ooh fun, i love worldbuilding!! the majority of my writing projects are contemporary fantasy and they just take place in our world, but my most recent project is high fantasy, so i've been doing a lot of worldbuilding for that. it's pretty fun - maybe i'll share some details later, when i have more time :)

do you have a favorite aspect of worldbuilding? i'd probably say designing religions/folktales and landscapes! :D 

Oooohhhh I don't have time right now but I WILL be back.  With pages and pages and pages of lore.

I love worldbuilding! This sounds great, I'll post more later.

okay, if you've read my work, then you know it's mostly off-kilter urban fantasy, with a backdrop of spiritualism and mythology. what you might not know if that ive, like, written some of that mythology! it just felt like it would be too far away from my general stuff to post under the terminal. but, uh, that sort of thing looks welcome here! most of it is Old, so i'm revising it, hence the likely frequent typos. my bad. and, if you haven't read my other stuff, you can probably still read this. and read the terminal please it's my baby.

~~~

Note: This appears to be a very recent translation of a very old religious text. there is, unfortunately, no more complete version of it. We do not doubt the sincerity of the translator, only her ability to translate incomplete Aramaic text. Any mistranslations or mistakes have been preserved, out of respect for Mrs. Maggie Hawkins. 

- Cio Orlin

The First Betrayal 

... And it was in the old days, when the Divine Corpse of the Precursor had not yet cooled, and mankind was new, and The Inheriting Gods were, if not "new," then only a little old, that there was last true unity in Heaven.

In those days, all of the seven Inheriting Gods were at peace. Throne, who was eldest among them, ruled over all of Creation, from the White Kingdom, a system of worlds that is known, in these days, as Heaven's Ruin. And at his right hand was seated Solus, his brother, who commanded a half of the spirits of heaven. (these could rightly be called Angels.) At his left was seated his sisterbrother, Usurper, who was his most beloved sibling, and who also commanded a half of the spirits of heaven (which might rightly be called Demons.) Throne, for his part, commanded none in battle, for he was powerful enough to strike down an entire army, yet too compassionate to ever do so. 

(In these days, also, Apophis, who would later be called the Second Traitor, brooded in a world called the Red City. He was a miserable thing, and he would later do something incredibly stupid.) 

Now, a god is not like a man. While a man may be extraordinarily weak, and his life may only span a century, at most, he holds a power no god will ever hold. He is not bound by any law, and he may make of himself whatever he wishes. (it is said that when then first human was created, Tiamat brought her before all the Inheriting Gods. it is said that Throne glanced at her once, and said, this is the greatest weapon in all of Creation.) A god is great in power, and larger than any man could ever contemplate. Yet every god is a slave to it's own nature.

It was in accordance with their own nature, then, that Usurper, one day, left their throne in the White Kingdom, and brought all their armies along with them. It was in accordance with their nature that they then commanded their army to strike against the worlds that encircled heaven. In perfect accordance with their nature, they annihilated entire worlds, destroying whole nations as one would an anthill. 

It was not long at all before Solus learned of their betrayal. In those days, Solus claimed close loyalty to Throne, although in his heart he harbored a secret loathing of Usurper, one driven by a wicked jealousy. Before long, he was begging for the blood of Usurper. Throne, however, asked that Solus wait three weeks, so that Throne might gather the other Inheriting Gods, that they might work out a unified position.

So Tiamat came, from her feeding grounds, flanked by her hounds, and the Secret Keeper, with her mute priestesses, and even grim Apophis, with an order of The Seventh Tongue, and a great sword. Wheel, for his part, had not interest in visiting his siblings, whom he loathed. He sent a Doom Beggar in his stead. The six, and their servants, discussed bitterly, for two weeks. In the end, it was decided: war was unavoidable. All agreed to lend their own servants and soldiers to the cause. Throne was greatly grieved, for he loved his sisterbrother, and knew they acted only out of their nature, without malice. 

The great war over Creation wrent many worlds asunder, and for the first time, heaven was split. It is for this reason that the Usurper is called the First Traitor. 

During the seventh year of the great war, Throne sat at a window overlooking the curvature of Creation, smoking a pipe, as was his custom. Then, as if they had appeared by magic, Usurper crept silently behind him. When Throne saw his sisterbrother, they embraced, and wept bitterly, for both knew the other was acting according to their own nature, and yet their affection for the other had not diminished. 

After Usurper had left the White Kingdom, Throne was utterly convinced that a peaceful solution was attainable. He left heaven, then, for the first, and shortest, time.

It was well known that Wheel was the craftiest of the Inheriting Gods. He lived then, as he does now, at the very bottom of Creation. He appeared then, as he does now, as a massive wheel, spanning the circumference of existence, constantly turning and flowing through black water. But in those days, he could occasionally be persuaded to walk in the form of a man. 

Throne came to Wheel, and begged him to go to Usurper, and speak with them, to persuade them to cease their conflict. He agreed, for he recognized an opportunity in his evil heart. He took the form of an old Doom Beggar, clothed in a brown robe, with a long white beard and a single eye. It was in this form that he traveled to the battlefield where Solus and Usurper, and their forces, did battle. 

