Ascend to Malin'or: The Elven Pantheon

[The Order of Malin 63]

[!] By chance, or by your own dedicated labors, you have obtained the scroll rolled up before you. It smells of vermillion ink, the incense of candles and wax, a musty smell of moth riddle robes.  The parchment is weighted, expensive and thick - its container gilded ornately and decorated with all manner of strange elven iconography. Crowned Elven figures with great auras, intricately carved silver inlaid symbols of magic and religion- though no outward signs of magic are present by glance or examination. 

 

At this point you may choose to put the oddity away, stuffing it back into whatever source destiny provided it to you. Your life continues as it did before and you live no more or less happy from the experience.

 

 If you choose to unfurl the scroll, however….

 

Further diagrams with detailed and colorful art, measurements and figures spill out in an orderly cacophony before you. The author's hand is well practiced, steady and beautiful; This is writing from someone who has spent a lifetime in scholarly pursuit. The paintings are the commissioned work that are seperate from the authors. Finally, you draw your eye to the start of the scroll, the eloquent cursive writing of the author beckons you to begin this journey…

 

 

Herein lies the divinely inspired message of Malin to his people, as transcribed by his third Saneyir, Saneyir Melphestaus, in the Second Age.

 

Terminology 

Apotheosis: The act of shedding one's physical self and transcending into their spiritual self.  

Ao: The Void Touched fragment of the elven Soul.  

Ascension: The means in which a Numen is deified. 

Soul-Mending: The act of uniting an Elven soul wholly. Those who have undergone this ritual successfully are called 'Mended-Souls'. 

The Creator: The very first consciousness of the universe, made all things that exist. Is a dead God whose corpse makes up the void.  

Eo: The spirit-touched fragment of the elven soul.  

Io: The fae-touched fragment of the elven soul.  

Malin'or: Historically the physical capital of all Elves; currently the place of the Elven Pantheon in the Heavens (Let this put to rest the silly notion of further naming grande Elven cities Malin'or) 

Malins Mantle: A divine barrier that originates from Malin's divine power within Malin'or and surrounds the entirety of the descendant plane of existence, preventing the intrusion of other realms such as the Fae, Daemons, and the spirits without invitation by descendant kind.  

Portfolio: A portfolio is the realm in which a Deity chooses to use their divine power to influence. The more powerful Elven deities have large broad portfolios, such as 'Luck', or a Numen may choose a more narrow portfolio to serve a more powerful deity and benefit from their patronage - such as 'Gambling'.  

Temple of Malin: Religious institution, and the physical buildings and Temples, which houses the clergy, priesthood and the ritual locations of the 'Way of Malin' 

Way of Malin: The prescriptive path to live as Malin did and to ascend to Malin'or. Also the religious dogma as practiced by the Temple of Malin.  

Numen: Soul-mended Elves who through ritual shed their physical bodies through Apotheosis and now exist in a more purified spiritual form.   

Tripartite Soul: References an Elven soul and its three fragments. 

 

'There are no skies to rise, no mountain stone to return, no peace in realms of spirits - ours is the penultimate responsibility to reign and protect over creation in this world' 

 

- Saneyir Melphestaus on conveying the 'Will of Malin' 

The Responsibility

 There is nothing in death but dust.  Only in the apotheosis of the physical elven coil, the mending of the tripartite soul, and the ascension, may worthy souls serve in Malin'or.  To protect the descendant races. This is his will, long forgotten yet revealed here; to understand the prophetic future, there must be an understanding of ancient past. 

 

 

Creation 

There was a time when the universe consisted of nothing, but a single entity known as the Creator. This creator existed for millennia, undisturbed, until it one day became aware. The Valah have at times called him 'the' God. The Creator controlled the very elements of the universe, everything did as it commanded and willed. 

 

Yet the Creator in time grew lonely. So, the Creator poured his essence into his very first beings, the Aenguls, and made for them a realm to exist. Aenguls, filled with their maker's desire to build a new, birthed their own realms and creations. Yet Aenguls, born of the Creator's desire for friendship and love - could not disobey him. Their affection was a forced one, and though he loved them, he knew they could never reciprocate this feeling in any real manner. 

 

 In his sadness and anger, the Creator had manifested the Daemons - and for them a realm was also created. The Daemons reflected all of the Creator's doubts and unhappiness for creation, and so they expressed a desire to bring ruination to all things the Creator brought to life. 

 

So, this went on as the Creator sought to perfect that which it made. The Creator poured its essence into many planes of existence, known and unknown, seeking perfection of its craft. Each new life drains and extinguishes its divine energy in every passionate attempt to find love. From him poured wondrous worlds and planes of existence for many of his children.  In his last breath of creation, in his final and most perfect act, he created the mortal realm of the descendants - bestowing the last of his divine energy into his four descendant sons. Each was given a purpose, yet most important was Malins - for as the eldest and first of his sons, it would fall to him alone to safeguard the mortal realm - but in return, Malin and his children would be elevated to the heavens - given unto one thing his brothers were not: immortality. 

