We deal in symbolism and metaphor on a daily basis as players and Moon Mages. I'm going to toss some nudges out there for you guys. Visions for us are difficult to untangle because we're so close to them. I'll also share some interesting overlapping symbology that has been occurring in recent events.

Grazhir, as a pearl, can be seen as to be the manifestation of unity, wisdom and as 'natural' object. It's often associated with the many heavens, paradises and enlightenment one achieves once they step from beyond the mortal coil.

The Microcosm is, well, a microcosm. A reflection and of belonging to something greater than the sum of its parts. If you look at the general shape of it we see 'two' wheels; one reflecting the other. The central pillars are the primary discordance here: The Pillar of Unity and the Broken Pillar. Further, we have the introduction of the Pillars of Nightmare (G'nar Peth) and now the Shrew. Where once stood Virtues of a path that represented the total sum of Enlightenment we see the gradual decay to fear, madness and decay. As of now, there's only one Pillar of the Shrew.

The Moons themselves, even Grazhir, reflect 'truths' of the world as we see it. Katamba, Yavash, Xibar: if three could become balanced, we'd have Grazhir. Pearls, to clams, are the result of the introduction of a biological irritant which activates the process of our pearl. A classically accepted high 'tier' pearl can be said to be a perfect sphere and possess nacreous and iridescent qualities.

This we can look at as a property of Gnosis. Here it's reflected as *four becoming one*.

This is reflected throughout the Elanthian cosmology. The Immortals. Elanthia. Mortals. Here we have a trinity of metaphysical synthesis from which a fourth emanation is manifested.

In Elanthia, the philosophy of 'as above, so below' is more or less literal.

Names have the utmost meaning on Elanthia, for both good and ill. A moment to consider: Katamba is wreathed in not just shadow but miasma. Not just shadow and miasma but once had been ivory and gold.

Time is not operating how we believe it to be - not that it matters (right?)

Some historic perspective from Gemstone:

Koar was said to be the last living Drake who lead his chosen pantheon of Great Spirits once from the golden and ivory moon. It was also said that he was the 'master of mana/essence', that fundamental substance required for us to work magic. He was thought to sleep at the center of the world upon a great throne: one eye always open beneath a golden crown.

He also warded the world from his place in dreams; he became the metaphysical 'plug' for a tear in our plane from which *obscene horrors* sought to make noms from our poor world of matter. Four mages placed the Emperor Drake into an enchanted sleep upon an ancient mountain. Here, the rift lay open and it was thought that to step through the 'Eye of the Drake', and into the 'Rift' itself was metaphysically and physically true. Here, adventurers could be seen to visions of the future (and plenty of nonsense). It was a place of on the shore of dreams where foresight is etched on grains of sand.

Here, too, adventurers could discover the 'Heart' of the Rift: a great, meaty heart riddled with worms that gnawed through its vast caverns leaving behind naught but sludge and slime.

In modern times, both the Immortals of Magic and Dreams have rather 'dark' casts to them rather than possessing more wholly balanced attributes. Dream is a stalking panther, a killer in the dark. Magic is an Old Man graced with foresight but a penchant for destructive quests of knowledge while guarded by the cunning Wolf.

Consider the loss of the Rakasha history. They were once thought to have 'a single will, a single mind. The Pack was the Pack." Now they are shaped by the waxing and waning of Katamba, of Shadow, between Beast, Man and that which is both while being neither.

Consider the Prydaen whose existence is caught in an endless Wheel. Always bound in fur, fang and claw. Here is the twilight of dreams.

Lyras targeted them without mercy. Why? A wholly human who Descended and wrought death and undeath upon whole peoples - never mind the cursed forms of the Risen.

How about the S'kra Mur. A scaled being much like a man. Look at the swath of destruction, corruption, nightmare, sorrow and domination their Empire spread. From themselves they even made a whole cursed people, doomed to wander dark and twisted woods. Between them both lay the World Dragon...and Maelshyve.

