The Black Sun

Power is defined as the ability to change and resist change. Every being has wanted power, either to advance his position or hold his ground. The warrior is one who fights either for a principle, for a dream, for himself, or for pure chaos. The power of a warrior is measured by his capacity for destruction, although it often hinders development, destruction is as much a form of change as creation, and if change is to be labeled as creative or destructive, depends on who has the power. The old legends speak of one warrior, who fought for his freedom from the life he did not choose.

From the bottom of a large basin in the plains, a group of friends saw the sun rise from the east, touch the summit of the tallest mountain and set in the west. One day the light called to them, the sun promised salvation if they could reach the peak. The journey would be treacherous as the land to it was held by monsters. This would not stop them, and the band of warriors left their petty lives and the warm comfort of home and family behind and began their walk. They crossed the hottest desserts, the coldest tundras, the most serene of plains and the densest of jungles. The world began to shift as they progressed, becoming increasingly deadly. The warriors gathered numerous friends along the way, who aided them as they reached the foot of the mountain, many of whom perished and were remember as martyrs. Bones and weapons lay scattered across the mountain, a deterrent for anyone who sought to conquer it. Like the fallen before them, they sought the world beyond their's. But they would succeed where countless others failed.

They killed monster after monster, leaving a trail of blood with every rest, and as the days passed, as they climbed higher, they saw the light grow dimmer; their salvation would not wait for them. As many of their own died before them, the warriors fought harder, carrying the hopes and dreams of their fallen. For the road to heaven is paved on the corpses of thousands, and mortalkind is not unfamiliar to sacrifice. Through blizzards and endless snow, through overflowing hordes of beasts and giant creatures unlike any they have ever seen, they painted the snow red, killing all in their path. As they came closer, a fog covered their view; a fog in their minds as well. Seeing so many die and killing so many, they began to lose sight of their dream.
The world before them was now enveloped in darkness and no light could shine in the leeching fog.
What purpose does life serve but to continue the horrid cycle of birth, procreation and death, and to escape such a fate, the warriors fought not only against the world but against themselves. There is nothing more corrupting of the soul than the insensivity to violence. Without seeing the value of a life beyond the living, beyond that of their world, one has nothing to live for. Death is their destiny. As they fought, they forgot themselves, their purpose, their loss and lived only for the thrill of combat, seeking a glorious death. But only one among them did not forget. This champion climbed the summit, leaving the others behind, carrying the dream their brothers and sisters have died for. The dream of heaven. But when the warrior stood atop the tip of reality, there was none to be seen. There was no sky, no sun, no stars, only darkness remained. The mist cleared, to reveal a warped world, there was no ground, trees, rocks or water. All that remained were decaying corpses and rivers of blood. A world built on bodies. A soil of countless corpses decayed beyond recognition, burnt to ashes and scattered like dust. The masks of peace and happiness were removed. The world he looked down on was one of violence and death. Life is a battle for survival and nothing else, and above this, above the peak, there is no hope, there is no escape from this life, there is no salvation.

The warriors fell of the mountain as it collapsed, and they fought the hordes of hell. They killed and killed, slashing and mauling till their bodies gave up. For days they fought, falling deeper into the darkness, until only the champion remained, gazing upon the face of the demonic mountain as the armies of rot tore apart limb from limb and devoured what remained.
'Death is my salvation, ' he said to the darkness.

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There is another Realm, like the mortal world - Earth, known as Aurosis, it's existence was known since antiquity, but later forgotten. In Aurosis there stands an ancient library, called Evianuen. Here, tablets were written in a language called Derikani by the goddess Aysra, known to mortal kind as the first language. Intended to preserve the history that was long forgotten, these tablets tell the forgotten tale of creation.

Time started with the existence of Xenra, the first God. He was born from the absolute nothingness - the void, a place that remained beyond his comprehension. Whether it was truly nothingness or something that cannot be seen would continue to remain a mystery. He existed as an idea in an abstract world. If change is possible only when interaction can take place then Xenra is the idea of creation and his world was the void. A spec of light in an infinite emptiness, and this single interaction gave birth to the entirety of creation. Ideas became law, and decided on how time and interaction will continue.

