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Food for thought:

As this is the time of year in which this world seems the most vulnerable, it seems prudent to remind all to be cautious. Whether or not a disturbance occurs or not, it has been two years since the initial barrier's breach, and one year since, for lack of a better description, a ghostly invasion.

There have been tremors occurring near the factory which can be traced to some noticed issues, though none of the citizens thus far seem to have anything conclusive to report on it, unless they are hesitant to commit to it. Given the barrier in the mine seems to be more vulnerable than the one currently surrounding the city, it might well be considered a point of entry, even if our study of it is still yet limited at this time.

Considering the timing, we will see if this bears any interruption, or potential detraction, from any celebration they may intend to hold in the next coming month.

[ this has been your yearly informative PSA that probably explains nothing at all ]

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[One bit of good news. Anything might be effective. And one bit of bad news.]

Like a hivemind? Following something perhaps? Or it's just that they don't have anything they fear more than what they want here.

The first seems more an apt description from what we witnessed.

They were given a singular goal to follow, and it might not have taken much for a stronger willed source to... push such a directive until there was little else. In which case, their own lives were not even a priority so much as 'getting in'.

That could say a lot of things and none of them are good.

Do we know if the people here have any enemies? Or even then gods? I don't think it's unheard of for pantheons to turn one another over.

[Or rulers of Hell for that matter.]

The lack of information is more telling.

There is reason enough to believe that there is some sort of godlike being that may have an influence over what is beyond the barrier given the state of it. We have found reference to beings given name such as 'the Winged Lord' as well as 'the Crawling one', but any significant details beyond ancient verse referencing their struggle in the form of a tale are difficult to come by.

I suppose I better start brushing up on my ancient verses.

I've met beings who were supposed to be the be-all and end-all of evils. They weren't. Not suggest that this one or the others were good, but it's got to have a reason for all this. If we can find out what, we might be able to get it to stop.

Then for your consideration, I will provide for you those verses that had been once been lost to even the knowledge of the citizens here, but have seemed increasingly relevant as time has passed.

It is better we are on the same page where this is concerned, and a fresh eye does not hurt for perspective.

[ Several moments may pass, before new text appears. ]

"The world began as thus: it was a rock. He came upon it first, and loved it immediately, this empty rock where nothing lived. He burrowed deep inside and devoured it inch by inch, teeth breaking upon the surface and growing anew. Through Him, over time, the stone became soil. The soil grew fertile through His work, yet all was still naught but rock and soil.

Then the Winged Lord appeared, uncertain of the path He was to walk. He was hungry, so He clawed at the stone to find where His prey crawled."

Comparatively, these notes were also found:

"When bold and brave [Redacted] ruled the skies, wily and cunning [Redacted] slithered in the dirt, afraid of rearing His head lest it be rent from His body. But He knew that Time was patient and just as cunning as He, so He made a pact and He waited. Millennia passed and a millennia more, and still bold, brave [Redacted] scanned the skies, keeping watch over Aellyn.

His Time would come soon though because He could feel it stirring in the air, in the water, in the very hearts of the creatures that plod the ground above Him. Soon the Rending would come and then He would take His rightful place."

I know that may seem much, so please, take your time.

Thank you.

[He sends that right off before he reads. It is a monumental amount, really, but he does take his time with it, turning it over and comparing it to experience.]

A hungry creature is hunted by a winged thing. Next thing we know, there is life and the one in dirt is scorned and the one in sky is hailed.

The obvious thing is to assume that our probably Crawling One is the villain and the other the hero. But, if the latter is a god, how did there come to be four? And if he is not, then what became of him? It's also confusing that a creature that started content in the stone and soil would so thoroughly resent remaining there.

...And I have to admit, there's the trouble that I may be overcomplicating things and assuming the worst of the obvious hero and best of the obvious villain.

I have included another passage. It begins similarly to the first one, save that one had been imparted to some of us in alarming dreams, while this other had been found in the archives during a time access had been granted.

I believe much of the context of this initial relationship has been lost, and I hesitate to color it with experience, as some of that might be too close for comfort. They behave much as two opposing forces would be, and all they might affect, and the results of what happens when one pushes the other too far.

Much of it all seems to predate the knowledge of the citizens, despite their immortality, although some have been showing more of an interested in the 'Winged Lord' to the point of holding ceremony--at least, in the previous year. Whether that will once again occur might depend on their whims. It might be cause for any excessive agitation however.

The world began as thus: it was a rock. That's all. He came upon it first, and loved it immediately, this empty rock where nothing lived. He burrowed deep inside and devoured it inch by inch, teeth breaking upon the surface and growing anew. Through Him, over time, the stone became the soil.

