A Prophet Enlightens, A Crowd Gathers

[Taiga 764]

The Illuminate Prophet stands atop a small pedestal and exclaims to the people situated in the Cloud Temple of Asulon.

" People of Asulon, hear my words! We, the people of Asulon, have escaped the clutches the old world had upon us! We, the people, have survived the destruction of our homes and family. We, the people, begin anew and begun an exodus upon the lands of Asulon. You may believe salvation is at hand, but the clutches of the old world has not relinquished their grasp on our lives... yet. "

The people turn to listen and the monks look for the source of the voice. Some shouts of confusion lace the gathered people, they ask to elaborate.

" Do any of you follow Aeriel? Iblees? Gods of the Pantheons that affect our lives as well? Or perhaps you follow the path between, following the balanced path.

Tell me, denizens of Aegis, or perhaps Asulon. Think about what caused the destruction of Aegis. What was the source of the evils that had sewn itself into the fabric of the old world. The source of the destruction, strife, and the many deaths of the people we love. Our children, wives, and husbands, taken by the beings that pull our strings. "

Shouts from the crowd exclaim that the cause of the pain was of Iblees' creation. The prophet holds his hands up and silences the ravaging crowd.

" You are all blinded by hatred. You look at the veil, but you let your weakness take hold. You dare not to lift it to reveal the real source, the inception of the cause. Today, I will lift your veils and show you the real cause.

Oh, but I hear the cries of those who follow the path of balance. I have not forgotten about your views as well. Now, I would like to ask those of balance a question;

What is the opposite of life? Death of course.

Now, what balances out a steady flow of life? You will expect death. But not just to the old and brave, but to the weak children who sit on the doorsteps of death. You say that you are angry if you home is destroyed, but this is the way things go according to balance. We had enough flourishing and our lives were prosperous and plentiful. The crops were fruitful and an era of peace washed over the land. If you are balanced, you believe in destruction and creation. You support the losing side, until they balance each other out, having warfare, destruction, and demolition rule your lives for most of your existence upon Aegis. Is this what you truly believe? Is the destruction justified and balanced?

I say no. And the people say no. We lost too much to consider this the tipping of the scales, just to retain your so-called balance. Ah, yes. This is balance isn't it? The existence of Aeriel and Iblees, promenading in an everlasting dance. Until one trips, the Fallen One takes the window of opportunity and delivers a final blow. And thus, according to balance, a new world is discovered. But what have we found? A barren land, riddled with hostile natives, dangerous creatures, and more death. "

Murmurs could be heard as he made the statement. He continues...

" I, the Prophet of the Illuminus Obscura, bring to you, the people, true righteousness and rectification. I bring to you philosophies to enlighten and lift the veil that surrounds you. I bring to you sight, beyond the illusions the people have created. I bring to you Salvation, Power, and the end of all Sins. I will illuminate your path and obscure those who attempt to cover it. I illuminate the stairway to the gods' realm! "

Confusion laces the crowd as the last statement rolls off his tongue. Shouts of disbelief of the believers is drowned by the silence, the eye of the storm.

" Yes, it is the gods who have lead our lives and caused the ultimate destruction of the lands we once called home. Now, we start anew, just like we once have when we were born. But now, the gods' presence is absent from these lands. Your beliefs and traditions are obsolete in these lands, and it is time to start anew and go against the flow of the river, to the source of the power. Aeriel, the caretaker of the people. Or the overseer of the massive slave farm that we inhabited. Surely, it must have gotten boring and she invited a few friends along the road. This is where your eyes begin to adjust to the light, lifting the veil partially. The tyranny of the gods are apparent and ever-shining. They are together, Iblees and Aeriel. Aeriel laughs as the slaves are whipped in a stylish fashion by the god we despise. And after a good whipping, they take a short respite to refuel their energy and let us suffer even more. Many will to die in the process and Aeriel steps in. With her aid, we find something to fight for, something to draw fools and jesters to a cause that was never winning. Her kind words, laced with poison and malice, draw us close and lets us have a false hope. Now look upon your past and see this as true. See it as what foolish dreams, desires, and hopes you once had. Realize your mistakes and embrace this teaching. Embrace it and see it true. Let your eyes adjust to this and leave the small pond you have once lived in. Swim upstream, challenging fate, and returning to your true home. A home where everything is tranquil and all is truly equal. A home where the gods once lived and seize their power. To become gods, we must usurp their throne. To end all sins, we create one, final sin. This is not greed, rather, it is to sate the greed we have all housed, and to stop the greed in the world. What need is there of greed once you cannot ascend any higher?