And for an unfathomable duration of time he existed as an unconscious and insentient being, till a mind formed from the network of evolving thoughts. As the idea of creation, the concept of existence contains all ideas, and this limitless interaction led to the development of consciousness.

The static void which birthed him was now an infinite set of thoughts, each as abstract and intangible as the void. They all came to being in an instant, simultaneously and timeless, as everything that can be said to exist.

While his world developed alongside his mind, he manifested himself as light, illuminating the darkness of the void. His next idea, his next creation was to be different, something that had the capacity to evolve outside his control. After pondering about it, he knew how this being would be, he wanted it to be his equal, complementary in every aspect, having what he lacks, and lacking what he has. This being was called Aysra, the second God.

Aysra existed as the physical world while Xenra existed as the abstract. Being complementary to him, Aysra existed as the idea that opposes him, the law that is to undo all laws. They coexisted as their respective worlds, the two evolving and interacting as time flowed onward. Aysra added uncertainty and chaos to creation, destroying much of what was built. For a long time Aysra was not able to see or hear Xenra, and the world became violent and anarchic, engulfed in a spectacle of fire and light. Xenra could not understand it, but he could feel it. He was afraid of her initially, but eventually when she calmed, Aysra could see him as the light, and hear him as a thought in her mind. Xenra spoke to her, and although Aysra did not understand, she was comforted by the light. For an eternity, Xenra and Aysra continued to advance themselves and the world they created. Her distortion to uniformity allowed the world to evolve in a way that Xenra could not achieve alone.

As before, they agreed to create more beings like them, in the manner Aysra was created, and they were called Primera, the lesser Gods, considered as children of Xenra and Aysra. The first was Sunera of first light. With everything that is created, part of the creator is used to make it, and this part can be returned upon the destruction of the created. This was not the case for beings like Aysra and Sunera, they were not of the creator, they were equal. This fact fascinated Xenra, and he seeked to understand the conscious being, he seeked to create the perfect conscious being. Together, Aysra and Xenra created many primera, and with multiple minds, Xenra's world evolved stunningly fast. Their father gave them the purpose of creating and advancing the created, while their mother encouraged them to follow their own paths. This period came to be called the golden age. The council of law was set up, where the primera and the first gods discussed and created, either randomly or with intention. However there was an unforseen consequence, with great variety came widespread disagreement, and as beings seeking to change the world to their own sense of perfection, conflict arose. The diversity which hastened evolution resulted in something Aysra and Xenra couldn't understand. Xenra first saw it with the primera, he saw that they disliked others, for unjustifiable reasons, he also saw that their very own children inherited this resentment. He even noticed it with Aysra, who began having favorites among her children. Xenra tried to mediate but it was too late to restore the past. Instead he hastened the pursuit of perfection, hoping this common goal would unite them.

Aysra did not feel a need to create more than what already exists, while Xenra knew not how to exist without creating. To her, he had already reached perfection, yet Xenra was not satisfied with her, he did not have the same love Aysra had for him. Since their children were also equal to them, as Xenra wanted, it was a danger when some had joined as groups, supporting what they felt as the perfect world. In an attempt to stop the escalation, he proposed an idea, the foundations of a system he called as a Realm. A Realm is characterised by a set of laws, and these laws would evolve as they interacted over time, the Realm did not need a guardian or watcher as the laws would oversee all interactions. Although Aysra greatly supported this, it was widely rejected by the council, for his idea of a Realm would strip primera of their power. Xenra was saddened to see the primera reach the point where separation was inevitable, it proved that all his efforts for the perfect being were in vain.

Using the basis of his idea, Xenra's world was divided, into five realms. Four for the primera, each very different from the other; governed by laws set up by the respective primera, catered to their own benefits, and one - Aurosis for Xenra and Aysra, and a few who joined them, still believing in their vision of perfection.

