The Apocalypse of Sandu
The Apocalypse
As told by Sandu, The False Magus?
For the Lore master's archive in Nythelgroth:?
As requested by the High King, I have set forth to chronicle further the histories of the land known as Viridia.
What follows is a letter written by the disgraced priest of the Ostenwald chantry, Sandu, The False Magus. The letter was sent posthumously to the leading theological leaders of the time.?
After years of debate, the magisters of the united chantries deemed this text heretical, and he and the rest of his writings were subsequently excommunicated. Thus, all copies were destroyed, except this surviving parchment, locked away for historical purposes in a heavily guarded theological conservatory. It took great lengths to find this, most of which are too unseemly to mention. Regardless, it provides immense insight into the changing theologies of Viridia.?
At the end of this report, I will include the two widely accepted interpretations of this passage and my conclusions at the end of the text.?
Best regards,?
Odinar N. Blytheson
Arcane Ambassador of the Planes
The Apocalypse of the Gods. Brought forth from the mouth of the Unseen. Whose thoughts give birth to our very life and breath. Whose actions brought the two, then the one, then the many. Who was present in the beginning and shall tie the cord at its end. She made it clear to me, Sandu, a cleric of clerics, as I journeyed on the pilgrimage to the holy mount.?
Goodness and health to you and the chantries of our patrons above. May their eyes keep at bay the designs of those below.?
As I nestled in the cleft of the high hills, I was overtaken by one greater than I. At once, it whisked me far above the mountains in the Celestial realms until I was in the void, cloaked in the shadow of life, vitality, and time. A spirit, whether fowl or fair, I could not know, met me in the darkness and unveiled what appeared to be a curtain before me. Upon it displayed what would take place, and the spirit told me to write what I would see and not speak it until my soul departed to the eternal shores. Speaking of such things would be like plucking a plumb before it ripens.?
The Vision of the High Thrones
At once, I saw the highest of high places in the land, the throne of the world. It gleamed in the sunlight, and massive winged creatures roosted there. Smoke rose from it like an eternal hearth. But then, slowly, the fire faded, and the winged creature vanished as it rapidly decayed. The high thrones crumbled until they were rubble. The rulers of various kingdoms raced to gather the wreckage and sought to build thrones for themselves, saying, "Through this, we shall be like the gods!" But when they sat on their new thrones, the seats scorched them, searing the skin off of their flesh. And so these seats sat empty in their throne room, for no one could sit upon them. Then I saw a multitude of paupers, covered in rags, each shared the thrones, and none of them burned. Soon, all the commoners of these kingdoms could sit upon the thrones. Yet the rulers still were burned. Soon, the commoners of the lands turned to the rulers and said. "And what use do we have of you?" And the rulers were cast out and stripped of all authority. Thus, all who remained shared in ruling the land.?
?The Maiden and Her Servants
At this, the spirit folded the curtain, and behold, a fair maiden managed a field vibrant with crops surrounded by her faithful workers and livestock of pigs. Her father, the land owner, had traveled to a faraway land and entrusted her with the land, pigs, and the servants that worked on the farm. The land blossomed from her vision; the swine grew fat and supple, and the servants sang her praises in the morning and night, for she treated them as if they were her own children. But a massive wolf, so large that it blotted out the sun and moon, prowled the land, tearing up her work. The ground shook with its every step, and its teeth were as large as oak trees. Its howl shook the trees, and all who heard it would fall over, clutching their ears that bled from its piercing sound. It stalked and killed the pigs and tore the crops asunder. It even killed some servants! Yet this maiden would till the land, healing what this beast had destroyed. Again, the wolf would destroy her work, and the maiden restored it. This happened again for what felt like ages to me. Each time she fixed it, it was even greater than the last. Through it, all the servants cowered in fear of the beast and would not fight it. Then one day, the wolf came upon her in the night and tore her to pieces. And the servants cowered once more.
And shame pierced them to the pit of their souls, for they knew the maiden could have lived if they stood firm. Her blood was on their hands. Thus, they banded together, found the wolf, grabbed farming tools, and engaged it in combat. The wolf came at them like a vicious hurricane, tearing through the land. But through the love of their maiden, the servants stood firm. And finally, the cruel wolf of the fields was struck low, never to harm the land again. And the servants occupied and ran the farm in the maiden's stead.?
