"As You have spoken it shall be; expect no aid in the darkness to come, Radiant One, but I will bother you no more" that said, the wisp slowly fades, until it is no more.
Wieland receives four metallic spheres, each imbued with essence, and a tablet "Four rings, one of gold for the greatest ruler, one of iron to the general, one of silver to the merchant and one of brass for the scholar. I offer you nothing, but the opportunity to work those masterpieces. Should you refuse, leave them be, and I will retrieve them. Should you accept, work your mastery upon these, and set them upon the tablet"
Four rings of power are imbued and sent to western Hiate, bound and tailored for four men of the highest esteem. The first, of the brightest gold, to be found by the Lord High Priest, symbol of willpower and rulership. The second, of engraved iron, to the greatest leader of men, symbol of prowess and martial lore. The third, of the purest silver, encrusted with many a gem, to the shrewdest, a manager of lands, a lord among merchants, symbol of prosperity and cunning. Finally, the fourth, of runed brass, to the wisest scholar, bringer of progress, destroyer of bounds, symbol of knowledge and curiosity. The rings care little for what their owners are, but for what they may become, both an instrument of office and a source of improvement. Soon enough, the rings are found, and those great men who've found them, compelled to present themselves before Umeran.
Should any of the chosen perish, the ring is lost and found by the one among the faithful most worthy of succeeding them. The one exception is the golden ring, which is always passed down to the current head of the faith and sovereign ruler; if there is no clear successor, then it too shall be found by the one most befitting of succeeding the previous Lord High Priest. The four chosen are inspired to accomplish great deeds, something that will outlast them and fulfill their duty to the Empire, though the urge is strongest is those first four, who have a clear path set ahead of them.
Umeran himself is urged to further solidify the faith, to have a temple raised in every village, town or city under his rule, no matter how far. No fort is to go without a priest, nor house without a shrine. The recognizer of the three other chosen's status, he is the source of their legitimacy and the one who must found their Dominions: Morning's Bastion fortress, nigh impenetrable, in the Vein, the House of Trade, and its great shipyard, in the far south, and the Seat of Knowledge, and its vast libraries, in Delephia, all to match Galadres' own Grand Temple.
The bearer of the silver ring is preoccupied with the rising bureaucracy and the Empire's prosperity. No settlement should go without a road, crossing without a bridge, field unworked or port unraised. Most of all, a settlement to host his Dominion in the south, the Empire's center of maritime trade and bastion of the fleet, and at last bring all of the west under Galadre's control and the Morning Lord's light.
That of the iron ring, the greatest general that could be raised from Talassani stock, turns towards the realm's defense, concerned with the fortification of the borders, an efficient logistic network, and the creation of a standing army and navy, less potent but much more numerous than the Order, and trained by it. Morning Bastion, the great fortress build atop the Vein, would be his Dominion, and the Empire's bulwark.
And finally, the brass ring's bearer, who, now Galadres' foremost scholar and student of the unknown, turns towards the incessant pursuit of knowledge, installing himself in a great tower erected atop Delephia's temple district, and the Empire's new center of learning, the Seat of Knowledge, with scores of scholars and scribes. Similar, if smaller, structures are erected in the other two cities, and libraries become a common presence across the Empire.
Remestes' numerous enslaved start receiving visions of the Holy City in their dreams. They learn of the Morning Lord, His Glory, and the blessed land of west of the Vein. Umeran and many of the Empire's most influential likewise learn the four Mage-Kings and their peers' tyranny, and their treacherous slaying of Adagnites, who is soon martyred, sparing Magnus and magic from any hostility. Should faithful emerge through Remestes' oppressed, their plight, most of all, is made clear to Umeran and the other chosen.
Should a child spring from the Apprentice's marriage...
An old man knocks at the family's doorsteps a few nights after the child's birth. Presenting himself as a wanderer looking for a place to shelter Him through the night, if offered hospitality, the old man seems to demonstrate great interest in the newborn. Come morning, He reveals himself to be no mortal, but a God shrouded in darkness, who offers His aid in liberating Heleph, if only the apprentice will part with his firstborn. The child, it is made seem, has an important place to play in the advancement of His cause. The child is whisked away to Remestes by an agent of the Order, or against his father's will, by divine means, if needed be, and put under the care of a family of slaves secretly converted to the Morning Lord's faith.
Wieland receives four metallic spheres from a mysterious sender, and a request for a set of artifacts, presented as an opportunity for Him to employ His full mastery of the craft. [It shall cost Wieland no essence of His own to create the rings, should He agree]
Four men in western Hiate each find a ring to suit their potential. The land bears its consequences.
Remestes' many slaves and a few of Galadrin's faithful start receiving visions in their sleep.
The Apprentice's firstborn, should there be one, is bargained for by the Archspawn, or stowed away by force to Remestes, unseen by the Apprentice.
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Topic: Godhood VIII: Quills and Mythology - IC Thread (Read 12508 times)