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sqarletsworldlesswandering · 5 days ago

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I don't think there's any such thing as "too much" in this context, especially since you've been perfectly respectful about the presentation of it. It's been *awesome* gettung to read these!

No more drawing two days in a row - you can clearly see how the quality (as well as effort and enthusiasm) drops with each drawing. But I really wanted to finish this because I still have material for several lore posts that I’d like to complete and publish by the end of the week.

From this point on, all names and terms in the post are in Gaelic.

Now it's time to talk about Transcendents.

It’s worth starting with how the Starfolk believe Transcendents came to be. In their view, the main culprit was Summum, who bears many titles, the most well-known being Mordioval, meaning The Great Calamity (from mor – great, diobhail – calamity). As for the name Summum itself, it is simply Summum… or Uileadah (All) used by other Transcendents.

There are many versions of how they came into existence. One suggests that Summum was the result of an early attempt at reconciliation between the Serpent and the Dragon after the curse and several shifts in polarity. They tried to distribute absorption evenly, but the Worldless did not approve and cursed them a second time.

Another version claims that their "pact" spiraled out of control, birthing this "impurity," which is why Transcendents continue to appear during failed absorption attempts.

Even more unique theories exist, including one that considers Summum to be just as much a divine entity as the Worldless - or even another one of its creations. There are many branches to this idea, each explaining what exactly went wrong between them:

1. Summum envied the abilities of their elder kin and persuaded their creations to drink from the chalice, for which they, too, were cursed.

2. They were jealous that the Worldless had created two other beings similar to them, as if Summum’s company wasn’t enough, so they sought revenge.

3. Summum is a creation of the Worldless, an attempt to concentrate all evil and negativity into a single entity (a sort of Pandora’s Box). However, they didn’t like being seen this way by their creator, so they escaped and now "scatter" their contents in the form of new Transcendents.

4. The Worldless were once alone, and one day, they noticed their own shadow and decided to bring it to life. But once it was alive, the shadow tried to consume them. In response, they pierced it with a spear, but the shadow survived. Now, fragments of that shadow constantly fall from Summum, dispersing into the world, and when they enter the bodies of Starfolk, new Transcendents are born (hence one of Summum’s names - The Shattered Shadow).

5. After Summum’s betrayal, they were exiled. Now, they choose who to turn into Transcendents to gathering an army for an ultimate battle against the Worldless.

6. The title Whisper comes from another version, in which Summum selects two individuals and whispers their deepest desires to them, convincing them they can fulfill them. Then, Summum gives them instructions, leading the Starfolk into conflict on the battlefield.

7. Another version claims that they seek out strong individuals and turn them into Transcendent, but only to eventually consume them and grow stronger.

Summum is also believed to be the source of the so-called Voice - a presence that drives individuals toward strange, sinister, or treacherous actions.

The Starfolk don’t pay much attention to the fact that the Transcendents don’t appear on their own but only during absorption. This can be justified by how difficult it is to witness firsthand, given that absorption can happen anytime and anywhere. Even when it occurs on the battlefield, everyone is too preoccupied with their opponents to notice the green shimmer.

No one truly studies Transcendents or attempts to explain what they are in a rational way. If religious beliefs are set aside, scholars speculate that Transcendents are born from mutual betrayal - when, for example, a Lightfolk doesn’t mind becoming a Darkfolk, while a Darkfolk, despite not wanting to absorb the Lightfolk, must do so. Perhaps they would try to study them, but two major obstacles prevent this: first, newly formed Transcendents are immediately brought before the Lords’ tribunal, where they are executed; and second, Summum takes them from this dimension to the Meadow Haven. (And, of course, there’s the issue of actually finding them - without getting sentenced yourself - since anyone caught harboring a cursed one for research rather than handing them over to the Lords risks severe punishment.)

Transcendents are viewed with hatred and fear, though over time, they have become more of a legend. Society has developed rituals to protect against transformation and to divert Summum’s gaze from them. There are even festivals during which green symbols are destroyed, everything is decorated in the colors of their faction - almost as if trying to "drown out" the green - and special talismans are made. Starfolks also eat specific dishes with ingredients believed to ward off Transcendents. The primary term the Starfolk use for them is treigear (renegade) because they have turned away from everything - their family, their nature, and their god.

And yet, despite all this, Summum and others like them still have followers among the Starfolk. Some have formed a cult in their honor, seeing Summum as salvation from the endless cycle of absorption, as the true god, and as a being capable of granting them power, knowledge, and wealth.

Now, here’s what really happened.

