I really need to invite Tim and his family to go to a Badgers or Packers game at some point. He is a good soul, kinder and wiser than his years would let on. A proper Cajun Saint Nicholas. An excellent husband for his wife and an attentive role model for his young sons. Tim is the kind of man who makes other men self-conscious about their shortcomings. Most men like Herod are inspired to follow his example. Others, like Duncan, feel that call to action to surpass him. But in my case?
I feel guilty.
I haven't been the best father or husband. Especially the former. I know Yoko has her issues with me. Can't blame her when I have been absent for much of her life. I love her, of course, but I know she thinks I don't.
Truth is, I don't deserve her. I don't deserve her wonderful mother either.
I am spoiled rotten. Only earning their blessing through my paycheck. For that's all I can do. It's too late for me to mend my failures. Yoko's an adult now. Soon, she'll be working with her mom, while I will become an afterthought to her. Assuming I am not already… All I can do is be there when either of them needs money. What a callous approach to life…
Enough feeling sorry for myself. My mistakes won't be washed away through regret. Work can sustain them, at the very least.
Description:
-Appearance:
Given what Mazhivada has alluded to regarding this entity, I do not doubt that this is Yazra-Sadarozh. Though his appearance is complicated, as he technically has five different forms. Behind Yazra’s main body are four different mirrors, each reflecting a different identity of his. They are all skewed away from him (presumably so we could see them); there were two to his left and two to his right. All identities share one thing in common: the head of a giant river otter… How peculiar.
I was under the presumption that Moloch was the god of facades.
Yazra-Sadarozh doth not commit falsehoods outright, as thou mightest conceive. His semblances are veracious portrayals of his very being. The guile is the persona he doth feign. In each of the visages he hath assumed, all of them are a false image of the Maker. This was largely for his own gain, yet he held another intent: to besmirch the Fool's favour. Yaldabaoth hath been his most recent venture in what one might name "divine cozenage". Yazra doth revel in my... vexation at who he decided to portray as the Monad.
That certainly clarifies much… Moloch and Lucifer are actors and schemers, while Yazra is an imposter deity. But, the Monad… If I am recollecting right, that is the supreme deity in Gnosticism. The Ineffable Father and all that. Based on your tone, am I right to assume that Yazra made the Wrath the Monad?
An ignoble shame it is! To equate the most flawed deity in all Creation as the “Ineffable Father” is a vile mephitis. 'Tis akin to crowning a scuttling roach with Adoil's diadem. Absurd! Laughable, certes, yet Yazra speaks not in jest, but with grim intent...
Yazra doth hold the Wrath in higher regard than logic would demand. An inappropriate folly, yet one he hath elected for his own self. ‘Tis most contrary, considering what the Wrath did to Yazra in the skies... That is a tale for a later hour, if thou wouldst deign to tarry.
I see... Does his admiration have a justification?
His reasoning is unsatisfactory:
"I recall the very day he clasped Ariel's hand. I recall his discourse with Father when Lucifer first rebelled. I recall well why he took up the sword against your Stillborn half-siblings. I recall the reason he forsook his creed, notwithstanding his continued observance of his sacrament. Consistent he is. A blinded fool, yes, but consistent still. He is honor embodied. Attend more closely, nephew; there is much to learn."
Damnable he is for his dearth of details. How might I "attend" aught without a reason wherefore? No matter. Of Yazra I'll speak more in Arzankim, thus our parley here shall be brief.
What… Okay now the text is cyan. How is that even happening?
Thy shelled sentinels perceive when we of highest station speak through them. They honor us. Yet, 'tis only through converse alone, not writ upon parchment. Not all engines are devoted to our creed, though most do oft recognize us.
-Eyes:
He had eight total eyes, two from each of his reflections. They were organized in pairs (corresponding to their respective face), and were on each side of the head. His front eyes were those of a Lanner Falcon, but colored cyan, and corresponded with the left-most reflection (from our perspective). His right side (to our left) had the black eyes of an orca, and was of the second reflection from the left. We could not observe the eyes on the back of his head directly, though we can assume they are the same as the next reflection; the right one was phosphorescent green with a black spiral iris (certainly a topic of future discussion), and the left was the golden eye of a wolf. The left side’s eyes (to our right) were those of a cobra, but colored crimson, and were of the furthest right reflection.
-Color Palette:
Turquoise/dark cyan, dark gold, light gray, dark orange, light green, black, silver, and cream white.
-Animal/Cryptid Associations:
Falcons (kingship, divinity, and protection), orcas (balance, transformation, and power), wolves (freedom, the untamed, and intuition), cobras (duality of danger and protection, life & death, and authority), ravens (darkness, prophecy, and death), lions (triumph, pride, and nobility), and scarabs (resurrection, good omens, and eternity).
Per Tim, there is also a potential link to a cryptid of Patagonia known as the iemisch, which is often considered an otter (creativity, luck, and the sacred). The iemisch is a supposed animal of Lake Colhué Huapi, which is in central Patagonia in Argentina, that was described as a nocturnal, ox-sized, jaguar-otter hybrid with bone plates as armor underneath the skin. It was additionally associated with swiftness, in the land and water, and supposedly had a scream that would rupture the ears of banshees. The “iemisch” is not considered in any way to be anything other than a misinterpreted otter, as the term itself is not from any language spoken in Patagonia. So, in all probability, the otter connotation is specific to the real animal, and not the cryptid.
As mentioned before, all of these forms had the head of a giant river otter, which is endemic to South America. The implication is that this otter is his truest representation and embodies his core traits as a deity. But what does that even suggest? A topic for speculation.
-Shared characteristics:
Turquoise fur and/or feathers with dark gold or light green accents.
Skin and/or scales that are as black as night.
The head and whiskers of an otter, the latter of which matched his silver hair.
Long, flowing silver hair, almost always ending in some form of braided jewelry.
Diamonds & garnets adorned within onyx-crafted jewelry.
Light gray, dark orange, and cream white vestments of a Coptic priest, regal and ornate.
An icon being held in their right hands: a cylindrical black pillar, illuminating a golden light. From each reflection and the central form, a pentagonal array converges to a singular point, which creates… A golden mushroom cloud… The Atlanteans knew about nukes, as well? Just how advanced were they?
-Falcon Reflection:
The beak and wings of a Lanner Falcon, the latter of which was colored black and turquoise.
Much of the skin is covered in feathers, while his legs and arms are layered with chitinous, black scales. The rest is smooth, human-like skin.
His tongue was that of a cobra, dark gold in coloration.
He wore a nemes headdress (often seen with pharaohs and some Egyptian gods), additionally adorned with light green and silver. The Uraeus (the cobra of the headdress) had glowing, cyan eyes. The snake also held a black sun within its maw.
His left hand held a Was scepter of pure gold, which hung, from the top of it, the Egyptian Ankh.
Note:
The similarities to Ra, the Egyptian central deity, are certainly deliberate. Makes sense given his name, and it also is logical given what happened during Exodus…
-Orca Reflection:
Bizarrely, this reflection was tilted sideways by a little over 90 degrees.
The smooth skin pattern of an orca with silver splotches instead of white.
Around both of his wrists were six bracelets, while an amulet hung from his neck. All of which were crafted of pure onyx.
He held in his left hand some kind of wheel, with twelve spokes in the shape of turquoise stars. Four of these stars (evenly spaced apart with three stars between) are marked with the crimson alchemical symbol for multiplication (??), which also happens to be the zodiac symbol for Aquarius.
Around his head were thirteen halos of dust, all incredibly thin. The eleven innermost halos were dark gray, the twelfth was a reddish-brown, and the thirteenth was a dark blue. This is certainly referencing something, but what exactly?
