Nemiisae (Aengul)

[Wretched 2038]

(Credit to Jallentime)

 

The Aspects:  

The Druidic Aspects are an ancient and powerful trinity of gods whose names are synonymous with Nature itself. Each of the three Aspects maintain their respective domain over the natural world and cooperate to establish true balance, a feat which has been undermined by the efforts of mages and the greedy (Further detailed in the book, ‘The Great War’). Because of this, the Aspects have blessed their divine will upon individuals within the mortal realm, dubbing those chosen as ‘Druids’. The purpose of these individuals was clear: eradicate the unnatural, allow life to prosper, and defend nature against unordained destruction. With this creed in mind, the Druids have propelled themselves into the modern era under the careful supervision of our benefactors. But, who are the Aspects?

Nemiisae

The Shadow of Death, Grandmother Spider, Woman of The Moon

Bestowed Druidic Ability: Nature’s Wounding

Governing Season: Autumn

 

Manuscripts of ages long since passed describe a woman of forbidden beauty and inescapable horrors. The ancient and forgotten race of Mori’quessir once worshipped such a goddess in their caves of impenetrable darkness, where those who spoke of light were sacrificed in rituals of blood and web. She is the matron of the night and dark desires, and it is she who spins the great web of destiny. Little is known for sure of Grandmother Spider, and indeed it is difficult to speak of her at all without reference to Cerridwen and Cernunnos.

 

Where Cerridwen breathes life and motherhood, Nemiisae demands death and servitude. She exists as a dark mirror of all that Cerridwen stands for, and perverts her creations of happiness and love into monsters of horror and passion. Those that find themselves abandoned by the light find their way into her domain one way or another, where they emerge changed or do not emerge at all. Though it may seem contrary in this light, Nemiisae is not an evil aspect. Cerridwen provides the life, and Nemiisae evokes the evolution of that life into something new but sustaining. For many species of plant and animal, Nemiisae has been their salvation.

 

Cernunnos teaches strength, honor, and discipline in the same way that Nemiisae teaches cunning, fear, and impulse. The Woman of The Moon teaches us that these abstract concepts are all well and good, but we are better off finding our own light rather than basking in the light of others. Scavengers, luminescent creatures, and spiders are examples of guidance toward her ideals of self-enlightenment.

 

Rituals and Beliefs

 

• Once knowledge of her presence was made public, several Nemiisaen witch covens began sprouting up. Currently very little is know about these reclusive groups.

 

• Giant Glowshrooms and other luminescent creatures are said to have been guided by Nemiisae for millennia, and successfully attained ‘their own light’.

 

• The moon is often used as her sigil, and many believe it to directly confer Nemiisae’s will upon the realm.

 

• Creatures blessed with condition of Menalinsim are said to have been touched by Nemiisae, predisposing them as dominant and frightening.

 

(Credit to Tehlulu)

 

Our story takes us back to the beginning, when the Four Brother’s children were coming of age in this world known as Aegis. One stood out among the sons of Malin. Born beneath the shade of the canopy on under the pale light of a full moon, his father named him Zanunder. Proud and strong was his stature, Zanunder stood tall among his brothers and sisters, resembling their Father in many ways. His hair was the color of the noon-day sun and his eyes a vibrant shade of forest green.

Iblees came, then, as Zanunder grew. Corrupted his father and uncles, in the end unleashing upon the world a devastating curse. They said that Iblees had been a Daemon, a servant of God. Zanunder began to question this. If God was omnipotent, surely he would not allow evil to exist. Nor would he do so were he kind, benevolent or even compassionate. But he was not the only being to begin to question the ways of the world. There was also her…she stood tall, her presence unlike anything he had laid eyes upon before. Hair black as night, lips green as ivy, but the strangest thing about her visage was surely her eyes. The whites of her eyes were a deep, steel blue, and inside they were a light blue, like the clean waters of a gently flowing stream. He came to know her as Nemiisae, a kindred spirit in this world he viewed as cruel. In short time they fell in love, relishing in each other’s ideals and presence. They came to the conclusion quickly that they should escape these lands, hoping that in doing so they would also be able to break free of Iblees’ curse upon the lands. They retreated deep underground in order to begin their plans, for Zanunder did not wish others to know what they had planned, lest they be branded heretics.

