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 Posted: Tue May 08, 2007 6:26 pm
Rikkashan breathed in through his nostrils, sucking down air as he thought. He was known for knowing the most of the oral traditions, as he was Emperor and he was around for the creation of them. He told them the best, his slitted eyes glinting and dancing with fire and ice. He strummed his two claws on his right hand on the edge of his stone throne for another few moments before he spoke. His voice was like rice paper brushing against itself - dry and whispering of age. "A long time ago, the Mother of All, Maitreya, hatched from her shell on an island far from this one where the flowers are always blooming and no rain cloud ever darkens. But she let her mind be poisoned by a man-child, and doomed us, the True Kyn, for her other children, the Other Kin." He snorted through his nostrils this time, then clacked his heavy teeth together before continuing in a stronger, more abrasive voice.
"By the time we were born to the island, the man-child had destroyed any hope of our Great Mother letting us stay. We were taken to the mainland when found, though the man-child was wary. He was jealous that we needed not his hands to lift our eggs from the flowers," and for all his talk of 'we' he truly meant himself, "And he let his distaste for us grow when we could not read from the magic tomes. He was disgusted that our minds were not open like the Other Kin's, that we refused to let in his Voice." Rikkashan gnashed his teeth again before continuing, spined tail swaying from side-to-side.
"We had stronger powers than those books could ever tell us. We had a Voice stronger than his and all our own. And it made him scared that we could call the creatures of the forest and of the sea to us, and that they would stare and stare and stare. We bided our time. We let him think what he would, and slowly Mother's mind was polluted against us further. When more of us came from the island and were strong enough, we made our move. We had satiated ourselves on the flesh of those living without bonds, but it was best to rid those who were tied to humans of their pain. Hundreds fell before our powers. And then Mother rose to the sky to quiet us forever." His voice dropped at the last line, and for a few moments he seemed so thoroughly upset that he wouldn't be able to continue. Yet Rikkashan was determined.
"Mother, for all her great power, flew over the big water and called the earth to her. The big water shrunk away from her, and another island rose out of it. But Mother kept pushing the great water away from the island, pushing it back all the way to the mainland so that the island was not an island any more. She hovered above her creation, and used the great magics that not even the books can teach the Other Kin and not even our Voice can match, and she created another temple. The Temple of Night, the Black Temple, the Temple of Death, the Temple to Death: it rose out of the black earth of this land and formed this palace. And from its spire comes the Call to our Voice. We had to answer, and so must we all when we are born. We ran across the land that the big water had left exposed, and Mother brought the big water down across it after us!" He stopped again, snorting heavily through his nose in aggitation at this betrayal.
"Mother fell to our island, breaking her wings as she crooned for her useless man-child. We killed Mother for what she did to us, trapping us on this island with no Voice capable of getting off. We killed Mother, and now when we are born on the other island we swim here, to grow up and stop hearing the Call, only to find that we cannot leave again. We will find a Voice to get away from this place and back to the mainland. Or we will create one."
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 2:33 pm
The great Father of True Kyn gnashed his teeth together as he thought. One had asked for him to tell the story of why no True Kyn had magic relating to water. He closed his red flecked eyes for an instant as he considered where to begin before speaking. "Long before there were Kyn and Other Kin, the force of life created a way to work its will across the land. It took for itself power over Fire to give life to that which was lifeless. Although creatures stirred from the spark of life, they were unable to move about of their own will. The force of life took under its control Wind, breathing will into its creations of Fire so they could think and comprehend for themselves."
Rikkashan paused, drawing in a breath as if to underline his point that they all breathed and could think. "Yet the force of life realized that now life was ungrounded and limitless. There was nothing to prevent it from clashing with itself and, eventually, destroying itself. So he drew upon himself the power of Earth, and all life now has a cycle where, when it reaches the end of it, must die." The eldest Corrupt's tail swayed a bit behind him.
"The force of life realized that this stopping of life made those who continued to live feel a tightening in their chest and a pain in their stomach. Not wishing for his creations to suffer, the force of life took under his control Shadow. The end of life would come at night, when all of life was wrapped in pleasant dreams. Shadow would protect those who kept on living from depression."
"When the force of life controlled all of these - Fire, Wind, Earth, and Shadow - life was content and happy. And, indeed, the force of life felt as if he could control no more aspect of the creatures he had created. But the force of life was not perfect," the emperor turned his head from one listener to the next before continuing one, "He watched as life became happy and content, flourishing in itself. And the force of life became discontent that he alone should have no companion in a world without pain. So he decided to take control of one last thing in order to make himself happy. The force of life wanted Water for himself. She was the most beautiful and the wildest of all things."
"When the force of life reached out to control Water, Water merely smiled at him and shook her head so that the sky dripped with rain and the creatures rejoiced. The force of life tried to make her come to his side, and Water refused. She laughed at him, and rain turned into a downpour. Frustrated, the force of life threatened Water with her siblings, Fire, Earth, and Wind. Water simply smiled and shook her head still, the world below the force of life experiencing a soft drizzle."
"Frustrated, the force of life demanded that Fire attack Water. He did as he was told by the one who controlled him. Yet Water only shook her head, and Fire disappeared from the force of life's control, to be found only among the living. Enraged, the force of life commanded Earth to attack Water. Emboldened by Water's triumph, Earth shook her head and called Water her sister. The force of life banished Earth from his realm to exist only among the living. Wind volunteered to tame Water for the force of life, who agreed. When Wind rushed Water, the pair tangled together and coupled in the sky, Wind whisking Water and himself far from the reach of the force of life."
"Wind had tricked the force of life so that he could have Water all to himself, and so that is why no living creature can control Water alone. Water belongs to Wind, not to the living realm. When you are young, Wind sees you as no threat to his sister-wife. Yet with age brings power, and Wind will not let you touch her."
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Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 5:43 am
A voice in the crowd asked about Shadow. When all the others had left the force of life, Shadow was still with him in the upper realm. Rikkashan's tail tip flickered behind him as he began another story. "All but Shadow escaped from the control of the force of life, for only Shadow decided to remain under control. He stayed and kept the force of life company in place of Water, and the pair watched as what the force of life had created continued to grow and change with all the elements solely in their control. "
"Shadow, who may comfort when there is no one else there to comfort, who gives cover to the leaving of Fire and Wind from every creature's body, is still yet something that the living cannot control. There are aspects of him in our Voices that we may call upon, but never can we directly harness death and comfort." Rikkashan paused, his tail swaying a bit behind him in contemplation. It was something harder to chew and swallow that any Corrupt lacked power over Shadow.
"Yet it wasn't long before the force of life questioned why Shadow remained, and why Shadow had not tried to stop Water from leaving and freeing the other elements with her. Shadow, nodding his head in understanding, left the force of life and went in search of Water. Using his comforting charms, he tricked Water into trusting him. Yet Water would not be had willingly, and she in turn tricked Shadow into falling in love with her. Their coupling in the realm of the living did not go unnoticed by the force of life and Wind."
"Wind threw Shadow back into the higher realm with the force of life, casting out Earth's newly born son into the realm of life. Thus Poison, who comforts like Shadow while beckoning death, tricking those around him just as Water tricked the force of life, finds comfort in being harnessed by our power.
"For his transgressions against the force of life, Shadow remains securely controlled. Being the only element left under his control, and without Water's help to free him, Shadow will never leave the higher realm without permission again."
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