 

 The prophecy, translated as best understood using the language of ancient Elven, spoken to Malin by the Creator "Arise an Aegis now but one, the day shall come when your seed is the cornerstone to the heavens, inheritors of the world, servant and saviors, fly unburdened"

 

With his final wishes spoken to his sons, the Creators became undone. Its corpse expanded into an uncountable and unknowing space of power and energy - its husk becoming a vast and limitless miasma known as the Void. 

 

Realizing the Creator no longer safeguarded the realms of reality, the Daemons and their leader Iblees wasted no time in seeking to undo its pinnacle work, for this is in their nature to destroy and they know nothing else. 

 

The great Daemon would fail to undue that which was wrought by the Creator in the descendant realm as Aenguls and descendants were able to repel the demonhost to their miserable planar realms.  The descendants and the Aenguls could not repel Iblees and his eternal hordes from destroying the mortal realm forever. In order to keep with the Creator's wishes, to whom the Aenguls could not disobey, the Aenguls revealed to Malin the process to transcend himself and his children to ascend to the heavens. 

 

Thus, Malin shed his physical body and founded the ethereal city of divine Malin'or  disappearing from the forests he ruled as a living King. He shrouded the descendant realm within "Malin's Mantle" - a divine barrier which prevents entities from other planes of existence, such as the Aengudaemons and their minions, from entering into the mortal plane on their own whim. Malins limitless mana pours from his great and powerful soul in a constant effort to keep this barrier from breaking. Through his efforts, planar beings may only be invited by the summonings of descendant-kind who wisely, or foolishly, evoke their powers. 

 

Malin foretold to his Princely Council the Aenguls secret after the defeat of Iblees and before his ascension, but the great daemon had already left a mark on Malin's daughters and prevented their joining him in divine Malin'or. The radiant Elven soul of Malin’s Children was partitioned into three fragments:  Ao, the void-touched fragment formed in Golden Pools of mana; Io, the fae-touched fragment formed by the word altars; and Eo the soul-touched fragment formed in the realm of spirits. Separated and no longer whole, the Elven soul became weak. Elves were unable to fulfill their prophetic purpose of ascension to Malin'or. Yet the mystery of the mending of the Elven fragments into one, whole, soul that was lost to his people is now revealed once more as it was to his daughters and with it the path to ascension is once more at hand. 

 

 

Authors depiction of Malin'or, home of the Elven Pantheon of Gods as revealed in a vision

 

The Way of Malin 

 

The Tripartite Soul 

Each Elf is born with only part of their soul dominant, having only one fragment of three which constantly acts on them and the fullness of their persona - mind, body, soul. The rest of their fragmented soul is latent, present but broken. Each fragment has a series of vices that may only be overcome by the instructive virtues of Malin, known as the 'Five Instructions', through self-mastery or mentorship. When these vices are overcome, it is possible that a mending may be performed to activate a latent fragment- exposing the Elf to new vices, challenges, and strengths until their soul is perfected. 

 

 

 

 

Birth - The Hope

An Elven child is rare. So fragmented are Elven souls, that life rarely takes root in the womb. Yet when it does, an Elven child is granted the first boon on the path to divinity: immortality. At birth the Aengul Aeriel binds the soul of the Elf-child and with it a spark of hope for all descendant kind. Conversely, the mark of the daemon also takes hold, and their soul is also shattered, and reformed with but a single fragment - unknowable at this age in the Elf's life. 

 

 

Adolescent Elves

 Young Elves become aware of their fractured souls for the first time, and it is a time of confusion and emotion. They begin to grapple with feelings of arrogance, depression and anger. The youth at this point must be prepared for adult discipleship, discerning which fragment of their soul they were born with so they may be prepared to begin the way of Malin. 

 

Disciples: Adult Elves

Elves will spend most if not all of their life as a disciple of Malin, knowing or unknowing. Whether as a formal member of the Temple of Malin, or a practicing layman - Elves all over the descendant realm are in a state of spiritual warfare with themselves. Finding wholeness can take centuries, if often never achieved by most Elves.

 

 The prescriptive method for discipleship is through the 'The Way of Malin', the formal name of the Elven faith philosophy that provides detailed orthopraxy for all Elves left by Malin for the Elven people on the path to ascension. 

 

 Should an Elf master their soul, they are prepared for the second step on their journey to divinity, Soul-Mending.  Disciples also serve a critical role in helping young newly formed deities, the Numen, come into their full powers. In extreme cases, disciples may be called to put down a shade produced from a failed Apotheosis. 

 

 

Soul-Mending 

Mending looks different for every Elf, though there are some core elements to every ritual. Many realms have claimed dominion of the Elven soul - all three must relinquish their control, willingly or by force. An Elven Soul can be mended through a ritual that involves powerful Voidal, Fae, and Ancestor magics on the aspiring deity. Death is a strong possibility during this ritual, and any unworthiness is sure to result in the obliteration of the Elf into the void.

