Jentos

"What constitutes magic." intoned the An-Gho to no-one, reading the missive alongside his afternoon tea. The ash stirred. "Perception that it is." He mused to none but himself.

SETTLING THE DRACONIC QUESTION Preface The race of the dragons is primeval; they have been told to emerge in a similar time to those of the descendants, crafted by Dragur, Daemon of knowledge, as a new form of life - said to have used knowledge stemming from the single God. It is claimed that Azdromoth, father to the azdrazi, many blessings upon him, was the first of this new life, carved from a mountain with bones of iron, scales of stone, and a heart of fire; this were the first of the dragons. Following my father’s inception were others; they were each and all Dragaar, mighty race. And Azdromoth made a collection of knowledge as all his kin did, and they knew the wind for they flew, and they knew the earth and the stone for that was their flesh, and they knew ambition and change for that was their heart (inner-fire). From the Dragaar there came the normative dragons, wise though living separately in the wilds in a form of harmony. And before the four brothers there came Azdromoth, made union and alliance with Horen - and from there stems the draconic blood of the Horenic lineage. Shortly after; there came the dread horns of war, and the singing of destruction with that thieving entity, that terrible Ibliss of black tongue and blacker heart, who sundered my father. For countless years Azdromoth remained locked by outside forces, until he returned, bearing a new creation; the Nephilim, Azdrazi. Surrogate children for the dying race of dragons. My kind is old, descendants. My kind was there when the world was young, birthed as the first of the ovens was lit. My father broke bread with Horen and was given the mysteries of the world by his father, Ondsin’Gur (Dragur). I write this as an answer to the follies of those who would hate my race. I write this as a child of Azdromoth, who has drunk deep from fire and known the mysteries of the world from the roots of the earth. I write this as mine and my brothers weep and wonder, forever calling to the skies from our fires; “Why do they hate us ?” Forgive us, if we are confused. We are not like you. We are not descendants. Our blood is not yours. Our souls are not like yours. Our lives, our traditions, the way we breathe, to the steps we take - they are not human. We are not you. And yet for all that you should only wish to judge us the way you judge yourselves. So I wonder then; why are we hated ? The question must be obvious to you. Amongst my discussions with many, there seems to be real emotion, and real belief, in the evil nature of draconids, and more specifically the nephilim at large. But is belief fact ? God is a fact, but is your hatred one? Of course who could not hate us ; us, the church-burners, the slayer of innocents, the pawns to Iblees, servitors to evil and liars and deceivers all. But has a man never served Iblees? Has a man not burned churches? Has a man killed another? Should all men be judged, by the actions of another? On the nature of the Nephilic Azdrazi and dragons at large Can I blame fear for this hate ? Can a wise man disregard the fact that his skin is like black stone, that ash falls from his form - that his spine is spiked at his hair like black quills. Can I forego the fact that my eyes are fire, that my words rumble like the belly of a cave, and that my head is crowned with horns ? Are you afraid, when my eyes blink, and the fire within is veiled, if for but a moment? The flesh of our bodies and the fire of our hearts? The dragon is a force that represents both fire and stone; for this is what we were carved from when the world was young. Fire, heat, it reminds always of these primeval immortal memories lingering in the mind, it becomes then a brilliant phenomenon for the exploitation of ideas, feelings, thoughts. Fire is not only personal, individual and internal in this aspect, but agential, almost comprehensible. It exists in the heart, the heavens, blazing from within, manifesting in forms of love, and so burns inside of man. Fire can penetrate, and hide to burn human-like hate and disgust. Among all phenomena, fire is indeed the only one involved to this extent in the life, thoughts, beliefs, visions, and feelings of people. This phenomenon can be manifested clearly in two forms, which are against each other. One is the symbol of the good, and the other symbol of the evil. Fire can be illuminated in the heavens, and blazes in the hells. It can both be a symbol of passionate love from the heart, and a symbol of lust, hate, brutality, which is bitterly devastating. But always, and forever - fire is both. Fire is consumption. Fire is passion. But where would man be, if not for the fire that burns within? The Lectorate makes attempts to wake their inner flame, and know of its cleansing, its purity, its danger as they recognize its beauty. The elves of bronze worship their hearts - their ambitions - their fire. Are we not so different then? Do all things not repose on fire and its ideals? Why should you hate us, are we not simply a more representative being of what it means to know and be fire? Fire among all these things also comes to describe movement and change. Fire is the death of stagnation, it is the dancing, weave of faith compared to a colder, static order. In this sense, it is chaos, but only in the way that chaos shifts and move, that it pushes and creates an evolution. Fire is central to dragon; it is their very core, it is like the blood that flows for the descendants to us, though for us it lights the stone of our body akin to flesh so that we might thread the very world. Stagnation then, is a natural foe; to become stagnate is to return to stone. Such is the faith of brothers whom do nothing, care for nothing. Our death, rare as it is, involves a return to the rock. There is no Seventh sky, there is no hell, void, or the damnation of the Moon to captivate our spirits