The Orahnia
The Orahnia is the holy text of the Diani, the monks of Orahnos. It describes the genesis of Halrin and the Immortals, as well as the series of events that led to the Turning of the Ages. Parts I-V of the Orahnia are known to most of the Diani. The Addendum is known only by its highest members.
I: Fýlakas​
​
[1:1] In the beginning, there was naught but Void; and within Void an absence of precedent, and thereby boundless possibility. [1:2] And then, by reason of possibility's need for resolution, from Void there came a Construct. [1:3] And the Construct bestowed upon Itself a name, and called Itself Orah.
[2:1] And Orah thought not, for It could not. [2:2] For what mind It possessed was governed by a singular mandate: continue the resolution of boundless possibility that had brought It into being. [2:3] And in service of Its mandate was Orah endowed with four sacred Instruments: The Heartmind, that which converteth boundless possibility into discrete idea; the Oculus, that which beholdeth the form of idea; the Hand, that which fashioneth form into substance; and the Maw, that which giveth life unto substance through Arcana, the life-giving force.
[3:1] And Orah begat the primordial plasma of the firmament, a proving of the laws which should govern Void from that moment forth: [3:2] Matter that extendeth through the vastness of Space by a Motion ordained and measured in the course of Time, and drawn together by the hand of Gravity. [3:3] And Orah observed the plasma coalesce into the first great nebulae, wherein the first stars were nurtured. [3:4] And in their light did Orah beget the first sphere, the moon called Meris, to serve as a trial of that which was yet to come. [3:5] And upon Its success did Orah beget the world itself, the center of all that had been and shall be. [3:6] And Orah bestowed upon the world a name, and called it Halrin, the Second Sphere. [3:7] Yet Orah erred in the wielding of Its Instruments, and thereby cleft a Rift through much of Halrin's southern span, marring the creation. [3:8] And it was decreed by Its mandate, that Orah should not reclaimeth, neither amendeth, any work already wrought. [3:9] Therefore Orah brought forth new beings, to be called Wardens, that they might tend Its Instruments, and uphold the work that was begun.
[4:1] And Orah begat Meridan, to be Warden of the Heartmind; and his form was a Construct of exceeding intelligence. [4:2] For the Wardens were to know themselves as thinking souls, as their mandate in the tending of Instruments was largely a still and watchful labor. [4:3] And Orah begat Leianne, to be Warden of the Oculus; and hers was a Construct of surpassing perception. [4:4] And Orah begat Telain, to be Warden of the Hand; and his was a Construct of great strength and constitution. [4:5] And Orah begat Ensis, purposing her to be Warden of the Maw. Alas, her creation was marred; her Construct was bereft of sight, yet was she given to augur through the near-omnipotent grasp of the unseeing senses which her sub-conscious mind held. Thus was Ensis appointed Warden of the Blindsight, that which quickeneth substance beyond mere visuality; and hers was a Construct of profound insight. [4:6] And Orah begat Cirus, to be Warden of the Maw; and his was a Construct of abiding wisdom. [4:7] Thus were the Wardens wrought, and Orah set forth to people Halrin.
II: Parádeigma​
​
[1:1] It was in the dawn of the First Age, that Orah begat the first herb of the field and the first beast of the land, and so was Halrin adorned. [1:2] And Orah begat Man, a creature without mandate, yet filled with unbounded potential; and Man was appointed champion unto Orah. [1:3] And a second mandate was laid upon the Wardens, that they should keep inviolate the sanctity of Man. [1:4] Wherefore they were granted shapes after the likeness of Man, that they might walk amidst their generations. [1:5] And the Wardens were given to change their own forms, reflecting the divers hues and statures of Man; yet each bore in their new forms the conceit of their Wardenic Constructs, be it of intelligence, of perception, of strength, of constitution, of insight, or of wisdom. [1:6] And the forms of Wardens were not beheld by Man’s mortality; for only the death of Void could unmake them. [1:7] Yet they wrought no marvels as gods; for though deathless, they were not as deities, neither held they the dominion of divine puissance.
[2:1] And in the days of Man’s infancy, it was Cirus who summoned the first convocation of the Wardens, and they named it Colloquy; and there they purposed to recount their findings, and perchance to set hand to new works. [2:2] And Leianne spake the first word in Colloquy, saying, [2:3] “Mortality is perplexing, and perchance a hazard to Man’s growth; for progress needeth many a year, yet life doth yield to death ere its store may fully pass to those who come behind.” [2:4] And Leianne gave forth the counsel of the Paradigms, beings immortal, to stand as living measures of Man’s advance. [2:5] And the Wardens gave assent, and brought their plea before Orah. [2:6] And Orah inclined, answering after Its manner, “Let each Paradigm forth be called when ye are moved to deem Man’s need thereof.” [2:7] Thus over the unnumbered centuries were eleven Paradigms begotten, each wrought after the similitude of the Wardens.