There is a sickle-like weapon jammed into the mirror (and it is presumably what knocked it over). The sickle pierced, of all places, his crotch… Humorous, but also alarming… Was Yazra made a eunuch? Or at the very least, this specific reflection?
Note:
Herod correlated this form to the Greek sky god Uranus, which was further justified by Duncan, who connected the alchemical symbol that represents this deity to the one for Uranus/Uranium (?). So, Yazra was also Uranus… Though an orca? Interesting… One last thing to mention is that his connection to Uranus might explain why this reflection is titled, as Uranus, the planet, is also tilted. I don’t recall the exact angle, but I imagine the Atlanteans were accurate. This also implies that they called that planet Yazra-Sadarozh, which also happens to be colored turquoise…
-Wolf Reflection:
The ears, teeth, and fur of a wolf.
The beak and wings of a raven.
His otter whiskers extended into a full, silver beard, reaching all the way down his neck.
Hanging around his neck was a black noose, which appeared to have been eternally frozen.
On his back was an elaborate spear forged from sunlight, with cyan cinders erupting from its incandescent blade. Sir Clarke noted (after correlating the raven, wolf, and one-eye connection to Norse mythology) that this is probably Gungnir, a legendary weapon of Norse myth.
Hovering within his left palm are three interlocking black triangles.
Note:
The raven and wolf association, combined with what Mazhivada described before with Kojevyl, suggests that this figure is Odin. This is logical given how this reflection only has one, relatively normal eye, alongside the spear.
-Yaldabaoth Reflection:
Serpentine, unlike the other reflections’ more anthropomorphic shape.
The otter head is surrounded by a silver lion’s mane, which extends a quarter of the way down the serpent's body. Feather-like plummages of silver line the spine like dorsal fins, ending with a tuft of giant, hair-like feathers at the tail.
His arms were similar to those of eastern dragons.
The vast majority of the body was scaled, with only the head and the upper part of his arms being furred.
Within his left hand was… A stuffed, golden-eyed donkey with a candle in its heart? As if it was stabbed with a needle? Like a voodoo doll? Of all the things… If I recall my Egyptian right, Set (or Seth) was sometimes described as a donkey, though most scholars refer to his animal symbol as a “Set animal” (which could range from a fennec fox to a giraffe). Assuming it is a donkey, this leads to an interesting discussion that I will save for the additional notes.
Surrounding him are twelve stars in two different formations. The inner pattern was an inverted pentagon/pentagram, with each star being an apex; four of these stars were crimson, while the bottom one was still turquoise. The other seven formed a heptagonal ring, again inverted, with each star now being the seven colors of the rainbow, with the notable exception of red, which was black instead.
Note:
This is Yaldabaoth, as Mazhivada illuminated prior. But what is the symbolism behind the rings? The heptagon could represent the seven archons of Gnosticism, malevolent deities of the cosmos who serve the Demiurge, who all act as barriers for souls attempting to find their way to Heaven. The pentagram, though… The four stars connect back to the twelve-spoked wheel of Uranus, but… I don’t have any other idea to describe this, and neither do the others… Perhaps Arzankim will provide that answer.
-Amalgamated Center:
The overall body of Yaldabaoth, serpentine with the dragon arms, alongside the thirteen stars in their pentagonal and heptagonal rings.
The smooth skin & patterns of Uranus, alongside his thirteen halos.
The jewelry, tongue, and black sun of Ra; the sun was present within the mouth of Yazra himself instead of the Uraeus.
The ears, beak, and wings of Odin.
Within the grasp of his left hand was… A bloody, onyx cross, pierced with a sickle. And upon that crucifix was a donkey-headed Jesus, whose heart was nuclear decay.
Symbols:
-Alchemical: []
Similar to Uranium (?), if it were also combined with three symbols for gold/sun (☉). I presume the large, central gold symbol is equivalent to a larger star. One star bearing two stars through a shared process… As for the arcs on the side, I am less sure. It implies outward movement of some form. And what about the grid quadrant in the central sun? Another connection to the number four, which does happen to be the astrological number of Uranus.
Fortunately, Judith came up with a clever interpretation with Herod's assistance. The connection to Uranium, alongside the outward movement of the star and its division into two stars at the poles, implies some form of radioactive decay. Fission.
Uranium, as an element, is synonymous with nuclear fission reactors and atomic bombs. Both of which rely on larger elements like Uranium decaying into smaller elements, releasing vast amounts of energy in the process. All at once through an explosion, or gradually through a reactor.
This is a solid foundation, but something about the symbol doesn’t entirely line up with this. The process of turning lead into gold is abounded in esotericism. Lead and gold are, respectively, elements 82 and 79 on the Periodic Table. To transmogrify lead into gold, the fission of lead is required. This concept has been proven to be possible through a nuclear reactor, though the amount of gold produced was not at all worth the effort. Thus, in the scientific sense, the magnum opus is fission, which does link to Judith’s theory.
However, the entire point of alchemy was the pursuit of divinity and perfection. It was the idea that, with enough purification, even the most imperfect metal, lead, could be transformed into the divine. This process relied on many additive steps towards that enlightened, divine state. Gold is connected to the sun. All stars, including the sun, are effectively colossal reactors that constantly combine smaller elements into larger ones. The goal of alchemy is, symbolically, fusion. A synthesis of steps that must occur, often involving the breaking apart and recombination of different materials, to create perfection. To create the divine.
So, with all this, there is a contradiction. The process of fission is the literal procedure by which the magnum opus is possible. However, the symbolic journey can be described as nothing but the process of creation and thus fusion. So, with all this, what is this symbol truly representing? If not fission, then what exactly?
I have a theory that fuses both perspectives. Anton and Herod provided useful correspondence regarding this, the former of which is surprising…
When stars run out of hydrogen, they combine helium to form carbon and oxygen. Upon the helium reserves depleting, carbon fuses to create neon and magnesium. This fusion process continues with heavier and heavier elements until iron is reached, as fusing iron requires more energy than it produces. And after enough time, smaller stars like our sun become red giants, devouring anything in their great expanse, before dwindling into a white dwarf, which will itself eventually become a black dwarf in trillions of years. Larger stars experience events much more violent: a supernova. The fate of Betelgeuse is such a certainty, and it might have already occurred, and we won’t know until its light reaches us. Hypermassive stars experience even more destructive forms of supernovae called hypernovae, which emit from their poles what are effectively beams of death: gamma-ray bursts.
In all cases, stars die. Whether by fission or fusion, decay occurs… The inevitability of death.
Judith is right. This symbol can represent fission, but it also embodies fusion in some regard. For what this symbol is cannot be summarized as one or the other. No, this is the entire concept of decay itself. Whether through strong or weak nuclear forces, decay shall arrive all the same. Energy shall go outward. And eventually, heat will disperse enough that the vacuum of space will seem like a blazing inferno by comparison. The inevitable cold death of everything: entropy.
This symbol is the entirety of entropy itself. Whether through the beta decay of fission or the fusion wall of iron, energy moves outward. Energy does not reconnect. It continues, forever forward, leaving everything else behind.
Yazra-Sadarozh doth mark the decay of all things, when Fate doth guide them to mine own embrace. If I be the End, then he is that which assures it.
We will all crumble into the dust of Adam’s lucent sinew.