The Realm of Fantasia - A colourful world, home to extreme diversity, and pure chaos. The inhabitants of which are left unintelligent due to a constant fight for survival. The primera who created it are tribalistic, led solely and unquestionably by the most powerful among them. The law of this Realm is the survival of the strongest.

The Realm of Vernama - A world in eternal night, lit by starlight. It is a peaceful world, following it's own evolutionary direction. And like Aurosis, it remains isolated from the other realms.

The Realm of Plangrothos - An organic world, slimy and in constant decay and rebirth. It is home to a group of primera who follow Xenras philosophy of life to the extent so as to make everything in creation conscious. If life is a cycle of birth, procreation and death, then the world of total violence is the the most alive.

The Realm of Urosin - Like Vernama, they walk their own path. But unlike the others, the primera here continued the quest for the perfect conscious being.

There were other realms, but none were as large or as powerful as these. Expectedly, separation was not enough, for the world was shared by all even if separated by realms.

The First War broke out between the primera of Plangrothos, Aysra and Xenra tried to settle it, but as equals they were ignored, and the world they wanted became a dream. They were terrified what their children did, and chose to abandon the others, living isolated in Aurosis, alone together again. Aysra stopped looking at her children, she saw them as failures, and Xenra learnt that his world was no longer his, it was shared and divided. All that he created was lost. Xenra stayed with Aysra, Sunera and the few others, greatfull that they were not like the others. They would be safe in Aurosis for the primera had no need for Xenra and Aysra. One way or another, replacement of the old took place, either by a primera conceding their views or by his death, and in an unexpected way, this permanent end had hastened evolution to an extent. Xenra couldn't act much on it, centuries went like grains of sand tumbling down a dune. The dream of creation was over.

One day in Aurosis, after a long time passed and the wars of domination were over, the sun dimmed slightly.
'Oh, what happened to the light, ' asked the lake.
The sun did not reply, brightening a moment later.
'Something is wrong, ' said the tree.
'I shall find out, ' said the clouds.
And a lone cloud rose into the sky, towards the sun.

'Come join me for an adventure, ' Aysra exclaimed gleefully.
Xenra did not respond, he was disheartened, having spent millenia rising and setting over the land in thought and introspection.
Aysra tried greatly to please him, to keep him satisfied with their existence but the lie of diversity was too defeating to recover from. Xenra couldn't find a purpose but the one he was born with. As long as he exists, conscious life must continue. Only after thousands of years did he realise that there was no alternative than to continue the path of the creator.

'I've decided to make another world, and another being, but this will be different, they won't be our equal, they will be lesser to us. They will have something we all lack.'
Aysra smiled, glad that Xenra did not lose his sense of purpose, and the creation continued. Together, the primera of Aurosis and Aysra and Xenra made Earth, and the rest of the Realm. Every world starts as a blank canvas, with the bulk of it's contents concentrated at a central point. This is again a result of consciousness and the nature of interaction. In any reality, physical or abstract, the closer the entities are, the greater the interaction. Life is conceived from a single point and will spread to all corners of creation. The outskirts of every realm were black, and empty, while the center shined like a beacon of life in the darkness. Looking at all of his creation, all the realms were conscious beings to him. Though individually of different mind, the more connected it's inhabitants, the more the collective mind began to manifest. Aysra did not bother with such things, unlike Xenra she focused on the present reality rather than thought, she focused on the pleasures of simply being. But when it came to creating the next being, the successors of the primera, called as the Emetra, the third generation of consciousness. Xenra proposed something different, inspired from the violence of diversity that was unavoidable, death.

'Death? But is that the best way?' Aysra asked.

'I believe so, the impermanence gives them purpose, and undoes the nature of self preservation. They will grow far beyond us, and they will not fail like we have. They will be called mortals, for mortality is what exalts them.'