Summum emerged during the Dark Times when the Starfolk were still primitive. Unlike them, Summum was highly developed from the start and could see the future. They immediately created the Meadow Haven as a refuge for other Transcendents.

There’s also an important point about the Starfolk’s attitude toward altered beings. In their primitive state, they didn’t initially view the Transcendent as unclean. Instead, encountering them triggered something akin to the uncanny valley effect - they saw a Starfolk, yet something was deeply off. This instinct made them aggressive and wary, as anything that was not quite them had to be destroyed.

As for Summum, they were never fond of their "creators" - both the Worldless and the two Starfolk they were originally formed from. They do not hold hatred toward other Transcendents, who also originate from both factions, but they do not like the two factions separately.

However, they couldn’t change that and were forced to help, as it was through Summum’s influence that the Starfolks developed into an intelligent civilization. The Dragon tried to slow the conflict as much as possible, despite facing aggression from the Starfolks, and in the end, this restraint had a positive effect. Even a momentary distraction from conflict allowed Starfolks to evolve.

Why did Summum do this? Simply because they were following their ability to see future and it would have accustomed them to one that foretold the emergence of other Transcendents and those who would ultimately resolve the conflict forever.

In the beginning, they actively interfered in Starfolks affairs, even going so far as to kill Lords who stood in the way of this future. (In fact, Summum knew they had to kill them - hence the title The Bane of the Lords.) But over time, their interference lessened until it ceased altogether. A lot of time has passed, Summum was saving other transcendent beings and intervening in the lives of starfolks, and at the same time, the first calendar system appeared. Before moving on to the next important figure, it is worth understanding the eras.

Yin-Yang emerged during the Era of Understanding, the seventeenth era after the first reckoning. There were many eras named Understanding - in more modern times, the term referred to understanding between species, but at the time of Yin-Yang's origin, it meant self-awareness and the Starfolk's realization of their own intelligence.

There was never a single unified reckoning system; with two different species counting time in their own way, and at that point, even within their respective factions, the Starfolk were divided into tribes and smaller civilizations. There was no ruling elite in the form of a king or queen with their lords and ladies, who later took control of all the people and established a single timeline. (This is why, for example, the Era of Understanding from which Yin-Yang originates did not yet have that name - it was assigned in later eras.)

Certain events could reset the reckoning, forcing them to start counting from scratch, or history could be completely erased for someone's benefit, leading to the loss of vast portions of chronology.

Now, back to Transcendents.

The light half of Yin-Yang is named Bailea (ban – white, faileas – shadow), while the dark half is Duleu (du – black, leus – ray). They exist as separate individuals, and interestingly, their relationship is sibling-like. Sometimes, it's hard to tell which of them acts like the older and which like the younger sibling, which isn’t surprising - their Transcendent nature causes them to occasionally swap personalities. And not just personalities - they can change their forms as well. The version depicted in the comic is only one of them. They alter their appearances depending on the needs or preferences of other Starfolk - and their own.

Yin-Yang plays important role in history because they were the ones who introduced the concept of high priests to the Starfolk world.

How did this happen?

Time moves faster in Meadow Haven - here, several weeks may pass, while in the dimension of the Starfolk, not even an hour would pass. When Summum left for just a few minutes to retrieve a new Transcendent, for the others in Meadow Haven, his absence lasted much longer. This often saddened or even worried the Transcendent.

That’s when Yin-Yang decided to listen and speak with them. To do so, they would even merge and take on the form of a wyvern, resembling Summum more closely to make the Transcendent feel better and, above all, to calm them.

To put it bluntly, the Starfolk have no concept of psychologists. No one has ever delved into the study of emotional or internal states - they only look at external wounds and say things like, "If you're intact on the outside, then you're fine." Yin-Yang are unique in that they became something akin to guides - beings who heal not just physically but also emotionally, mentally, and even spiritually.

Unlike Summum, they felt more compassion for both factions, believing that "No one should know only suffering." This drove them to venture into the other dimension to guide others down the same path. Even though they faced resistance and were even wounded multiple times, they continued to push forward with unwavering determination.

Summum, truth be told, was not pleased that they kept putting themselves in danger - especially Bailea.

"You know what will happen, and yet you still try to stop me. Tell me, knowing that this won’t work, why do you keep trying?"

"I know. And sometimes, I regret that I can see beyond tomorrow and yet still hope that something might change. I know my words won’t stop you, but even so, that won’t stop me from complaining about it."

"Even knowing exactly how you will complain?"

"Even knowing exactly how I will complain."