-Icons:
Black Cylinder:
The shared icon amongst all of Yazra’s forms. A flashlight-like ornament converging from pentagonal directions to create a yellow mushroom cloud. Another connection to nuclear reactions, though in this case, I am unsure if this embodies fission or fusion, and Herod’s not aware of any elements that specifically explode into that yellow coloration… Though it is a familiar color. Unfortunately, I cannot recall where I have seen it before. Images flash in my head. The runway of an airport at night, the oil rigs on the horizon under twilight, and the midnight drive through Doveland… What do all of those have in common? I don’t have any idea. Like a golden Waldo wiggling through my memories. I will recall it eventually… One more thing to note about this color is that it is the exact shade of his Odin left eye.
The cylinder itself was pure darkness, with its details only being visible due to the texturing of the mosaics themselves. The central version of it specifically appeared like a knight if it were carved like an Egyptian pharaoh in sandstone. A dark knight casting a great yellow ball of death. No, not a ball. A beam, like a gamma-ray burst… As if it were a cylindrical Death Star…
Beyond destruction and the allusions to nuclear reactions in atomic weaponry, I imagine there is also a link to divine authority. This being's Ra association could also reflect that this weapon shoots symbolic sunlight upon their enemies; the curse of Ra, if performed through a mushroom cloud.
Ankh Staff:
A purely gold Was scepter with an Ankh hanging from the top of it. Divine authority and rule over chaos are attached to a symbol of immortality. Fits Ra’s typical depiction perfectly, while the coloration matches his divine being.
The Was scepter, specifically, is also sometimes adorned with the head of Set, which links to the voodoo doll and the donkey Christ with the other forms. Though in this case, Yazra holding this staff acts much more like a royal declaration of his identity rather than a goal in itself. As if, he depicted the Highest as an ass while representing himself as the Highest himself. Appropriate for his station. Still, how curious…
Zodiac Wheel and the Star Rings:
As Herod described in his notes, the twelve-spoked wheel I mentioned before was, in actuality, a zodiac wheel, which is indeed a symbol linked with Uranus, one representing cycles and the synthesis of human experiences. It is clear, given its appearance, that the wheel does not truly correlate with the zodiacs themselves. The only one shown is Aquarius, and that is depicted in crimson with four of the twelve stars.
As a zodiac, Aquarius is the water-bearer, one who is connected to the giving of knowledge and insight. The presence of four of these entities as crimson stars is intriguing. Blood-colored stars, teaching something that results in… No, not teaching. Learning. These four stars were those who learned from someone else. And what happened to them? They became red giants…
These four stars might represent the four deities within this quadrant itself. Kojevyl, Baqrhazotl, Chaluzimh, and Yazra-Sadarozh. Alternatively, Yazra might have taught his three compatriots alongside another entity that we don’t know of.
The pentagram of the central and Yaldabaoth forms could further suggest either of those potential theories. One entity, not colored scarlet, influenced four others in some way. That fifth star was turquoise. And then the seven stars of the heptagon were black, orange, yellow, green, cyan, indigo, and violet.
My own conjecture is the following: Yazra is the turquoise star, while the four crimson stars are his fellow watchers in this quadrant and Moloch; the seven other stars are, respectively, Lucifer, Mammon, Beelzebub, Death, War, Tiamat, and Famine. I have little to support this, however, given the lack of details…
Thou dost amuse me in thy labor of understanding these stars. Arzankim doth hold the answers thou seekest. Whilst thou treadest its immortal corridors, bear this in thy mind: what exploits did Samyaza commit that the Scarab should so humiliate him in the sky?
As you will it…
Still, I am surprised I did not link Yazra to Samyaza immediately, given the similarities between the names. This will be the subject of an additional note.
Golden-Eyed Donkey:
In accordance with Tim, voodoo dolls are meant to be vessels for “sympathetic magic”, which is effectively a ritual where actions done to an object are also done to a person via a spiritual connection. Infamously, the voodoo doll is associated with a pin stuck into it, which supposedly does the same damage to the target. Interestingly, the concept of the voodoo doll is not a native Vodou religious practice, as it originates with European folk legends involving puppet magic.
The effigies within many traditions are truly used for positive intentions, like funneling spiritual energy for healing or blessing someone with prosperity. They were not intended for harm, and again, the harmful aspects originated from Europe. The puppet magic of Europe is ancient, appearing in Ancient Greece during the fifth century B.C. Puppets back then were mostly used for storytelling for the illiterate, and each puppet embodied the divine energy of mythical figures. As for where the “pin in the doll” came from, there is no single origin. However, Tim noted how there was a Greek tablet found that had a kneeling woman pierced by thirteen pins, seemingly to make her fall in love with the one who cursed her.
With that in mind, why does Yazra possess the jackass doll? I describe it as a voodoo doll because of its gold, button eyes, and its rather horrid appearance. It was as if it were stitched together by a decrepit wizard using cursed tools. The doll radiates vile energy, akin to that accursed Annabelle…
What particularly caught my eye concerning this was what the doll was pierced by. It was not a pin, nor any sort of sewing device. It was a yellow, burning candle, whose flame was a mere inch above the surface of the donkey's plush skin.
A clock counting down the days before the donkey bursts into flames.
Onyx Crucifix:
The onyx crucifix extends the logic of the donkey doll to this ass-headed Jesus, who bleeds upon a wounded cross as a result of a sickle piercing his crotch. His heart erupted as a yellow mushroom cloud… For the radioactive candle had scorched the donkey into flames.
The gutted and embalmed redemption, humiliated and grafted into the ultimate fool, into becoming the very symbol of destruction and hopelessness. No, with his defilement, salvation dies…
Even as I stray away from the Fool, I cannot help but feel offended by this… Over fifty years of being taught that Christ was the savior, that He died for our sins, that he was the kindest soul of all… Seeing Him humiliated here, with nuclear decay and castration… My blood boils... Why do I still feel insulted when I am in the clutches of Mazhivada? It is fathoms below the surface of the logical ocean…
If Christ might be avoided, spared He should be. Yet, the cruelty of the Wrath and the entitlement of the Fool breed necessity thus. In this flawed Creation, wrought by imperfect hands, repulsive must be our means to breach the Door. Were there another path, I would not insist. The Christ's purity is undeniable... A shame that Satan swayed Him not in the wilderness. He chose to stand against me.
A fate that has yet to occur. A prophecy of what is to come. Mazhivada’s plan requires this transfiguration of the holiest of all…
My hands sweat with horror…
Whilst such a conceit hath graced my mind, keep these pages for thine own eyes alone. For the others, benighted in their convictions, are not yet fit to behold the noble truths I shall lay bare to thee. Unveil unto them only that which is sure within thy own queries. Should they inquire, then suggest thy shelled beast doth suffer ills that cannot be lightly mended.
I suppose these discussions would render suspicion with my compatriots. Still, of all the times to suggest...
Deem it not chance. I desire thee wise in this bountiful peregrination. Grievances be tombstones lining that crooked path of thorned rosaries and blossoming fetters. As I have declared, I seek not to injure the Christ. I am willing, should it be necessary.
Fine... As long as we... Get away from this.
Location:
240 degrees.
Domains:
Yazra-Sadarozh is a multifaceted deity to quantify. He is connected to deities of the sun, the primordial sky, the heavens, knowledge, war, magic, and creation. However, his symbol is, based on my hypothesis, directly connected to entropy as a concept, which, of course, lines up with his desire to commit divine identity fraud. Therefore, it is sensible to assume that Yazra is the god of entropy, often representing atomic decay, the heat death of everything, and divine mockery.