During the birth of mortal kind, Aurosis and earth would be one. Xenra designed the Realm as he first proposed it. Earth was ruled by laws rather than gods and no primera would have power in this Realm. Aysra commanded the gatekeepers, her guardians made by Xenra to protect Aurosis and Earth. However Aurosis and Earth was not the only realms home to the Emetra. Urosin had seven races, the Syndrians, Tripersts, Messarians, Atlaners, Ketma, Agvena and the Usmansu. Earth and Aurosis had four races, Humans, Elves, Dwarfs and Harrows. Fantasia had three, Draconids, Indreins and Reapers. Vernama had just two, the Dracules and the Quintola. While Plangrothos had no unique being, to Xenra all of Plangrothos was a disease that needed purging.

Aysra came to see mortals as perfection, at least for the present and she began to love them. Xenra however believed something else, and she came to conclude it. Aysra began to grow distrustful of him, slowly becoming aware of the secrets he kept, but she remained faithful to him, as Xenra was her world.
She began to participate with the mortals, as one superior, but her dominion was peaceful, Xenra was never involved however, he spent his time alone and in thought, isolated even from Aysra, which after ten thousand years had now started to worry her. It was not long before even mortals were subject to the disease of violence, even when death was a certainty. For the first time he faced an impasse, and he lacked the collective minds of the primera to answer the question. The primera were led to believe that they were equal to Aysra and Xenra and they were, however not at present, for to gods, time is evolution and the primera have not evolved as much. He began to consider invading the other realms and taking back what was rightfully his, but looking back at Aysra, he knew she wouldn't let him, nor would she love him anymore. He knew the outcome of mortal kind and the primera, and he and Aysra will be powerless against it. In solitude he couldn't find a way to continue creation with his world so polluted. Conflict cannot be avoided, and perhaps conflict is the inevitable end of evolution, he could not be certain. The fourth being will suffer from it as well, as will the fifth, and the next and every other no matter what is done differently. Population is the answer, at least the present answer, but in his situation he could not change that, his world was no longer his. Regardless of what is discarded or not, the spoilage of the future must be prevented. And for millenia he pondered, imagining a solution of some kind, one that will rectify all the mistakes he's made while at the same time continuing his work for perfection.

One day, Aysra came to check on Xenra. She watched from a secluded place, but saw something she did not understand.
'What are you doing?' she came forth and asked.
Xenra was startled, and hastened the process, but she stopped him.
'What are you doing?' She repeated.
The light dimmed, and gradually grew faint as he spoke.

'I did not want you to be present for this. Please leave, I shall return to you.'

'No! You will speak now!' She screamed as her voice changed to that of a beast, and fire engulfed the sky.

'I shall be reborn, reincarnated as another.'
The light grew frighteningly dim, and fear was seen on her face.
'Why must you be reborn?'

'You are blind Aysra. Do you think that we can exist in isolation like this? Our children, they've fought, they murdered their brothers and sisters, do you understand what that means? A permanent death? It's the death we give to the mortals, their souls will return to us, death is a beginning for mortals, but an end to primera. They are gone, gone forever! If they decide to come for us, to learn our knowledge, our powers, our secrets... '
Aysra stepped back, with terror in her eyes and he continued.
'How can you be sure they won't harm us for it? They have thrown away everything we taught them. Can you continue to live here, ignoring what we have done by allowing this? How can we continue the path of the creator if our world is so tainted by filth? Will you let it stagnate? Will you let your home rot in the dark?'

Aysra began to cry, she looked at him, the bright light, fading away.
'What will you do?'

'I cannot see my world being poisoned like this. I must undo the mistakes of my creation. I must cleanse this world. The present must be expunged for the sake of the future.'

Those words sent chills down her spine. It was not the Xenra she loved, it was not the Xenra she knew.

'I will be reborn as a mortal on Earth, and after death, I will return to Aurosis, and the unification of creation will begin. I will create a perfect world once again.'
Darkness drew nearer, and Aysra was terrified.
'Expunge the present? Y-you would kill me, and your children?'
She struggled to speak, betrayed by everything she knew.

'You won't die my Aysra, you will always be part of me.'
He brought the light closer to her, trying to comfort her as he came closer to death. A final kiss before the end.
'Let these be my last words to you, on the day of the black sun, I shall be reborn anew.'
And the light faded, the sun had fallen, and the red fire of Aysra, painting the sky red and orange had receded, the sun shattered to pieces, scattered everywhere, bringing the darkness of night onto the land.

