The Devourer Saga
Express Soliloquy Edition
The planet of Lore has a long and convoluted history. Its history has been marked by trials, tribulations, trials of tribulations... And the occasional migration of evil Helifino winds that have marred the land with great woe and sorrow.
The goddess Lorithia created Lore long ago. This, however, is not Lorithia's story, at least not directly, although she does appear toward the end as a gross deus ex machina to explain away inexplicable plot inconsistencies.
Many millennia ago The'Galin, the son of Galian, was born in the City of Tjeli, on the Continent of Inilar. Now in those times, the people were full of corruption, and The'Galin was a kind and good individual who sought after the welfare of the poor, the beaten, and the downtrodden. Unfortunately, public works were extremely unpopular among Tjelish bioethicists, who measured the value of the person based upon what good they brought to society- And who measured the good one brought to society based upon how much money one brought into the community coffers and how much esteem one brought Tjeli as a whole. In this regard, the son a Galian was a multiple failure. For he had no love of money, and he sought to aid the poor and the weak even founding an orphanage to help those children that Inilar's capital had already deemed as worthless.
Now Lorithia, the creator goddess, who had imbued herself in her creation, despaired over the corruption that had risen within it. She began to believe that there was no good left in the world, and that her creation was a failure. It was then, however, that she happened upon The'Galin son of Galian, and seeing his good works, she saw within him a purity of purpose and noble nature, unlike the sinful world around him. Therefore, the sought to know him better. Assuming mortal form as the woman Lauren, Lorithia came back to the world of her creation, and there the met The'Galin son of Galian and she grew to love him. As time passed she became his wife, and he her husband, and they expanded their public works substantially raising a family from among Lore's most dejected citizens. Even one of The'Galin's most hated adversaries came to appreciate the goodness of the man and stood by his side.
Nevertheless, while The'Galin won the favor of foe and goddess alike, Tjeli itself remained a cold and hostile place. Moreover, the evil Tjeli grew ever more virulent, suspicious, and hostile. The citizens of this city unleashed a great evil, and when the weapon was unleashed it led directly to the death not only of several of The'Galin's beloved children but of his beloved wife Lauren as well. Frightened for his remaining children and despairing of the excesses of the Land of his birth, The'Galin set out for the continent of Deren. There he founded the first version of the City of K'eld Alorin with some of the ancient ancestors of what would one day become the Drakel. In Alorin, The'Galin sought to form a school of knowledge and of growth that would become open to all.
However, unbeknownst to him the educators in the city had been influenced by outside factors, and when the king of all Deren, the good king Draynor- By that I mean the first one to bear the title, not King Tralin's adoptive father, so I guess "Draynor I" in Terran terms... When Draynor was killed, the citizens of Alorin fled in fear to Vandar the continent of the north, and there they sought to isolate themselves from all the world, in defiance of the wishes of their founder. The'Galin son of Galian, however, had far worse problems. In the aftermath of Draynor's death, Draynor's son, who was young and impressionable, Delkirk, was convinced to turn over the son of Galian as a political prisoner. Therefore, The'Galin was extradited back to the land of his birth, where he was put on trial for Crimes against Progress by the people of Tjeli, and was found guilty. ...As if there could be any other conclusion from such a farce of a trial. He was sentenced to death by execution.
Lorithia, however, restored of her divine state when her human form was killed, looked upon her once husband and felt not only great love for him, but great pity for her creation that had so fallen into corruption that it would do such a vile thing. After all, it clearly had become very lost from here intentions for it if it had become so corrupted that it would do such a vile thing. It was clear that creation, left unchecked, had become corrupt and diseased, and that left unchecked this disease would spread throughout not only Lore, but through all worlds where she had held sway. And eventually, perhaps it would grow beyond the boundaries of her creation entire. In addition, she became aware that hers were not the only worlds showing such disruption in the creative spark.
And so, Lorithia rose up her husband as a god, to stand beside her, and with the Elemental Lords, as the powers of Lore. The'Galin son of Galian was to become the Devourer of Worlds, The Uncreator. And his task was to be to balance and cull from creation, to root out and correct corruption, entropy, and decay, where such was possible. And where it was not... to make it so that they had never existed in space and time in the first place.