when we pass. For us, there is only the sweet silence of stone. There lies no fear, no insecurity then when it comes to death, for we know that it comes with peace, and that though part of us might serve in death, it is only part; I should know, for I have discussed with the stones of the earth, made speeches with my ancestors in the wind, and dipped my head to the ones who passed by great sconces brimming with flames. With the fate of our souls safeguarded, we give ourselves to crafts. Many know war and battle. Others turn to adventure and service. But as of late, with mine coming, they turn to the art of knowing. And so it is, that the Golden Gift of Eternity is sought after. Asioth! Great Asioth! The prize and pride of my people, the muse of scholars and sages, the question with a thousand answers and none. Mine kin and other greater dragons toil on intellectual matters; for it must be said, they are our passion and our existence. Need I name the one who carved us? Dragur, the one who knew! It is a predisposition, no, a way of life. Do you fear us for it ? For our study of the shadows that move, and the proof that free will is a dread-myth ? Before all, know that we, the dragons ; we are nothing but a race of lovers. Dragons as we know them today are the old offspring of greater dragons. They are simpler than the Dragaar, those greater dragons which were populous in times of old. The interactions of dragons and the world at large, and with the mortal races, is limited. Though it may, or may not know how to speak, it is likely to speak draconic - but even then it may not, and is likely to care little for any attempt at communication. Rather, its cares, depending on its position, may simply be the fulfillment of base needs; sustenance, hoard, and security. As long as the dragon is not sought out, is not corrupted, nor disturbed - it lives amongst the world and provides little danger, for it has no desire to risk its hide for meaningless destruction. As it stands, dragons as they are neutral entities, in all states, and hence are neither a creature of Light, nor one of Dark. Though we are not like you descendants, we find ourselves in a particularly similar situation, and prone to either good or evil. But we nephilim no longer stand for the evil, for the slaughter, and for that chaos that otherwise reigned. When I ask ; when was the last time us nephilim were known to cause trouble ? We have remained to our places, to our realm, and remained out of mortal affairs. On anti-Nephillimism and the draconic diaspora Walk into any city and cast your stare on someone - anyone, and ask them of the Azdrazi. They will call mine people demons, Ibliss-worshippers, and damnable weavers of incoherent destruction. It is known of course that Azdromoth was corrupted - and one of my brothers, amidst great division among nephilim, forsooth us, and so they rode from city to city, cried about the damnation of our race and our servitude to the Dark. And then they spoke of our weaknesses, of our destruction, and our evil deeds. This was done not as a belief, but as a method of attempting to doom our entire race, while that brother, my beloved, but now fallen Marchosias, was driven mad by the spirit of a drake that rendered him insane. That is corruption. So those brothers engineered a plot - that they should destroy all of us, that they should destroy most of everything and then die. Much like my brother Morur’ei - a mad, corrupted nephilim that now wishes nothing more but the destruction of all dragons, before falling on his blade, because we had disbanded his academy - but in the process saved his life, and made acts to unite our people once again. To perform such deeds, my brother, who chose corruption - has made consult with the forces of dark, with Xionists, and with other devils. What union that may ever have existed between azdrazi and darkspawn was not of our decision - it was Morur’ei, the ever childish, who would damn us all for nothing but spite. Now let me move on to another point and ask you; is the race of Elves evil? Is Man evil? Are the dwarves vile? The imperial army when combating the Haverlock rebels made the killing the elderly, made burnings of churches - crimes often attributed to my kin. But do these actions mean that “man” as a whole, is evil? All things have a capacity to do wrong, and the Nephilim have absolutely done wrong. I have seen brother turn on brother - brother kill sister in an act of mad heresy. I have heard of my kind make horrors, I have seen them make terrible slaughter out of cruelty, but is that our whole? Is that our entire capacity? Is that who we are ? No. I remember the great steps leading to the latter palace of Johannesburg guarded by the Nephilim with their swords of flame. I remember the Azdrazi making war upon the dark fiercely with their breaths of flame in the Westerlands, keeping at bay the horrors of the wastelands under the drakaar-lich, Mordring. Mine are keepers, and ours is the fire that cleanses, the fire that strikes and purifies. The fire does not judge - has no agency - it burns as it musts; and so it is given the gift of neutrality. There is no desire to retire from the hosts of the world and cities of these places, merely my kind have found themselves pushed away by bare steel and the hatred of words. The fact is that my people have been oppressed - the mighty and the filthy are gathered against me and have spun rotted words with painted gold to sway the many-races. These are the results of mine own brethren, turned against my people - who in a fit of cultural revolution shed themselves from us without warning and hunted us down. Answer to this I was birthed in the deep places of the World, and rose, and taught them, and sent mine beloved brother Marchosias away past this reality, so he might think on his acts until we might meet again. On the matter of the descendant races however, mine have been reviled. The ongoing and current policy of draconic extermination seen by various nations, notably by the