He went first to Solus, and explained his presence, as well as his plan. Solus, who was strong in arm and weak in will, agreed. Then Wheel went to the Usurper's camp. Guards accosted him, and he claimed to only be a simple Doom Beggar, there to foretell the battle's outcome. (in those days, such sights were common.) They allowed him in, and he came before the Usurper.

"BROTHER," Usurper said, "IT IS NO USE HIDING YOUR FORM." "Then I suppose I will now longer do so," replied Wheel. "My business is simple: I am Fate incarnate. I know the nature of every being. And so, Sisterbrother, it is with regret I inform you, you are not acting in true accordance with your nature." 

Usurper was, despite themself, alarmed. "HOW SO?" "Simple. You claim to be a perfect embodiment of chaos, yet you command a great army. What is more, you are winning. Think, sisterbrother, what if you truly prevail? Surely, then, it is you who will rule? But, if you should win... You will be order. Your whim will be law, and there will this be not law to rebel against. How could a chaotic being ever win, then?"

Usurper did not respond, but they did not have to. Wheel could see the fear in their eyes, and it was then that Usurper led their armies into battle.

It was rare, even then, for a god to lead their army into battle. Usurper had a general appointed, Apollyon, dark spear, who primarily led the demons. A god is typically very large, and powerful enough to invalidate an army. Usurper themself was of such size that they could hold a world as you could hold an orange. Nonetheless, both Solus and Usurper joined the battle that day. Usurper led a truly massive assault on the Angels, dealing death as a seasoned gambler might deal cards, but, in one tiny microsecond, they hesitated. 

It is well known that had they not hesitated , the battle was as good as won. It is widely speculated that any hesitation on the part of the Usurper must have been completely intentional. 

In that tiny instant, Solus threw a great spear toward Usurper, piercing their chest. 

Usurper was gone, instantly. The spear must have pierced their heart, for there was not even time for them to cry out. They simply began to fall. There had been no world big enough to hold Solus, Usurper, and their armies, so there was nothing but the cold abyss of space for them to fall into. Incidentally, they were large enough to generate their own gravitational pull, which is to say that their army fell into with them. Thus, the Divine Corpse of the Usurper, and their demons, were pulled into the lifeless darkness of space.

It is said that great maggots began feeding on Usurper, and that these maggots later became devils, which interbred with the smokeless fire-spirits called Demons, and that these devils, demons, and their children built a home in the corpse of Usurper, which is now known as Ten-Part-Hell.

It is said, also, that the First Betrayal is what brought the evil idea that became the Second Betrayal into the mind of Apophis.

It is said, finally, that it was these betrayals that led Throne to the Great Abdication, and the subsequent abandonment of heaven.

But these were old days, and one can never be fully sure.

- Excerpt from The Great Answer Maybe, translated by Esteemed Liar-Acolyte Maggie Hawkins, proprietor of the Crystal Thrift Shop. Edited by Cio Orlin, in association with Sun Clown Media

This is a more recent writing, in the tradition of religious texts such as The Great Answer Maybe, written by an anonymous member of The Separatist Church. It was forwardeed to us by Kol Raskolnikov. It appears to have been written in mimicry of older folktales from The Liar's Guild, or the Black Goat Tradition.

- Cio Orlin 

How Terran Became a Farmer

It was the second era. The Divine Corpse of the Precursor had cooled, and the Divine Corpse of the Usurper had been formed into the Ten-Part-Hell. The Adversarial Dynasty had also been established. There were two thrones in the White Kingdom, and the third laid empty.

Now, in a system of worlds that laid close to the outermost ring of creation, a war hs been fought between the Hounds of Tiamat, and the men who lived in those worlds. The chief world in this system had been, at the beginning of the war, a thriving place, with skyscrapers, great roads, and even airships. It had been at once peaceful and prosperous, two traits that were in those days, as in these days, nearly mutually exclusive. However, the hounds of Tiamat were savage beasts, devoid of free will, and single minded in their hunger. They had laid waste to this world, destroying cities and rendering the soil infertile. Also, they had killed two-thirds of the men on this world. 

Now, on this world lived Terran. He had been a councilor in the city called Andreas, and had only narrowly avoided the destruction of his city. His family, however, had not. Terran was, for his part, enraged. He desired, primarily and above all else, power. He wanted the strength to destroy his enemy utterly. It was for this reason that he joined the great caravan that traveled to the White Kingdom. 

The journey took a century and a day. Those among the caravan with short lifespans were placed in a deep sleep, that they might survive the journey. Most travelers sought conference with the Angels and saints that took up residence in heaven. Terran, however, wanted more. He craved an audience with Throne. 

As Throne and Solus sat in conference with the Seven Hundred Saints that were enthroned in the White Kingdom, Terran broke from the outer court where visitors entered council with the Angels, and ran into the inner court, disrupting the council entirely. Solus, for his part, was outraged, and he kept from his seat to throw a spear at Terran. However, Throne stayed his hand, and bade him leave, along with the Saints in attendance. 