 

Prophets of Malin: Enlightened Elves

 Mended Elves have had their souls permanently restored. They will find inner peace, a hope for descendant kind and a deep sense of understanding and wisdom. Their soul burns brightly, more than the other descendant races, with great radiance. They often see above the squabbles of the nations and states of the era, as the veil of fog that has clouded their minds is being lifted - and the path to the heavens is now seen. Now, the soul is fully prepared, one must prepare the body and mind for transformation. Mastery over the physical as well as the spiritual will be necessary for the Elf to survive apotheosis. The greatest gift given to Mended Elves is their ability to mend souls and to discern which soul fragment a young elf was born with - this makes them a natural choice for Elven leadership. 

 

Many mended feel an overwhelming desire to remain in the physical flesh they were born with, never aspiring to pursue divinity further, but will take up critical responsibilities in communing between the Elven Pantheon and the mortal realm. 

 

Apotheosis 

Death for any Elf prior to being mended results in nothingness. Elven souls are too weak and are obliterated without their physical shell to contain them. This is not so for mended Elves. Through the ritualistic death of Apotheosis, the Elf sheds their physical bodies. If the Elfs will be strong enough to command their own spirit without the shackles of mortal flesh, they shall re-appear as a fledgling deity, one of the Numen. If it is not successful, they have potentially become a vengeful shadow or, if lucky, the soul once again shattered back into dust and returned to the void. 

 

Numen: Ascending Elves

 

The Numen are powerful souls on the path to divinity, though not permanent members of the Pantheon of Malin'or. They are not quite ready to enter Malin'or or fully come into their powers. For though they may answer prayers and intervene to support their followers, their powers are not enough to help maintain Malin's mantle. The Temple of Malin plays a key role in the construction of lesser shrines, the preparation of familiar objects, and the stewarding of numen to help them grow into their power. The Temple works to promote the Numen so that it may achieve full ascension. The Saneyir, who communes with Malin, helps to ensure which Numen are given priority on the path to ascension. Before one may enter Malin'or, the Numen must prepare themselves further for deification entering into one of three stages of their ascension. 

 

I.Wandering Spirit. This numen is weakened from the experience of apotheosis. They may not recall who they were or why they have changed. It is critical that disciples quickly find a wandering spirit and introduce them to familiar objects, establish their Shrine, and tend to their worship. The Wandering spirit must discover for themselves an accepted portfolio in the Heavens. Their portfolio often, though not always, should match their life prior to Apotheosis to prevent a disjointed experience. The Wandering spirit is sometimes at the whims of their aspiring worshippers. A benevolent Elf who is perceived to have been a violent one by its believers will begin to adopt the traits of its worshippers, even if this did not reflect their true personality. They should also at this time be aided in discovering their deific avatar, how they will appear to mortals, and their followers should develop iconography that will aid in their worship.   

 

2. Sanctified Spirit. When a numen has grown into their powers, they are prepared to continue their ascension as a Sanctified Spirit. They will commune with followers at their shrines and establish a preference for the month and lunar cycle in which followers may call on them. They should actively bestow gifts on their followers and serve as benevolent protectors of those practicing 'The Way'.  When Malin alone has deemed the Sanctified Spirit worthy of entering Malin'or, they are ascended as full Deities. 

 

3. Shade. Vengeful and violent, Shades are numen that have garnered a set of believers who actively promote its violent behavior, are the result of a failed Apotheosis, or were rejected by Malin during Ascension. They are extremely dangerous; Sanctified Spirits and Disciples are called to end their pitiful yet dangerous existence.  In some cases, the worshippers who created the lesser deity must also be eliminated to fully destroy the Shade. 

 

 

Authors Depiction of Malin, protecting the mortal realm. 

 

The Ascended: An Elven God in Malin'or

 

Upon ascension, the Elf takes their rightful place with Malin in heavenly Malin'or. Taking for themselves the title of Prince, their name and portfolio. They are now committed to an eternity of maintaining 'Malins Mantle' and responding to the prayers of mortals on their chosen month and lunar cycle, within the sites of worship dedicated to them. 

 

The Path to Malin’or is not for the unworthy….

Many will, and have, tried and failed to ascend to holy Malin’or. Those who bargain their souls for any reason, those who are filled with doubt, and the unworthy shall never come to reign as our Father and King has commanded. They shall never sit on the Princely Council. Those with the dedication, the willpower, shall rise to Malin’or as a God of descendant kind - taking up their sacred duty.


This scroll was ended, but not the last of this bundle - did it provide what you hoped when you unfurled it?  A quick glimpse at the next few pages showed expanded, detailed documentation to elaborate on some topics written here. This was a story, however, for another time - perhaps take the time to truly understand what you just read.

[CONTINUE READING THE SCROLL TO THE NEXT PAGE]

 

Edited January 5, 2023 by The Order of Malin

[RyuTheCoolest 176]

"The Malinites have put down to paper some concepts the philosopher alfs of that Bronze Polis Sulianpoli have been long speaking of their race. That they can continue on after death, their end just a gateway to further life. With their shrines and rituals they speal to the honored dead. I say bless them! For my race has place eternal in the open sky" a tall hat wearing horse nomad rolls the scroll up