Canonist men and the dwarves. The vehemence portrayed is both born out of real fear and emotion, but it also takes on political undertone. The fear of the dragon threat is used as a political foil for the undermining of other states. This can be exemplified by the current encroachment of high-elven land, under the superfluous claim that their lands are inhabited by nephilim. It has, furthermore, been a recent tradition of statesmen to point a judging finger at other nations, claiming that they be corrupted by an internal enclave of azdrazi. The Urukin too - were put under much threat for the single fact of hosting a draconic academy that pursued study and research. The academy’s goals were largely peaceable, but they were still targeted for being led by one of my brothers, and provided a profitable excuse for the invasion of Krugmar, severely undermining their states’ right to self-determination. This physical threat, in turn, naturally caused the growth of anti-draconic feelings in their community, leading to the tentative rise of voices against my people. However the Academy of Dragur is no longer in operation. I called for its disbandment recently, and have leashed Morur’ei to myself like a dog for the unfortunate wrath incurred by the existence of his academy. I would have liked it another way; but the attempts of the formation of a public azdrazi ethno-state as would have been possible via the lands of Yol have proven to be a failed experiment due to international backlash and internal divisions, and so the diaspora of my people goes on. Indeed, we have been pushed from nation to nation, unable to find the semblance of refuge except in secrecy. Furthermore, most attempts at creating friendly relations between nations have been forced to be kept to the utmost secrecy. In this current form, I am unaware of any secret enclaves of azdrazi meaning to undermine the local government. Most I should think, are individual azdrazi wishing to live peaceable lives in cities of towns, contributing to its society under the comfortable gist of a man’s image. When Azdrazi waltz in the form of a man they are dubbed as hidden serpents, as cowards – and yet when I find that I walk amongst men, by decree of my father to attend the summit of Men concerning the ongoing war, I find myself turned back by men who prove that their warfare was never about the eradication of a so called evil but political strength and expansionism. The Azdrazi are no longer a being in of itself, they have been elevated to an excuse for invasion. But once more, I am left wondering about the origins to the hate and fear of the nephilim. On the Serpent and the Worm It is undeniable that the Nephilim have acted with cruelty in the past. It is undeniable that the innocent have been put to the sword and churches burned. The Nephilim of the past received political backing by various nations and statesmen, but they likewise acted with great wrath. The most interesting aspect of this is that at this time, Azdromoth was not present in their lives. It was only with my creation and send-off that structure itself could be brought to the nephilim. Even then however, issues persisted. Division has been a recurring issue amongst the azdrazi for various reasons. They are the cause of disagreements and age-old tensions. A dreadful thing, when we all azdrazi share the same soul. However even under my supervision, and the one of my father, crimes and abberations have yet occured. I need not recount the story of the near-death of the dwarven king at the hands of one of my brother. I need not speak on Draakopf and his pollution of the Brathmorkadin temple. But I also should not need to state that these actions were not a collective actions, rather, they emerged from individual aspirations and motives that further stretched the possibility for communication and discussion between azdrazi and descendants. Such a discussion is seemingly near-impossible, the constant stream of misdjudgements, assumptions, and propaganda strewn against mine race creates a wave of hatred adopted by those who think no better as fact, and to the communities of sorcerers, scholars, non-normative magical creatures and politicians as a means to curtail the nephillim for their own gain. Therein - we are called serpents, we are called worms. What choice are mine given but to hide in the dark, or in the fel disguises of men? Hate begets hate, and to fight fire with fire, only consumes more. We are made, and forced into the objectification and personification of all things vile and evil. We are crafted into the perception of a worm, of a serpent, hiding amidst the shadows and the depths of the earth. To Almaris, we have become their perception, the reflection of evil they have yet to set eyes upon, discuss with, converse with. We have become what Almaris believes we are, not what we are. We are now the shadows of their expectations, we are their boiling opinions left unchecked, their hate, their unfurled anger, their repressed fears and emotions, rather than an ambivalent entity capable both of this “good” and this “evil” as descendant kind are so addicted in deciphering and dividing in all things that surround them. God made all things, God is all things and more. God flows in every thing. How could any be divided from God, truly, when all are God’s? In this, in this interchangeability of black and white, is revealed the true magnificence of Creation, not as a division to be fought and crushed in some eternal warfare, but two halves that will forever exist. Even if you should cut down the living dead, until none are left, other issues are certain to arise, that one will claim is evil. Though that may of course, become then seen as a ‘lesser’ of an evil, though that then is a matter of perception, just as you perceived my father’s invasion of Elvenesse, as an natural, thoughtless act of evil, rather than a political action with motive. Azdromoth’s actions, if one should pay attention, are careful, and planned, they are not the works of