celeths

[celeths]

The Lifebeat - For People

Every person is unique. They have different feelings, aspirations, histories, beliefs, and much more. The differences in each person is what shapes their personality and essentially who they are. An attempt to neatly categorize the anarchy that is the personality into recognizable and distinct classes has been the life work of countless people. The main and most depended method, first utilized by the Astral Church, is the lifebeat system.

The great Prophet Luserus of Lordreen was the first to apply the fundamentals of the Rhythm to analyse person's character. This would later be known as an individual’s lifebeat. While other animals all seem to pertain to a singular lifebeat that echoes throughout their entire species, higher beings with more defining unique characteristics can vary over a wide range.

Luserus found there to be five main groups that each person fit well into, later adding a sixth for rare cases of those who still could not be categorized, such as the prophet themself.

The Obsessor

An obsessor can find themselves worrying about the smallest of details again and again. They are organized and planned, sometimes far past a reasonable point. Institutions with tedious conditions often seek out obsessors as they will likely do the best job consistently. Finding great comfort in their own work, an obsessor is usually introverted by nature, believing themselves to be the best possible company.

The Creator

People who fit under the mark of the creator generally focus on the new. They are imaginative and open to new experiences, new ideas, and anything that can shake up the old. They don’t tend to hold tradition close to heart, in favour of finding what suits them and those around them. In their life they gravitate towards roles that depend on creativity and ingenuity. A creator can often lose their sense of reality in favour of daydreaming or being lost in other forms of thought.

The Supporter

Supporters, commonly described by their nurturing qualities, tend to lean towards areas of life that require compassion. Many caretakers, medical professionals, and teachers are supporters. In their personal lives they are agreeable and friendly, being remembered for their kindness and altruism. On occasion a supporter can be viewed negatively as their willingness to work together may be seen as being weak willed. Their natural tendencies to help those around them can also lead them to unhealthy one sided relationships where they are taken advantage of.

The Connector

A connector can easily be identified by their outwardness. Extraverted by nature, they are always making connections with those around them, and the world in whole. Often charismatic, they tend to fill the roles of leaders and other elected positions. This is also supported by their tendencies to be assertive and driven. Connectors can likely feel isolated and alone if they are not working on bringing things together, such as people, ideas, or even objects.

The Reactor

Those that are identified as reactors are seen as chaotic. Emotions are a difficult thing for them to control, and they usually find themselves being much more reactionary in life rather than methodical and stable. Most people describe reactors as neurotic and unhinged. However, this does not mean they are unable to function in society. A reactor is motivated by their strong feelings to better the world around them, or change it to better accommodate them. It is sometimes said that a reactor who is in complete control, can do almost anything they set out to do.

Special

There are very few people that can be classified with a special lifebeat. These rare few include the great Prophet Luserus of Lordreen, as well as many high ranking Astral Knights. Those within the civilian population with the special lifebeat can vary from any lifebeat, often changing or exploring new areas of personality and self expression. These people usually find it difficult to fit in to the normal, and tend to fall through the cracks of society. People with a special lifebeat are commonly referred to as jewels that need polishing and care.

[celeths]

Dr. Linth of Frather.

On the Ros Archipelago there are those who bear an ancestral mark. If these people have children, their children will likely also bear the exact same mark. Across all of the Ros Archipelago there are four distinct ancestral marks,  affecting around seventeen percent of the total population. Oddly, those with different marks cannot have kids with one another.

Dr. Linth was born to two loving parents. From the age of eight she trained at her father's side, learning the practice of medicine. She became the youngest doctor on the Ros Archipelago to ever be granted a certificate of practice from the Astral Church. Soon people would travel great distances just to receive her care, and alone she brought the regular practice of medicine back to her home.

Those that knew Dr. Linth describe her as a charming and loving woman. Many who meet her are surprised to find such a young and vibrant woman to be a master of medicine.

[celeths]

In the northern Tawha Dunes and the great Desert of Karsh there are many creatures that are often mistaken for mountains in the distance. For the most part these titans keep their distance, keeping themselves within their own hunting grounds.

In the Clericial Period, as the Rhythmic Prosperity neared it prophesied end, a famous Tempo Knight, known for his great skill of taming beasts, came to the Astral Church with a proposal. He would tame a titan of the sand and create a mobile fortress for the approaching age of war. When turned away he left to great sands on his own.

Several years later he returned riding on the back of a colossal sand crab he had tamed. After a brief reconsideration of the Tempo Knight's proposal, Fort-Lekracer was built upon the beasts back.

[celeths]

Hierarchy of the Astral Church

Sacerlus

/seɪsiːlus/

The head of the Astral Church. Appointed by a voting within the Dreaming Council.

Arch Arshenell

/ark aʊərʃɛ̃ul/

The Arch Arshenells run the high courts and the Dreaming Council. The Dreaming Council is in charge of appointing new Arch Arshenells and acts for the Astral Church.

Arshenell

/aʊərʃɛ̃ul/

Arshenells are former Serrors who have been recognized and exalted by the Astral Church.

Astral Knight

/ˈastrəl nīt/

Astral Knights are individuals who have passed the Knight’s Exam. They are separate from the military of the Astral Church and operate independently unless ordered. Astral Knights are of equal rank to an Arshenell.

Serror

/sɛrər/

Serror's are the people in charge of individual places or worship. They are ranked by the

quality and quantity of those who attend their worship, as well as individual honors.

Laylin

/leɪlɪn/

Laylin are the staff of a place of worship.

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The Rhythmic Enlightenment began with the birth of the Prophet Luserus of Lordreen. At the age of thirty two, Luserus formed the Astral Church and held the title of Sacerlus for thirty four years until resigning to travel the world and spread their teaching of the Rhythm.

Luserus' pupil was named the new Sacerlus of the Astral Church, and those closest and most devout were granted the title of Arshenell. The Arshenells soon fell into discord as the new Sacerlus slowly became acquainted to their new role. To restore harmony, the Sacerlus granted a new title, Arch Arshenell, to those who retained their divine vision of the church. Those who resisted change were relegated to the rank of Serror. As the Astral Church continued to flourish the lowest position within the church, the Laylin, was made to cement skilled workers within the institution.

[celeths]

The Ten Holy Tempo Blades

The Ten Holy Tempo Blades

The Ten Holy Tempo Blades are ancient weapons that have been forged solely from rhythmerite. They were created by the Astral Church in the Age of War, as weapons of mass destruction. Each tempo blade took decades of preparation to forge and hundreds of people to set their tempos during the forging process. Since their creation many have gone missing and there are now tales of powerful people in the world who carry tempo blades. What tempo blades the Astral Church does possess is not public knowledge.