Terran was left entirely alone, with Throne. A greater man would have fallen to his knees in the presence of Throne, but Terran was an arrogant man, and his said, quite brashly, "I am Terran, a councilor in the city of Andreas. My genealogy can be traced to Ysara, the first woman, Tiamat's mistake. I have come for your council." Throne, for his part, nodded kindly. "You shall surely find it, Terran." 

"Man is unbearably weak, my lord. Our lives equate little more than a day in the lives of the other great races. Our power is but a spark compared to the roaring bonfires we share Creation with. But, I have heard tell that by making contracts with the Demons that occupy the Ten-Part-Hell,  we can gain great power. Is this true?"

Throne thought, and finally nodded. "This is surely true, although any who make such a deal ought to be pitied." "How so, my lord?" Terran asked. "Truly I tell you," Throne replied, "Any power such a man holds is not his own. It is merely borrowed from another. That man suffers, as for all his power, he is eternally a slave to another's will." 

"My lord," Terran replied rudely, "Have you not taught us that every man is slave to Fate? We are all servants of our nature." Throne made no motion. "It is so." 

"Then," Terran asked, "is there any preferable way that a man may become powerful?" "A man may seek to rebel against Fate. In doing so he will suffer enormously. With that suffering, he might Awaken. An Awakened man is greatly powerful, but his suffering has not ended. He has made an enemy of Fate, and he will be in much more pain before his death." Terran thought a bit. " Could such a man ever break free from Fate?" Throne shook his head, and for a moment, appeared to despair. "None can, be they man or god. All are slaves to Fate, and their rebellion will bring only pain." 

Terran thought a great while, and then spoke. " Then... Could a man gain Fate's favor? Could he identify his Fate, and ingratiate himself to it?" "Yes. Fate plays favorites. A man might find enlightenment this way, might find some great power to siphon through himself, and cast aside his own will entirely. Such a man would wield all the power of a god." 

Terran felt a great excitement growing, but Throne was not yet done speaking. "What a truly pitiful creature such a man would be!" He proclaimed. "How so, my lord?" 

"Such a man is worse than a slave. He is hardly a man at all. To live is to struggle against the bonds of fate! To live is to suffer! Such a man would not struggle, and he would be without pain! He would hardly be alive at all. Even a slave can tear at their chains, but such a man could not. He would be, for all intents and purposes, dead! What a truly pitiful man." 

"But, my lord, is struggling not pointless?" Terran cried, exasperated. "So it is," Throne replied. "But you speak as if it is the very purpose of existence!" Throne smiled then, in his way. "So it is."

It is said that when Terran returned to his system, his world had been made a lifeless husk, and that the war had not yet ended. Terran joined the Army in that area, and served for seven years. It is said that after seven years, and countless scars and struggles, he ended his service, dissatisfied.

It is said that Terran took a great many seeds, and wandered the lifeless husk of his world for seventy years, tilling the soil and planting crops, and that by the seventieth year, the world was no longer lifeless. Terran found the power he had desired, and he never stopped struggling until the day of his death, aged two hundred and twenty.

Terran is remembered now as a saint. He is depicted as a scarred bearded man, wearing a soldier's armor, and bearing a cornucopia.

Worlds: 

A World is commonly understood to be a singular region, which exists, along with others, in a Zone. An example might be helpful: the entire universe that we can observe is a single World. It exists, along with other, similar Worlds, in the Grey Zone. Most Worlds are, like ours, entire universes, with countless planets and star systems. There are, however, exceptions. Thrym, for example, is a single, flat, disc shaped superplanet. It is, however, an entire world on its own. Other Worlds exist in varied forms.

Zones: 

A Zone is a system of similar Worlds. These Worlds are sometimes unified under a single rule, but not always. In some cases, for example, the Grey Zone, the Worlds are not aware of the existence of each other. Often, energy flows between Zones through Thin Places. In many cases, other things are also capable of traveling with this energy. There are a few examples of cosmic bodies that could be either Worlds or Zones. For example, the Ten-Part-Hell is generally considered a Zone, as it consist of ten World-sized "Rings" which are connected to each other by a massive chain. Each Ring features it's own cultures and drastic geographic differences. However, each Ring shares the same dominant species and language, and is likewise ruled by a single government, both common traits of Worlds. Likewise, while Heaven's Corpse was once indisputably a single, massive World, during it's time as the White Kingdom, it has since collapsed into several cosmic bodies. Regardless, it is still considered a World.

Dead Zones:

A Dead Zone is a Zone that has been destroyed, and is devoid of life. They typically eventually collapse into voids, although they can exist as Dead Zones for centuries at a time, with lifeless Worlds. It is said that after the Fourth Era, there was, for a time, more Dead Zones than populated ones, due to the wars that had plagued creation.

Thin Places:

Thin Places are, as previously stated, connections between Worlds and Zones. Beings are able to get in, and out. A good example is the Western Washington town of Emerald Springs. It is a thin place, meaning creatures from other Worlds are able to enter. It also exerts a strange pull on odd people and events. 

~~

hey can you tell that im working on a ttrpg, because im having trouble not writing like one

A very short snippet of something I was writing, and I'll probably change some of the details in a later draft, but this is it right now.

