheon of Ra, I beseech you to share my thoughts with the world. Consider this the words I would share to my followers and any whom would call upon me as their patron for priestly pursuits.

I feel I’m beginning to understand why Gods tend to choose dreams, visions, and various portents to convey messages to mortal-kind. If they were to simply issue instructions via an intermediary this would not require faith or belief. Should a Ramen or a Tauton show up with commandments, this would suggest slavery, or at the very least an organized military structure. Neither of which requires faith, merely the expectation of compliance and obedience.

Faith has power because it is every mortal’s free-will to give of their soul the way mages create spells, psychics harness their internal mind, and priests and warlocks entreat otherworldly forces to grant power unto them. Faith, is the most raw, purest method of magic in all the worlds, above and below.

What I find appalling is Demons, Dyvals, and Gods of Darkness that think – terror – is the best method to illicit faith from anyone! Without true free-will they would only garner a fraction of that energy. This, I believe is the reason the sacrifice of living creatures became a staple to supplement the fraction of faith that terror provided. Garnering true followers of free-will required to much effort, so they found quicker methods to satisfy their desires. No concern was paid to the souls lost to achieve their goals.

Leaders rise because they often fit a need in their world. Whether that is in response to a crisis or simply becoming an expert on a subject are semantics because what matters is they rose. Laws are no different than leaders and exist because true leaders don’t always rise when needed. So the laws remain in hopes to engender the perpetuity of a leaders legacy and prevent the catastrophe, problem, or accident from happening once more. It doesn’t take one long to look around and see that this world needs leaders and laws to uphold their good work. That is where oaths, vows, and promises come in.

In the Age of Chaos when Old Ones ruled the Gods of Light as mere playthings. The Old Ones created the Elves and used my race as their “Soldiers of Chaos” to subjugate the likes of Ra, Osiris, Isis, Horus, Bes, Bennu, Bast, Khonsu, Set, Anubis, Apepi, Amon, Anhur, Ammit, Babi, and Sebek among many others in their thrall. As I stated before – terror – did not bring them what they sought. Sacrifice even fell lacking in the satiating of such fell and foul beings of power. During this age many leaders rose but what lore my people had suggested they did not have support because they did not band together in unity. So good people died and evil reigned for a time.

Among the races bound in slavery many died and history will never know of their passing, however true leaders began to flourish. True leaders can see an idea and have faith in it tempered by wisdom to bring it from darkness into the light. That faith comes from free-will in their decision, not religious purgings of non-believers, not from subjugation of those that lost a war, but from a common goal of a brighter tomorrow shared from one soul to another! They know they may not survive, but they can pass the torch of knowledge to another leader and the light of a new age will never die! This is exactly how Kym–Nark–Mar got the spark lit in him by the Changelings and Titans that got the Dragons involved in the battle to bring about the Age of Light.

The battle to light a new tomorrow was not easy and stretched for centuries, each side gaining the upper hand in a back and forth war with no seeming end in sight. Imagine if you will the faith needed to persevere for centuries to see a goal of “FREE-WILL” for all the peoples of every race and creed. When Betrayl’s Incarnate enticed Envy’s Jealous Lust to betray the Old One known as Power Incarnate no opening to end the war had been present on either side. When the world needed them three people took a stand in a time Hades was a pale imitation of the hellish world of Palladium under the sway of such indescribable power. Forever do we remember them and the hellish sights that were their visual feast everyday!

Lokum, the Angel of the Seraphim,
Kym–Nark–Mar, the Ancient Dragon,
Lictalon, the Elven Mage.

The Armies of Light were bolstered when Thoth appeared, and Ra decided that one Minotaur had proven her worth and elevated her to the rank of his host, for she was a healer without peer – Apis the Nurturer. Even Set joined in the final push because he to shared faith in the vision of a world with free-will. Together the Light and Dark held the line as the trio made the decision to cast down the Old Ones to slumber or destroy everything in the process!

To my future Priests, Holy-Paladins, and Witch-Hunters know that free-will is the only way your faith will sustain me. I swear unto you all to fight for you to have a world in which free-will and laws to ensure it is enacted and maintained for the well-being of all. Never will we conduct a purge of non-believers because their free-will led them to a different god of the light. Never will we use terror to illicit the hollow faith evil pursues. Only together can we see a better tomorrow. I am beseeching any and all good peoples of Palladium to say prayers of good fortune for my friends as they join me in acquiring the remaining four pieces of Osiris! We brought the god Bes low and CrIsis gave him a rebirth to become a God of Light once more! We will go forth to heal the broken Empire in the West and cast down the Death King of the Iceborn north.

If six people can do this, then what can we accomplish as a world focused on a better tomorrow?

Etrinus Fortem,

Xerx’ses Goldenhorn

Oathkeeper

Immortal Minotaur Demigod

Arcanist Holy Paladin for Osiris the Lawgiver

War Wizard & High Weaver of the Tri-Arcanum Guild

Member of CrIsis

AKA: Admiral Osric Orghallar of the Shield Of Light

 

Sent on the 7th of Corg.

 

Picture by our own AZ Rune.

 

6 Responses to “A Passage Of Light In The Dark

  • A few things I thought of writing this:

    1. As a player: I am hoping that Lictalon sees the recent positive press reminding the world why is remembered 100 millenniums later.
    2. Also, wanted to point out that a Minotaur being elevated is not as unheard of as many might make Xerx’ses out to be.
    3. As the character: This was written to try and give hope to the Western Empire and all peoples facing struggling times now.
    4. Lastly, I feel this has been the most positive Xerx’ses has ever been.
  • A very interesting statement of worship and faith.

    • Truly, it will be interesting to see what Xerx’ses will say about the other religions and what his response will be to a multi pantheon worshiper

  • So Apis is nothing more than a Minotaur healer elevated into godhood.

  • One day this missive will be studied and combed through by many a scholar and apprentice, seeking wisdom of the Great God Xerx’ses.

    • Or laughed at, one or the other- just giving Xerx a hard time….

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