Deep beneath the ground, in a large cavern, Nemiisae created a portal to a world known as the Verge. From there it would be easier for her powers to stretch across the lands, locating a fit place for her, Zanunder, and their soon-to-be abundant children to settle. It would also protect them from the scourge Iblees unleashed across the lands. Inside the Verge the two thrived, and quickly multiplied, first growing to three, then four, then six, eight, ten, and continuing on. Nearly a hundred years after they first arrived in that place, Nemiisae had finally found a suitable place to settle. However, during those hundred years, Kings had risen and fallen. The Brothers had all passed away. Kingdoms and Guilds began to rise to power throughout the lands. The curse seemed to barely affect people’s lives. These events had gone unnoticed by Nemiisae and Zanunder, so wrapped up in raising their young and finding a place to flee to from Iblees’ curse. Inside the Verge, Nemiisae created another portal. It reflected the green, verdant lands they planned to settle…but not the dangers lurking within. Before they went through with their children, Zanunder stopped his love. He requested that the portal be closed behind them, as well as the portal out of the Verge that they had entered through. Zanunder did not wish for their children to be followed, believing that Iblees’ curse may seep through the Portals and into this new land. Nemiisae agreed, but it was a farce. In truth, she had always planned to leave the portals open as well as leaving behind notes detailing where they went to.

Nemiisae was a compassionate being, feeling love for all the races of Aegis. She believed they could all escape Iblees’ curse and did not wish to deny them the chance to do so. Little did she know that in the end, all who sought her same refuge would be lead to their dooms by it. As soon as Zanunder, Nemiisae and their children stepped through the portal, they realized it had slammed shut behind them; They could no longer return to the land they came from. At first, this was not a problem to them. They were confident this land would be their Paradise, the savior of their children. But their children had spent decades cut off from the light of sun, while living and thriving within the Verge. They set out immediately for the thickest forest they could find, in hopes of slowly acclimating their children to the light. But this was not to be. This land was rife with dangers, of all shapes and sizes, lurking behind corners, within the trees, in the skies, the oceans, the rivers…There was no escaping it. The very least of these dangers were the skittering, venomous spiders of the caverns. Their children began dying off, one by one, then two by two, then five by five, then by the droves. Finally, Nemiisae chose the least of the threats of this world and blessed her children with that creature’s aspects. Her children became a mix of her blood, Zanunder’s, and that of the spiders that lurked the caverns. They migrated into these same caverns, living amongst and as the Spiders did, save from the beasts and terrors lurking on the surface. Vicious, cruel, the children shifted and changed into horrible beasts, preying and feeding upon one another.

Nemiisae knew she had to bless them in this way so that they may survive, yet still she grieved for their corruption. As well, no matter how hard they tried, Nemiisae and Zanunder could no longer procreate. Horrified, they began to believe it had been a trap all along. A trick by God to punish them for acting out, perhaps?! Or was it just for His own amusement?! Nemiisae demanded that they find a way to re-open the portal and escape from this cursed land. There was no escaping the will of God, or the curse of Iblees, she insisted. But at least their children would prosper and thrive in their original homeland. Zanunder refused. They argued at length, until finally he threatened to take the children and go elsewhere. He firmly believed if they traveled far enough they could survive, thrive, beat God and the Curse. Frustrated and exhausted, Nemiisae knew she had to stop him somehow, or their children would all perish. She remembered the blessing she had given her children and as Zanunder turned to leave, she changed her form to that of a giant Spider. She put him to sleep with her venom and wrapped him within a cocoon. Then, she bade the eldest and closest of her Daughters to watch over the others, before retreating into the deep with Zanunder, to try and find a way to force open the portal and escape this horrid place.

What Nemiisae did not realize was that the portal had only been closed to prevent their leaving. The portal within the Verge to this new land was still open to anyone who could discover it. And discovered it was. The Dwarves were first to uncover the portal into the Verge, as the first group to find it mined into the cavern it had been hidden in. Seeing the notes left behind by Nemiisae, they sent one dwarf ahead to try and locate the portal inside the Verge. He returned shortly, proclaiming the glory of the land he saw reflected in the portal’s visage! Mountains, gold, diamonds, as far as the eye could see! It was right there, a short walk away! A world of their own, which they could run as they like, without having to share it with anyone! The Dwarves quickly made a decision to gather their families and things and venture through. Within the day, they were ready to venture to the Verge and then towards their new land. Greedily, they decided they had to prevent others from discovering this mystical, resource rich land. Using good, old fashioned Dwarven ingenuity, they collapsed the tunnel they had accidentally discovered the portal via, then quickly passed through. They quickly found the portal inside the Verge leading to this mystical new land and pass through that as well. And again, another group had fallen for the trap. The portal was closed behind them, so there was no place left to go but forward. They ventured into the land, ready to settle it and hoping to thrive. But within the next half of a millenia, they had all perished to the cursed land and it’s terrors…creatures or otherwise. All they left behind was skeletons, of their homes and of themselves.