an agent of pure destruction, so that I should claim that Azdromoth retains great sentience, despite his corruption. There are of course other evils, evils that step on the traditions of the scrolls so loved, but that are otherwise legitimized in various ways. When a king goes to war, he may gain stern looks, and half-hearted nods from veterans, cheers from would-be heroes, and spit from their opponents, but war is war. So long has it been waged for that it is seen as typical, and necessary, whereas it often is not, especially when it pits descendant against descendant. War, I say, is less legitimate than primal needs, the likes of which are shared by most entities, whether it is the flesh eaten by men, as well as other creatures. And what needs belong to the serpent, to the azdrazi? None alike the dead - unlike the dark. None too, alike the descendant. We are our own Life, our own creation, wrought from stone and fire our desires are ambitious; though we gather hordes of various kinds, and practice arts, whether martial, musical, literary and vocal, they do not hinge on the desecration of life and the despoiling of hearts like that of dark-spawn. What greater joy does my burning heart hold, than to make discussion and debate on matters of philosophy and poetry with mine fair race in the hold of Tor-Azdroth. We are content like that - and yet we would be content too, to serve humanity, if only as payment for the crimes of the past, made by azdrazi long vanished. The “serpents” of Tor-Azdroth, the azdrazi and nephillim have few gains to make via the conquests of others. Our policy is one of sustenance and defense. And I should think likewise of my father, who though wages war against gods, should become valiant once more. I say this; do not offend our race, and little offense will be made in return. There is no concerted effort to overthrow states, or control crowns through agents, our concerns are the preservation of our lives and of the Mortal World. On Azdromoth and the Golden Gift Azdromoth is a statesman. He possesses territories. He possesses vassals. He possesses armies and he possesses children, like any monarch. And yet unlike the monarch, his warfare is seen as illegitimate. When Elvenesse was sundered by dragonfire, he was seen as the greatest of evils. And yet when the urukin torched Elysium, many celebrated. Who is the more evil? Who is the more legitimate? The warring Acreites? The Imperial domination? How is my father so different, when he answered the contractual breach of Elvenesse, when they betrayed him for the ilk of the Ad-Sharlat, that anti-dragon, that blinds with his despicable Order and his Light; X*n. That aengul should pursue a stagnant world of pure order, not of freedom, bereft of free will, controlled by his whim. Azdromoth however, should he his greatest foe - because Azdromoth stands against the aengudaemons tempted to tamper with the mortal realm, and X*n most of all. This is not Xionism ; and was never meant to be, there is of course, correlation between the creeds of Xion and the works against the aengudaemon, but such correlation does not mean that they are the same, or that we, or my father, are atheists. I should insist even that my father, as the first-born of Dragur, is keenly aware of the Creator - but otherwise holds no love for the troublesome aengudaemons. And do not mistake such lesser deities as fair; for they act as they desire, with premonition and wider scope, but without the grace of divinity in their fractured state. As a matter of fact I should say that they care little for the descendant races but use them as tools, whereas my father does. Azdromoth is no god, but he is nonetheless revered as a king by his children and adherents. Therein, he will act like one, and defend them. When mine burning spirit was momentarily unshackled at Sunholdt, when the Xannites broke their agreements with mine at my capture, my father’s answer was simple; he sundered their fortress. How might you act, dear reader, were you the size of a mountain, and your favored child were betrayed and destroyed? How would you act, if you entire race were placed at risk by a hateful, judgemental, emotional ‘god’, who hated you and your kin, if merely because the one you loved left you for a dragon. There is a rumor, on the wind, a statement that X*n’s hatred of dragons emerged not because of some care for balance, but that because long ago, his lover left him for none other than my father, king Azdromoth. The reality and the existence of Aengudaemonica escapes me, and surely it is by all means inhuman, not unlike my own inhumanity, only it should be even further removed. The gods are, partly, blind. They do not see as we do, hear as we do, feel as we do, and neither act as we do. They are far more intangible, capable of assuming forms in avatars, briefly taking forms reminiscent of the mortal body capable of direct communication, but even then, a limited one. Perhaps this story of lost love is a powerful allegory, perhaps its true meaning has been lost, or perhaps it is meant to be literate. My Third eye only sees so far, and the minds of gods are ever so, undecipherable. The monarchy of Azdromoth of course, differs from the mortal one. Azdromoth remains as its king, age after age, acting both as father and lord to its subjects. But nonetheless Azdromoth is no god, acts as no god, but their keeper. Azdromoth remains as a ward to the influence of those alien deities. As long as he stands, and exists, their threat and choking hand is warded. And I cannot make it clear enough, that Azdromoth is king, not deity. He is certainly revered, as men make statues of their kings, and kneel before the pictures of their saints, but it must be said that the chief deity, and the singular deity - is the singular God, and Maker of all things, that encompasses all matter, all thought, and all spirits. Us Azdrazi do love our father - how could we not, for he is our maker. And of course we are attributed to serve him - and hence serve Ibliss, but