At first, they all strived to honor her memory, but as time passed, many became drunk in their new positions. "Why should we work for what is not ours?" many said. "Come! Let us take what rightfully belongs to us and feast on the land!" And so over two-thirds of the servant consumed the crops, devoured the pigs, and plundered the father's holdings until the land was black with death and decay. Those loyal to the maiden tried to preserve the farm but could not stand before the others.
One day, the father returned, hearing the word of all that had transpired, and was filled with rage. The father judged each servant according to their deeds. Those who remained loyal to the maiden were rewarded with sharing in his wealth as co-owners. But the treacherous ones were burned with a hot iron rod, branding them with the symbol of the wolf, and cast into a pit and devoured by his swine. But to my shock, they did not die. Instead, their bodies would reform, and the pigs would devour them daily. Thus was their fate forever more.
?The Creators Judgement
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The spirit folded the curtain again, and this time I looked and saw the one who was unknown and unnamed. The Unseen. The architect of Architects sat among the cosmos and was made of time and life. And the gods kneeled before her, wearing golden collars around their necks. Also, each had a scroll unfolded beside them with hundreds of mouths. For three hundred years, the mouths ceaselessly proclaimed the crimes and good deeds of the gods.?
And a caldron of scalding oil hovered above them. And every time the scroll listed the offenses of gods towards Viridia, the cauldron poured out on them, burning them raw, only for them to be healed by the Creator. Yet the oil did not burn those whose scrolls were pure.?
Finally, the unseen pronounced her final judgment. The gods who ruled in avarice, selfishness, and cruelty were to be gathered up and cast into the caldron of oil to burn forever in unceasing torment. But the virtuous gods were rewarded for being at the unseen's side of her new designs.?
The Vision of the War in the Cosmos
Then the spirit folded the curtain, the vision changed, and I saw war. Gods against gods and the cosmos tore like a parchment. The land cracked, and the seas boiled so that no living things were within them. And the heroes of old returned from the dead, each picking which side to fight for. In the end, the foul gods and their allies were thrown into the void, their essences scattered to nothing, never to roam the universe again.?
And the unseen opened her arms wide and brought all into herself, and all was new. For now, there was no divide between gods and mortals, for all were enriched with the immortality and the fullness of Isrena. All were gods, yet all were mortal. All were powerful, yet all were weak. Life was in all, for Isrena was truly reborn.?
So the land of Viridia rested, for it finally was as it was meant to be.
May this be so. May our patrons hear and fear for their time is immanent. And may the poor rejoice, for they shall ascend, united with all that will be.?
Sandu Ekelhart, Elder Priest of Ostenwald
Interpretations:?
As I begin this section on widely held interpretations of this text, I must confess that I find this world's Mythical and primordial elements hard to decipher. Despite how young this world is, some inconsistencies show it is much older. For example, the throne of the world is an important landmark for multiple religions and is so ancient that scholars have abandoned dating it. Despite this, I will do my best to transcribe what I have learned.?
Metaphorical
One interpretation of this piece of literature is that it is metaphorical. As such, the gods speak to the broader principle of the rise and fall of governmental powers. Thus, some believe this text was an inditement of the political authorities at work during the writer's time. Scholars further suggest that this dates back to the first Rodengrad and Ostenwald war, which lasted for roughly 170 years. Given the political machinations of the time, such interpretations are probable.?
Literal
The literal interpretation has been less common. However, there were enclaves of monks who were proponents of this view. They held that the gods were literally to be held before the judgment of this unknown Creator for their rulership of the created order. And that the accounts about the thrones and the maiden are metaphorical retellings of the judgment toward the gods.?
As discussed in my previous work, the Revery of the gods, the Creator, is an enigma with no name or specific personification. She is primarily mentioned in passing in most retellings of the creation myths. Some tales use her as a narrative catalyst rather than a dynamic character. As such, the Creator being depicted in such an active role differs from many writings in the genre. (Being that many other gods could have filled her role in this account) Her addition here was probably to add a measure of cosmic authority to these writings, giving them added weight to the reader. Further, speaking of the gods in this way almost alludes to theological anarchy, which I have not read since the king breaker tomes. Thus, I find this interpretation suspect and is likely some form of fringe zealotry.?
But in my heart, something tells me there is more. Something is brewing on the horizon that's obscured from even my vision. As I have learned in my years living between my two homes, I must hold on to things more loosely. Within the opacity of what is present, the truth reveals itself. Whether it is when I am alive or when my clock ceases to tick, that is up to the fates.?
Best regards,?
Odinar N. Blytheson?