Part Four: The Sacrificial Castle
![[Image: 8213553452_fc49abab2d_z.jpg]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8206/8213553452_fc49abab2d_z.jpg)
Everyone who traveled to this place was struck immediately by its nagging duality. It was a place of immense power: you could literally feel the energy all around you, like a pressure with nowhere to go. And yet it was also a place of almost endless entropy: the very ground crumbled and scattered in all directions. It was known by the humans as the Shadow Shard, named after the strange denizens that appeared to echo those from Primal Earth. At one time it had a different name, a name Prometheus still thought off when he arrived. But like the place it referred to, that name was lost to the power of the One who had forever shattered it and its namesake.
Most of the Shadow Shard was filled with islands of localized order within the maelstrom of chaos: tiny worldlets upon which the Shadows and Echos of reality intermingled with the Soldiers of Rularuu. But here was the one true place of order: the Chantry. Redoubt of the one known as Faathim the Kind. Faathim, an aspect of the entity known as Rularuu, was the conscience of Rularuu; the one aspect of Rularuu that had not surrendered to the infinite depths of hunger for power that was Rularuu. It was Faathim that embodied that which was needed for the plan devised by the Dreamer and the Mender, and though Prometheus considered it an offense to be performing the errands of others, he consoled himself with the knowledge that only he could perform this task. Neither the Dreamer nor the Mender were welcome guests of Rularuu, even in the house of Faathim.
As he approached the entrace to the inner chamber of the Chantry, Prometheus felt something almost like a chill. Mere weather could not affect one such as he, but this was no drop in temperature. It was as if the very air sought to drain the life from him as he entered the dwelling of Faathim.
"I know of your dealings with the Dreamer, godling. Rularuu will play no part in your play."
Prometheus approached the towering form of Faathim the Kind, aspect of Rularuu. "You would consign the innocent to be consumed by the Coming Storm?"
"I protect the innocent, but my realm is the realm of Rularuu. My domain does not encompass the realm of the humans. You know this godling."
Prometheus chaffed at the epithet, but tried to brush it off. He would suffer no such insult from his lessers, but the being before him was not one he could triffle with. Rularuu was not omnipotent - the very concept of omnipotence was nonsensical to beings such as Prometheus - but he was among the few that could rightly take their place as gods. Even those that Prometheus once served would not dare to anger one such as Rularuu in his own domain.
"The Mender seeks to enlist the aid of another. One that he intends on giving the secret of Ascension."
Faathim's voice noticably tensed. "The fool would risk setting another on that path of power?"
"He would. If you help me, we can ... limit the damage he can cause."
"Rularuu will not allow his power to be used in this way."
"Will not Faathim seek to protect the Rularuu? Will not Ruladak unleash his fury to punish the Thieves of Destiny?" Prometheus paused. "Will not Aloore the Watcher... His will be done upon the Coming Storm? Will not Rularuu do as we need, even if he refused to do as we will?"
Faathim seemed to think upon this, and Prometheus knew that he was simultaneously dealing with an immensely powerful entity in his own right, but also an aspect of an even greater entity in Rularuu. To what degree Faathim really was a separate entity, and not merely one voice of the whole even Prometheus did not know. As Faathim comtemplated, was Rularuu also contemplating? After a time, Faathim spoke:
"Rularuu will not allow the Coming Storm to interfere with his realm. Rularuu will not allow the Will to transcend upon any world adjoining his. Rularuu will do as you need, but only because it is his will not yours. Rularuu will pay the price for Destiny."
"Then my presence is no longer necessary, Faathim the Kind" Prometheus said politely. Prometheus turned to leave the inner chamber when Faathim gestured for him to stop.
"Godling, you choose to join the humans in this endeavor?"
"I do."
"It will mean forever your separation from your others. It will mean isolation. It will mean an infinity of solitude. And those whom you claim to protect will one day rebel, one day know the truth, one day abandon you. You will be a childless father, a lost guide. You will be truly alone."
"Yes" Prometheus replied. He turned, and walked back to the portal. As he stepped within and exited the Chantry, Faathim the Kind's last words seemed to echo all around him:
"I envy you"
...