~~~~~

Strands of the many willows around the river Vai Song floated in the breeze, curling in the direction of the flowing water. It was dark, and quiet too, but for the sounds of gentle lapping at the banks. Such silence was an oddity in a city of this size. Never was the bustle so dead, even late into the night, or on Sacred Days. But these were unprecedented times. Nonetheless, everyone in Shao Mion acted as one well-oiled machine, as if this day was what they all had been born for. They all almost instinctively knew to put out all the lanterns on the streets and board up their doors and windows; take the cats and dogs and chickens in and keep the children and elderly huddled close. It was dangerous out, made clear by the dim moons, side-by-side and coloured a reddish-copper. Nothing good was in store for the people of Shao Mion, and they knew it.

When Tai Minh returned to Tiang Zai, he was happy to finally return to his hometown of Shao Mion. It did border the lands of Mot Vang and Chi Rou, as well as the Dan Shi Ocean, and was often caught up in the conflicts between the two, but it was still home. He was proud of it, and when given the chance to introduce the first Lan-zhi (foreigners from beyond Tiang Zai), he had offered to introduce them to Tiang Zai through Shao Mion. The party was just outside of Shao Mion, so achingly close, when Tai Minh saw it. He blanched, remaining silent when the Lan-zhi he escorted asked him what was wrong. 

“We cannot go to Shao Mion.” Uproar erupted from the group, but Tai Minh stood firm. “We shall not enter the city.”

So you've realized that everything is terrible and completely unlike everything you've ever known and you desperately want things to return to what they once were but are aware that such a thing will not in fact happen- a guide. 

So, you've realized that everything is terrible and completely unlike everything you've ever known, and you desperately want things to return to what they once were, but are aware that such a thing will not, in fact, happen.