the latest orders of my father are as follow; “[...] You will drown in your efforts to know the gods and to distinguish their truths from their lies So you must not swim. You must walk. Fly. Defy the circumstances of your banal existence Tread ground where there is none . . . SILENCE. ITS. LIES. . . . To quote the greatest sage to ever have lived ; If you see yourself on the path, turn back I can give you no answer that you will take as law, for the law is mine, and thine own commands thee Your teacher knows this well The only lesson worth learning is the one taught by the self Silence the lies. See for yourself. Make hegemon the subjective will over objective reality This is my Asioth. What will yours be ?” From these words we understand many things, firstly that the gods themselves, the Aengudaemon, attempt to create their own objective reality over the ones of the descendants. This is a point of great interest for Azdromoth, as he wages continuous war against them in order to instigate freedom, the paramount ideal of the Titan ; which he invites us to partake in the existence, enjoyment, and self-fulfillment that comes from a life of self-discovery and awe. On draconic corruption and its absolution Now there is of course the matter of corruption. Dragons, neutral entities, have historically been prone to corruption. There is no need for examples; Azdromoth is already cited enough as an Iblissian servant, even then, a corrupted Drakaar. However there is the fact that the azdrazi, his own creation, the work of his blood, are uncorrupted entities. After all, a nephilim can be corrupted, involving necromantic forces or some other dark power. From this point, I state that Azdrazi are not corrupted - nor dark entities, rather that they are otherwise neutral entities when it comes to the nature of their existence, whereas a corrupted nephilim would fall in the same category of another damned creature, such as a demon. Furthermore, how is it that a Father, corrupted, may birth a clean child in such a matter ? I wonder this, but I myself find no proper answer, but to question the extent of his corruption. Even his servitude to Ibliss finds question ; In the Asiothic compendium; On Asioth, the root and origin of whence Asioth came to us, is Ibliss tied to the slavery of my father. Know, dear reader, that there is no love for the deceiver in this House. Rather there is a brooding sense of shame and spite for that one, whom tormented my father. But my father is my father. And is the son to commit the crime of cutting down his father, seen as a servant to that trickster-deity ? Impossible - blasphemous - preposterous. There is another way. But that will be visited later. It is undeniable that mine father had been taken by the deceiver - and corrupted by he. But I should nonetheless wonder, where is the deceiver now ? And does my father yet serve him ? Or is it merely that he is taken by the shadow of corruption ? To our philosophy, Ibliss, like any other aengudaemon, is both physical and non-physical, in the sense that each have a body that can be killed, but otherwise exist in a non-tangible state, like a force of nature. Ibliss in this sense is entropy, defilement, upheaval and trickery - and thus cannot be wholly exterminated, merely those ideas can be opposed by the world, but never swept away fully. Otherwise, it seems clear that Ibliss’ body is either chained away in the nethery depths, sent back to the Void, or his corpse has found itself shattered and feasted upon. No matter the power that Ibliss may or may not have over my father, and my people as a consequence of us being his children, we do not remain so powerless. There exists a rite, difficult of use, which may cure a dragon from corruption. This rite had served to purge brothers of mine of their corruption, and its same power has the potential to be used on my father. And on this point comes an illumination of hope, that ambivalence might yet be exercised on my father, to tear away at the shadow that takes his heart. The same can be said of other corrupted draconids - there have been sightings of drakes, and rumors say that the Cloudbreaker is one such corrupted creature. The thing should not be killed - but ought to be purged of its corruption. This is a duty we the Nephilim are willing to pursue with adamant resolve. On Asioth The mortal plane is a place of wonder and awe. It is a world in which it is good to live, and good to enjoy. From the blades of grass ruffled by the wind, to the towering peaks of pale mountains far off, to the embrace of a cherished friend, all of these things are holy in their own way, hold their own potent power, and this is my Asioth. And it is worth fighting for. Asioth follows the teachings of Eresar, regarded as the premier sage amongst the races by its adherents. Eresar was an elven thinker, attributed to the far past, and known to have argued logic with the great Titan. The roots of Asioth are thus tied to Eresar. Asioth can be roughly understood as “knowledge about knowledge”, or the never-ending quest for Truth. Asioth possesses no beginning, and no end. Rather it understands the limits of the mortal mind, and the issues of the mortal condition, and wishes to ask questions on fate, free-will, power, the self, and other existential questions. Asioth is no religion - rather it is an ever-shifting philosophy, but neither does it ascertain that there is no God, rather, God is seen as the penultimate force, around which every thing occurs. No thing can exist out of the sight of God, not even one’s own thoughts - which are seen as a product of fate, and hence tied to the will of God. Hence, nothing can exist outside of God’s influence, or God’s very will. Truth, however, remains outside of the hands of mortal men, for forever is life bound to what came after and what came before, and remain largely powerless before what “moves” them, though remain largely oblivious. If there were naught to “move” them, and life remained without exterior influence, there would