You may ask, there are some who desire more than the power of the gods, to embody the spirit of all. But once you are all, what are we? Nothing will exist and all shall be you. I would imagine a desolate and draft life you will live for eternity, forever alone. So the power they wish for is nonexistant, it cannot be achieved. Then, shall their greed be sated, for it is the source of all sins.

Believe what you wish, for I have opened your eyes. You will either live a life in reality or be crushed under the pressure of disbelief of that you believed true.

The crowd ponders...

[Areon 947]

*Malice Leans Against a tree Wondering how his "master" has such a way with words.

(( Also, Get on ts3 please, I need to talk to you. >_< ))

[Taiga 764]

" Now, I offer you salvation. True salvation. Come under my guiding light, brightening the path forward. Come unto my cloak, shielding you from the lies that surround you. Take the hand and become the powerful.

Or ignore it, and be crushed by the rapid waters that approach you.

It is your choice, and your choice alone. I do not force you, only a mere guide for those who are brave, willing, and those who wish for peace. To end warfare with one final act of war. Through one battle, many battles will be prevented and a new world order will be ever shining.

The Prophet reaches his hand out, symbolizing the reaching of power.

Make your choice...

[xmrsmoothx 317]

Brianna spits. "How pathetically vague. You think some flowery, hopeful language is gonna snag me?" She scoffs at the 'Prophet'.

[Taiga 764]

Brianna spits. "How pathetically vague. You think some flowery, hopeful language is gonna snag me?" She scoffs at the 'Prophet'.

[[ How rude of you Bri-bri...]]

Believe in what you wish, I cannot change your mind. If power isn't what you seek, then perhaps being pounded by the waters will change you. I swim upstream whilst you wait at the bottom of the waterfall. You will see in due time that staying at the bottom will lead you nowhere in life. Take advantage of the absence and bring upon freedom to yourself... Unchain the shackles that bind you and lift the veil from your eyes!

[Pudclud 32]

Pud laughs. "I don't care what'sh true or not. Ash long ash there'sh ale and shtuff to kill, it'sh all good!" He then falls over drunk.

[Blundermore 2741]

*Shakes his head* I cannot decern you from the path you have taken up but you must at least listen. If not had it been for Aerial we would not be in this new land to begin with. We would be slaves or destroyed by the fallen corpse long before hand. Aerial is not a "slave driver" as you so much say. She guided our souls to the after life if we were to face our end. We all owe her our thanks... Not our blames. I must detest of such and point out to all of you here that Aerial was always there to protect us. Even if she could not save Agies. She still helped to guide us to the new lands and our salvation. Now, it is you choice here... the free peoples of this crowd. I cannot make a choice for you but you must at least take into account that it was not the fualt of Aerial that Aegis was destroyed. She was only tasked with trying to protect us. US! not to drive us as slaves and not to start wars. Again I must say, We, Owe, Her, Our, Thanks. Not the greivances of trying to find who to blame. You should be ashamed to think that Aerial might of been a reason behind the fall of Aegis! She gave us her all... and we only give her nothing but Arrogance in return...

[Jistuma 1996]

*A boy sees a robed man staring at the ground and questions what he is thinking* Ye is right, the gods have given us the hatred we all have. We can not be their slaves... but we can not become them either. *The man's eyes start to became a brighter red* Those who try to achive that same power will do the same as they have. They will become consumed with the power, having god like powers will only make them ignore us like Ariel, or destroy us like Ibless. *The man's thinking becames muttering, and a young boy notices the red eyes inside the robes, and grabs his mother's hand in frieght* None should be allowed to climb that high, we should stay in the low waters and remov...

*The mutteing seems to stop sudendly, it seems only a blink changed the eyes from a bright red to a calming yellow, the boy holds his mother's hand with strength now. the muttering continues, but the boy can undersand it now*

Calm down young human, thy thoughts are only half right. Thy think that no soul should swim upstream, that no soul should be in the calms at the spring, that all should be at the calms in the river's mouth. But the young prophet was only half right as well. *The man kneels down and takes an apple from his robes, giving it to the boy* All living souls should try to climb upstream, but not all will make it, and not all should be allowed to make it. *The boy accepts the apple and gives it a bite, the apple seemed to taste the best he ever eaten.* Some are strong and fight the flowing water easily, while others take their life that destiny and can never make it close. Some do not have the mind or heart to be at the spring but have the strength, and some have the heart and mind, but not the strenght. Young human, thy will have the hardest place to be one day. It is hard to climb, but easy at the top, it is hard to stay down, but easy not to climb.