You are probably wondering a few things. You are probably wondering what it is you saw. You are probably wondering what happened to you. You might be wondering who sent you this email, and why there is no email address attached, and no way to respond. You are wondering if the Men in Black are waiting outside to use a neuralyzer on you. That you do not have to worry about: no such thing exists. 

(We are not going to kill you)

There is no Men in Black. There is no SCP Foundation, no Delta Green, no great conspiracy waiting to silence you. Those with adequate organization are on the side opposing humanity. Those on our side are grossly underfunded, and often corrupt. We cannot help you, we do not have the resources. We cannot silence you, we do not have the manpower. 

What Happened to You:

Our universe, what little we know of it, is small. Very, very small. What we know as reality is a thin curtain pulled over an open window, with a great wind blowing against it. There are places where that reality is thinner. Things get in, people get sucked out. What you saw was likely something from somewhere else. There are people willing to abuse the power intrinsic to these thin places. There are things that long to use them as gateways. There are also areas that are more likely to have these gates. You likely live in one. Maybe you are unlucky to live near a very big one, perhaps the Ohio Valley Gate, or the Bermuda Gate. If so, our condolences. Maybe you lost loved ones to whatever you saw. If so, our condolences. 

We found you because we recorded whatever incident you were involved in. Rest assured, we'll try to get around to it.

Who are we:

We are called PSS. 

We are an organization dedicated to fighting these things. We are very underfunded, and very, very busy. We are mainly a volunteer organization. We have headquarters in Damascus, Ohio, as well as Tallahassee, Florida, and Bellingham, Washington. Beyond those three states, there are a scarce amount of local chapters. The majority of our resources are dedicated to closing the Black Gate in the Midwest, and combating the disproportionate amount of infestations in the Northwest and Deep South. You may seek us out of you wish. The advantage of our job is that same, normal people do not seek us out. This is also a disadvantage. 

We are not the only active organization. There is also the CIA Special Affairs Division, which you would do well to avoid, and the Cults. 

We advise you to avoid the Cults.

It is highly likely that, if you have experienced something, others in your community have as well. You might want to seek them out. You might need the help.

What did this to you

There is, unfortunately, not much repetition in the creatures that access our world. We must assume that there are a great variety of beings out there, so many that they rarely repeat. However, there are a few documented "species." Perhaps they will sound familiar.

Crawlers- Humanoid scavengers. They are fairly common, as supernatural creatures go. They are pack animals, and often found in subterranean areas. Sewers, caves, and occasionally basement's can be made into Crawler nests. It is believed that they adapted on another world to hunt human through mimicry, explaining their humanoid appearances and documented human-like noises. They can be distinguished by their canine-like teeth and hairless, grayish skin. 

Rods- An either insectoid of cephalopod species, notable for bioluminescence and some as of yet unexplained flight. They appear to be white, glowing worms, which hover and produce a buzzing noise. They are generally harmless, except during their mating seasons. Rod larvae are parasitic, requiring flesh to hatch in, much like a blowfly. Humans with Rod eggs in their skin often exhibit signs of psychosis, seemingly due to some sort of toxin on the larvae's part.

Woodsmen-  While folklore states this species descends from some sort of "cursed tribe," they are more likely a humanoid race that developed on another world. They can be characterized as being very tall, pale, and seemingly faceless bipedal creatures. They seem to be capable of minor telekinetic abilities. They are often used as brute labor by Old Ones and Ultraterrestrials, pointing to some sort of unusual susceptibility to outside influence. Some have suggested the recent Slenderman myth is based off of these creatures.

Beastmen- A somewhat varied and vaguely defined term, "Beastmen-" refers to animals that have been altered from their previous state, generally by an Ultraterrestrial. They are commonly deer, bears, or coyotes. The significance of alteration varies, from vaguely bipedal creatures, with human-like attributes, to capacity for human speech, to the addition of carnivorous habits to a specimen from a species consisting of herbivores. A few have been found, upon dissection, to have very different internal structures, implying an even deeper level of alteration. There are currently ongoing cases of carnivorous deer in Western Washington, and some sort of bear-man in Florida.