Blade 1: Perpetua - The Unstoppable

When the Great Oracle of Serror-ley ushered in The Age of War, the current Sacerlus of the Astral Church began a program to forge a set of ten weapons, each so unimaginably powerful that their presence would always guarantee devastating victory.

The first two to be forged were Perpetua and Inertia. Perpetua is weapon that once set in motion by the wielder, nothing can stop its push. The great blade works by channeling the power of kinetic energy to become unstoppable when moving. Even if moved at the slowest speeds, Perpetua will push through mountains.

Intended to be paired with Inertia, the threat of the two tempo blades coming into contact became immediately apparent, when the first time they were used the knight wielding them accidentally touched Perpetua’s blade on the bottom of Inertia… Or at least that is what is believed, as the two tempo blades were all that was recovered from the crater. The chain that connected them was broken and the two were separated, with great effort put into making sure they never met again.

Blade 2: Inertia - The Immovable

When the Great Oracle of Serror-ley ushered in The Age of War, the current Sacerlus of the Astral Church began a program to forge a set of ten weapons, each so unimaginably powerful that their presence would always guarantee devastating victory.

Originally planned to be a shield, the extraordinary wide greatsword can be wielded as both a shield and a weapon. When held in the hand the blade is surprisingly light. Although, when the wielder’s hand is placed on the face of the weapon, it becomes fixed in space and immovable by any amount of external force, until the wielder moves it again by hilt.

Intended to be paired with Perpetua, the threat of the two tempo blades coming into contact became immediately apparent. The chain that connected them was broken and the two were separated, with great effort put into making sure they never met again.

Blade 3: Tempoden - The Instrument

It is said the warriors of Shikar each charged into battle playing screeching instruments. This created such an impenetrable wall of sound that as they met the enemy soldiers, the enemies would fall to their knees, trying to cover their ears as best they could. While the Astral Church was at war with Secca, Secca hired the help of Shikar to face the church. Tempoden was forged to overwhelm the cataclysmic sound of the Shikarian warriors. After the fall of Shikar, Tempoden was mainly used for its far-reaching musical ability during festivals and events.

Resting within the circular grove above the hilt, is a secondary weapon to be used alongside Tempoden. The smaller blade, Boer, is designed to be used as a tool to activate Tempoden. It is used similarly to how a bow is used on a string instrument. However, Tempodent can be used in many different ways.

Blade 4: Kaluco - The Warden

As the Age of War drew into its hundredth year, the world was beginning to become overrun with people and creatures too powerful to contain or kill. The most current threat being Kial, a fifteen foot tall standing immortal warrior who had been reclaiming land for the Kingdom of Drithan.

With anomalies like Kial in mind, the Astral Church began to forge a weapon to deal with such difficult enemies. In the year 133 of the Age of War Kaluco was completed. It was created with the ability to cut through the barriers that separated spacial dimensions so something such as Kial could be sent somewhere else, with no chance of ever returning.

It is said that the bordering spatial dimension is filled with the horrid unimaginable things that the Astral Church has sent there, trapped within an inescapable prison. Sometimes a being from the dream will be called a prisoner of Kaluco, but it is impossible to tell where they truly come from. The church however, keeps a detailed private list of things sealed away.

Blade 5: Speculas - The Light Dancer

Drey Enser, the third Sacerlus of the Age of War, was fixated on a warfront with the rebelling country of Oshkara. Once leading the allied enemies army was the Champion King of Oshkara. What little remains of his wiping from history is that he was such a master of the tempo of light, that he could move seemingly instantaneously, at a whim he could create flashes of light brighter than the sun on the warmest of days, and that he could make almost anything he touched invisible for a period of time, including himself.

The armies of the Astral Church were overwhelmed by any force led by the Champion King. A small group of soldiers led by him could cut through thousand of the Church’s knights. On all other fronts Oshkara had fallen years before, however, the Champion King held the capital city of Oshkara under a tight grip.

Feeling humiliated by the prolonged assimilation of Oshkara, the Sacerlus set in motion the forging of the fifth tempo blade. Speculas was created to be the master of the tempo of light, and take the advantage from the Champion King. After the rushed five last years of forging, Speculas was ready to finish the Oshkaran war.

Information on the final battle is vague. All that is known, is that the capital of Oshkara was not only defeated, but obliterated in an instant. No building remained, no person survived, all that was left was a deep smoldering pit.

Blade 6: Lushia - The Sacrificial Judge

A terrible plague had smitten the Ros Archipelago. Seemingly born from the warzone that consumed the islands, it followed soldiers home from the fighting. The Astral Church sent doctors and brought the sick inland. The dead were stripped of precious metals which were sent to blacksmiths.

Amulith had been planned to built after Speculas, many rare metals from the dead were to be encrusted on its exterior. However, on the night before the forging of Amulith was to begin, Lushia was forged instead. The smith returned in the morning to find all the precious metals used, and a war scythe forged.

Not only was the one who forged Lushia known, but their technique that let them forge a rythmerite blade in a single night is even more of a mystery. A legend about the blade states that it was created by the dead who had been stripped of their belongings.

Lushia was used by the Executioner Knight of the Astral Church to perform public and high-level executions. When the blade of Lushia makes contact with a target, Lushia will drain the living target’s life tempo. If Lushia completely drains the life from a target, it then switches to slowly forcing the life into whatever is touching the blade or whoever is using the blade, until it expels enough equal to what was previously taken. At this point Lushia then switches back to draining life.

Blade 7: Amulith - The World Ruler

When the forging of Amulith came to be, it was during a small window of armistice within the Age of War. The Astral Church had collected eight treasures from the eight largest enemy factions. From each of these treasures a jewel was taken to symbolize the land, and prepared to be forged within Amulith.

With not enough rythmerite left from Lushia to create a blade with significant power, Amulith was given social power. The Sacerlus declared that it was the blade to be possessed by that who ruled the world.It was then on worn by the Sacerlus at all times.

This act of self declared superiority sat poorly with the other lands, and quickly the brief moment of peace was over. However, the social influence of the Astral Church pushed the idea of Amilith being the symbol of the one true ruler onto the whole world, and it was soon a recognizable symbol of unmatched authority.

Blade 8: Renzen - The Great Conduit

During the 10 year war in the marshlands of Vura, the kingdoms of Lordreen and Elvar seemed to be in an unending struggle. Lordreen however, had recently begun to research militarized summonings. One of the experiments for this research led to the summoning of a creature later named Seulus The Elemental. For the first time in 10 years, all participants in the war halted their actions to form an allied front against Seulus, who began to indiscriminately attack all it could see with frightening strength. This front did little to halt the relentless destruction of Seulus.