Among his first actions as Uncreator was not an act of uncreation, but was instead an act of preservation. The'Galin could not uncreate Tjeli, as its corruption led to his ascension. If he removed them from creation as they deserved, he would initiate a paradox. By force of will alone, the Devourer tore the city of Tjeli off of the continent of Inilar, and cast it into the southernmost extremes of the ocean, where the city became encased in thousands of feet of ice. And here the citizens of the city were to dwell for all time, as phantoms, denied passage to the world beyond, and preserved as a record. This was a lesson. Fall so far into corruption that uncreation was not an option, and the alternative would be FAR worse. The'Galin was a good man though, and he believed that this would teach and prevent the need for him to act further as Uncreator, a task that he detested as against his very nature.
A good man though The'Galin was, he saw the corruption and the damage that it did. Therefore, he raged against the city of his birth and against the Drakel that he saw as betraying him. In his railing, he encountered a man named Xilar. Xilar was a Silari, an ancient desert Drakel species. Xilar sought to become a servant of the gods. However, as he and the Uncreator both learned, the same corruption that had infested Tjeli had likewise spread to the Temples, with the priests and clerics of the Lords actually attacking Xilar directly. The'Galin witnessed this attack, and seeing Xilar's nature, he selected the Silari to become his first Communicant.
Now, The'Galin realized that the Elemental Lords had become blind to their followers' transgressions, if even communicants could behave so corruptly. But when he tried to tell them they would not, or could not, see. In fact, in the Drakel version of the legend it is claimed that even Lorithia did not hear him; though, both Lorithia and The'Galin have since denied this account to me. So, it is likely this is a Drakel embellishment. So The'Galin set about to prove this by example. He directed Xilar to go to Aloria, a city in the Outer Planes similar in nature to Sigil, the City of Doors, in Concordant Opposition. That is, a place where gods and servants live together. The The'Galin directed Xilar to do what was necessary to convince the Brilhado, servants of the Light Lord, of this corruption, with the hope they would convince the Lady of Light. They heard Xilar, and they believed him, seeing much of the danger he said was in Creation. But when they spoke to the Lady, such was her faith in the original creation that she still could not or would not hear. So Xilar, thinking that he might aid them, advised them to go to her husband, the Lord of Darkness. But he only rebuked them for faithlessness. Despairing of the Lords as well, and taking The'Galin's admonition to convince them at all costs quite literally, Xilar decided that he could convince them of the danger of the corruption only by spreading it to Aloria.
So Xilar convinced the Brilhado as servants of the Lady of Light that the danger was vast, and he convinced them to become necromancers, though necromancy had always been previously the domain of the Dark Lord. This alone would not have been a problem, though the Drakel later claimed that the Brilhado initially rejected this as a forbidden art. However, given that the Lady maintains an army of her own undead, I very much doubt this claim. But Xilar also directed them to practice necromancy on those Brilhado who did not choose to become necromancers. Using the language of the corrupt he told them this would not be murder but rather granting them eternal unlife! The Lady of Light was horrified by this and cast out the Brilhado till they would repent of their ways, calling them Fallen.
Xilar's attempt was successful, but its results were only to convince the Elemental Lords that The'Galin was dangerous and that his goal as Uncreator would destroy Lore. This is a position they maintained for millennia after, in light of all that happened, and only revised recently after Lorithia revealled fully the truth, both of her plan and of her directions for her husband. The truth is the The'Galin generally hates uncreation... though there have been exceptions, but it is against his character. Unfortunately Lorithia's plea and the experiences he had mean he knows it is necessary. Have there been times he actually enjoyed the role? Yes, I imagine that there have. And, given his position, uncreation does actually bring the Devourer the power that he frees from creation. So he does in that sense at least metaphorically "Eat" what he uncreates. But I am getting way ahead of myself. You see, we did not know that until recently. Even I was very wrong in my early assumptions. Now where was I... oh yes, Xilar.