Everyone who traveled to this place was struck immediately by its nagging duality. It was a place of immense power: you could literally feel the energy all around you, like a pressure with nowhere to go. And yet it was also a place of almost endless entropy: the very ground crumbled and scattered in all directions. It was known by the humans as the Shadow Shard, named after the strange denizens that appeared to echo those from Primal Earth. At one time it had a different name, a name Prometheus still thought off when he arrived. But like the place it referred to, that name was lost to the power of the One who had forever shattered it and its namesake.
Most of the Shadow Shard was filled with islands of localized order within the maelstrom of chaos: tiny worldlets upon which the Shadows and Echos of reality intermingled with the Soldiers of Rularuu. But here was the one true place of order: the Chantry. Redoubt of the one known as Faathim the Kind. Faathim, an aspect of the entity known as Rularuu, was the conscience of Rularuu; the one aspect of Rularuu that had not surrendered to the infinite depths of hunger for power that was Rularuu. It was Faathim that embodied that which was needed for the plan devised by the Dreamer and the Mender, and though Prometheus considered it an offense to be performing the errands of others, he consoled himself with the knowledge that only he could perform this task. Neither the Dreamer nor the Mender were welcome guests of Rularuu, even in the house of Faathim.
As he approached the entrace to the inner chamber of the Chantry, Prometheus felt something almost like a chill. Mere weather could not affect one such as he, but this was no drop in temperature. It was as if the very air sought to drain the life from him as he entered the dwelling of Faathim.
"I know of your dealings with the Dreamer, godling. Rularuu will play no part in your play."
Prometheus approached the towering form of Faathim the Kind, aspect of Rularuu. "You would consign the innocent to be consumed by the Coming Storm?"
"I protect the innocent, but my realm is the realm of Rularuu. My domain does not encompass the realm of the humans. You know this godling."
Prometheus chaffed at the epithet, but tried to brush it off. He would suffer no such insult from his lessers, but the being before him was not one he could triffle with. Rularuu was not omnipotent - the very concept of omnipotence was nonsensical to beings such as Prometheus - but he was among the few that could rightly take their place as gods. Even those that Prometheus once served would not dare to anger one such as Rularuu in his own domain.
"The Mender seeks to enlist the aid of another. One that he intends on giving the secret of Ascension."
Faathim's voice noticably tensed. "The fool would risk setting another on that path of power?"
"He would. If you help me, we can ... limit the damage he can cause."
"Rularuu will not allow his power to be used in this way."
"Will not Faathim seek to protect the Rularuu? Will not Ruladak unleash his fury to punish the Thieves of Destiny?" Prometheus paused. "Will not Aloore the Watcher... His will be done upon the Coming Storm? Will not Rularuu do as we need, even if he refused to do as we will?"
Faathim seemed to think upon this, and Prometheus knew that he was simultaneously dealing with an immensely powerful entity in his own right, but also an aspect of an even greater entity in Rularuu. To what degree Faathim really was a separate entity, and not merely one voice of the whole even Prometheus did not know. As Faathim comtemplated, was Rularuu also contemplating? After a time, Faathim spoke:
"Rularuu will not allow the Coming Storm to interfere with his realm. Rularuu will not allow the Will to transcend upon any world adjoining his. Rularuu will do as you need, but only because it is his will not yours. Rularuu will pay the price for Destiny."
"Then my presence is no longer necessary, Faathim the Kind" Prometheus said politely. Prometheus turned to leave the inner chamber when Faathim gestured for him to stop.
"Godling, you choose to join the humans in this endeavor?"
"I do."
"It will mean forever your separation from your others. It will mean isolation. It will mean an infinity of solitude. And those whom you claim to protect will one day rebel, one day know the truth, one day abandon you. You will be a childless father, a lost guide. You will be truly alone."
"Yes" Prometheus replied. He turned, and walked back to the portal. As he stepped within and exited the Chantry, Faathim the Kind's last words seemed to echo all around him:
"I envy you"
...