Soon, Seulus began to move west towards Winter. Unis, a great kingdom in the creature’s path, contracted the Astral Church to stop its destruction. Within three moons the Astral Church forged Renzen, the eighth tempo blade, and sent the legendary knight Alchiaor with the blade to stop Seulus. Renzen had been created to conduct any tempo that would enter it and then continue to generate that tempo until a new one was introduced. It was the perfect weapon to bring down such a nightmarish creature.

After Seulus had been slain, the Astral Church ended the conflict between Lordreen and Elvar by invading both kingdoms and imposing new rulers.

Blade 9: Fenerus - The Law

The Age of War was destined to end with the act of deicide. Nearing the great climax of the age, there seemed to be no peace left in the world. It is said from loss of so many souls that a god took notice. From the great astral dream crept a nameless god and it’s giant servant. The prophesized harbinger of the end had appeared and the whole world stopped in fear.

Nothing could even approach the nameless god as its titanic guardian stopped all. To bring the giant to its knees with the law of the Astral Church, Fenerus was forged. Anything that happened to touch the blade would then weigh whatever the wielder desired. It was the S Class Astral Knight Promonithus that crushed the Nameless God’s guardian beneath the weight of the law.

Blade 10: Starlesh - The Second Sun

In the final act of The Age of War the Nameless God was a threat to all life. It seemed to exist as a projected hologram onto reality. Nothing could touch it. Quickly small cults began to spring forward as the world began to lose the fight against the unstoppable force. They worshiped it as Reisha, the one destined to destroy the world.

In a last effort to stop the god the Astral Church gathered every tempo blade they currently had, and sent the five best knights to kill Reisha. During the battle Starlesh was forged to aid a sixth knight in the assault. Nearly every resource was used up in the forging of the Starlesh, and by the time it was finished the five knights had been fighting Reisha for twelve days straight.

When the sixth knight arrived the other five sacrificed themselves to weaken the god to allow Starlesh to make the killing blow. Using their entire life force to wield Starlesh, the sixth knight summoned a sun around Reisha that consumed it. Nothing was left, Reisha nor the knight. Many years later, in the new age, Starlesh was found a great distance from the sight of the great grave of Reisha.

[celeths]

A common children's story in Luan

A small girl sat praying in a hidden altar one night in the Devout Luan Cathedral, when an old monk doing rounds found the girl. As he found her she was sweating through her clothes and trembling. He patiently waited as he was captivated by the little girls devotion. After two hours had passed the girl finally collapsed from exhaustion and like many before who had fainted while in prayer, the monk moved her to the recovery hall.

There the girl slept through a fever over the course of three days and when she awoke she was visibly disappointed. The same old monk who had found her had also taken the time to treat her back to health, so when he noticed she had awaken, he had to make sure she was alright. After learning she was healthy, he asked about why she was in such a devout prayer. The young girl told him that her mother, the last alive of her family, had died while in prayer only days earlier. Her mother had prayed that the girl would find for food and live long, since the two had been living in poverty.

Taking pity the monk led the girl to high altar to see her mother once more. Up in the sky with the angels her mother hanged with the other corpses and skeletons on the grand wall. The monk then told the little girl that her mother was probably missing her, and that if she could join her she would make her mother much more proud than being blessed with her prayer.

After admiring the high altar the old monk brought the girl back to a special prayer room. He then told her it was the room her mother had used, and that he would pray with her in order to lift her wings into salvation. For 2 days the two prayed their most devout prayer. The whole time the monk took glances at the girl, watching her praying with every amount of strength she had.

Eventually the girl had passed the threshold of recovery, and she gently collapsed in prayer. As she felt her soul being blessed she smiled. Far past his point of return the monk took one last glance to see her laying on the floor in salvation. He then promptly fell and joined her on the trip to the Astral Dream.

When the small girl reunited with not only her mother, but her whole family, she introduced the old monk, who then revealed himself as a servant of the Dream. He told the girl he was so proud to have guided her, but that he had to return to the cathedral to continues his work. With an emotional goodbye the monk was soon back at working within the cathedral's halls.

[celeths]

The City of Luan

The Resplendent City of Luan rests on Mt. Luanus in the far West. The mountain itself is a great wonder, as from its core exudes a colossal beam of light. The source of the light is unknown, as approaching its brilliance the radiating heat will even begin to melt stone when near enough. At all times the great beam, once locally worshiped under the name Lesumius, pierces into the sky and guides way for all traveling to the city.

Surrounded by tall baracating walls that drop to into an encircling cavern on the outside, only a single bridge connects Luan to the outside world. Once an independent kingdom, the Astral Church spread their religious views upon the citizens and established a monumental cathedral at the peak of the mountain. The city is now considered one of the great holy sights and even is graced by the presence of the Sacerlus on the occasional visit.

The economy of the city is mainly built on a large mine that enters the side of Mr. Luanus. This mine is the only known source of luminite, an precious aquamarine stone that constantly emits a similar coloured light. It was believed that the beam coming from within the mountain was from a gigantic cluster of luminite, however, as the mine grew closer to the heart of the mountain, luminite became very sparse, leading to many people disputing that theory.

The mines of Mt. Luanus

The old abandoned mines of Luan rest near the summit of Mt. Luanus. Initially people believed there to be large deposits of luminite closer to the beam of light at the mountain's center, however surprisingly low yields and high temperatures forced the city to look for luminite at other spots in the mountain.

During a recent chartering of the vacant mines, many unknown chambers were discovered. Some contained artifacts older than the mine itself while others seemed to be carved into altars or other strange rooms. The information of these mines is suppressed however by the local Astral Church Cathedral's Arch Arshenell, so further details only exist as speculation.

The newer mines, now over 500 years old, open up at multiple locations near the base of Luan. These tunnels spread throughout the entire mountain, creating a nest of interconnected chambers.

Rarely a super cluster of luminite is found. While highly valuable, super clusters of luminite possess risks and challenges to being mined. Luminite naturally generates heat and in small quantities this can be a pleasurable or even useful, in large quantities it can be dangerous. Large enough crystals of luminite can be too hot to safely interact with using basic equipment. To solve this the miners use imported metals that are specially designed to resist high temperatures. The light that luminite is most known for can also be a serious hazard when it is emanating from an amount of the material that can glow as bright as the sun. This makes interacting with the mineral especially dangerous as both qualities are found together, creating a task of mining a gigantic smoldering crystal while also practically blind. On a very limited occasion a deposit of luminite is found that is so hazardous the entire surrounding area of the mine is forced to close and be sealed off.

Many miners also fall sick after working with large amounts of luminite. If exposed to too much luminite over a brief period of time, the exposure can even prove to be fatal. Because of this miners have to take rotating shifts when working in richly populated areas of the mine.

The Lumin District

In the year 306 of The Astral Awakening, a mine collapsed within the Lumin District, exposing an enormous deposit of Luminite. The deposit was quickly deemed far to dangerous to excavate or mine, so instead it was buried.