Drowners- An aquatic species, Drowners are an incredibly aggressive species. They appear to grayish black fish-like creatures. They are much larger than an average human, and while they are bipedal, it would be an extreme stretch to call them humanoid. They primarily infest parts of the Puget Sound, and a few pockets of the Massachusetts Bay. They are incredibly dangerous, but if you find yourself in an altercation with them, your best bet is to remain on shore. Their scaly hides have been found to be strong enough to deflect bullets in a few cases. There is ventilation on their faces, and the sides of their necks that seem to fulfill a similar role as gills would. These are their only documented vulnerable spots.

Old Ones- Unlike the previous creatures referenced, this is less a species and more a class of entities. It is available to use as a term only due to our previous interactions with Hastur, one of the supposed Old Ones. Apparently certain entities are capable of freely traveling between worlds, and taking whatever they want from them. These beings, if they interact with our world at all, do so through the lens of taking whatever they need, and orchestrating events. Due to their nature, there are few confirmed beings of this order, but examples include the aforementioned Hastur, the Grey, which are active currently in the Midwest, and the Point Pleasant Creature, which was successfully dispatched. Suspected instances include the Gentry, in the UK, and Marmoo in Australia. 

Ultraterrestrials- A subcategory of Old Ones, notable for existing on a measurably higher level of power than the Old Ones, and for a tendency to attempt to terraform areas for their own purposes. Cults are very often built around such beings. There are not many confirmed instances of such entities in the US, and in fact, only three are currently active. These are the Apophis Entity in the Northwest, the Black Gate, and the Dagon Creature in Massachusetts. It is speculated that other Ultraterrestrials maybe active in the Bermuda Triangle, and that one may have existed in the biblical valley of Gehenna.  

If whatever you encountered or experienced did not fit in any of these categories, it is likely not frequent enough to warrant categorization.

What you should do now:

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, Alaska, Coastal Massachusetts, or the Deep South, and have the resources to leave: leave.

There are gates in every state in the United States, but these places are the most dangerous. If you can move, the safest place to go is inland New England. If you cannot: find friends. Stockpile on supplies. Sleep in shifts. Do not trust strangers. Do not trust old family friends. If you are angry, fight. If you are frightened, hide. If you are brave, find us. Do not let go of hope. Hope is the fear-killer. Hope can kill gods.

For god's sake, stay safe.

Thanks 

Editor's note: despite mimicing older styles, this piece is relatively recent. It is Separatist in origin, and appears to be a folk-tale recounting of the earliest adventures of Kol Raskolnikov. (The leader of the Separatists, sort of. He doesn't seem to hold any real authority, and he certainly isn't an object of worship, he's closer to an object of reverence. Regardless, he was the founder of the Separatists, and his role is comparable to that of the saints of various religions.)

Despite the mystic and mysterious nature he undoubtedly holds, Kol is very much a real person, and we have corresponded with him in the past. He seems odd, but good-natured. He denounces his elevated role in the Separatist Movement, declaring himself "A servant, neither god nor king." We have unfortunately lost touch with him as of recently, but we wish him well.

-Cio Orlin

~~

How Kol Raskolnikov was made

It has been said that on the day that Kol Raskolnikov was born, there were three omens.

The first was this: a crow was seen eating a raven on the roof of the house wherein he was born. The second was a deer skull washing onshore. It is said that the teeth the skull possessed were not those of a deer. The third was this: a young bull, which had been sold to a slaughterhouse, broke from the lines of cattle being led into a truck, and ran frantically down the main street, until it reached water. It then swam in the Sound, to the island that had once been called Camano. 

It is said all of this is likely coincidence, but Kol Raskolnikov says: No thing is truly independent of anything else. You speak of coincidence, but nothing happens without the interaction of ten thousand moving parts.

When Kol was born, he did not cry. Not immediately, as most infants would. He stared blankly at his parents, and the people who had delivered him. 

Kol was a strange child. He was not born with that name, that came later. He was very quiet, and tense. He was often lost, wandering off to some unknown object. It is said his parents once took him to a beach near Deception Pass, and found him an hour later, scaling a rock wall with an expression of utter concentration, hands red and raw with scrapes. Again, it is said he was once found by schoolmates, having wandered off of school grounds deep into the forest, claiming he was waiting for someone. 

This is likely why he was able to leave with so little resistance. He was fourteen years old when he left for the forest. Neighbors said they saw him walking beside the train tracks, out into the woods, with a duffel bag. He remained in the forest for three years.