The world of matter and flesh is confusing and strange. We have all these bindings of flesh, form and spirit - is it no wonder that the *Servant of Fate* makes war on us? Determinism at its most absolute is to act without complete moral consideration. To believe (for Moon Mages, to see) the future is utterly absolute and so any action made has no consequence.

We've arrived back to Naming: how much meaning can a name hold, in a single language, if that language shares etymological morphology with two separate dialects in two vastly different cultures? How about three? Or more? A spirit is a single emanation of nature; a vessel to be filled as much as it will shape the destiny of the living flesh that carries it between worlds. What binds the mind together more than language, written and spoken, itself? What guides magic and ritual, if not signs, symbols and words of power?

From the soul, to the flesh, to the mind..


The Umbramagus with it's two heads and four arms.

The Shadowling, with its six-finged paw.

The Nimbus, its four clawed arms.

The 'Five' Greater Concepts of the Plane of Probability: Six, if we grant the Hunger/Entropy's Glory (another example of twisted gnosis ideology), a place here. We have the Arbiter in Darkness beginning to make its own actions: a pact made with the Trader guild in exchange for access to 'new' paths of magic in exchange for..what?


OOCly, Traders have to 'sacrifice' some of their gathered starlight aura in exchange for access to the spells. The methodology here is incredibly important. Also, recent events showed us an intriguing event. A recent trader who allowed her greed inspire her to grasp at more of the Plane of Probability than was agreed upon: the removal of physical crystals form her mind and the *erasure of her memory*. Now, she's caught in a temporal loop.

If we look at Traders and Moon Mages side by side, it's not difficult to see why he chose the Guild which navigates and forges the most paths toward many..fortunes here in the mess of the world of matter. We have Kerenappchu reaching into the Astral Plane and so into the Plane of Probability (it can be said Dergati has a shade of emanation within it already). If Dergati/G'nar Peth touched and corrupted the Plane of Probability first, is it a surprise that the Shadow and Light creatures are as they are? Is it simple coincidence that we discovered access to the Saesordian Compass spell recently? Or the Clerics and their 'Aspect of the All God' or War Mages and their 'Aethrolysis' spell?



Within the Arbiter of Darkness, we can see as shadow of an impression of the emanation of Dergati's own 'sees all' with an 'all knowing' facet is now touching the physical world just as the Servant of Fate seemingly has gone insane - to the rise of the Pillar of Shrew and the creation of Xitoccanemun the First, an Akul'tiz, and the entire Akul'tiz race from sacrificed spirit gestated within a chrysalis, here on Elanthia proper. This was the time that the Greater Fist erupted to the loss of the Crystal Hand Guildhall (how many hands do we have to lose? Oh..right).

Amusing enough, I'd like to show you the heavy play on overlapping symbology:

Three unique beings, three similar purposes:

You see Kirmhara, a Herald. The ritualistic scarring of her ebony skin pulses with an intense luminosity which lends an unnatural glow to the flashing gold pupils of her pale silver eyes. Slightly pointed, yet curled and somehow half formed ears are nearly hidden by her bright white, nearly colorless hair which cascades to her knees in spiky braids, lending a brittle edge to her sharply angled features. The incandescent flame red folds of her long flowing chiton barely conceal the hilt of a cruelly twisted long sword. Brightly lacquered nails in alternating stripes of red and gold draw attention to the long tapering fingers of her long, boney hands.

You see Xitoccanemun the First, an Akul'tiz.
Xitoccanemun has apple-sized, brilliant violet eyes and pointed too-white teeth. Hairless grey skin hangs flaccidly from his frame, heavily tattooed head-to-toe to the point that it appears solid black, leaving only the eyelids to betray his natural complexion. Tipping his fingers are long, sharpened nails painted a dusky emerald-green swimming with flecks of silver.
He is well-built and very tall for an Akul'tiz.

And from the vision titled 'Shackles'


You see a man of ashen grey complexion standing on a featureless plane. He is hairless and nude, his skin profoundly bruised and burnt. A black aura surrounds him, all sharp lines and jagged edges, except for his head: as it inches upward, the darkness gives way to a crown of braided sunlight.