The cracks in the ground near the mine continued to glow bright blue-green and soon locals began to fall sick from the exposure. The area was abandoned and deemed too hazardous to live in. However, growths in population have forced families closer and closer to the sight. This has revitalized the Lumin District as a last-resort slum for struggling people and those looking for warmth in the cold seasons. Now a whole community exists exclusively within the Lumin District, lawless and composed of only those brave enough to enter the district.

The Devout Luan Cathedral

During the construction of the Devout Luan Cathedral, hundreds of labourers succumbed to the unrelenting heat of the mountain's heart and perished. More often than not these workers were laid into the cement, placed in a praying stance. This has resulted in the cathedral to be filled with corpses within its skeleton. At times, a corpse too close to a surface's edge will fall from the walls and ceilings. During a large mass one evening, a whole group of people worshipping fell through the floor and into a chamber within the foundation, filled with praying skeletons attending the same prayer.

Since these skeletons have been praying for so long at a holy site, everytime one is found it is treated as the corpse of a person of great significance. These skeletons are often hung in the high altar while still in prayer. This is considered a great honour within the cathedral's inner culture.

Due to the extreme heat within the cathedral, the place has earned its name as the Devout. It is said that only the most devout of believers can handle the heats within the upper cathedral as the heat drains your energy. It is not uncommon for people to faint while in prayer and have to be removed while pushing themself to their physical and spiritual limits. Occasionally a person may die while in a prayer that sometimes lasts days. These people are considered the most devout and are also hung with the angels within the high altar.

[celeths]

An ancient book on the Menon of Galiga. Written in the lost language of the Rasensh.

It is said that ten thousand years ago, a god known as Galiga encapsulated the world. It is described as a single entity that blanketed the planet, creating a living landscape of flesh. During that time people hid during the nights and scavenged during the days. It was during this time that the Rasensh culture was born from a dying people. They depended on old tools to survive and those brave enough to face what came in the night. It is believed that these books were used as field-guides to those people.

When Galiga grew old and began to wither, its children, called menon, left the god and departed into the world. To this day they exist along the culture of the Rasensh as remnants of the ancient god. There are believed to be thousands of different types, living within the darkest and deepest places.

Drawn on the right page is a Q'ail.

The Q’ail, more commonly known as skinders, are a more common type of Menon. They somewhat resemble a six legged spider, thus their name common name is a combination of skin and spider. Their bodies are on average twice the size of a human, and purely covered in a rough flesh that tightly wraps around their bony bodies. Besides their six legs there are no other characteristics on their bodies, including a mouth or eyes. Q’ail are most commonly found in dark and damp places. Old underground tunnels can be infested with skinders, as well as old buildings and caves. It is believed they sense their surroundings through the movements in the air felt on their skin, but this is unproven. As with the vast majority of the Menon of Galiga, no person should engage with one at any time and make all attempts to avoid them.

[celeths]

The Lighthouse at Capelath Cove

Youth

“Is anyone there?” A man called into the woods. The only reply he received was the bark on the trees cracking in the chilling dusk. “If there are any students out there that snuck off, you will be severely reprimanded! I don’t care if you’re the child of a noble or not.” He paused to listen again, trying to focus in on any movement that could be hiding students.

Just in front of the man was a large rotting tree trunk. Three students, not far into their teens, crouched behind it. A girl with long white hair held her hand over her mouth, trying to contain her adrenaline fueled laughter, while a boy beside her did the same. They were both in their academy uniforms, the bringt red and white stripes on them marked brown with mud. To the boy’s side was a younger child, dressed in his night garments. His hands were by his side and he had a look of panic set in his eyes.

“Sestel? Wren? Prim? We know you’re the ones who snuck off!” another teacher yelled into the forest on the other side of the academy. The older boy looked over to the younger one. He was now having a complete meltdown. The older boy quickly clasped his hand over the other boys mouth. Instinctively the younger boy bit onto the hand. The older one flinched, warm blood dripped down onto the boy’s linens.

The man behind them sighed. “I really hope they didn’t run off into the woods. This is bad night to run off, it’s in the stars. It’s not safe...” he talked to himself. Hesitantly he turned around and started to make his way back. “That damn kid Sestel, always dragging his younger brother with him, and now Prim? I really hope they’re in the school hiding.”

“You bit me!” Sestel reeled his hand back from his brothers mouth. “I’m bleeding!” He smacked his brother gently on the back of the head.

“We need to keep moving if we are to make it back before we get in any real trouble.” Prim tugged at Sestels woolen sleeve.

“They know it was us... We should head back now”, wren whined. “And did you hear what Mr. Tursk said? It’s not safe!”

“The old man only said that to scare us. Prim is right, we need to get going.” He tugged on his brother’s arm as he went with Prim, though his brother wouldn’t move. He turned back around and crouched before Wren. “Listen, it’s gonna be just fine. All we’re gonna do is drop by the lighthouse, take the jewel, and get out. And… You’ve got your big brother here to keep you safe.” He grinned widely. “When you’re old, you will wish you did more things like this while you were young. We’re making memories! Alright?”

Wren slowly got up and followed his brother, letting him pull him along.

The three moved through the old woods. White barkless trees filled the forest. Their trunks grew crooked, twisting off in different directions. The branches on the trees were barren of life, besides the blackbirds nesting for the night. Wren looked to his side while walking, and spotted a white doe that seemed to glow with the pale trees in the moon’s light. Not looking, he stepped on a twig. It cracked beneath his foot, sending an echo through the silent woods. Hundreds of birds spread their wings and flew off squawking. The deer quickly turned and ran, its tail lifted high. Sestel ignored the chaos for the most part, quickening their pace.

Above the vacant trees was the sound of waves crashing into the shore. It settled down to the ground with the gentle mist that increasingly filled the air. With the mist came the smell of the sea. It’s harsh salty aroma burned Wren’s nose, but quickly went away. Sestel shook the hand he had bit as the wound stung.

Prim was the first to reach the edge of the trees. She quickly came to a stop at the top of a steep incline. She looked forward, wide eyed, and stretched her arms up, shaking with excitement. Sestel and Wren were soon to follow, both also frozen by the amazing view.

Before them was a grassy crescent cove, that wrapped around a large inlet of pristine beach with steep slopes. The moonlight reflected off the glistening waves, bringing brilliance to the colourful stones in the beach, making them appear as jewels. At the tip of the nearest crescent edge, sat a tall lighthouse. It looked to be painted with a multitude of strange shades of differing colours, none forming any pattern or purpose. At its top was a small glass room underneath the metal cap-like roof. In the middle was a glowing object that shone two bright beams of semi-violet light from either side as it slowly spun around.