Above ground, as the tunnel to the cavern shifted and collapsed, a huge crevice formed in the landscape. It had not been there the day before and as a Human merchant group passed the area they began to wonder what had caused such a crevice. One of them suggested it may have been a tomb, full of riches. Eager to investigate, the Humans spent the next month digging down into the ground, following the slant of the crevice and eventually discovering the cavern which housed the portal to the Verge. The Humans too spied the notes and messages Nemiisae had left behind, promising them a land free from Iblees’ curse, free for the taking! Their short lifespans would be gone and they would be immortal like their cousins! The merchants quickly climbed back to the surface, cutting down the branches of nearby trees to cover the entrance to the land. They all quickly traveled to their homes, to fetch their families and supplies in order to settle this new land. The came back less than a week later, descending into the Cavern, through the Verge and into the new world. But they too fell into the trap. The Portal was closed behind them and they had no place left to go but forward. They ventured out to settle these new lands with their families. But within the next half of a Millenia, the majority of them had perished to the cursed land and it’s terrors. They were not made immortal as they had hoped, but rather had even shorter lifespans than usual. They became inbred, sick, ill, and in the end all they left behind were shadows of their former selves, a slow, stupid race incapable of complex thought and cursed by maladies and deformities.

After the Humans had placed tree branches to cover the entrance to the Cavern, a group of Elves ventured into that area, hearing the call of the wounded trees. They discovered the branches and removed them, wondering what foul creature had despoiled the trees in such a way and for what cause. Into the cavern they ventured, discovering the notes from Nemiisae and the portal to the Verge. This group did not go back for more, though more would come later, as they were immediately forced through. Running from a threat, they entered the Verge and discovered the portal to the new world. Fleeing still, they had no choice but to enter. They too fell into this trap, the portal closed behind them, no way back, though they would only find this out after returning later to investigate. For now, they still had running to do. Immortal though they were, this land was still rife with danger. Forced to settle in it, the Elves would follow in the footsteps of their cousins, perishing within this strange lands within half a Millenia. In these lands they were susceptible not just to the terrors, but also their own curse. Far more infertile than they were in their original lands, they died out merely due to a lack of numbers. While some of them eventually interbred with Nemiisae’s children, those who refused would only gain numbers through other poor fools coming through the portal. In this way the Elves too, were trapped.

When the Elves first found the broken and disturbed trees as well as the secret they hid, they did not realize they were being hunted. Following them from Malinor had been an Orc hunting party, searching for slaves, meat, or just a bit of violent fun. The Orcs assaulted the Elves at the entrance to the crevice, and having no other way to go, the Elves immediately fled into the Crevice and down into the Cavern. The Orcs gave chase, of course, following them through the Verge and the next portal, into the new world. The Elves had gotten ahead, fleeing to the nearest forests they could find. In the thick cover, the Orcs lost sight of them. They began to investigate the land as their cousins had. They settled, adventured, and fought. Fighting was what they were good at and they were much better equipped for the trip into this new world, to face the terrors that haunted it. But their own aggression killed them in the end. They perished at the hands of beasts, monsters they should have known they would never defeat, at least not in totality. Within a half of a Millenia, the Orcs too were extinct, leaving behind only the skeletal ruins of their previous homes and their old enemies they had died out battling.

In the course of the first two-hundred and fifty years, as Nemiisae searched for a way to open the portal and leave this place, Zanunder aged within his sleep, eventually dying. Bereaved of her husband she fell into a great remorse for having accidentally killed him. Her mind became clouded, muddled, perhaps even mad. Then her children came to her with reports of these strangers in their lands. She realized then what had happened…The portal only shut on their side. It must have been an act of God, she believed. Then she realized, it was a test! As God had tested the Four Brothers, surely he was testing her and these others to become stronger. But her compassion would not allow her to let others fall victim to this trap she had unwittingly played a part in. She could not reopen the portal, but she could close it from her side, sealing off both the portal to the Verge and the portal within it to the new world. Then she retreated back into her Caverns, encouraging her children to live, breath, fight, grow stronger. Punish and perish the weak and live for themselves and for her, for it was the only way to gain God’s favor. Then she left them to their own devices, her wishes for their future made clear.

It was in this way that hubris was punished, that the sins of those who came before was tested and they were proven guilty. Had these people physically gone to these lands, surely the curse would not have killed them all. But by passing through the portal of Hubris which Nemiisae had created, they doomed themselves and their kin. Other groups found the portals between the time Nemiisae realized what had happened and closed it off, but anyone who came through was doomed to suffer and die. There was no hope for them as soon as they had passed through those portals into that world. But it is far enough removed that between the first settling of it and our time, no one has ever discovered it again. Beyond churning, whirling seas, deadly islands, leagues and weeks away from the lands settled by the Four Brothers, it would be impossible to reach without the assistance of a very strong force indeed. But perhaps it is for the best, that these ruins remain ruins, and the skeletons go undisturbed, lest we awaken old evils…