Xilar returned to Lore, and as the arm of the Uncreator brought not only the temples of the Drakel races to their knees but lead to the very disruption of those ancient races, with many being uncreated. Among the basest, the darkest that he had uncreated, The'Galin selected a few to spare. These he instead made join him, to follow him, as his servitors. Such races formed what has come to be called "The Network," and they were his great project. For he saw in them two opportunities: First as a lesson for the darkness of corruption, a way to spread fear of The'Galin's eventual return; and second as a chance at absolution. A lot of time has passed since then and The'Galin has come to Lore on multiple occasions. I cannot tell you about all of them for we would be here for years, literally.
In one of the earlier occasions of his return, a good man named Garavin stood against The'Galin, believing him to be the monster that his actions, and those of his Network, made him out to be. Seeing his struggle, and knowing it deeply and intimately, The'Galin saw finally an opportunity. He declared several things. He prophesied that before Garavin would pass from Lore, he would know the Truth about The'Galin; that Garavin would fight him; and that Garavin would serve him. Finally, he declared that through Garavin, and his progeny, he would fail in his task as Uncreator, for the downfall of the corruption of Lore would be realized.
Now Garavin, known as The Eternal, had a child, whose name was Celestra. The Network, on their last incursion for The'Galin, had killed Celestra's mother, and so she was filled with dark rage against the Devourer and his Network. She saw further what the "curse" that The'Galin had laid against her father had done and she, as fiery as her father was sanguine, became as much a force of transience as he was a force of solidity. She chased after the Network. From world to world she chased them, and so she also became known as "The Huntress" - for wherever the Network grew she fought them from within and from without.
She learned then of a breed of creatures distantly related to the Drakel so removed from their normal physical forms that they no longer could live without a host. These beings were called Annunaki. Their leaders were called Avatar, for in the mythology of the Annunaki they were considered sent by the divine. She learned likewise that the effect of the curse on her Father had been brought about by such an entity. In symbiosis with her father as its host, it extended her father's life and increased his strength. The union, however, was not at the physical level but at the level of the soul, an so if the being left it would tear its host's soul in the [process?] This would render the host into a half life state, an odd form of non-necromantic undeath, called "being Forsaken." Much more information on the Forsaken can be found in the story of the Shadow Erebus, for Erebus did manipulate a group of Network beings called the Alpha to become Epsilon.
But I digress. In spite of the risk to her mortal soul Celestra sought to become not only the host of the Annunaki but of the Avatar of Transience, for it fit her nature. Therefore, Eternal and Transient became Avatar, and not merely Annunaki. While the Annunaki were many, the Avatar were few, ruling in an oligarchy. Just five original others joined in their efforts as Avatar. In the Avatar's struggle against the Network, and in the aftermath of Erebus' involvement, Truth was torn in two a process that some say drove it mad. The second half of Truth was known as Lies. This brought the number of the Avatar to an even 8, and Celestra noted that this number matched the number of Lore's primal elements. Realizing that this could give them a foothold the each chose one. The Avatar focused on their element entirely and mastered it, so that they became a mirror of Lorithia's creation. This they used to gain a foothold on Lore. In the years since, the Avatar have fought the Network from within and without, and other than Celestra and Garavin each has been forced to change hosts many times, Forsaking their old host in the process.
Which brings us rather fully to the most recent incursion of the Network against Lore. Within the Network arose three generals: one Terran, one Brilhado, and one from the distant planet of Vesperia. The Terran was very unusual in that he was never corrupted. Rather The'Galin saw the man and sensed a kindred soul. He explained his mission and the man joined him willingly. The Terran, Doctor Louis Zephyr, was to be the eyes of the Devourer on the many worlds. A brilliant mind, he started a school for those with gifts, not entirely unlike the School The'Galin had tried to form in K'eld Alorin long ago. Interestingly, it is the Drakel who finally realized The'Galin's goal on Lore, both in the new version of Alorin and in the Derenian School of Thought. But I digress.