"I feel like this also comes from the sense that you're in a hurry to get somewhere. We have all the time in the world, yet you act as if it’s slipping away."

"Because one day, it will slip away. And until that happens, I want to spend every second as it should be spent."

"Even knowing exactly how those seconds will pass?"

"Even so. Because I want to live through it, not just see it pass."

In the end, they achieved some success - certain Starfolk began adopting their ways, and the first priests could be considered the first guides in the society of both factions. At that time, they were the most important figures until their role became secondary with the emergence of the lords. Some of the knowledge that Yin-Yang passed on to the first priests was lost over time, yet even now, priests still fulfill their role well enough to maintain the starfolks trust and know how to help in rare cases.

As for their understanding of balance, they perceive it in their own way:

"What is balance to you, child? When there is only good?"

"But you wouldn’t know what is good unless you also knew what is bad."

"So does that mean things must always be bad? But then, you wouldn’t know what ‘bad’ is without knowing what ‘good’ is."

"You want everything to be equal at all times, but that’s not balance—that’s stagnation."

"Where there is much good, there must be a little bad."

"Where there is much bad, there must be a little good."

"The scales must always shift. Balance is a constant flow."

"In some places, good lasts longer; in others, only briefly."

"The same goes for bad. That is balance. But you ask - what can disturb it?"

"It is disturbed when there is only good or only bad."

"And when something exists that does not belong to the balance of the world."

"If you think you can change it so that neither exists, then know this..."

"...That will only happen when we and the world cease to exist entirely."

"Because when nothing remains, none of it matters anymore."

Their Relationship

At first glance, it might seem like they don’t get along - at least when looking at Duleu. But in reality, he is simply overprotective. His philosophy is:

"If you want to approach my sister, you must go through me first."

Summum blatantly ignored this, which only irritated the dark half. This, in turn, made him annoyed with Bailea, who happily welcomed Summum's company. However, Duleu can’t stay mad at her for long. They still exhibit typical sibling behavior - he harbors a brotherly jealousy over her attention toward Summum, which only fuels his resentment toward the dragon. Sometimes, he even looks for ways to make jabs at him.

"On one hand, it’s frustrating that you know what I’ll be like tomorrow. But on the other hand, your ability to see the future is quite useful. Because that means you'll experience my anger twice."

They mostly function separately but often "carry" each other.

When Bailea carries Duleu within her, she describes it as "a warm darkness scratching behind my eyes."

When Duleu carries Bailea, he calls it "an annoying song that never quiets."

He also protects her in another way. When they fuse, Duleu positions himself on the outside - around the edges, like a shield - so he can react first and defend his sister beneath him if needed.

They are also the only ones who know about Summum’s ability to see the future. Despite Duleu’s clear dislike for him, Summum still keeps them as his closest advisors, along with Bailea, who is the most important to him.

Another unique trait of Yin-Yang is their ability to communicate telepathically with all residents of Meadow Haven, conducting multiple conversations at once while giving attention to each individual. In rare cases, they can even create illusions of themselves to interact physically with those who prefer face-to-face conversations.

They can't always do this in person because they may already be occupied with another Starfolk at the time. Therapeutic practices are also common during sleep, when they can freely travel through the dreams of others.

A long time passed, and the next known transcendents were the Quimera, who in this place are called Steclis (steap – ribbon, clis – agile). They emerged from the Era of Stillnes, a period that once had a different name but was later renamed due to the simple fact that nothing significant happened during it.

One could say that Steclis do not remember their past lives, but they do remember what it was like to be Ariman and Moon. Here, it is important to explain the roles these beings play in society.

Ariman are extremely meticulous about cleanliness, to the point that they spend all their free time tidying up. They become so engrossed in it that they may even barge into someone else's space and start cleaning there. Because of this, they are often welcomed into homes with enthusiasm. However, Darkfolk should not take advantage of this by neglecting their own cleaning or making a mess purpose, as that could anger Ariman. While they may seem harmless, even on the battlefield, they become truly dangerous when cleanliness is at stake.

As for Moon, they are excellent companions who often accompany young ones with the lightning element, helping them control it - becoming something like small guardians. They are also great company for the adult Lightfolk who possess the lightning element.

Because of this, Steclis inherited some of these traits. While they do not obsessively clean everything like Ariman, they appreciate cleanliness, maintain it, and are even known to punish those who do not. Like Moon, they happily assist others with magic - not just lightning, but all types.

It was Steclis who initiated the idea for Summum to regulate the day-night cycle in Meadow Haven and introduce more colorful lighting.

"I don’t understand how most of you haven’t gone insane from constantly seeing only green."