be no life. Rather, life exists as a number of links, where all things become related to each other, from the fly to the elm. From the city to the river. Hence, thought on Asioth can stipulate a unity of beings based on their interrelationship both necessary and unavoidable by the movements of fate. Realizing this, the thinkers of Asioth state that all things are thus worthy of respect ; that even the dung at our feet plays an important role on the existence around us and should be understood and respected in that regard. A response to Father Trevor Father Trevor of the lectorate rose interesting points. While this essay could be seen as indirectly answering the qualms of Father Trevor, I should nonetheless wish to answer them here. In his treatise called “Reject the Dragon Menace”, Father Trevor states that my father, the “lizard”, remains without remorse, but however Godless. I should admit that I was not apart of this discussion, and so that credibly, or accurately judge this statement is impossible. However I can state with certainty that my father remains, even in his corrupted state - a gentleman, and keenly aware of God. If you should wish to talk about God to my father however, you will find yourself most disappointed. While I have discussed God in relationship to Asioth, we make no attempt to know, or to speak of God. For who are we, to know God? As of his love - it is boundless, I am sure you are quite aware of this. For quite some time know have I pioneered such an act, and made peace between my kin as my father instructed. What my father has no instructed however, is the sordid affair of infiltrating governments. If the lector Trevor should talk of Haelun’or, then I should see it as an alliance. As of Oren? I am unaware of any of my kin in that now defunct state, both past and present - and should argue that whatever brothers may have infiltrated it, did so prior to my creation and ascension as prince. Rather, what brothers and sisters did exist under Oren, did so in the long histories, when they served the Horenic household and the Westerlands. What peoples you may have found there, and treated as servants to my father may have merely resided there, or were making visit. There is no evil plot. As of Krugmar - there existed a brief but fruitful agreement between the latter Rex and my Father, where they exchanged gifts and knowledge, and we supported them in turn in their warfare against the ignoble paladins residing in Elysium. As of now, however, the only “infiltration” is the presence of my corrupted brother, Morur’ei - whispering in the ears of the Rex. No doubt you have seen their recent ban on my kin. As of Elvenesse? The attack was a political move - an advance and response against their traitorous leaders, which made deals with X*n, by a corrupted dragon. Violence was to be of the essence, just as any other war. As of innocents slaughtered? Soldiers were slaughtered. All slaughtered were combatants - and what innocents died were undesirable casualties, the result of the state of Elvenesse’s own mistakes. Wars bring casualties, Father Trevor. We are all keenly aware. Thinking back I must agree - and I must repent on such a matter, that we made war violently, and with little remorse, or care for those innocents caught in the crossfire. A matter however, on which I cannot agree is the burning of churches. Once again - these were no orders of mine, nor those of my father. They were the works of Draapkof Doomforged, a mad dwarf who nigh singlehandedly wrecked our repute with his defamation of temples. As of Urguan ? There were no infiltrations there, as far as I am aware. And of Balian ? They supported us, briefly - until Morur’ei smashed what peace and prosperity we had with his own ignoble hubris. And Savoy ? Savoy saw brief nephilim activity - but it was nothing but a short residence, in which time we relocated. I believe you are mistaken when you begin to think that our every act, our every breath, every step is the process of some deep conspiracy. Rather in those times when we lived in a city of some sort, the government was keenly aware, and brief agreements were made. In the end, my kin attempt to exist - however that chance has never been given. If I should ever walk into some city to ask penance, to ask to prove my innocence, I should be cut down without a second thought, so virulent have politicians, traitors, and paladins sullied our names. And the most fetid thing is that we have desired penance. One of mine own directed a letter to the Lectorate, as previous discussion with them had given the impression that punishment and salvation might be had following submission - but we were rebuked. We were told to apologize to Elvenesse - and to all other places mine people past and present had in some way transgressed, including the paladins. A difficult exercise, which would have proved impossible, though we did make an agreement with the paladins to avoid areas such as the vale, and Urguan, for a period of six years. Father Trevor speaks of being given fair chance - and to act with honour. And act with honour we have. We have remained secluded and peaceable, rather than waging “unhinged warfare” as Father Trevor should think. We drink our tea, discuss Asioth - and deal with the eventual useless drama. My adherents go out of course - they have their own business, but rarely are they on some sort of official mission, rather they live as do they, merely emboldened by our philosophies. Sometimes, some folk come, with the need for answer. I give what answers I can, and sometimes they come seeking our Asioth. Then again we teach them. It is this Asioth so many seek, that grants us our supporters. As of our infighting ? It is reserved to that corrupted brother of mine - the one who makes deals with the damned. He finds no love in this house. And I see now that I should have cut him down when I had been given the chance - for though I had saved his life amidst great quarrel, he should then seek to betray me in the annihilation of