Above and surrounding the figure is a semi-circle of creatures, vaguely Human shaped but made out of fire and sunlight. Some bob up and down to the beat of incandescent wings, others are merely suspended in defiance to gravity. Manacles bind their limbs and trail earthen brown tethers that connect to the plane below them, leaving them perhaps a few more feet of slack.

One of the fire creatures attempts to raise a blinding sword, but does not have enough slack to bring it above its head. The grey man smirks, but closes his eyes and lowers his head. He walks the distance between him and the creatures, then sits down amongst the tethers.

Where is this all going? I've followed a gnarled path as there is no simple, linear way tie all of this together. I'll let Edward the Exorcist (check the anagrams on that for fun) of Entropy's Glory (The Hunger/Devour-er) say it best..and with a disturbing declaration of knowledge:

*Tobacco pouch in hand, Edward carefully filled his pipe. He said, "Think I got a good grasp on it now, though. In fact, you and I? We share three secrets that they," he gestured with his pipe toward the ceiling, the typical vantage point for a scrying window, "don't know.*

"First, we both know that the gods are good, and that they have suffused this plane with meaning."

The hissing grew sharper in pitch. Tendrils of shadow-stuff probed against Edward's light.

*"Second, I know what your real name is-"

The rumbling further intensified, threatening the structure.

"-and we both know you can't kill me fast enough to stop from shouting it out. Next time, use more syllables."*

Everything went dead, except for the sound of Edward lighting his pipe.

He said, "I confess I don't really understand the bit about names, nor why you chose the first one, but that doesn't mean I can't bash you over the head with it. So, here's the deal. I don't care. The people watching us would care, but I don't care very much about them either. Surrender this connection to the plane, and I won't tell them who you are."

There was a pause. Commentators later suggested that Entropy's Glory communicated with Edward telepathically. No one but Edward knew what it said, though his response was audible, *"Certainly, but there will be other people. That's the will of the gods; the fate to which you are bound. It's not within your power to throw off this burden, but you're welcome to keep trying.*

"Now go, unless you enjoy my company."

The shadows around Edward receded into the cracks and corners of the hall, then vanished entirely. Emsfolk was cleansed.

Afterward, accountants tallied up the cost for Edward's Staff and assorted services: the exorcism had cost 997 platinum and change. Records indicate that Edward charged a new hat and tobacco pouch to the account, then donated the remainder to a local monastery.

The truth is occluded. Names, even names forgotten, hold power. We live in an Elanthia of amnesia. The Moon Mages are children of Grazhir, of a past where balance and unity once presided. There are multiple children of this Fall and victims more. There is a vast story here being told that can get lost beneath the shadow of midnight sun.

In summary:


>> "Gather round, good worthies, and hear what I've seen,
Reflected in a glassy eye
Heed the truth of my words alone...
...for prophets never lie."

"Three Deceivers set forth upon the lands
Emerging from the cold --
While your protectors sleep and dream soft dreams
Their plans already unfold."

"No king! No squire! No heart nor reason
Can alone unturn this darkling treason
But an army or a legion
Will find their weapons worthless lead."

"And here, pray allow, some light be shed."

"Trust not what you know, o worthies,
In a realm of confusion and strife.
Nothing is as it first appears,
Illusion the deadliest knife."<<

https://gswiki.play.net/Griffin_Sword_War
https://gswiki.play.net/Griffin_Sword

Interesting piece of history with ramifications for modern Elanthia in Dragonrealms. I suggest checking out the Misenseor Abbey and most likely..Su Helmas.

It might be relevant to note: GS2 was during an Ice Age. The fifth moon, Varian, fell on the planet and locked it deep within a stasis. Players 'woke' to discover it whole again. This was the official end of the 'De-ICING' when the game was in the 'Shadow World' setting. It makes the 'Shadow's Fall' event possess more..intrigue.