The leader of the Brilhado was a cold, exceedingly loyal man known as Diviara Celegra. He'd lost his wife, a very good woman, to the corrupt of the Network, and they framed him for the process. Diviara's brother Giliara and son Amilara left the Network as a result. Giliara knew the truth and begged Diviara to follow, but in his loyalty he refused. So both brother and son were turned against him. Giliara fled to Lore, whereupon he eventually encountered King Tralin of Deren, and became a servitor of the Lady of Light again - the first Brilhado to join her ranks since the original fall. Amilara was a powerful necromancer, like his father, but one who did not see the undead as tools but rather as a form of Life in their own right, especially after meeting some beings that had been born that way. So Amilara, like Celestra the Huntress, began shadowing the Network, and the Brilhado in particular, with the goal of liberating the undead. This led him to many worlds, including my homeworld of Caelestia, where he was among the first to master the Undead forest of Immertot, and ultimately, when the Network discovered his behavior, to Lore.
The Vesperian's original name is unknown for as a very young man he too, was cast to Terra. There on Earth he originally was named Charuske Ryuusei, though a man named Twain adopted him. The name "Twain" is apt, for forces and choices led Ryuusei to separate into two temporal analogs - two "what ifs," if you will. I am not certain what the original dividing force was, but I have strong suspicions that The'Galin does. From the same slate they grew, but the analog raised by Twain became cold and corrupt, and the other one was sent to a distant alternate Terra where he lived among the humans there. Only the former joined the Network.
The elder Twain was a Network leader in his own right while he lived, and one who had the idea the Vesperians were gods, which is why he adopted Ryuusei and renamed him. As to Vesperia... I can find no record of what happened to it, nor even that it ever existed. The only Vesperians I have encountered, excepting the analog of Ryuusei, have been in the Network. Which suggests much in and of itself. I suspect, though I have not had the temerity to ask, that The'Galin uncreated Vesperia, and that is why it no longer exists. The elder Twain and his Ryuusei created an organization called N.O.V.A., a title that means Network of Vesperian Agents. It is actually from this organization that the practice of calling The'Galin's followers "The Network" likely originated. N.O.V.A. as an organization has never come to Lore in and of itself, though its members have. It has been active primarily of Terra and it was there that Atlas Maxwell, who was among the Avatar, met, fought, and joined them. It was likewise here that my former Avatar Galrick met them. Which I suppose means we come to how I got involved in this story to begin with.
I originally learned of The'Galin when the shadow Erebus invaded my home world and took the guise of Tholeon Webb. Erebus changed my world's history, totally messing things up before the changes were undone. Seeking to trace Erebus I found the Alpha and the Network, though I did not know at the time that Erebus WAS the being they called Epsilon. I traced them back to Lore... I arrived here some time after his last departure, and it was here I met Garavin and helped construct the Isle of D'Oriens. I continued my research for ages, gathering every book and legend I could. Erebus has subsequently let slip things that suggest he knew I would end up doing so, and that he deliberately manipulated the situation so that I would get my information on The'Galin from corrupt sources. Consequently, I was very wrong. I believed the Drakel lie, and given The'Galin himself encroaching on Lore became concerned that Caelestia was endangered. Seeking limited permission to act from Lorithia and the Elemental Lords, and in return giving the Lorian pantheon, including The'Galin, limited Caelestian access on my own terms, I sought to thwart him.
It was near the time of The Great Fire War that the Network's most recent return to Lore began. They started at the island nation of Neld, where they encountered the warring parties of Deren and Vandar. Diviara led the undead armies of the Brilhado through a gate, and from Neld they turned and attacked Vandar. In the process the network killed Draynor II, leaving the throne of Deren to Tralin. Here is also when Giliara arrived on Lore, as previously mentioned, and it was here that I actively began my own actions against the Network and The'Galin.
I gave advice to a singularly impressive communicant of the Shadow Lord known as Myr, and others, through the Gate, to a world Erebus had previously corrupted. Ultimately, Myr was corrupted by Diviara, who used "the Cold" on him, a powerful psychic attack that amplifies emotions and thoughts. Myr was so loyal, however, that he refused to be misled. But at my advice Myr began an elaborate deception where he pretended to have fallen, even assaulting his allies in the process. Ultimately Myr was instrumental in defeating a plot by Diviara and the Network to gain control of a pocket of raw creation at The Deep beneath K'eld Ner.