Speculation:
Topic 1:
You would think a deity committing divine identity fraud would be of an animal that is typically associated with cunning and trickery. Foxes and snakes, of course, but also raccoons and hyenas. But otters? Giant river otters specifically aren’t considered natural thieves, nor do they need to be given that they are social creatures who work in groups from as low as two and up to twenty. The group itself is often led by the dominant breeding pair, while other members are their extended families. These bevies collectively perform activities like hunting, protecting themselves from predators (often by ambushing animals like caimans), raising their young, and grooming each other. Typical animal behaviors, though nothing that explicitly links Yazra to them…
Arzankim might have the answer to this…
If I had to presume anything, it would be that the otter head is meant to ease people into his identity. But otters are, like most other animals, capable of incredible violence despite that. An analogy that fits with how Yazra commits violations while appearing as if he wouldn’t harm a fly. Though again, many other animals could share that same symbolism. So, why is he an otter specifically?
Topic 2:
What is that cylinder? The connections to nuclear energy are quite apparent. The mushroom cloud, the Uranium iconographic link, and the nature of Yazra as a god of entropy all suggest that this is a nuclear weapon. But what kind? And why does it produce yellow light?
Far as I am aware, nukes were the same color as oxygen fires due to the combustion of nitrogen, oxygen, and water vapor. A reddish-brown coloration that initially begins as white and yellow. But the cloud created by the refracting lights is yellow, not reddish-brown, in its iconic shape of Bhagavad Gitan horror. That logically means that whatever element was used to create the lights and explosion yellow, the same as the… Lights. Runway, oil rigs, night-time drive…
What is the element used in those yellow lights? I swear I know what it is…
Additional Notes:
Note 1:
Set is the Egyptian god of storms, deserts, violence, and foreigners, and is the violent creature who murdered Osiris. Set is the lord of the Red Land, the desert, within the mythology, while Horus, son of Osiris, was the lord of the Black Land, the fertile land of the Nile. This is an interesting association, as Osiris happens to be a green (or black, depending on the depiction) skinned deity that is the lord of the underworld, one who was often connected to the Apis Bull. Casimir also has a primarily green color scheme and once had bull horns, and he was brutally killed through the Fool’s actions during the Flood.
The connection between the two is quite apparent, though there is an inconsistency. Set is seen as a vengeful deity who murdered his brother, while Osiris was revered as the god of death. The Atlanteans despised Casimir; we also know that Casimir is Khepri, doomed to a futile task. So, who is Osiris if not Casimir? Who else did the Fool ordain the killing of that…
Mazhivada… Osiris is your father… The Spider Lord of the Underworld, the one who led your kind before your mother took up the role as queen.
Grandeur be thine, though 'tis not wholly precise. Unfortunately, many particulars of the Wrath, per Samyaza's intent, were shuffled with Euzoth's, my sire. Aye, Euzoth was Sultan of Duat, Tehom to the Hebrews and Tartarus to the Greeks. My mother, Qhiao-Mata, doth reign as Sultana.
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Remarkable… But wait a second, why is the Fool associated with the actions of the Wrath, then? Wouldn’t it be more appropriate for the Wrath to be Set rather than Khepri? Did the Egyptians under Yazra bungle that many details of what occurred?
I cannot chide the Egyptians for that which was wrought by Yazra's hand. The specifics and verity were obscured in a plain game to debase the Fool's divinity as much as was possible. Binding Him to behaviors vengeful and spiteful didst misdirect much of his undue worship. It is why Yazra is my confederate. It is why Samyaza is the present Sultan of the Deep.
So Yazra and Qhiao-Mata are both monarchs of the Deep… Yazra muddled the truth to such an incredible degree. Not that other mythologies didn’t twist the truth, as well, but none of them were to this degree. One question: if Yazra depicted himself as the Fool, and the Fool is connected to Seth, a donkey-headed deity, then doesn’t that imply that Yazra is also an ass?
A fine reasoning! Yazra is an egregious dullard, for he doth seek to laud the slayer of my sire, whilst mishandling cosmology to fashion himself as the very Creator. He craveth not the Throne, but to mime whosoever sits upon it. Craven and witless is he, to not have yearning for Adoil's Throne. A slothful god he is, who doth pilfer the works of other deities, such as those of my father, my mother, and myself.
Only an ass would honor the damned Wrath so voraciously.
Proxy Note:
Seth, as an alternative name for Set, has the inherent trait of appearing to be linked to the third son of Adam and Eve. This is very much a coincidence. Linguistically, the link is a product of Latin and Greek translations, purposely making the two names appear similar, even though they etymologically come from entirely different roots.
What is ironic is that both names are tied to fratricide. Set murdered his brother, Osiris, while Cain murdered Abel, who Seth later replaced as the righteous descendant of Adam and Eve. A duality of tragedy, one that forges it and one that remedies it.
Note 2:
Samyaza is a notorious watcher in the Books of Enoch, being the primary leader of the Grigori. Through his tyranny, human women were forced into birthing the Nephilim, the giants, while they also taught abominable concepts that led to so much sin on the Earth. The meaning of his name is a contentious topic for scholars, but the generally accepted meaning (from my understanding) is “he who gazed from Heaven”, or some variation thereof.
What is important to understand is that, traditionally, Samyaza and Lucifer are seen as separate beings, which is logical given the timeframe of these events. Samyaza and his cohorts rebelled after Lucifer did, as the Devil is directly correlated with the Fall of Eden, which has been validated through Mazhivada’s revelations. This deliberate separation in tradition implies that the two had even more personal and distinct motives for their respective rebellions. Lucifer’s is typically associated with pride, while Samyaza's was explicitly about lust.
Given what Yazra is linked to, however, this lust of his could not have been his only motivation. More likely than not, his urges were merely a part of his truest desire of all: the defacement of the Father, so that He would never be worshipped again. Yazra is depraved, but his vile nature also serves to lead mankind away from the Fool…
To what end, I am uncertain.
—
The end of the road. A couple more deities, and we can start planning our return trip back home. And then, I have to make a concise report to the Bulls. I am not looking forward to it, but whatever has to be done to convince them to send us to Arzankim. For my family’s sake, that is all that matters…
Notes:
Their alchemical symbols are a part of their own bodies. Installed in the case of the Supplicant, and singed in the case of the eel.
All this leads to these two deities holding a unique place within the Atlantean hierarchy. The rising and setting suns, and thus I call these two the Meridians.
Description:
-Appearance:
This Komodo Dragon-headed deity was, for all intents and purposes, a crystalline cyborg.
This is Mazhivada’s Beloved Emperor. Has to be given what he has described about this figure.
-Eyes:
The eyes appeared like two red lenses, akin to HAL 9000's eye, while also having camera shutters as eyelids.
-Color Palette:
Neon red, cyan, light green, and variegated rainbow and black accents.
A jarring coloration, for certain. Neon red, cyan, and light green are also the three colors of light. These three colors are divided between three sections of his body. Think of the apex of a triangle being at the feet of this deity, then divide that triangle into three more triangles using each angle to line up each line with the center of the main triangle. The left triangle was red, the top triangle was green, and the right triangle was cyan.
-Animal Association:
Komodo Dragon (ferocity, ancestral wisdom, and ancient mystery).
Little to suggest on its own, though the cybernetic nature of this lizard suggests an emphasis on mystery and cunning.
-Traits:
The head was the most organic component of the deity, having retained all parts of the Komodo Dragon, except for the eyes and the saliva.
His head appeared to be covered in some kind of rainbow liquid, similar in appearance to the hallucinogenic aura that hovered around Chaluzimh. Like David being anointed by Samuel. But it was not the anointing of a king, for what is being king to an emperor? No, this annointment was apotheosis. Ascension. Deification. And with him, his cup overflowed.
Behind his head was a heptagonal, black halo. It was a black mirror, perfectly refracting any light that shone upon it. Heptagons again, once more linking him to hallucinations.