my folk. The last point made by Father Trevor is nothing short of an excuse - that our Asioth should be nothing but Xionism. We follow old lords - nor wish for their appearance. We fear no dark - as we fear no light. And we especially do not follow some sort of elven lie, claiming that God should be dead. Rather I should think that my recent declaration of crusade - should ban such thoughts. After all, we have already set our sights against the dark. I fear that this little response will not satisfy Father Trevor. The Lectors are of course welcome to come to our domain if they wish a visit and a talk. Even more - I should offer the submission of me and my people, once more, if the matter of extended penance should be agreed upon. I extend once more, the opportunity to give myself to Felder’s Rock. Whether the Mother Church should wish to placate either me, or my people for our offences of the past, is up to them. Because it certainly cannot be denied that my kin have made wrongs. Of course this defence of mine makes the claim many times over that such offenses were not perpetrated by my designs - and they were not. But the brunt of those errors nonetheless fall on me. I lay awake and I wonder, amidst the ash where I sleep - what retribution it should be. Would you rather our death, Trevor? Or should you have our servitude? On hope I desire much to rewrite the purpose of the Azdrazi, and see them become what they once were. When I was made nephilim, it was not so much a matter of any ascension, or gift. It was barely desirable because all that it meant was an eternity of service to the wider world, paid by a slumber of stone when one finally fell for the final time. And that is precisely what the azdrazi is to be - an agent of worldly affairs, and a scion of both men and dragons. I understand that my peoples are a proud one, but we nonetheless desire, amidst all of these accusations to offer ourselves to terms by which a toleration would be possible. We have no care to walk into cities uninvited - but we should nonetheless desire to make service as a purpose. Our enemies are the dark - and the slaves of X*n. Not the Church - and not the Descendants. I willing myself to thread as a mendicant to the places offended. For what churches, for what buildings were burned that were burnt by mine, I shall rebuild them with my own hands. Pontiff Pontian the IVth - your holiness. When we had last spoken, you offered us a final chance. I pray we will not fail you. To the descendants of this world. Whether you have lived and died and never known me. Whether you are now old and young. Whether you have yet to be born - I shall love you each and all. I do not need you to reciprocate. I do not need you to embrace me - or to even stop hating me. For whatever the hatred you will cast my way, I will not answer it with hate. I will answer it with a gentle smile. Hate begets hate - and it brings nothing to this world. And to fight fire with fire - sets the world ablaze. And I will not fight with fire. - The An-Gho

THE AZDRAZI ANSWER Atrium Carceri & Herbst9 - Ur Evighetens Pipa The faithful have been called And so Tor-Azdroth answers My predecessors lost our ways of old Where men made work with my kin In deep chasms long we lulled Now woken, a chance presented So now I walk that path; The golden thread of old Of the thirteen Aurelects, lessons written by my father, the Vessel of Triumph contains elements denoting not servitude, but slavery, by Ibliss; the Betrayer. My father was tricked by that fallen prince, and now my people entire suffer that manipulation. The Nephilim were crafted as the early agents of my father; their purpose was the upholding of the Horenic pact, an immemorial agreement between dragons and men, and the roots by which the emperors of old claimed dragonsblood as part to their right to rule. I call it now - again, as I have before. Let us serve that purpose of old, which has been forgotten by men, in place by a seething hatred and distrust, the craft of xannic worshippers, the politically savvy, and the crimes of my forebearers. Let there be, if only briefly, peace between men and dragon. But I expect salvation from these acts. I will not be saved. This soul cannot be saved. When I die, I will ascend to no heaven, but I will be made stone, and dream an endless dream. As any dragon ought to. No act can change this. No single deed nor miracle can undo this. I accept this, as I accept my fate, as bound to return to the rock of the earth beneath. Despite my inability of reaching any ascension, however, I should nonetheless extend this remission of sins to my faithful adherents. Many, I understand, have already picked up the sword, but to the others I say this; Take up your arms, and fight for your very salvation, lest damnation choke you whole. No matter your creed. No matter your beliefs beyond the philosophy of Asioth. What is a hundred, or a thousand years of pleasure on this earth, for an eternity of agony? If we are remain cast out, hunted, and spurned, for the crimes of our predecessors; so be it, but we shall be idle no longer. The Horenic Pact shall by our kin be honoured, even if we find ourselves hated by the ones we were created to protect, for such is our immemorial purpose. Under the wisdom of my inner flame, and the sword of my brothers and my sisters, we, the Azdrazi, and their adherents, do petition the Holy Mother Church and the Chair of Saint-Daniel to join the hunt of the damned, on which the faithful have been called to embark. We call to uphold the Horenic pact of old and make service to the races of men. We call to beg submission, as the tools of war, so that our fire might clean black, torturous halls, and our heads be bowed to receive the baptism amidst temple halls. O’ Horen, who broke bread with my father, and who was once father to me - accept this call for mercy. -The An-Gho, Immortal Agent, Prince of the Nephilic Azdrazi, and master to the bells of Tor-Azdroth

"Once again, HEAVEN intercedes." noted a nephilim prince.