Sestel pointed to the top of the lighthouse, and widened his stance. “That’s what we’re here for! The jewel of the lighthouse! The light of Capelath Cove!”

“I heard it’s one giant gemstone!” Prim stood on her toes.

“You bet it is!” sestel quickly replied. “And I’m gonna use it to propose to you!”

“What?” wren spoke up.

“You heard it little bro. You might as well start considering Prim as your big sis.” he laughed.

Wren looked up at her confused. Prim glanced back with a wholehearted smile. “You boys ready?” She looked forward. “Let’s go!” She bolted down the hill.

Sestel looked at Wren. “Take in the sight. No one’s ever allowed to see this place.” He noticed his brother had a look of confusion and worry. “I’ll explain everything after. We’re almost there, come on.” He stuck his tongue out, and followed Prim.

Wren cautiously followed down the hill onto the path towards the lighthouse. Around him the sea’s mist began to form into a gentle fog. The strange light from the lighthouse gave the fog an unreal aura that alternated between neon purple and pure white. Tall weeds broke through the forming blanket, and cut through it as the growing seaside breeze pushed the fog through them.

Love

Sestel reached the base of the hill first. Next was Prim, sliding down on her bottom. Slowly Wren caught up, cautiously taking steps. Ahead of them was a narrow dirt path that curved along with the crescent hill that swallowed the cove. By now the fog spilled off the top of the hill and into the cove bellow.

With joy, Prim grabbed Sestel’s hand and sprinted towards the lighthouse. Being pulled away, he turned back to his brother and winked. “Come on! Don’t fall behind!” He reached out and grabbed Wren’s hand, pulling him with them.

The three quickly reached the base of the lighthouse. Both Wren and Prim leaned against the stone wall wheezing while Sestel beamed with anticipation. The breath in their lungs was cold, and once again they could recognize the presence of the sea in the air.

“Should we try the front door?” sestel quietly asked the other two, already pulling on the handle to have it not budge. “Guess not…” He looked back pouting to see Prim glaring at him. Wren was still catching his breath on the side of the tower.

“What were you thinking? Do you want the keeper to see you?!” prim hissed.

“The old man is a drunk. You can hear him snoring from the door.” Sestel continued to pout. He paused for a moment and indeed the sound of the drunken keeper’s slumber was present with the sound of waves.

“Keeper?” Wren spoke timidly, not hearing the man’s snores. “Someone lives here? I don’t want to go into someone's home.” He looked even more worried.

“No no, it’s not like that.” Prim crouched down to talk to him. “Lighthouse keepers come and go. They rotate monthly shifts. It’s like sleeping at the job. It’s not his home.”

“She’s right little bro.” He could see they weren’t helping. “If you want, you can wait out here. We’ll make sure to be extra fast. Is that alright?”

Wren took some time before he nodded.

“Good.” Sestel smirked. “Now then, I heard some people talking about there being a cellar, so that will have to be our way in.” He started to walk around the lighthouse until stopping before two large unlocked wooden doors that opened into underneath the building. He peeked around to look at Prim. “Let’s hurry.”

Prim stood up, and glanced back at Wren. He was starting to cry. She gestured for him to follow. Quickly he ran up to her and wrapped his arms around her. Prim placed her hand on his head, as the two followed Sestel into the cellar.

The air in the cellar was miasma of damp and fermented odors. A rusted lantern hung in the middle of the room, casting a soft glow. Years of sea salt in the humidity had condensated into crystals that grew in the corners and on the ceiling. The stone tiled floor was littered with small cracks, salt crystals blossoming from each. The walls were made of the same brick as the lighthouse, meeting in the middle of ceiling to form an arch over the small room.

In one corner an old pile of food sat rotting next to a bag of loaf. To its side was a small wooden cabinet neatly stocked with an assortment of spirits. Besides the food, the cellar was overflowing with painted canvases, all pointed away towards the walls. In the middle of the floor rested an easel that had all its legs snapped. Under it was the only visible painting. It laid on the floor facing up, its wooden wooden frame had been broken just as the easel. Painted on it was a circle, made of a cluster of black brush strokes that seemed similar to those that painted the outside of the lighthouse. Written over the black in blood red was the word SHRIAQUE.

Sestel slowly stepped around the painting, looking down at it in confusion. “What’s shriaque?” he asked, turning towards Prim. Quickly he noticed Wren clinging to her side, and smiled. “Good to see you.”

“No idea…” Prim responded. She reached out at a smaller painting resting on the wall and turned it around. “This one’s the same as that painting.”

“Seriously?” Sestel flipped the painting beside him around. “So is this.” He turned another. “They’re all the same.”

Prim felt Wren’s grip on her shirt tighten. “Let's get out of this room, it creeps me out”, she spoke for Wren.

“Yah… Let’s keep going.” Sestel continued to the end of the room where a large steel door stood flush into the wall. “Let’s see if we have fate on our side…” He reached out and pulled on the handle. The door slowly creaked open. Sestel spun around to give a look of gleeful surprise. “Almost there.” he whispered, slowly pulling heavy door open enough to barely fit through.

Sestel gently made his way up a metal staircase that wound around the inside of the lighthouse. Soon the stairs fell off at the main floor of the lighthouse. With caution Sestel stepped up.

The main floor was a small circular room. Its walls sloped inward with the building to a low brick ceiling to form a conical frustum. Beside the front door was a large desk covered in a mess of papers, and an old man sitting at a wooden chair passed out on it. He loudly snored. A half filled bottle of booze had fallen to the floor. Beside him was a coat rack with heavy jackets perched on it, and a piled rope sat at its base. Behind him was a small bed that took up most of the room’s space. The sheets on it had been torn off and hung off the side.

Prim stood on the stairs, her head reaching just above the floor. She looked up to see the mural painted onto the ceiling. Kaleidoscopic shapes formed untamed patterns that broke off into stranger forms. A cacophony of colours exploded outwards behind the shapes, and seemed to almost move when viewed in the corner of the eye.

“Leave me alone!” the old man shouted.

Everyone froze. The dread of being discovered settled into their hearts. Only silence followed. Slowly Sestel turned back Prim and Wren. “He’s sleep talking”, he whispered, reaching out his hand for Prim to take.

Silently the three continued to where the staircase picked up again, winding up above. Behind them the old man murmured to himself in his sleep. As they made their way above, a single door on the left closed off the room above the first floor. Mechanical sounds barely pushed through the doors solid frame. While passing the door Wren reached out to touch it, but stopped when he felt the air around the door was smoldering hot.

Sestel was almost running when he reached the top of the stairs. The peak of the lighthouse was a cramped room surrounded by glass panes on all sides. Outside was a small balcony that encircled the room. In the middle was a pedestal. A beam of light shot up through the center of the pedestal from below, and into a large glasslike orb that sat above it. The ray of white light that entered into the sphere from below was focused out into two neon purple beams that ejected out from two opposite ends, slowly spinning with the orb.