It was also here that I met a young Network soldier by the name of Galrick. Galrick's father Glen and most of his home of Neld had been decimated by Vandarian action, and so he called out in a rage and The'Galin answered. It was through Galrick that the gate to Neld the Brilhado utilized was opened, but upon seeing what the Brilhado brought Galrick was horrified. Seeing his doubt I convinced Galrick to play double agent. Galrick was a brilliant mind, and I sent him to Terra, not knowing fully of N.O.V.A.'s actions there. He went to a University and became a Medical Doctor. Here Galrick encountered Gaiden Cartwright, Ryuusei's son. Though Gaiden had been raised not by his father, but by his father's analog. Galrick also encountered Ryuusei himself on several occasions and fought with him, a fight that had him come to Caelestia several times. He also encountered the Order, who were led by Atlas Maxwell.
Maxwell was directly involved in the affairs of the Avatars Truth and Lies, and is the only known being known to have served as host for two Avatar and still survived being Forsaken. Though Vampire Slayer E served as the avatar of Death, and was able to stick around for a long time due to deals he made with Death the demipower and more directly his servant The Reaper. And Edward's sister Cenara, who served as avatar of Death after he was saved from being Forsaken by the intervention of advanced Moglin healing magic.
The war of the Network involved seeking the Prime Elemental Orbs, pure essences of each element, and trying to use them to control creation. In this process I learned the truth of The'Galin and began working to aid his true [missing word] In the battle that ensued, Giliara Celegra was killed by a disobedient Brilhado. In his dying breath Giliara repeated his plea that Diviara turn aside from the Network. Diviara struck down the Brilhado responsible and joined the people of Lore, directly stealing the Orbs from the Network in the process. Little did Diviara know that such was exactly what The'Galin would have hoped for Diviara. The Uncreator still sought redemption and absolution for "the Fallen" of the Network. Diviara has since become a very odd Triple Communicant, one of the few cases known of a person being a communicant of multiple powers at once. His main deity is the Lady of Light but he has served as a lesser Communicant for both the Lord of Darkness and The'Galin too. Fighting with creation, Diviara warned that the forces of the Network would come in force now.
He further warned much worse generals were coming, and this was proven by Cartwright's arrival on Lore. Cartwright had become a Communicant of The'Galin with the intent of forcing its uncreation. Cartwright believed that Creation was beyond hope and directly defied orders to bring about his ends. He caused the death of Galrick, not knowing I had already made an agreement with The'Galin. And so Galrick became my Avatar, under the rules that since I was an extraLorian power he was exiled, not to return without special permission. Which was a problem as he had met and married Celestra in this period. This was recently rescinded completely, however, in light of the fact that I became a Lorian demipower, segregate of my Caelestian roles.
In the climactic battle, Ryuusei became Omega, not only a communicant of The'Galin but a direct avatar and manifestation. He used his status as "taken avatar" to begin an assault on the Temple of Hope. What he did not know is that we had prepared for this, and that even The'Galin and Lorithia had done so, though the chose to forget their preparations so it could not be stopped. Lorithia is a pantheistic power. What this means is that she is within all of her creation, even the Avatar, and yet she is MORE than the sum of those parts. Hidden within creation, therefore, was the cause of its salvation.
We brought together all of the Elemental Orbs, the building blocks of Creation. Our most learned magi discovered a Hymn of Creation to activate them and the Index... the Temple of Hope itself. The final key to the puzzle was in fact a greater artifact know as a Spirit Orb, and King Tralin, as a communicant of Lorithia and Avatar of Life, had been entrusted with one, known as the Shield of Lorithia. Among the Avatar, Tralin was odd in many ways. Not only was he an Avatar and a Communicant, by being an Avatar when he was already a Drakel he was most odd. Only Twig as the Avatar of Peace was more unusual.
When Omega attacked the Chosen of Lore, the Hymn of Creation activated the Statue of Lorithia, and Lauren manifested as Hope - an "Avatar" of Creation. The'Galin at first denied her arrival and called it a trick, but when she spoke the blinders fell away from his eyes, too, and he left Omega, abandoning him. Ryuusei was subsequently dropped deep in the Void. Ryuusei has since returned. The'Galin has taken him back, too, after signs of moderating his past behaviors. Though his current whereabouts are unknown. One wonders what The'Galin was thinking.