[3:1] And Orah, by first counsel of Meridan, begat Orscika, to be Paradigm of Logic; and hers was a mind of sharpness and of calculation, for the domain of logic demandeth such focus. [3:2] And Orah, by second counsel of Meridan, begat Sindil, to be Paradigm of Emotion; and hers was a mind of shyness and of great tenderness, which she poured forth unto her followers. [3:3] And Orah, by first counsel of Leianne, begat Eris, to be Paradigm of Intuition; and hers was a mind of grace and of guidance, that dwelt chiefly among her fellow Paradigms as Man’s reliance on intuition waned. [3:4] And Orah, by second counsel of Leianne, begat Athellan, to be Paradigm of Learning; and his was a mind of curiosity and of erudition, traits to be bequeathed to Man, that they might know Halrin in its entirety. [3:5] And Orah, by first counsel of Telain, begat Asterlin, to be Paradigm of the Hunt; and theirs was a mind of patience and of balance, which they sought to keep within themselves, within Man, and within the Wild. [3:6] And Orah, by second counsel of Telain, begat Efrasin, to be Paradigm of War; and his was a mind of fearlessness and of zeal, regarding combat as a great game. [3:7] And Orah, by third counsel of Telain, begat Senin, to be Paradigm of Agriculture; and his was a mind of resourcefulness and of craft, delighting in the taming of seed and of soil. [3:8] And Orah, by first counsel of Ensis, begat Endelion, to be Paradigm of the Arts; and his was a mind of joy and of mirth, with which he roamed as a herald of song, and of dance, and of craft. [3:9] And Orah, by second counsel of Ensis, begat Cresse, to be Paradigm of the Combat Arts; and hers was a mind of devotion and of resolve, striving toward a perfect mastery of violence. [3:10] And Orah, by first counsel of Cirus, begat Vestus, to be Paradigm of Sex; and his was a mind of woe and of yearning, holding mortality to be needful for the fulfillment of desire. [3:11] And Orah, by second counsel of Cirus, begat Yarendel, to be Paradigm of Diplomacy; and his was a mind of tact and of cleverness, instrumental in forging the first of Man's great alliances. [3:12] Thus were the Paradigms set in the First Age; and by them was a bridge laid: from Orah unto the Wardens, from the Wardens unto the Paradigms, and from the Paradigms unto Man.
III: Metavállo​
​
[1:1] It befell in the dawning days of this First Age, that the Paradigms were set to shepherd Man, children and champion of Orah. [1:2] And from the rigid form of Orah’s vastness did the Immortals labor; and that form was wrought into a labyrinthine Construct, set low within the region called Evros Mor, in the lowlands of Halrin. [1:3] And there toiled the Paradigms, whilst the Wardens kept watch, raising for their disciples cities of glory and fleets to cleave the oceans of Halrin. [1:4] And such their labor was lauded as guidance by them that followed, yet unto the eldest Warden it seemed an overreach; for where many espied Man’s ascension, he beheld the marring of Orah’s first intent. [1:5] And his doubt waxed over the course of many centuries, until it seemed unto him that Man’s purpose was swallowed up by the will of false shepherds; and he sware a solemn oath to bring an ending thereto by his own hand.
[2:1] Yet was this misgiving long kept within his breast; for the Wardens loved their Paradigms as parents unto kin, and would hold in abhorrence any slander against them. [2:2] Wherefore Meridan laid his counsels in secrecy, pondering well the bounds of his station, the statutes of his Maker, and the Instrument committed unto his charge. [2:3] And Meridan wist that Orah would neither reclaimeth nor amendeth any work already wrought; yet deemed it little hinderance. [2:4] For Meridan beheld the Heartmind, and for a Warden to lay hand upon their charge was without precedent, and thus gave him leave unchallenged. [2:5] Therefore resolved he to move Orah's Heartmind unknowingly, that It should beget the Adversary; which should rise against the Paradigms and set again the balance of Man’s course. And if the Adversary were of Orah’s begetting, none should withstand its coming. [2:6] Yet foresaw he a hinderance in Ensis, who was endued with augury, and would surely foresee the Adversary and bind it to his intention. [2:7] Thus sought Meridan to sway Ensis, that she should reckon his cause just, and by keep silent in mercy.