“I knew it was real!” Sestel remarked.

Prim shortly caught up, then Wren. “It’s amazing…” Prim spoke, mesmerized by its brilliance.

Carefully Sestel reached out to the orb. The air around it radiated with energy. He wrapped his fingers around it, they burned on its blistering surface. Swiftly he pulled it out and held it before it him. He rubbed fingers over it as he looked down at its glistening violet body. Strange carvings of unreadable characters littered its surface, but remained flush to the smooth shape. At the core of the sphere looked to be a sliver metal cloud, frozen within the center. As the surface cooled down, Sestel could feel that it was resonating. His fingers grew numb as they reverberated with its rhythm.

“Prim…” Sestel spoke with depth. He looked at her in the eyes and watched her face grow red. “I love you.” He held the orb out to Prim. “Will you be mine?”

Prim reached out to grasp the sphere, her fingers tingled as they touched it. As she opened her mouth to respond, all she could muster was a whimper as she broke into tears.

Suddenly the beam of light that now shot up straight into the ceiling flickered and disappeared. As that happened the lighthouse began to shake and rain began to hit the roof.

Lesson

The subtle shaking of the ground quickly grew to strong tremors that swayed the lighthouse. The gentle rain suddenly became torrential. In the distance, out to sea, a hideous roar blasted through the air. The windows of the lighthouse immediately shattered into shimmering dust. All three kids fell to their knees in pain, their hands clasped around their ears. In the other direction of the sound, screams echoed from the academy.

At the bottom of the lighthouse the old man jolted awake. His head rung with pain and his body ached. For a second time the terrible thunderous roar shook the air with the ground. The man hastily stumbled to stand, still caught in a drunken haze. He wobbled towards the stairs, and fell on the banister. With adrenaline he pulled his frail body up the stairs, clinging to the railing, almost dragging his feet behind him.

As he reached the top of the stairs he met with three children writhing on the ground in pain. He quickly searched the room, stopping when he noticed the strange orb rolling around on the floor. He immediately lunged at it. Shakily the man placed the object back in its place. The beam of light flickered on almost instantaneously.

“You fools! ” he barked at the children, who were almost oblivious to his presence as they slowly returned to their senses. “You will let them through! The light keeps them away, it keeps them away!”

The old man’s drunken vision cleared on the kids. Blood was dripping from their ears and eyes. It steadily flowed from their noses. Sestel sat in between Wren and Prim, his hands pressed hard into his ears. He looked up at the old man with panic. Wren laid on his side. He was curled into a ball, wailing through hysteric coughing. Prim sat on the ground with her back against the wall. Her face was frozen, expressionless and empty.

The man leaned down to Sestel and pulled his hands from his head. “You need to leave this place, you need to.” he spoke sternly as he stared into the boy’s bloodshot eyes.

Again the hideous roar boomed. The old man fell back from the force, falling back onto the pedestal in the ringing air. A loud bell began to ring from the academy.

“It’s here…” The old man’s voice trembled. “Shriaque…” He wiped away the blood now seeping from his eyes and nose, leaned down towards Sestel again. “You have to stay here, you have to. Don’t leave, it’s not safe, not safe.” The man took a breath to settle his nerves, again he wiped away the blood. He placed his hand on Sestel’s shoulder. “Don’t watch.” He stood up and shakily made his way down the stairs.

Tears began to run from his eyes as he reached his desk. They mixed with the blood, making his vision murky and red. “It wants me, it wants me, it wants me” he repeated to himself. He grabbed a bottle of wine sitting on his desk and hastily downed it before dropping it to the floor. The old man then cloaked himself in a large coat, took a lantern, and exited the lighthouse into the chaotic storm. “It wants me, it wants me, it wants me...”

Sestel glanced to his left at Prim. She looked back at him, her eyes settling into expressing the fear the confusion that was within all their hearts. He then looked to his right to see Wren, caught in a coughing fit on the floor. Sestel pulled his brother close and rubbed his head. “It’s all going to be alright. It’s going to be alright.” He spoke softly into Wren’s ear.

“I can’t breathe, it’s happening again!” Wren cried.

“You’re going to be fine, I’m here.” He held his brother tight as he too began to cry.

“I’M HERE YOU MONSTER!” The old man screamed from outside.

Slowly Prim turned around and peeked over the ledge. The old lighthouse keeper stood at the sand’s shore. Violent waves broke into the ground before him, bursting into white foaming water that seemed to pull the man closer to the sea with them as they returned. The dim light he held above his head flickered in the storming winds and his coat fluttered behind him.

“TAKE ME AND LEAVE!” He shouted into the sea.

As if to quiet down and listen to him, the storm subdued.

“THAT’S IT! LET’S FINISH THIS YOU BEAST!”

Prim watched as the titanic storm clouds in the sky suddenly fell to hang above the lighthouse’s penetrating light that seemed to cut through them. A far distance ahead of the old man the sea seemed to erupt as a colossal body emerged from the corrupting waters.

Lightning struck the top of the lighthouse, and in the minds of the three children a nightmarish thought burned with relentless energy. It was not in the form of a sound or a shape, nor could it be fully interpreted as it was so incredibly foreign and overwhelming. All it could be understood as was a rhythm that brought the translation of Shriaque.

Prim felt frozen in her spot, forced to continue watching the horror. Sestel let go of Wren as he began to convulse. The unknown walls within his mind had begun to peel away and reveal an infinite nightmare beyond. Wren fell back to the floor and started to convulse like his brother.

The brief moment of revealing light cast off from the lightning bolt filled Prim’s world with sight. The great mass that had emerged in the distance now stood motionless in the deep waters just off the shore. To Prim it looked somewhat like a gigantic person cloaked in glistening white skin that hung around it loosely in the unsupporting air. It seemed as if only the upper half of the being’s body was exposed, but it already grazed the tops of the low-hanging clouds. Petal-like fins encircled its head. A veil made of a great plethora of tentacles hung below, the tips lifting up and reaching out in all directions. Long hairlike spines stuck out in all directions from its head, floating in the air. It’s face seemed shriveled and dead. Small black eyes sat closely above a large gaping mouth filled with teeth so long it seemed impossible to close.

Soon the light fled and the world seemed black. Then the light from the lighthouse cut through the darkness, and shed light again on the entity. Caught in the lighthouse’s ethereal beam, the tentacles draping off its body began to twist and squirm. Then the light moved and the being was once again shrouded in tormenting darkness. As the light moved back, the behemoth had stretched out an arm towards the beach and held it in the air. Dangling finger-like appendages showed an open hand.

