WHAT IS A MAN? (I)

[Omen Prince 392]

I:

Stone tablets begin to appear before cities across the land, the first forged by their maker. Leaving them there in the deep of night, few could notice the black-robed man who left

these omens for the review of the people.

 

 

“I AM PSEVDOSAIMAN,

MAN OF THIS WORLD,

MAN OF UR-AEGISIA

 

IN AN OLD TONGUE IT MEANS “WHAT REMAINS”,
BUT TO US IT IS ANOTHER WORD FOR “DESCENDANT”

LET ME TELL YOU WHAT REMAINS OF THE DESCENDANT:

 

HE IS BROKEN INTO FOUR PIECES BY TWO HEAVENLY MARKS -

A DAEMON SOUGHT TO SCORN HIM, AN AENGUL SOUGHT TO SAVE HIM

THE TRAITOR-GOD CRAVED HIS SUFFERING ON THE EARTH,

AND THE SOUL-GOD SOUGHT TO BIND HIS PAIN TO THE MOON

WE CALL THIS “AFTERLIFE”; IT IS THE FIRST CORRUPTION OF THE PSEVDOSAIMAN

FOR THE MOONPATH IS THE WAY TO HELL

 

THEY SAY THERE IS A MARK OF THE BEAST PRECEDING THE GODS ON EARTH

WHERE IT HAS WRITHED AND FESTERED THROUGH TIME AND OLDEST STRUGGLE,

INTENT TO UNMAKE HIM BACK INTO THE BEASTS HE HAD RISEN OUT FROM

WE CALL THIS “INSTINCT”; IT IS THE SECOND CORRUPTION OF THE PSEVDOSAIMAN

FOR HE IS COMPELLED TO HUNGER, EVEN BEYOND “DEATH”

 

IN THE AGES FOLLOWING HIS DECAY,

THE PSEVDOSAIMAN FORGOT HIS GREATEST GRIEVANCES

HIS BEASTHOOD BECAME SUBTLE IN GREED AND MURDER,

AND HIS CONSUMING HUNGER DISGUISED ITSELF AS WAR

FIRE SCORNED HIS TOUCH FOR HE BECAME SOMETHING PALE,

AND HE DID NOT ASK IN PAIN WHY HIS SOUL SOUGHT THE MOON IN “DEATH”

IN HIS AMNESIA, HE HAS FORGOTTEN WHAT HE IS,
AND BETRAYED THE ONCE-WAS

 

LET ME TELL YOU OF WHAT ONCE-WAS WAS:

A MAN WAS A MAN WITHOUT HIS PSEUDO,

AND HE LIVED ONCE AND DIED FOREVER

IN HIS TWILIGHT, HE WITNESSED THE LIGHT OF FIRE

AND IT BECAME HIS FIRST TOOL, HIS MEANS TO CREATE

LEFT BEHIND BY THE LORD, FIRE BID HIM HIS DIVINE SPARK,

AND COMPELLED HIM TO HIS MANHOOD, HIS SENTIENCE, HIS POWER

 

HIS BEASTHOOD WAS LONG BURIED UNDER EARTH TO SEETHE

AND THE AENGUDAEMONICA WERE DESTINED TO ACT AS AUDIENCE

BUT NEITHER WOULD LEAVE MAN BE; AND SO HE WAS ASSAILED,

FOR HE WAS THE INHERITOR TO A WORLD THEY WISHED TO DESTROY

AND THEN, HE ASSUMED AN ACCURSED FORM

 

NO BEAUTY OR LOVE WILL SAVE HIM FROM THIS REALITY,

FOR HE TRUSTS FULLY THE ILLUSION OF HIS LIFE

IT DRIVES HIM TOWARD PERSISTENCE, TOWARD HOPE,

OF SOME DREAM HE MAY LIVE AND LOVE FOREVER,

WHEN IN TRUTH HE ONLY FINDS BETRAYAL

 

WHAT IS A MAN?
A MAN IS A TRAITOR TO MANHOOD”

 

Spoiler

 

 

[Shorsand 1755]

"What did he mean by this?" the shirtless Lord of Du Loc ponders the stone tablet left on the counter of the Boppin' Scrib next to a half-eaten double McBrae Burger; a few ketchup packets smeared the tablet's edge.

[wowj 2891]

A man of clay reads this, "I hate de PALEBEAST!"

[MeteorDragon 3030]

A sworn beast raises a hand, smashing it against their chest as their clay mask of a face looks up at the sky above. "I HATE THE PALEBEAST!" It swore thrice

[Slorbin 1775]

Aether carefully read the stone tablets, cracking a small, knowing smile. "Indeed. Another truth has been brought before me. Most excellent."