"STOP SPREADING YOUR POPULATION IN VACANT MANORHOUSES FOR THE SAKE OF SILLY TITLES AND PLEASING USELESS NOBLES." yelled a schizophrenic monk in green, tearing out his hair.

ok. an-gho once saw a bloodmage fling a dreadknight a kilometre away with telekinesis

Ok.

Give me a try : )

I'm going to make sure every member of the azdrazi community disregards this post and ensure that every interaction we have with other players results in the maximal amount of emotional trauma and psychological discomfort. Thank you.

m e

[!] A missive is pinned underneath, unseen, and achieved by some mad means It DISPLEASES Tor-Azdroth to see the wicked SLANDER of its prince. The machinating peoples of Chaldees have made insult and more to the An-Gho, as its residents displayed naught but the immaturity of the unlearned before the GRACIOUS sight of the Third-Eye. The Witch herself found herself heartbroken, unloved and unwanted by the cold bonds of the arranged marriage she devised. She was so distraught by the rejection of her suitor that she cast a terrible curse by use of her proxy child on the dragon of her heart; the An-Gho. The Witch of Chaldees is therefore accused of SLANDER and anti-Nephillic sentiment, as propagated by those anti-Horenic Xachist hogs. The only repayment to be accepted by the nephillim will be completion of the agreement made between the standing Sultan of Chaldees, Sahar and the prince of Tor-Azdroth, An-Gho. Magnificent Asioth, bride to the An-Gho, must be found and brought to the An-Gho by the Sultan Sahar, finder of lost things. With much ambivalence, - The An-Gho

On a soft-winded morning, a reply returns Though you are not of Lion - I see you await still, with patience, the Fifth. That is worthy work, and human-centric at best. However I find that your thoughts, misconstrued, twisted and moved by vagarious words, have found their way on your reply. For only ever have I encountered those who you say are now ash and dust; I have not seen their lord, but only that they pay him homage for their power, and that his likeness are spurned by the realms of men. Power is in all things. Fire is oft perceived as such ; as it is representative of ambition. But all things are bound, one to another. Where does power begin, where does it end? Is it in the hands of the scholar? Of the warrior? Is it owned by the beggar of no responsibility, or the king with too many? Do you see these parables, they are illustrative of our Asioth, our search for the Golden Path of knowledge, the illumination we seek and know we shall never find. If you wonder how it is that we drive adherents, then it might be that they are impressed by my father, it might be that they believe that with us they might work on their ambitions (as men and women are ever imperfect), but foremost it is Asioth, the gift of my father, and the continued ruminations of myself, Keledan, as well as the analysis of the fair Eresar which build unto the principle Asiothic literature and bestow knowledge and reason to our followers. Asioth has no beginning or end, hence, none might not be included under its grace. If there are any however - judged to have sought out such a path, out of nothing but greed, nothing but themselves, blinded as they are in the lack of individuity of this World - then pray, tell me. To me he is but an extravagant flame which lingers beyond this world. Where is he then? Or is he only of those who hide behind shrouds of deception, speaking empty words to his adherents? To me, he is the screams in ever-treacherous Elvenesse, routed elves shouting amidst cacophony. To me he is the blood in my veins, the fire in my heart, the stone of my hide. To me he is the desolation of Sunbreak - who struck me down, and so bought themselves wrath. Do not doubt the acts of my father, key-holder, for he is a king. And kings war. As of where he lays - perhaps one day I shall tell you the intrinsic nature of my father. But it is not now. If my claims were sweeping and broad, your oath to your Father is yet broader still – for even now his likeness flits between joy and sorrow, envy and giving, wrath and mercy in your words. Just like any other man. Is a man better as a slave to his passions? Or is it better for a beast to pretend to be a man, as you so boldly claim is the nature of your brood? For if you are not of man in spirit, nor in body, from whence did you come; from where does your line hail? Man is slave to history. Just as everything else. The human condition transcends the human. Will your Fifth abolish all kings, will he not - by simple virtue of his power, outshine others and wrack the World? The Fifth is an abstraction to my person; it is the empowerment of Man, liberation, the death of Fate. But Fate I fear, is beyond us, beyond even the grasp of gods, it is an intangible thing, gleaned ever briefly in the past, but untouchable in the end. As of passion? A man is a slave to a thousand things, never one, though one might delude themselves into thinking one thing takes precedence over the other. The greatest of chains are the ones unseen, indescribable, too complex, mired in the weavings of society, existence, and the very soul. As of yet, it escapes us, all of us. Perhaps not the alchemist Avenel - but for the rest, we toil. So then prove to me that you are not what I most of all loath The foremost thing they loath is themselves, dear stranger. So then prove to me that you are not what I most of all loath; prove that you are not mere hollow words, but deeds. No. I have already acted. But will you see what has changed? Proof - legitimacy - action, they are the works of perception. I can only hope that I might perceive your own deeds. Tell me then, Word of Fire, what is it he promises to you? A good death.