With her body still frozen onto the spot of the being, Prim noticed movement at the beach in the corner of her eye. An enormous tentacle was slowly lowering from the clouds above the old man, who had now fallen to his knees. Then the light moved away as it followed its circular path. Again lightning struck the lighthouse and unnaturally white light painted the world. The tentacle was slowly wrapping itself around the keeper’s body as it lifted his dangling form.

As the darkness returned the old man began to scream a wretched cry that cut through Prim’s mind. She fell back onto the ground in front of Sestel as he gradually calmed out of his tremoring. She looked up at the ceiling in an unresponsive state of psychosis. Soon the man’s cries abruptly stopped, before appearing again from where the great being stood, and then ending for a final time with a gurgling whimper.

Change

Returning to reality, Sestel propped himself up defeatedly. His face was calm and sombre. He no longer had the will to resist what was happening. He pulled his brother over and rested his head on his lap. Wren was motionless and cold. His face was pale and blue, his lips almost turquoise. Sestel placed his hands on his brother’s head and looked forward without focus.

Soon the rain had completely stopped. The sky once again was filled with the luster of the stars. The ringing bell from the academy had long stopped, and the night was calm once again. The gentle breeze returned. The soft smell of the sea, no longer held down by rain, floated into the air. The moon hung low on the calm horizon.

A strong knock on the lighthouse door rung to the top. Then came another and another. Soon there was a barrage against the metal door. The door flew from its frame and crashed into the wall. Heavy steps moved onto the floor and eventually onto the stairs. They slid along the floor in multiples. As they grew nearer, so did the sound of something grinding against the stone walls. Then a petrifying screech rung throughout the lighthouse, followed by a persistent clicking sound.

Wren looked to be sleeping on his brother in an ethereal dream. His night garments were drenched in blood and bile. Sestel’s hand rested on his head. He continued to stare forward into nothingness, too exhausted to pay attention to what was approaching. Beside him Prim was frozen on her back. She stared up at the ceiling with glazed eyes.

[celeths]

Far above the skies of Cosnerie, the city of rain, floats Skawhalan.

At the edge of the island sits a castle-town older than history. It's population is small as resources on Skawhalan replenish slowly and the lands are ill for farming. It's estimated that around 4,000 people inhabit the island, however, many locals talk of natives who reside within the mountains. This has yet to be proven legend or fact.

The most notable characteristic of Skawhalan is the enormous abyss resides on the island. Even more astounding than its size is that it is deeper than the island appears to be. In fact, the bottom of the Skawhalan Abyss has never been found. Perhaps just as strange as the abyss itself is the staircase carved in the side that leads down to a possible bottom, if one exists.

The Ruler of Skawhalan is Riege Jine. For thousands of years Skawhalan was ruled by the oppressive Urush royal family. It is said that a hundred years ago Riege Jine descended into the Skawhalan Abyss and reemerged twenty years later. That same night the whole of the Urush family died of unkown causes. Riege Jine was than unanimously declared the new ruler. This event however is poorly documented and varies greatly from person to person. The only comment Riege Jine has given this is their famous words "I never reached the bottom, but I did find what I was searching for".

At the start of Riege's reign, they declared Skawhalan to be an independent land. With the looming threat of destroying the hoist, the only means of getting to Skawhalan, their declaration was never challenged nor acknowledged.

Currently Skawhalan is open to any visitor. The Astral Church continues to provide resources for the island in return for access to the Skawhalan Abyss, where they send prisoners or the odd explorer. Most visitors to the island also venture into the abyss which anyone can enter freely. The En Raset building sits at the only safe entrance into the Skawhalan Abyss and controls the flow of people entering or exiting, however no one besides Riege has been known to return.

[celeths]

The Rhythm

The Lifebeat

Most life has evolved to use the rhythm by instinct. A predator may match the footsteps of its prey, falling in sync with its rhythm to not be noticed, just as a bird can sense the rhythm of the wind, and sync with the drafts to perfect its flying. All life functions at its own rhythm, and almost all life utilizes it.

Learning The Rhythm

The Tempo and The Melody

All things change. Between each moment of change, there are periods of stagnation. Just as the second hand on a clock moves every second, everything in existence moves at intervals separated by time. An animal may take a step every half second, a raindrop may fall from a leaf every minute, and the sun will rise every day. The pattern of every movement, and time between each is called The Rhythm.

For most complex life, its rhythm is in sync with the beat of the heart. This is called the lifebeat. An animal like a tortoise has a slow heartbeat, meaning it has a slower lifebeat, and as a result it lives a gentle and sluggish life. When an animal needs to move faster, say a rabbit outrunning a wolf, it increases its own lifebeat and heartbeat, to move at a faster tempo than the wolf. Of course the wolf may just be a better a runner and can catch the rabbit with a slower lifebeat, but it is assumed that between two even life forms, the faster the lifebeat, the greater the predatorial advantage. Sometimes the life beat can become out of sync with an animals heartbeat. Unless this is done by a trained individual that can already understand the rhythm, this will most likely lead to death.

As humans moved from hunters to farmers, they fell out of touch with the rhythm. Many times this has been described as when the sixth sense was lost. While all humans, just as everything else, have a rhythm, humans have lost their ability to read their own and other’s, but learning it is still possible.

Music and the sense of beat are fragments of their true potential. There are many methods to teach one the rhythm, but most revolve around the simple process of complete observation, listening, and understanding. Though, while this sounds simple, it is nothing less than awakening a new sense, and takes years of practice.

Most followers of the rhythm believe it to be an independent trait, instead of a quality of emergence. However, this is where their shared views end. When committing down the life path of the rhythm, there are two main splitting roads to choose between.

The first and least popular path is called the tempo. The goal of this study is to advance beyond the understanding the life beat, and to begin to learn the rhythm of the non living world, and even universe. A simple example of this would be a sea. Every wave may seem to be random, but finding a singular beat to the sea can allow a person to predict where the currents are, how the winds can change, and much more. It is believed that all rhythm stems from a more basic and fundamental beat, that defines the entire movement of the universe.

Followers of the tempo claim this is the path in life towards ultimate understanding. A person who can read the base flow of time, can achieve ultimate peace, and do things only thought possible by people of legend, or even gods.

The only known case of someone ever achieving a true understanding of the tempo was a person who was born thousands of years ago. They lived for hundreds of years by being out of sync with the rhythm of death, but eventually grew so old, they decided they had lived enough. They climbed to the top of a mountain, sat down, and let the tempo carry them away. For the last few thousand years their body has remained there, completely black as the night sky, unable to be touched by anything, even light.

The fact that only one person has ever been able to master their understanding of the tempo, is the main reason why most people choose the other path of the rhythm; the melody. The melody focuses on seeing the interactions between the songs of things, and interpreting how they will continue to interact. The overall goal is to see and avoid negative beats before they appear, and live a good life.