That night Aysra looked into the sky contemplating what Xenra meant. The light survived, but not as one, and not as bright. All of the realms saw this, they all came fourth to Aurosis but Aysra allowed none, she remained alone, she hid his last words from the others. Some primera deduced why this happened, and exiled themselves from their respective realms, it was to be self inflicted punishment for their crimes against the creator. The only escape from this world was to explore the dark outer reaches of creation, till the edge of the void and start another, far from the current world. Hours after his passing, Aysra discovered a tablet he wrote on. The tablet of black sun, speaking of the prophecised destroyer - the mortal born not under an eclipse, but the child who enters the world when the light had turned dark. The tablet was hidden away in an inaccessible corner of Evianuen. Aysra found more comfort with the mortals than primera, being so akin to the physical, the sense of touch meant much to her, but the mortals couldn't fill his absence. She attempted to create another sun, so the mortal kind of Aurosis will not awake in darkness, but destroyed it soon after. Even with near omnipotence rivaled solely by Xenra, Aysra couldn't replicate Xenra's light, and Aurosis learned to live with an artificially lit sky and no sun.

Since her arrival to being, Aysra's form would change, from static objects, to lifeforms, and ultimately she settled on a preferred form she viewed as contemporary perfection. A red haired and red eyed human female with elf ears. Similar to both humans and elves and with a proportion between the tallest elf and the shortest dwarf. Often seen with a gold embroidered silky white sheet wrapped like a dress, and honored with many jewels by the mortals which she proudly donned. Much changed during the years after Xenra's death, Aysra visited less and less, leaving behind her gifts. Her skin turned pale, her body shrivelled to bones and her hair shortened, losing colour and greying.

During Xenra's time, judgement was passed for all mortals who entered Aurosis, those who wronged were sentenced to labour, to make the afterlife of those judged well pleasant, and after the sentence, they would be reborn on earth again. While having a creator who loved and cares for them greatly reduced the chances of violence, some was present and justice was to be served.

Aysra did not want worship or offering, just that the afterlife and the tale of creation would not be forgotten. But after his demise, she slowly stopped visiting, she spoke less, until she spoke no more, hearing then left her. She slowly fell into madness and hysteria, having illusions of the light in her memories. Aurosis decayed, and ultimately, she stopped caring for mortals, for they fought the same as her other children, their innocence to violence was a lie, they were not perfection, they were another failure. Everyone was judged wrongly by her eyes, and Aurosis was transformed into an inferno. Her anger fouled the ones she loved, even the primera that remained loyal to her. She banished those primera who tried to help her, thinking they were attempting to take control of Aurosis.

Was this Xenras plan? She thought to herself. Did he want me to do this? Did he know how I would suffer? Did he want me to hate him?

Her body decayed, her skin shed itself, revealing crimson flesh and greyish white tissue between. The golden silk robe she wore was incinerated to gas, air dried up what was left of her uncovered, gradually pulling out the blood and fluids till all that was left was muscle, flesh and bone all assembled like stone.
No nails on the hands or feet, no mouth or ears or nose, for none of these were needed, no organs, and no heart, no lips, no eyelids or eyebrows. All she had were eyes, with flesh directly connected to the eyeball. Her form reflected her decayed state without Xenra. With strained eyes, she searched for eons, but never did she see the child of black sun. She recorded all the history, fearing her own death and the loss of information. But after a few centuries, she stopped, finding it a pointless waste, and abandoned the library of Evianuen.

When Aysra no longer involved herself with the mortals, their world decayed, succumbed to randomness of nature and primal instinct, and she and their history over the thousands of years was forgotten. They began believing in their own fabricated Gods, claiming anything else as heresy. There was no loving mother to guide them, and the world that was once their home is now an enemy they must conquer. Aysra continued to rot in darkness, just as Xenra foretold would happen to creation. On a broken throne she sat, in a collapsed palace with no roof, surrounded by hellfire. Blind, deaf and mute, the forgotten goddess of old waited for black sun.