His task was all but complete when the Winged Lord appeared, still new and uncertain of the path He was to walk. He was hungry, so He clawed at the stone to find where His prey crawled. He toiled the earth, stirring it up, and the seeds of other worlds fell from His claws. Burrowing deeper, the Crawling One eluded Him, laughing, and they played this game for a millennia, until the entire surface of the world was rich and vibrant and full of life. The Winged Lord loved it. The Crawling One however loathed what had been done to His home. He snarled and dug deeper, calling out to the dead to join Him. And so the two chose their domains.

In the core of the star, He nested. The dying sank to Him and He swallowed them, ever hungry. Above the world, the Winged Lord circled, delighting in all that He had created, but He missed His friend, too. He missed the game they played. The day He chose to start it anew is when the darkness fell upon the world.

The Crawling One met Him beneath the surface, and instead of play, it was war that they wrought. The soil within Him turned to poison as He shed it, and it spread to every corner He touched. Through the soil, through the plants, through the creatures that walked the land unknowing. Like a parasite it was passed through life's endless circle. Like dust it moved into the air. And like that which birthed it, death followed. Weeping with joy, the Crawling One toiled endlessly to regain the empty stone that once was His.

The Winged Lord saw what had become of His world, His beautiful paradise of life and colour, and He rebelled. He burned the poison from the earth in a scorching fire, He devoured the animals corrupting the land, He breathed life back into His beloved people, that they might rise and praise Him and grant Him new power. Balance, He told His followers, must always be kept. Nothing shall die here that I do not allow.

When the poison claimed Him, the whole world wept. The whole world grieved the passing of life itself. Even the Crawling One, deep, deep beneath it all, cried His poison into the core of Aellyn for the loss of His oldest friend.

The decay began anew, and there were none to stem the flow.

Note that these stories say naught of the four gods within this barrier or their balance. Although it would speak a lot to the state of the world beyond it and what makes it so dangerous, if one had more facts to tie it to.

[It is a much, much longer time before he responds to this all. Mostly because it's a lot. It is a far cry from the tales of God and the Devil. It's a unique sort of back and forth.

Still, his mind conjures something to compare it to, this friendship that slipped into enmity. He thinks of Ernesto, who he always hoped cared some bit of him until he learned of the poisoning. He thinks of Dodger, who'd always cared, who cared so deep, who would weep for his pain, and then in the next breath, cause him more than he'd ever felt before with vicious glee.]

That is both illuminating and much more complicated.

If we believe all this, and I'm sort of inclined to, we were called here to replace the winged one then. It sounds like a bird and a worm. And if we were to placate the crawling one, it would either be by letting it mow down all the rest, or somehow bringing back its friend.

[Both are solid non-options.]

Thank you for sharing this. Even if there's no telling what it means now, it could be important in the future.

A 'bird and a worm' does seem quite fitting. Particularly since the last year's celebration which involved us gaining wings for a time. Granted, one of the gods here does take on an avian form, as much as that seems separated from all of this, given their tendency for harmonizing within here.

Some of us have theorized that while the 'Winged Lord' had perished, these other gods had taken up the mantle in some way, as much as they have their own priorities. However even then, the passage of time is unclear, as some earlier findings seemed to refer to six gods being worshipped instead of four. It rather complicates some matters, and I think some of us know more than others that memory itself can be... unreliable.

I'm almost sad I missed that. I was gifted wings once years ago. A terrible pain but I really liked bringing my partner into the sky.

[But now's not the time for reminescing.]

You're right. There's really no saying for certain. In matters of gods, it can sometimes all mean the same thing, one as three as two as one. Even without the troubles of memory.

I just hope we figure things out before it comes around on us.

I do not know for certain if such a situation would repeat itself, but the celebration for the Winged Lord last took place... during Malom, which is the month following this. It was said it was originally meant to be a summer festival, but they decided to turn it into a end of fall festival. Though the citizens are often finding reasons to celebrate any number of things, even entangling themselves with what Otherworlders have pressed upon them over our time here.

At the time, and I doubt much has changed... their depictions of that god and what he stood for were quite varied among all of them, and some of course were not pleased with the thought of others worshipping a potential usurper of what they hold close to their values here. So perhaps we may learn more then, provided that any disturbance that may occur does not... interfere with such things. Either way, we should remain on alert.

Holidays do adapt to the times. It seems apt to for this lord's holiday to be in a time of life in his life and adjusted in his death.

[There's the realization he could mention the day of the dead to the people here, but he already knows how miserable he gets around that time. He can't be the one guiding all of that.

He nearly laughs. Remain on alert. As if he's off alert.]

That seems about right for how things go too. Faith always diverges, I think.

Whatever happens, I'll be ready.

For it to reemerge after so long a time, one wonders how much was known about it to begin with, as it was not uncovered in the archives until well into our arrivals here. To our knowledge, anyway.

[ She's well aware he's the kind of person likely always on alert, it's just one of those phrases. After all, here she is giving out all the information, having been studying it for nearly her entire stay, whether directly or indirectly. At the very least, he might be a little more informed. ]

If there's anything else that needs clarifying, I will do my best to assist.

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