Who are the Silent Gods?
There, arranged in the glistening chaos of the scattered runes, I saw the wretched shapes of those wicked beings imperceptible to our simple minds. As the forms shifted from one nightmare to the next, my mind was flooded with visions of horrors, tragedy and bliss. Yes, I wanted to look away, yet, knowing that these fickle gods surround us unseen has changed my life in ways I cannot yet comprehend..." ~ excerpt from the diary of Sister Astanoshia
Temuair, as it is today, is a land ruled by gods. The eight ruling deities are not shy about involving themselves in our lives. Their influence is pervasive both in presence and persuasion, yet, the gods we know as divine rulers are but a candle against the inferno of eternity. Countless millennia have passed since man took dominion over this land, yet our mastery of deep history extends only into the struggle between two of the more recent elder gods; Danaan and Chadul. Even so, this time reaches only into the sixth aeon, whereas the first five aeons of known history account for over 90% of our recorded timeline.
The world of our ancestors was a darker, crueler land touched -- when it was touched at all -- by the uncaring hands of silent gods; so consumed with their own abysmal realms that they spared not but a passing moment for the plight of humanity. Still, our forebearers sought their guidance, they sought a purpose. Using the casting runes as a tool of communication, our pleas were able to reach the ears of these divine beasts, and, thus, brought our insignificance to their attention. Whether they were to receive scorn or salvation seemed to be as fickle as the winds.
While we have names and even countenances by which to identify our living gods, the silent gods were without shape, without voice and without name. No single deity was ever singularly identified, though the journals of seers around the time of the eighth aeon seem to speculate that either Sgrios, Deoch or Chadul might be manifestations of these vengeful gods taken shape in our realm. As with all manners of theological theory, speculation is just that -- the Dubhaimid gods remain ambiguous as to their origins, and Chadul... Well, may he forever remain unable to answer any queries.
Modern seers who continue the practice fail to produce the same catastrophic results of those in the centuries long past, leading one to wonder whether the readings were ever actually the root cause of the disaster, or whether or not the silent gods are still answering the call of the runes. Some divine hand still guides the stones - perhaps even our beloved modern gods of Temuair - yet no one can say for certain. It may be that, as our realm has stabilized, so, too, have the tempers of the silent gods and they guide our hand now as they always have. All that can be said for sure is that there is much wisdom still to be gleaned from the runes and an adept seer stands to gain considerable wisdom from the practice.
The world of our ancestors was a darker, crueler land touched -- when it was touched at all -- by the uncaring hands of silent gods; so consumed with their own abysmal realms that they spared not but a passing moment for the plight of humanity. Still, our forebearers sought their guidance, they sought a purpose. Using the casting runes as a tool of communication, our pleas were able to reach the ears of these divine beasts, and, thus, brought our insignificance to their attention. Whether they were to receive scorn or salvation seemed to be as fickle as the winds.
While we have names and even countenances by which to identify our living gods, the silent gods were without shape, without voice and without name. No single deity was ever singularly identified, though the journals of seers around the time of the eighth aeon seem to speculate that either Sgrios, Deoch or Chadul might be manifestations of these vengeful gods taken shape in our realm. As with all manners of theological theory, speculation is just that -- the Dubhaimid gods remain ambiguous as to their origins, and Chadul... Well, may he forever remain unable to answer any queries.
Modern seers who continue the practice fail to produce the same catastrophic results of those in the centuries long past, leading one to wonder whether the readings were ever actually the root cause of the disaster, or whether or not the silent gods are still answering the call of the runes. Some divine hand still guides the stones - perhaps even our beloved modern gods of Temuair - yet no one can say for certain. It may be that, as our realm has stabilized, so, too, have the tempers of the silent gods and they guide our hand now as they always have. All that can be said for sure is that there is much wisdom still to be gleaned from the runes and an adept seer stands to gain considerable wisdom from the practice.
The Seer
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The Runes
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