The torso was a geometric labyrinth of crystalline prisms, twisted wires, and welded sockets, all with clinging remnants of organic sinew and marrow.
Bismuth clusters of layered, iridescent structures lined much of the cyborg's robotic limbs and torso.
The saliva was an oozing black tar that bubbled like soda in the gut. From the leaking tar arose minuscule bees that were cybernetically transfigured into tiny helicopters. Tar… Mazhivada, this is YOUR supplicant, yes?
The tar was a malison laid upon him for defying the Fool's decree when he liberated his people, with mine assistance. For as He did curse a woman into salt, so too did He transfigure my beloved supplicant's saliva into tar.
That makes sense… But why tar?
For that which did once bind the Arks aloft, so did it become the human covenant, whereby mine esteemed Emperor would have raised a spire unto the Throne itself. Tar is naught but human blood, congealed in utter defiance of the Maker.
May justice be done for this… Even with all the necessary wickedness…
The arms, despite their robotic appearance and general circuitry, were roughly anthropomorphic and had sporadic patches of organic scales throughout. Shoulders, elbows, wrists, and the like were present, albeit in a gears and axles configuration, akin to the Lego Technic sets I have seen commercials for. Come to think of it, "Technic" is a perfect way to describe the Emperor’s robotic configuration. Axles and gears and balls and sockets everywhere.
The digitigrade legs were much the same Technic construction.
The tail was entirely robotic, being a swarm of balls and sockets with silicon scutes, curving into a Fibonacci.
He was posed in a manner almost identical to the Christ Pantocrator, a common depiction of Jesus in Byzantine and Eastern Orthodox art. It is meant to convey Christ as the Almighty and the ruler of all. The Emperor had that black, heptagonal glass halo instead of the cruciform one; instead of the Gospels in his left hand, the lizard held his six-pronged pitchfork; and instead of his right hand being raised in blessing, it was raised to the sky, holding in his hand a bleeding star, pierced by a crystal spire erupting from his palm.
Symbols:
-Alchemical: []
A complex symbol, being an altered combination of bismuth (??), Neptune (?), and the six (or perhaps seven) arrows of sulfur (??). A trisected equilateral triangle is present in the center between the six prongs of the pitchfork. The triangle, I am assuming, represents this supplicant as the Emperor of the Atlanteans, given the symbolic central placement of the triangle. Bizmuth being located at the bottom suggests foundation, as if the very nature of bismuth is what this deity ultimately is. Neptune and sulfur being combined into a six-pronged trident suggests a total dominion, a representation of his lordship. The coiled line I am unsure of, though the link to Qhiao-Mata’s symbol may connect him to the deep, whether by oceans or by knowledge.
To summarize sulfur once more, it is the representation of passion, transformation, the drive for change, volatility, and desire. However, as I will further elaborate on, this Emperor is the one who is being given that wreath of dead doves from Lucifer. However, he is not wearing the feathered crown himself. This may be associated with some kind of prophecy, if going by the implication.
All that being said, I do have to wonder if the Emperor is linked with black sulphur specifically, as Lucifer is, given that the typical alchemical sulfur is linked with the Fool and the Spirit. And as I stated with the Devil, the supplicant, who betrayed the Fool, would be a contradictory fit for an element associated with the Holy Spirit. So, the Leviathan Cross and Libra are likely also connected to this being.
Bismuth was rarely seen in alchemy, being a later addition that was often substituted by tin or lead. Despite it not being one of the seven central metals, it could be used to create a meager offering of gold through nuclear reactions. Otherwise, it is a rare metal on Earth, likely why it never became too popular in alchemy. It is also one of the few elements/compounds that expand when it solidifies, much like what ice does for water. Bismuth is inherently complex geometrically, a crystalline maze that could very well hold the Library of Alexandria within its enchanting rainbow confines. And bismuth is correlated with silver, often being described as "silver being made", like a silver fetus. Conjecture is difficult with this kind of element, but if I had to guess, bismuth would symbolize beautification through technological apotheosis... Which fits this deity quite well.
The symbol for Neptune is a very specific equation, one that I only link to the god himself and not the element Neptunium. The reason for this is that Neptunium is extremely rare in nature, only being found in some Uranium ore deposits as isotopes. The element itself is more often synthesized in a lab or through nuclear reactions. As such, I imagine that even the hyperadvanced Atlanteans would not have equated a god with a mostly synthetic element… Even if that god is artificial himself.
As such, I will focus on the astrological connection of Neptune to this deity. In astrology, Neptune reigns over intuition, dreams, the unconscious mind, artistic expression, and spiritual awakening. He is also connected to the alchemical process of dissolution, which is when a solid turns into a liquid. This process symbolizes the return of a substance to the prima materia, often connotating it with the idea of birthing something new, as water is often correlated with the womb. A rebirth of the mind. In terms of the dissolution of the ego, it can either be a reawakening into a new form or the painful degradation into psychosis.
Then there is the nature of the supplicant’s connection to Neptune, whose Greek equivalent is Poseidon (according to Herod, Neptune was originally just the god of freshwater, but aspects of Poseidon were later given to him when the Roman and Greek cultures intermixed). I have discussed Poseidon before with Medusa, as he was the same being who violated her and sired entities like Pegasus through her. In general, he is the temperamental god of the sea, brother to Hades and Zeus, and is associated with horses, earthquakes, and storms.
The horse correlation is peculiar without the proper context, but the Greeks did correlate earthquakes to the quaking sounds of horse hooves. Poseidon himself is described as having created horses by slamming his trident into the ground. He himself pursued Demeter as a horse and seduced her, which created the divine horse Arion. Pegasus, of course, is a winged horse, and there is apparently an etymological link between the Greek words for “horse” and “spring”. Lastly, Poseidon’s turbulent nature reflected the sea, sometimes being calm and other times being violent, just like how horses were interpreted.
That still doesn't answer the question of what the connection between this god of the sea and this supplicant, seemingly a god of technology, is. This could simply be a symbolic coincidence, as the supplicant’s main icon is a six-pronged pitchfork, which can be interpreted as a type of trident. Let’s assume that it is not a coincidence, and that Neptune is, verily, an aspect of the Emperor.
The supplicant may be a temperamental sort, being as chaotic as the Drake Passage one moment and as placid as the Sargasso Sea the next. Perhaps his place as the Emperor marks him as a man capable of catastrophic changes, enough so to reshape the very face of the land and sea through his own might or his mastery over technology. Bismuth also has a very low melting point; thus, the Emperor here may be seen as the “lord of the metallic ocean”. Maybe even the Emperor’s conquests could relate to horses, which were often ancient symbols of war and expansion.
As for what this symbol could represent, that is still a mystery. The Neptune links are purely symbolic, while bismuth already has a symbol. If I had to assume anything, the pitchfork might be an amalgamation of everything the Emperor represents: technology, cybernetics, robotics, and apostasy.
-Icons:
The pitchfork is but a simple six-pronged iron utensil typically used to move loose materials like straw, compost, and manure. So he was a farmhand at one point, committing to a futile task of transporting cow dung. No wonder the supplicant followed Mazhivada. He had much greater desires than being an object of moving around insignificance and nothingness. A divine symbol from what was once a representation of the lowest of us all. How ironic. Divinity from the depths of waste. His weapon of choice was embedded in shit, and it is the same tool he would use to gouge out the Almighty’s eyes. From the lowly slinging of crap to the usurping of the Highest… In that way, to the Emperor, the Fool is nothing but manure. He defied his station absolutely and was rewarded for it.
