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“Let them not fade into obscurity, nor the years erode our memory. Their deeds and sacrifice were too great to ever be forgotten. For the day it is, humanity shall decline into its inevitable fall. With their preservation are you so charged.”
These were the dying words of King Casimir, our noble ruler of these bountiful lands those of the first days named, Aenne Aelle. A king who was torn from the pages of our story by the slow march of time. A noble endeavour for the first keeper of his venerable order, and a story I shall seek to relate before I am accepted in the arms of the Embrace.
To those whose eyes witness this record, far into the distant future, it is likely that you have come in search of them—the noble and righteous champions who had the courage to stare into the blackness and stand firm against the machinations of the Abyss and the humans corrupted by the seduction of shadow.
The Fates, so named by the light bringer, Aten. Five nobles of five families joined him in an open rebellion against the Archon of Shadows, the greatest calamity of our time. One by one the kingdoms of Idel pledged their allegiance to Aten,
their liberator. Seeing the courageousness of the humans, four goddesses swayed to the rebellion’s cause.
Alas, Aten and his followers learned that even the greatest courage may not always overcome a force of will. His lights
suffered but would not relent in their rage against the coming of night. They suffered defeat for many years until the
followers of the Archon encircled the last of them on the great plain, where they readied for the last battle. Love for the humans alone was not enough for the gods to overcome the dark disciples.
In their selflessness, Aten and the goddesses channeled their very essence into five stones, gifting them to each of the Fates. The goddesses sacrificed their lives to seal away the four shadows, entrusting their chosen warriors with the elemental and celestial power of the Illuri. With this divine energy, the Fates led one last charge against the forces of the Archon. United by their power and resolve, they fought back the great shadow until Aten gave his life to cast the Archon beyond the veil between worlds—and the Archon was no more.
Our world of Idel has since begun to mend. We again turn to the prophecy, awaiting the day on which Zeion returns to pass a final judgment over his stewards and human creations. The brilliance of the Illuri has since diminished and the aura of light bound to each Fate has faded away. Seconds passed into hours, days into months and now, two years after the cataclysm, we still remember the five who held back the end of days.
You will never know their courage or their sacrifice as we have and so this written record must suffice. The account of their deeds is what is most important and I’m certain that others will write similar stories, though the Fates did not care for eternal recognition. They did not wish their names to be written and so their desired anonymity shall be respected.
They knew that in memory and great detail that the stories of their deeds would be remembered, but so too would those of the shadow. Memories that need not plague our mortal
existence. Thus, will my record be kept brief, for we have many new memories to make.
So, I leave you with the verses written by my late mother. She who knew the darkness and turned to face the light. This is the story of our time, the legend of the Fates of Aten.
Remember them.
Always.
In the realm of the untold, where stars converge,
Zeion the father, did emerge.
On our desolate rock, he cast his sight,
One he molded and shaped, with celestial might.
From barren land, beauty did ensue,
And with Zeion's touch, were made anew,
Ten gods, his creations, to guide mankind,
To unity and prosperity, they were assigned.
Zeion, the wise, before departing to roam,
Declared his return, to judge how they’d grown.
Humanity, his masterpiece, must progress,
If they remained united, Idel he would bless.
But alas, as fate would have its sway,
Free will emerged and led humanity to stray.
Divided we were, distant from the divine,
With Zeion's perfect image, we failed to align.
Aegill, the Archon, rose with dark might,
Imposed his cruel will, and obscured Idel’s light.
And humanity endured, united only by fear,
In bonds of his cruelty, shed many a tear.
Yet resistance sparked, a rebel god did rise,
Aten, the light, against Aegill's despise.
A conflict of Heavens, the Cataclysm unleashed,
With humanity doomed, their gods’ help they beseeched.
––––––––
Aegill and his forces, were deathly and strong,
The rebellion's hope dwindled, for far too long.
But Aten, and his followers, with spirits aflame,
Conjured the Illuri, to counter their bane.
The Fates, five became, wielding celestial might,
United they fought, his champions of light.
The gods, in sacrifice, sealed darkness away,
Peace was restored, our world spared from decay.
And so they live on, in tales old and new,
Echoes of the Fates, their light shining through.
In a world among stars, do souls recall,
Our immortal journey, our rise, and our fall.
Final judgment awaits, a day none can know,
The Fates will live on, their legend will grow.
Their verses are sung, immemorial and grand,
The greatest of powers, when united, they stand.
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The Fates of Aten
Joren al Castor
First of the Order of the Keepers–A.C. 02