A person can arrange their life in many ways, such as changing the layout of their belongings, interacting more with other plants and animals, or spending time alone, in order to live within the most beneficial melody.

The melody is the path to happiness and understanding of the surrounding world. A leader can convince people by understanding their lifebeat’s of their followers and the melody they play together, and a farmer can better understand the land and the animals around their crops. Every person can benefit from understanding melodies.

[celeths]

Ros Archipelago

There is not much known of the castles and towers that cover the land of Ros Archipelago. All that is known, is they are from a kingdom long passed. The stone they are made from is dark and glistening, unlike any local material. The wares inside the buildings are no different from what the people around keep. The paintings of the people left behind, paint a life similar to the one still there. There are rumours that spread of people going missing near the old buildings, and others of ghosts and ghouls wandering the areas, searching for where everyone went. There is not a person on in Ros Archipelago who would venture near The Ruins of Lostreth, as that is where all the islands ethereal presence is thought to dwell.

The Islands of Ros Archipelago are draped in a dreary landscape. Almost every direction, from Gatel's Wharf along the 10 day journey to Gnarn, is small grass covered hills, soaked in a thick year-long fog. The road from Century Stay to Wanderstop meet the only trees there are, in The Wither Woods. The coastlines are a mixture of soft beaches, to tall cliffs. The Lakes sit underneath an eternal haze, making navigation nearly impossible. The towns are filled with fishermen and farmers. There is nothing alluring about Ros Archipelago to the typical person, but to the locals, they are living the dream.

[celeths]

Palmbet, also known as the Land of Luck, is an island nation nestled in the heart of The Sea of Spades. The majority of the countries wealth is in their human resources, made almost entirely of people unable to pay their dept to The Casino. The Casino is ruled by Hunter Creon, who is also captain of The Immortal Pirates, Palmbet's hired guard. Both The Casino, and The Immortal Pirates have split control of Palmbet, though neither claims to have ruling power over the "unclaimed" land, allowing Palmbet to exist outside the control of The Church.

The currency for Palmbet can be identified globally, as it has no resemblance to any other lands. It is also made of an old material with no known manufacturing processes still existing. Because no more can be created, if any leaves the island, it will be hunted down and brought back, typically resulting in the destruction of the place it was held. Though there are rumors that if one is to bury the currency, it cannot be found by The Immortal Pirates.

[celeths]

Druk and Oixa are each other's thorn in the shoe. Everything one state does, the other can't stand. The people in Oixa call the people of Druk cold, saying their icy island has made them emotionless boring people. The people of Druk see the residents of Oixa as outlandish fools, wasting their resources in the desert.

These neighbors happen to hate eachother so much, that they even named cities just to spite the other. Druk controls the southern cities of Ik and Qu, giving them the shortest and most Winterian names they could imagine. In a rebuttal Oixa named their closest cities to Druk Pagandesheral, and Elempthialsipon.

It is a fact that the people of Winter are simple and straightforward. It is even said that they name their homes with short names to save warm breath. It is also a fact that the people of the Tawha Dunes love to indulge themselves in the sweets of the warm day's sun, and start arguments just to hear themselves speak. Perhaps the relationship between Druk and Oixa was always meant to fail, but as there has never been a war between the two, and trade deals are easy to form, perhaps it isn't all that bad.

[celeths]

A page torn from a restricted book, locked the Fres Grand Library. Hung and forgotten in a small tavern.

The Fres Grand Library was once the center of the Henserald family. They ruled Fres with care in mind, and were admired throughout the known world. After their fall, and a new King stole the throne, it has become neglected and laid to rest. Though that doesn't mean any person can enter. Public knowledge is still a King's worst enemy.

Transcript

“for a new subject. The other problem that the old man's nurse had expressed to me in detail was his sleeping. When asked about this, I could see he returned to me. Though unlike a senior coming back from a mid day's thought, embraced in the warm safety of memory and nostalgia, he seemed borderline afraid. Albeit for the first time I heard him speak."What is dreaming?" He asked me with surprising youth, his answer already prepared. "I spent my life asking that, and only in my age do I realize the truth." As he continued his voice reverted back to that of an old man, rough yet soft, like the breeze catching the fallen leaves of autumn. "In the start, no, maybe even before, there was a rift. A crack in the everlasting nothing. And from that rift sprung for life in its truest essence. It expanded outward, and engulfed the infinite. As time passed the rift began to close, and with it a sliver of life was severed from the great one, fallen back into where it came. Eventually that sliver found its footing and grew, just as its sister did on the other side.""As time continued, this new life became unrecognizable to the neutral body it once belonged to. Unlike the mass of pure life that once existed, this sliver learned to grow in other ways, by reproducing and not expanding." The man trailed off at this point. I asked him a question again, to which he continued. "When the world was ruled by rats and crows, there was no dreaming, no sleep, only motion. Then it happened again. A smaller rift opened, but this time something came back, a virus. Born from indiscriminate life, it latched on to all creatures, and thus dreaming was born.""It is said that plants are the virus incarnate. Always dreaming, never watching, though now those lines have blurred..." The old man seemed to lose himself, and sat for a moment before speaking once again. "At first there was only a single dream, a hair uncut by the closing rift, an eye onward to the other side. As time passed this virus evolved just as the sliver had, and found greater life within individual dreams. Now the hair in the rift is all but a sliver of the slivers line, and dreams bare no resemblance to the other side. Though at times one can still see beyond. As a baby... I wonder if I did. Did I not know enough to fill the void, to cover the window leading to the other side? Was it why I was always crying? Did I see it, was I just as scared then? Now as I am, I can forget, and once again the path is cleared." The old man turned to me and“

[celeths]

The Astral Knight

In order to become a Knight of The Church, a person must pass the Knight's Exam. The Knight's Exam is notorious for being nearly impossible, pushing people to both their mental and physical limits. Only the most extraordinary can ever hope to pass, and be licensed as a Knight of The Church.

Once a Knight of The Church, a person is free to live as they wish, though if The Church does ever call upon said Knight, they must answer the call or be marked a traitor. This is the only way a person can come to lose their license.

Ranking of Astral Knights

As all Knight's of The Church begin at a rank of E-, there are many methods to improve ones rank. The main method is to preform services for The Church that are a higher rank than yourself. Until reaching the rank of B-, the Church will give you mandatory tasks to accomplish that are at your own rank, so reaching a higher rank requires personally taking on more jobs.

Once reached the rank of B-, a Knight must complete three equal or higher ranking jobs a year to maintain the rank.

As of reaching the rank of A- or higher, a Knight no longer needs to preform any Church issued jobs to keep their current rank.

It is not public knowledge of how to achieve a rank of S- or higher, though it is assumed you must accomplish something world changing.