*The boy listens with interest, the man seems to speak into his very soul* Thy, will stay in the current, thy will judge the ones that try to go upstream and stop the unworthy, and help the worthy. Thy job will be one of a judge, to stay neutral in all situations, to not want to go up, nor down, but to stay in the middle. Thy will be having the hardest spot in the stream, and not be corrupted by good nor evil.

*The man stands up and walks away. The boy ask himself if the man was talking to him*

[Taiga 764]

Pud laughs. "I don't care what'sh true or not. Ash long ash there'sh ale and shtuff to kill, it'sh all good!" He then falls over drunk.

Ah, but if you are a god, what will the price of ale be to you? A lifetime of ale and things to kill will be ever-present!

*Shakes his head* I cannot decern you from the path you have taken up but you must at least listen. If not had it been for Aerial we would not be in this new land to begin with. We would be slaves or destroyed by the fallen corpse long before hand. Aerial is not a "slave driver" as you so much say. She guided our souls to the after life if we were to face our end. We all owe her our thanks... Not our blames. I must detest of such and point out to all of you here that Aerial was always there to protect us. Even if she could not save Agies. She still helped to guide us to the new lands and our salvation. Now, it is you choice here... the free peoples of this crowd. I cannot make a choice for you but you must at least take into account that it was not the fualt of Aerial that Aegis was destroyed. She was only tasked with trying to protect us. US! not to drive us as slaves and not to start wars. Again I must say, We, Owe, Her, Our, Thanks. Not the greivances of trying to find who to blame. You should be ashamed to think that Aerial might of been a reason behind the fall of Aegis! She gave us her all... and we only give her nothing but Arrogance in return...

If the heroes did not heed the call of 'goodwill' and angered the Fallen One, the catastrophe would not have occurred. And it is only with your thought that Aeriel has guided us to these wretched lands. Care you not for the lives lost in the world of old? Care you not for the possessions we have left behind when you have boarded the ship?

Yes, she has lead us here, to take respite for the oncoming barrage of whippings of the slave whipper. The slave driver loves us not, but only as her pleasure and enjoyment, shall she watch us suffer once more as we try to inhabit these lands.

It is like a toy. You play with it until it breaks. You send it away to be mended and you come and receive it, playing with it more and more.

*A boy sees a robed man staring at the ground and questions what he is thinking* Ye is right, the gods have given us the hatred we all have. We can not be their slaves... but we can not become them either. *The man's eyes start to became a brighter red* Those who try to achive that same power will do the same as they have. They will become consumed with the power, having god like powers will only make them ignore us like Ariel, or destroy us like Ibless. *The man's thinking becames muttering, and a young boy notices the red eyes inside the robes, and grabs his mother's hand in frieght* None should be allowed to climb that high, we should stay in the low waters and remov...

*The mutteing seems to stop sudendly, it seems only a blink changed the eyes from a bright red to a calming yellow, the boy holds his mother's hand with strength now. the muttering continues, but the boy can undersand it now*

Calm down young human, thy thoughts are only half right. Thy think that no soul should swim upstream, that no soul should be in the calms at the spring, that all should be at the calms in the river's mouth. But the young prophet was only half right as well. *The man kneels down and takes an apple from his robes, giving it to the boy* All living souls should try to climb upstream, but not all will make it, and not all should be allowed to make it. *The boy accepts the apple and gives it a bite, the apple seemed to taste the best he ever eaten.* Some are strong and fight the flowing water easily, while others take their life that destiny and can never make it close. Some do not have the mind or heart to be at the spring but have the strength, and some have the heart and mind, but not the strenght. Young human, thy will have the hardest place to be one day. It is hard to climb, but easy at the top, it is hard to stay down, but easy not to climb.

*The boy listens with interest, the man seems to speak into his very soul* Thy, will stay in the current, thy will judge the ones that try to go upstream and stop the unworthy, and help the worthy. Thy job will be one of a judge, to stay neutral in all situations, to not want to go up, nor down, but to stay in the middle. Thy will be having the hardest spot in the stream, and not be corrupted by good nor evil.

*The man stands up and walks away. The boy ask himself if the man was talking to him*

[[ My response if I could read your thoughts. Which I can, if I wanted. ]]

I am fully correct in my statements. Some shall be left behind and crushed by the stream. The others shall swim further and further. Your strength will relinquish its grasp and jostle you downstream once more. It is only peace we seek. Elysium, if you will.