Their tentacles are quite elastic and flexible. They can detach them, and new ones will grow back, which is why they sometimes use them as makeshift bandages for others' wounds. Additionally, their limbs can stretch to an unknown length.

The next known transcendents were Adaptation, named Reulag (which means Little Star). They appeared during the Era of Growth, a time when the Starfolk began focusing more on the development of science and architecture. Reulag inherited this pursuit from their halves, even though they do not remember who they used to be.

Thanks to Reulag, the architecture of Meadow Haven took on incredible - and more importantly, practical - forms. When they first arrived, they were less than impressed with Summum’s work.

"I could not call that 'architecture'—because it simply wasn’t. It wasn’t terrible, but it certainly wasn’t great either. It’s astonishing that, with so much time and power, they did absolutely nothing with it."

Reulag is a perfectionist - they will not tolerate even a single speck of dust being out of place. They have a rather difficult personality, and almost no one has formed close relationships with them.

Their emotional state is visible through fine bristles that appear in response to their feelings. These bristles vary in shape, size, and color (ranging from white, black, blue, to orange), each representing a different emotion. However, Reulag dislikes when others read their emotions through these bristles, so they have learned to hide them. Still, sometimes their emotions burst through, making the bristles visible again.

Occasionally, they talk to their particles - (spheres and cubes, which in the game function as shields). They believe that the two Starfolk they originated from still exist within them. They justify this belief by pointing out how their "shields" seem to act on their own, moving, making sounds, and even blocking attacks that Reulag themselves did not calculate in time to defend against.

They also possess the ability to adapt to anything. For example, if they encounter a new material and accidentally cut themselves on it, they will never be harmed by it again - their body will have adapted.

At first glance, this seems like a useful ability, but it brings them a great deal of trouble. After adapting to a texture, they lose the ability to feel it. Even after a brief touch, they can no longer sense it the same way. Because of this, they try to hold onto materials for as long as possible to memorize their texture before their adaptation kicks in - because once it does, they will never feel it again.

The same goes for taste - on the first bite, they can experience it fully, but by the second bite, it is completely gone.

They asked Summum to find a way to change this, but even the Dragon was unsuccessful.

Rumors suggest that this may be the reason for Reulag’s difficult personality. Among the transcendents, there are whispers and legends that Reulag was once much more open and friendly.

After a long time, it was Duality’s turn to emerge during the Era of Tension (Edda and Aven also originated from this era, appearing just a few weeks after Duality).

Their fused form functions as a separate entity and is named Othris (o – from, dithris – two). Othris can exist independently from Sian and Meveya only in Summum’s dimension and partially in the neutral one. In the ordinary world, however, they can only manifest when the two halves merge.

However, there are times when even in those dimensions, Othris is absent, allowing their two halves to use their form without interference.

They quickly gained popularity among the Transcendents due to their resemblance to Summum. Sometimes, they are called the "young lord," which irritates them slightly - not out of arrogance but out of respect for the dragon. They believe they are not even worthy of standing in Summum’s shadow, yet the transcendents have found someone new to revere. This also frustrates Othris because Summum himself dislikes being called a lord, let alone worshiped as a god. However, there is little he can do to change this. Othris believes that, out of respect for Summum, others should at least stop doing it.

Surprisingly, their main interest is plants, likely because they remember the moment of their emergence in the Soaring Garden. Because of this, they found their purpose in tending to the gardens of Meadow Haven.

As for their two halves, in this dimension, their limbs regenerate - though they remain transparent. However, in the Starfolk’s dimension, their limbs disappear again.

Meveya specializes in weaving, and interestingly, they were the one who came up with the idea of inventing the bed.

Sian, on the other hand, continues to work in construction, as well as in mosaic and stained-glass decoration.

*very poorly presented chronology *

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sqarletsworldlesswandering · 5 days ago

Note

Edda or Angel in this question mark

Y'know what's absolutely hilarious?

I think this was the dress that inspired my very first take on Angel's dress, but I didn't really do a good job of it because I changed too much. That or a very similar dress.

Consider this take two:

#sqarlet'sart #worldless angel #worldless

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sqarletsworldlesswandering · 5 days ago

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@wendywolf12 :3

#sqarlet'sart #worldless #worldless edda

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sqarletsworldlesswandering · 5 days ago

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FLICKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER THIS IS AWESOME?!?!?!?!

This might be the one of the most fascinating takes on Summum I've seen yet, and the other transcendeds for that matter (also I see what u did there with the eras 👀)

also

PRECIOUS RAY

AAAWWWWWWWWWWW