In his first week in the forest, Kol Raskolnikov made a shelter from logs, branches, and grasses. He made a fishing rod, snares, and a fire pit. By his second month in the forest, he had a smoking tent, with meat stored nearby, and a spear and cloak.

In the middle of his first year in the forest, an old man approached him. The old man had long hair and a beard, and smiled widely. Kol greeted him, his voice scratchy with disuse. The man was a Liar-Acolyte. He was a hermit as well, and he had known that the boy would be here. Kol asked him a question he had been ruminating on for a while.

"Lying Brother, what is strength?" 

The Acolyte smiled, and responded warmly "Strength is lying to the face of god, and getting away with it." Kol Raskolnikov nodded patiently, but recognized that the man had spoken in the third deceitful manner, with bright tones and words twisted to conceal a lack of understanding. That night, while the man was sleeping, Kol left to build his camp elsewhere.

By the end of his first year in the forest, Kol wore a fur coat and lived in a cave, deeper in the forest. He cooked meat over a fire, and slept on a pile of pine branches, and he boiled water to purify it before drinking it. His hair reached his shoulders.

In the middle of his second year in the forest, Kol Raskolnikov was met by a young man, who was wearing a hooded robe and carried a hunting knife. Kol recognized the man as a member of the Order of Seventh Tongue, and eyed him warily. The hooded man waved at him. "I mean no harm, brother. I am a simple servant of Apophis. I wandered of in the throes of ecstatic revelation. I am hunting a great creature. I will kill it, skin it, and eat it's flesh." "That sounds wonderful," Kol responded carefully. "I am a hermit, I suppose. I wonder... What does your order say strength is?" 

The cultist laughed, shaking his head. "The simplest question in the world. Strength is exerting your will over another, crushing them entirely." He began to clean his knife. "I will camp near here." Kol nodded, not wanting to offend a clearly violent person. He realized, however, that the man had spoken in the second deceitful manner, using words as a cudgel to mask his own impotence. That night, under the cover of darkness, Kol Raskolnikov abandoned his camp. 

By the end of his second year in the forest, Kol Raskolnikov wore a fur cloak and lived in a small shelter on the bank of a river. He ate meat raw now, and drank directly from the river. He slept on the hide of a deer, and his hair reached his lower back. 

In the middle of his third year in the forest, Kol realized that he was being followed during his hunts. He began looking not only for prey, but for a predator hunting him. After three days, he found her: a young woman wearing a green raincoat, with bandages wrapping her face. He reached as a member of the Black Goat Tradition, and waved to her. "You found me," she said. "You have passed the test, finding me before I killed you. You are welcome to join my order." Kol spoke, for the first time in a year. "What is strength, sister?" She seemed taken aback at his question, but recovered from the indignity of being questioned by an uninitiated.

"This, among all other secrets, shall be revealed, once you have joined our rank. We know the great secret, Kol. All information will be available." Kol nodded, but recognized that the young woman had spoken in the first deceitful manner, hiding her lack of knowledge behind the illusion of a great secret. "I will go with you tomorrow," he said, "but for now I must sleep." She graciously accepted his invitation to his camp, and that night, in complete silence, Kol left his camp once more.

By the end of his third year in the forest, Kol Raskolnikov wore a robe made of animal hide, although it was not the hide of any animal you could identify. He had no shelter, and he slept on the dirt, under the stars. He ate raw meat, and whatever he could find, and drank water regardless of its source. His hair was longer now, and it had all turned white, despite his youth. 

One day, he happened upon a stone slab in a river, and lay upon it, looking up at the sky, and there he drifted off to sleep. 

In his sleep, Kol saw a wheel in the heavens, and the wheel was a base for all of Creation, and great black rivers flowed along it, between islands the size of worlds, with great creatures both alike and unlike every creature Kol had ever seen walking along it. And a great man with golden skin and a crown stood atop it, and opened up his mouth to speak. Kol, who knew by now what strength is, stooped down, picked up a great stone, and hurled it at the man.

Kol Raskolnikov awoke, and found a goat beside him. He decided to go home. 

He returned, wearing a coat of goat hide. He was pale and very thin. He no longer looked human. When, many years later, a Separatist asked him: Teacher, what is strength? Kol replied: "Strength is the single and eternal movement of a hand, as if to throw a stone.

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