The bleeding star in his hand is likely representative of Adoil, the Apocryphal concept of the light at the zenith of Heaven. From the word of the Fool, the Great Aeon disintegrated, allowing all things to be created. Given the serpent’s statements, Adoil is likely synonymous with the Throne itself.
Adoil is opposed by Arkhas, which is the primordial darkness that acts as the foundation upon which everything else is able to exist. Mazhivada only mentioned it once, and the implication is that it is at the bottom of this entire cosmology. Where Adoil is the Zenith, the eternal light, Arkhas must be the eternal darkness, the bottom of the Abyss. As for what that Abyss is, I don’t think we humans are capable of properly understanding it. Doesn’t mean I will not try at some point. I am already descending into it, and there is no way back up. I might as well witness what monsters lie within before I become the Abyss itself…
Position:
-Degree:
180 degrees.
-Directional Reference:
West, the setting sun; he is positioned as the right hand of Mazhivada (remember that he faces south, not north).
Domains:
The Emperor is likely the god of technology and robotics, but he might also be connected to apostasy, knowledge, conquest, and hallucination.
Speculation:
Topic 1:
The inherent nature of this deity is remarkable, given that he and his youngest son, Yolm, ascended to godhood. This isn’t entirely unprecedented within Judeo-Christian thought, as Enoch supposedly transformed into Metatron, who some circles describe as the current chief archangel. So humans are capable of transforming into divine figures, but how this process works likely depends on what deity they served. In Enoch’s case, he was described as being consumed with fire and drowned in light, before becoming one with the divinity of the Highest. For Yolm, his connection to Lucifer implies a bastardized version of this process, where, instead of a purification, it was a transfiguration. I cannot imagine what the details of that are, given that Yolm is not depicted in Deisphere. But for the Emperor? I assume his Ascension was a direct result of technological installation, genetic manipulation, and divine intervention. Though I could ask the god himself. Mazhivada? How did the Emperor become a god?
I would speak plainly, yet the Emperor's peculiar cultural astigmatism doth render that answer imprudent. Of late, the Emperor hath grown haughty, turning from my favor toward the tedium of Beelzebub's bureaucracy. To speak names is to weave bonds. As ye have not met the Emperor so openly, to speak of his name and Ascension would, to them, be blasphemy. I deem it childish, yet it is his choice. As I have declared, mine eyes are fixed upon the Throne. Mere trifles are of no import, so long as they impede not Lehitadam.
Yet, you transcend them, do you not? Would my knowing and uttering of his name prematurely be such an offense when I am under your fold?
A sound assumption, yet I am much beholden to the Emperor. His fealty doth wane; his ambitious heart, which I kindled in days of yore, doth gaze enviously beyond its station. His heart is a furnace fueled by desolation, which has grown impatient and ravenous. 'Tis my aim to... Remind him of his position once my mission finds its end. For the time being, I shall permit him to wander as a token of grace. I bid thee, reserve thy queries for the man himself. Have patience, my key; other paths must first be trodden.
Damn cultural barriers… Fine. How about a different topic, then? What the Deisphere?
The "Deisphere", as thou namest, is but a lower chamber of mine Empire's bygone religious heart, Irha-Ba. Therein, three and twenty of the seventy and two deities within that eminent Pantheon are made manifest. That one thou hast witnessed was known as the “Chamber of Prophecy”, detailing foretellings of events that had yet to occur. Irha-Ba was constructed upon mine azure lens, whose pupil beheld the many temples raised to the Pantheon.
Though ossified, my pupil yet doth shift with mine understanding of the present universe, what I deem as the past's truth, and what I foresee in futures yet to unfold.
Irha-Ba… So the Eye of the Sahara truly was a city built upon the crystallized remains of a god’s eyeball. If I recall right, I can assume that this eye was a part of Mazhivada’s original body, which is the massive, entombed, serpentine object that led us here in the first place. So, did he have to wait for humanity to reach a certain level of advancement again? That would explain why this “Lehitadam” could only occur under certain conditions. Not that I have any idea what the means are to the end, but I suppose it is better to be on the right side of this inevitable process than on the wrong side…
Even if I am damning myself…
Topic 2:
As will be further discussed in the note, this deity is most certainly a false messiah analog. A man who performs miracles through divine means, proclaiming himself as the Christ, so that he enraptures the world at large. That has clearly not occurred yet, and even then, if Lehitadam is completed, the need for this entity to appear as the First Beast would be unnecessary, if the link is legitimate, verily.
Just what does Lucifer have in mind for this deity if Mazhivada devours Adoil?
Additional Note:
A wreath of doves being offered to the main supplicant of Mazhivada… The serpent has thought of his supplicant leaning towards betrayal, but he doesn’t paint himself to believe it truly. Perhaps the mycelial chamber is not necessarily what he believes in, but what the Albino Serpent worries about. His anxieties for the future. I do not wish to offend him again, so I will keep this brief. It’s not that I doubt; it’s that something is off. Not with Mazhivada, but with this entire storyline involving prophecies of gods, demons, and contradictions. Who are the buried gods beneath our feet? What is the purpose of humankind in the face of such a cold universe? Why are we at the center of this when we are so meek and feeble? Why did I get stuck as the snail competing in a hippodrome? Why am I… Why are we stuck in this pantomime, fearing gods who died?
I need to stop worrying about this. I am damned anyway. What matters is enjoying the life I have left and securing the lives of my kin. That is all that matters… That is all that matter…
Description:
-Appearance:
A lamia-like entity with the top half of a beautiful woman and the bottom half of a moray eel. Glass-fanged… Like that adversary to Unna back in Giza.
-Eyes:
Her eyes were both orange suns, radiating an intense array of passion, with white pupils, oddly reminding me of the Dreamsicle ice cream I used to eat as a child. They are also the same color as Qhiao-Mata's eyes...
-Color Palette:
Pallor human skin (specifically the color of abyssal fish who have never seen the sun), chartreuse fish scales, seaweed dark blue and gray, sky blue, burgundy, and vanilla.
-Animal Association:
Moray eels (duality of the conscious and unconscious, the hidden aspects of life, and fertility).
Though simple, the deliberate association with differing forces suggests that this eel is at least connected with contradiction.
-Traits:
The vertebral fin extended from near the end of the tail all the way to the base of the neck.
Her hair was a slimy gray and blue colony of seaweed, appearing like some membranous pony-tail.
Her gorgeous, translucent human body was covered in burgundy and vanilla glass corals, mainly over her breasts and shoulders.
Coral is often associated with immortality, modesty, wisdom, and happiness, but the fact that it is glass coral suggests something else. Glass coral is a notable symbol in (a less-than-pleasant coincidence, given prior discussions) that represents innocence, fragility, the desire for connection, and the limitations of truth. The choice of burgundy and vanilla, when combined, could represent power, purity, tranquility, and elegance. Though adding in the glass coral suggests all that is a facade.
Small, blue gills were present on each side of her neck, closer to the top on the back side, and fraying downward towards the chest.
Her eel half was chartreuse, the same as the green moray, and the fin was the same gray and blue as her hair.
The most notable part of her body was her glass-like fangs, jagged and steel-colored, similar to actual morays, though in an arrangement more similar to human teeth.
From her maw of glass fangs came forth a series of waves, similar to those often depicted with musical notes. The direction of her singing was upward, towards the Albino Serpent.
On her face and body were whip or chain-like scars, along with black bruises on her face and ribs. Physical abuse from a god? Who from, though?
—
I cannot explain what just occurred, but I will try my best.