If the powerful and enlightened become gods, we need not for the rest of the world. We live in Elysium and crush the world with the might of the denizens of gods. We recreate it anew to our views and like a phoenix, birth by death shall be granted.

[susitsu 871]

Leaning against a pillar wearing armor and having darkened his hair along with his left eye to a blood red color, Lucas Black stands as Fenrir. Watching he claps a bit, his tone different from his usual as Lucas Black, a bit of a Dwarven accent mixed in while he is obviously human. Clapping a bit louder he says "'Ey, nice speech. I do believe you make sense. Up until this point it HAS been the gods fault that we have suffered so much, but how about the actions done by those who are not influenced by any Gods?" He smirks slightly as he offers Ryder Bane a new point to play upon to take the peoples will under his control, a promise for refuge from bandits would do well. "And how about all this food eh? Gonna do somethin' about that?" he adds under the face mask he wears at the time he smirks a bit more at the show. Continuing to lean against the pillar, he takes out a golden apple and non-nonchalantly tosses it from hand to hand awaiting the response.

[Taiga 764]

Ponders Lucas's Question, juggling it in his mind. After a while, he finds a suitable response and answers.

Their actions, whether influence by gods or not, are still in the their personal greed. Vying for a way to obtain their heart's desire, I offer them just that, and more. Only then shall their sins be sated. Banditry and Theft are also ways for greed to be sated, but this is only a temporary solution, much like 'Happiness' to a human. They must constantly reach for it, bringing them pleasure.

I still offer them respite, peace, and the end of sins. They will see that this world is at a fault and recreate it with our cause.

Slowly strides towards Lucas, or "Fenrir" and snatches the apple and takes a bite.

[Soldrin Woodaxe 38]

*Thom stands among the crowd; a rage starts to boil inside him. His anger isn’t at the man who speaks to the people, but to the notion that we need gods at all. His voice explodes as his eyes meet the man who seeks to become what he hates.*

“What good is a god in the first place? What is a ‘god’? Is it one who brings life? One who can kill? One who can create? One who can destroy? What is it a god can do that a mortal can’t? I can grow life in my farm, kill animals in my pen, create structures, and destroy them.” Thom raises his right hand in the air, “With this hand I can do all that and more. I have forsaken the gods while I wandered the ocean and I wondered if we would ever find a land without them. Now here we are and you wish to become one? I ask you this one more time, what is a ‘god’ and why must one exist?!”

[Taiga 764]

*Thom stands among the crowd; a rage starts to boil inside him. His anger isn’t at the man who speaks to the people, but to the notion that we need gods at all. His voice explodes as his eyes meet the man who seeks to become what he hates.*

“What good is a god in the first place? What is a ‘god’? Is it one who brings life? One who can kill? One who can create? One who can destroy? What is it a god can do that a mortal can’t? I can grow life in my farm, kill animals in my pen, create structures, and destroy them.” Thom raises his right hand in the air, “With this hand I can do all that and more. I have forsaken the gods while I wandered the ocean and I wondered if we would ever find a land without them. Now here we are and you wish to become one? I ask you this one more time, what is a ‘god’ and why must one exist?!”

Lost child, I show the path to Elysium. A god can do whatever his wishes desire. Sating the need of greed, we will all become gods. We must exist because it is the only wayto peace. To end the Sins that hold us captive, making us strive and be greedy.

I very much doubt that you can create worlds. I doubt that you can destroy them in an instant. I doubt that that very hand could easily bring forth a new being into existence, one that has not been seen by the likes of humanity.

Now tell me. Can your hand do these feats?

[K33MST4R 219]

Pondering the name of the cult, light obscured, darkness... power. Gawyn reaches up his hand towards the prophet... "I join thee, Aeriel and Iblees be banished from my soul, may I become one to worship, I join thee brother."

[Soldrin Woodaxe 38]

*The crowd parts ways leaving the space between Thom and prophet desolate and empty. His face relaxes. A slight hint of doubt shows in his eyes before he realizes it and fixes his gaze back to the man almost as sharp as before. *

“You make it sound like one can ascend to a god easily. If it was that simple, wouldn’t everyone be a god by now? I have been ridiculed by elf and human alike for my blood for as long as I can remember. Now I have found people who don’t care about my blood and employ me to keep the fields. The last thing I want is to see is some ‘god’ come in and take it all away. I was damned at birth but I will not be damned again!”

*Thom’s body is shaking slightly as a glimpse of fear flashes in his eyes.*