It was as if a collection of whispers reverberated in my head like glass, as if each shard was to be thrust into my mind as if I was transfigured into a silicon porcupine. This dread is… Unlike anything I have ever felt. Like the barest glimmer of doom grabbed hold of my soul and placed me within the Ark of the Covenant, so that I may be unleashed as a spirit that would melt the flesh of all those who bore witness. A pressure from a distant star, yet one whose soul can be felt upon my shoulders… What… What was that? Mazhivada, what…
The Wrath is singularly keen on this particular. I am certain as to why. He doth venture to claim that I did invite such treatment upon her. He hath ever been so desirous to portray me as a "Nabokovian Ravana". Such impiety. Why would I deign to inflict harm upon one so cherished in mine eyes?
No matter. Proceed, my beloved key… Inquire not again concerning who wrought abuse upon this eel.
As you wish... Something about that seems so... Disturbingly familiar. It's probably nothing.
I feel like I am being watched. He is up there, observing, from hundreds of thousands of miles away. He is there, with the presence of a billion quasars microscopically focused on me, the object of his ire. From Isis’ eye in the blackened sky, does her husband’s destroyer reside… The twilight has transitioned into a plasma polka dot array lorded over by the Waxing Gibbous matriarch…
“If you believe they put a man on the moon… Moses went walking with a staff of wood… If you believe there is nothing up his sleeve… Egypt was troubled by the terrible asp…”
Reminds me of when Yoko graduated from high school. It was her favorite song for a while before she started to turn to bands like Korn and Pantera. Man on the Moon… Or I guess in this case, God on the Moon…
Symbols:
-Alchemical: []
The alchemical salt (??) as a basis split into light and darkness; the light half is connected to sulfur (??), while the dark half links to a swaying version of mercury (?), alluding to Qhiao-Mata’s symbol. The Tria Prima in a single emblem. In total, this emblem is associated with passion, purification, wisdom, vitality, grounding, transformation, and enlightenment. An embodiment of contradictions, in many cases.
Sulfur being linked to the light side and mercury to the dark side clearly corresponds to two different deities. Qhiao-Mata in darkness, and either Casimir or Lucifer on the light side… I can almost feel the pressure coming from the moon… I won’t consider anything beyond this… Bastard Casimir.
What can be considered is what Judith and Sir Clarke pointed out. The central salt appears to be split like a horizon, where the top half is the enlightened sunset, while the bottom half is the dark ocean, which supports my previous claim. The bottom half of mercury also represents the lower serpentine half of this deity, while the top half is more divine in appearance. Fire and water, the light of hope, and the deep subconscious.
This eel is, obviously, some kind of sea goddess, similar to Qhiao-Mata herself (who is a likely candidate to be her mother). Mercury is already associated with the sea, given its liquid nature, while salt is directly correlated with ocean water. What I don’t understand is why sulfur is a part of the emblem. You could argue that volcanism and sulfur vents could bleed passion into the ocean, while the heat of the sun produces storms above the surface; there may be another connection to life itself, as sulfur is connoted with it generally.
It can’t be that simple, though. Something about her is connected to fire, and by extension, sunlight. But what, if not her grand pyres for eyes? I would say more, but any thought I have regarding this presses upon me, like my very soul is being squeezed out… Casimir, you are so proud to block the passing of knowledge. Thou art a reprehensible devourer of refuse, scarab! Let me have my thoughts for my own! Let me write…
What is a man to do against a god? I already have one I can trust. Verily, you are not.
In any case, this deity is also some kind of sun goddess, specifically the rising sun. Hope, brand new starts, and the conquest of darkness… Damn it, there’s another bit of pressure… Can’t get anything done with this perpetual annoyance.
So be it, I will relinquish the sun association for now, Casimir. Gluttunous insect…
As for the emblem itself, and what it correlates to, I have to assume that it is a liquid like mercury, one that burns like sulfur, yet is connected to salt… Sodium is not liquid, so that leaves chlorine. She may be on the other side from those devils, but this eel certainly has some kind of connection to them, given that they are the only other deities who also represent halogens (from what I can tell, anyway).
The halogen itself is a yellow or yellow-green coloration, the latter closely aligning with her chartreuse tail. Symbolically, chlorine is a liminal element, lying between the contexts of purification & poison, life & death, and warfare & sanitation. Its contradictory nature applies well to a deity that is both beautiful & monstrous, pure & destructive, and hopeful & abused. I think I am understanding what this deity truly is: the star that overshadows light, and the abyss that illuminates darkness.
-Icons:
Her left hand held a lantern with black glass, which pointed downward towards Casimir. Mighty fascinating. Again, an abyss that illuminates the darkness.
Black glass often represents death, mourning, protection, and the unknown. Fitting for a water goddess, of course, but it being attached to a lantern is peculiar. The common symbology of lanterns is hope, illumination, and enlightenment. For that to be within black glass? Is it a trapped hope? A dead guidance? A mysterious illumination? The fact that it is pointed in the direction of the Wrath represents some deliberate story, but what? What link does the lantern in her hands have to the lantern on the Wrath’s boat? What does it all mean… In any case, lanterns can represent the sun in dark places, given that they were often the only beacons in the night. The sun, like lanterns, banishes the darkness from its midst. So maybe the glass is a veneer for the hope of the sun?
In her right hand, she held to her right ear a black conch shell. Didn’t the Wrath have a conch shell as well? Likely coincidence… The conch itself is a common symbol of power and authority. Held up to her ear? It's the opposite. A symbol of imprisonment and indoctrination, possibly. But to what, and to whom? Who is misleading her? Is this who she truly is, or will she stray from the truth?
What is the relationship between this eel and Casimir? What did he do to her?
Do not inquire...
Why? What is important—
Wouldst thou rather suffer the doom of those who, for harmless trivialities, wrestled with the Fool?
I suppose not... Damn, is my headache coming back?
But a fleeting ache it is. Did thy pangs not abate when ye beheld my ever-wondrous wisdom? Persevere, and the pain shall cease as it did before.
I understand...
Position:
-Degree:
0 degrees.
-Directional Reference:
East, the rising sun, the left hand of Mazhivada.
Domains:
This glass-fanged serpent is some kind of goddess of the sea, and is related to destruction, beauty, songs, and, likely, seduction… Another sensation of great pressure. Damndest Casimir. Why does “seduction” turn me into a lightning rod of his ire?
Tempting the beast shall yield unto thee eternal pain! Let not these inquiries obscure thy vision!
For a naturally curious mind, this is a death kennel...
Speculation Note:
I would speculate, but the nature of the entitled deity’s glare renders any kind of potential extra linkages null and void. It's as if the truth were the infantile dreams of a violated doll, unable to render herself from the drugged-out state of her ruined life… Why in the hell am I thinking of that book about a fictional predator’s fantasy? Just reminding myself of that fills me with disgust. No wonder that testament was banned in Britain…
[TEXT OBSCURED BY ADMINISTRATOR_MZVD. ADMINISTRATOR TEXT ENCRYPTED. USER TWB DENIED ACCESS.]
[LATENT TEXT RECOVERED BY USER_SCP.]
[Inryka, mine heart's lucent beacon, the very flame of my being. Mine sin, mine spirit.]
[Hark, what irony doth present itself, mine beloved escargot, to be so close to the truth, yet so very far! Forsooth, that very truth would release thee from the spell that doth bind thee! Glory be unto thine incompetence, mine own key.]
If that bastard got her… I would have hunted him down to the ends of the fucking Earth. Good riddance, he drowned in the Slough. All his victims were vindicated in the end…
This is pointless. Another tangent.
Yoko is alive, despite the scars. Mahiru is alive, despite the trauma. And no one will ever lay harm them again. Never.
Even if I have to sell my soul for it.
—
At long last, it is done. Not my longest series of excavation notes by any stretch, but certainly the most dense and research-intensive. Not to mention, those take months to write. This was a week or so. Guess I got blinded by the thorns, so to speak. Going to take a long rest. I have done all I can. As soon as we have the plaques transcribed onto parchment, we will leave this place.
Thank the serpent for that.
I miss my wife… Can’t wait to see her again… Though I don’t think I will be welcomed with a smile of pure joy when I return. Going to ask Chizuki to fly with me to Doveland. We all need to be there for each other, given the diagnosis. I imagine Haruto has called her by now. Hopefully, Mahiru can take it as well as she can. Yoko and Chizuki, too.
It’s late. Don’t want to get another migraine due to overworking myself. Goodnight. Hopefully that God on the Moon stops glaring down at me so I can get some sleep…
August 30th:
Most of our equipment has been packed away at this point. This was by far the most successful excavation in my life, given the abundant amount of knowledge we unearthed. So, the Atlanteans did indeed exist, and long before Sumer or Egypt rose from the dust. And the gods? Oh, they were not dead; they were just sharpening their swords, despite our believing that we killed them. Transcriptions are done, though translations will take quite some time. Hopefully, our benefactors can hire the best language professors in the world to piece together this jumbled puzzle of a lexicon.
I still have a few questions, though… If you would permit me, sagacious serpent:
Why did your Empire fall?
When will I meet the Emperor?
What will we be doing in Arzankim?
What is my purpose as “your key”?
What will happen to my compatriots?
And most of all, can you save my wife and daughter?
Thou hast done my bidding; thus I shall answer.
Mine Empire was consumed brutally by the Wrath's destruction, a cruel aim of the Fool's guile. He spared him damnation eternal when the Wrath deserved it sorely.
Thou shalt indulge fully in the Emperor's presence in a few years. For thy safety, I shall elaborate no further.
Thou shalt do as thou hast done in Irha-Ba. Thou shalt delve, explore, and document that which thou dost find within. Arzankim shall be more of a journey than thy clerical writings of the "Deisphere". Thou shalt wander the depths of the mad mountains, and uncover great truths.
Thou shalt unlock the portal by a grand rite, embodying the utmost offense to the Fool's pitiable, childish code. Fret not. This shall be after thine Ascension, so it would be but a trifle.
The fates of thy merry fellowship are trapped within a dense fog, albeit I reckon the Wrath shall meddle in certain paths. I would believe only thee and another shall meet the Emperor.
Concerning thy kin... The Fool and the Wrath harbor special designs for them. Who makes the fairest show means the most deceit… I shall secure them from their fold, should the chance arise, yet beyond this, no promise can I make.
Thank you, serpent… I only hope things go right for us.
As do I… As do I.
September 12th:
With the exceptions of Sir Clarke and Herod (who will both take another boat to Rome), the rest of us are currently on a cruise liner, about a couple of weeks from Baltimore. Everything is on board, and things are good. Everything went too smoothly to be a coincidence, but I suppose Mazhivada is influencing events along the way. I hope everything ends up all right in the end… My compatriots, except for Chizuki, are enjoying themselves. Why wouldn't they, given that we are finally away from that mycelial tomb? Chizuki has been distant. I tried to talk to her, but I swore I heard a different voice from the other side of the door. I couldn't make out the words, but it sounded like the snorts and bellows of a large animal. Not to mention, she is still unable to speak… When I knocked, the voice temporarily ceased. Shortly after, a small piece of paper was slid under the door, and written with pink ink in Japanese:
"See you later."
Alright, sis. I wrote back with my black pen: “I hope you get well soon”. At least I hope I wrote that right. Japanese kanji was never my strong suit. I think she understood.
I do hope she is doing as well as she can, given her wounds. She has been gaining weight in the past couple of weeks. It’s good for her, given that she has been as thin as a cadaver since I met her at Oxford. She did have to change her diet after the surgery, as rigid food would cause irritation in the throat or just open up the stitches completely. So, she has been eating creamy and dense foods like yogurt, cold soups, and mashed potatoes. I imagine the higher calories are causing her weight gain. Though, would she gain weight this quickly? I am not sure, especially given that Chizuki, for whatever reason, has all that weight going to… Certain areas of her body more than others. Similar to Mahiru’s distribution, though leaning more towards her bosom. Maybe I am imagining things. Been away from my wife for too long… Even in my fifties, I can still be like this. I should be ashamed of myself, and I am. Not as much as I should be. I am going to the bar after I am done writing.
Ah well. She did agree to follow me back home, at least. Hate flying through O’Hare every time I go to that cesspool of a city.
Almost ridiculous to think that I am a subject to a god when I was once a wayward sheep, occasionally following the shepherd that stumbled in the dark towards an eternal path of stagnancy. But we shall be better off for it. They will all hear his voice, as well, I imagine. Soon, we will all pursue this Great Work to liberate the Dragon of Sacrilege.
Arzankim. That singular word has taken up all vacancies. It is a giant locust that has devoured all the sulci wheat fields upon the gray surface of my brain. I don't know how I will convince the big bull to fund that, but... I will. He has faith in me, and I in him. Is this what finding religion is like? Maybe, but most people aren't directly commanded by a deity. I think this is more, but I have no idea what to call this feeling. Exuberance? No matter. I know what I must do.
Drink. Drink. Drink.
September 23rd:
We arrived in Baltimore a few hours ago. Chizuki and I said our goodbyes to our compatriots, and I immediately called Mahiru to let her know I was back in the States. When she broke the news, with all the major details, Mazhivada foretold… I expected it, yes, but… Hearing that your father-in-law has cancer in the wavering voice of your wife… It was rough. Very rough. I relayed the news to Chizuki, who can now speak in raspy whispers. She became immediately distressed, though not as much as I expected. Given Haruto’s age, there is no point in radiation. According to the doctors, he has maybe a year. More likely seven months.
I know the cancer won’t kill him, but what in Mazhivada’s name will? I don’t know. We plan on getting him a visa to the States so he can spend the rest of his life with his remaining kin. I only hope he can join Keiko once he passes. May his remaining days be peaceful…
The two of us are currently at BWIA, waiting for our flight. Then to O’Hare, and then Mahiru will pick us up. That is the plan. I only hope it stays that way.
Mazhivada was right about Haruto’s diagnosis, and I assume the same for whatever will fell him in December. So, logically, he must be right about the other events. July 26th and November 21st… Whatever is supposed to happen… Please. Do what you have to stop those tragedies. Do that, and my soul is yours.
Wouldst thou have them spared such fates? Then hearken unto me and proclaim, within yon toiletry chambers, "Mazhivada, thou art my sovereign god. I grant thee hold of my mind. Let thy will be wrought through me, so that my desires shall be made manifest."
I have done some stupid things in my life... Too many gambles to call safe, but... Damn it... Your will be done…
I shall convey the Testaments down unto the Throne of the Fool, should it redeem thy kin from the toils of His tool.
—
I can hear him, the skittering of his cassette tape tongue. It was painless, surprisingly. Just a declaration and a momentary blackout. That was it. I feel… Relieved. To be guided by a god towards something that will my kin.
Verily, this fate of my sacrifice is worthwhile. I now serve a grand god, one who shall ASCEND.
Dreaton, commanded to gather him. Platelet incision confirmed. Hunt commences.
Dreaton currently in stasis near Govhatan System until the Dimyonaut's palpitations are reclaimed.
Dreaton. Evacuation to be inoculated.
Dreaton has pierced the sky of Indris. Gorification in progress. Abduction incision prepared.
Dreaton loyalty ruptured. Reyengre Hersheus and his subordinates have cauterized themselves with hemlock and rust.