[3:1] And it came to pass that Meridan drew nigh unto Ensis, and their meeting was marked by unease. [3:2] And she spake unto him, “Why comest thou unbidden, and without word beforehand,” for though siblings they were, their bond was but of working accord. [3:3] And he answered, “I have a matter that may not be spoken before many, for it is weighty and grievous to tell.” [3:4] And she was troubled at his words, for she saw fear upon his countenance. [3:5] And he spake unto her, “Hear me, O sister, and judge not till my words be ended.” [3:6] And she answered, “Thou speakest as Men who tread upon holy ground with unshod feet.” [3:6] And Meridan spake, “There is a work that must be wrought for the sake of Man, for the Paradigms have erred, and their hand layeth heavy upon Man's fate.” [3:7] And Ensis spake, “Name thy work, that I may know it.” [3:9] And he spake and named the Adversary; and when she heard it, her face was hardened, and she drew back from him. [3:10] For of all the Wardens she was most dear unto Leianne, and Leianne unto her; and from Leianne had the thought of Paradigms first arisen. [3:11] And she spake, “This thing is not thine to devise. Bring forth Leianne, that she may hear thereof, for she is the apposite voice among us.” [3:12] Then Meridan was sore afraid and full of regret; and he spake, “Nay, my sister, I have erred in speech. Forget this word, and hold it in mercy.”​ [3:13] Yet she answered not, and her silence was as a watchmen upon the wall, that seeth the Adversary’s dusk afar off. [3:14] And Meridan spake unto his heart, “Hath she seen this hour before? Hath her foresight walked these steps ere they were trod? Peradventure her caution was not of doubt, but of knowing; and her fear hath given it form, even as my fear of discovery giveth it cause.” Thus were they as mirrors one to another, both compassed about by the same end. [3:15] And he spake unto her, “Hast thou foreseen this hour in the days before?” [3:16] And her silence endured, bringing Meridan to a dread without measure. [3:17] And he lifted up his hand, and smote her. [3:18] And she fell, for her guard was set against her brothers heart and not his hand. [3:19] And he bound her in cords, and stood above her weeping, and spake, “Forgive me, my sister; for I take from thee thy freedom, though my heart breaketh for it.” [3:20] And ere doubt could root his feet, he went forth to do that which he had purposed.
[4:1] And Meridan took the seed of the Adversary, and hid it deep within the lattice of the Heartmind. [4:2] And deep it lay, so that even Leianne of unmatched perception beheld it not clearly; and it passed through the Hand of Telain, and through the Blindsight left unattended, and past Cirus to be quickened in the Maw; till at last it was born upon Halrin. [4:3] And that, quoth Meridan, was sufficient; for whatsoever should come thereafter would not matter, so long as Man’s sanctity were preserved. [4:4] Yet it mattered, for Meridan was not so selfless as he ought to have been to perform this deed without dread. Wherefore his hands trembled as he beheld his sister, bound before him by his own will. [4:5] Thus, in the very abyss of his despair, Meridan sought some measure of redemption. [4:6] And from the eonian annals of his memory there came forth an answer: Arcana, the sacred breath of Orah. If such a force had birthed the world, surely it could repair all that he had broken. [4:7] And in breaking precedent with the capture of Ensis, holding Cirus in his target came with ease. [4:8] Wherefore Meridan called unto Cirus, who came unwitting at his summons. A false smile guided the Warden of the Maw into the bowels of Orah, unto chambers whence there was no escape. [4:9] There, Meridan sought the truth of Arcana; and as Cirus bore the torment in silence, his pleas waxed unto wounds. Yet whether in defiance or ignorance, Cirus spake not of Arcana. [4:10] And the torture endured long; yet to define its length is to measure the Immortals’ queer understanding of Time’s passage. [4:11] Yet it ceased; for anon did something new move upon the world, not born of Meridan’s will.
IV: Orgí​
​​
[1:1] Oft did Leianne and Ensis commune in sisterly gaiety, speaking of visions, of songs, and of the Paradigms held precious. [1:2] And for this gaiety, Leianne sought her sister’s dwelling, yet found it desolate. [1:3] And she perceived at first no tokens of treachery, for no precedent was there to found suspicion upon. [1:4] Yet Time begat suspicion; and it waxed. It passed from shadow unto Maw, from Blindsight unto Hand, from Oculus unto Heartmind. And Man, being the child and chosen of Orah, could not bear guilt for the Adversary. [1:5] Thus, Leianne bore witness unto Meridan’s treachery, though she knew not his place nor that of Ensis and Cirus.
[2:1] Yet must his works be stayed with speed, lest the wound upon Man be grievous beyond bearing. [2:2] Wherefore Leianne came before Orah and declared that which was wrought. [2:3] And she entreated for a creation contrary: a race of Man girded with Arcana, that they might strike the Adversary with swiftness. [2:4] And Orah hearkened and fashioned a new kind of Man, to be called Arcanic. [2:5] Then Leianne departed unto the borderlands of Evros Mor, to awaken the Arcanic to their charge.
[3:1] And Meridan, perceiving this presence strange, was sore afraid his plans undone. [3:2] And he sought again to bend the Heartmind’s will, yet found his bond with Orah sundered. [3:3] Therefore turned he his mad thoughts anew unto Arcana, yearning to seize its might. [3:4] And so he went unto the font of Orah’s power, blind to knowledge by reason of Cirus’ unconquered spirit. [3:5] And he tore the Arcana from the divine Maw of Orah. [3:6] Thus was Orah diminished. [3:7] Yet Meridan abode unchanged, his hope fled as Arcana dispersed about him. [3:8] Then burst forth his frenzy and wrath. [3:9] And by some hidden divinity within him, or by that Arcana lingering about, that wrath swept Halrin, and Man called it the Wrath of Meridan.
[4:1] And the Wrath passed over the Wardens, for whom Meridan yet bore love. [4:2] And the Wrath passed over Man, guarded by the Wardens’ second mandate. [4:3] And the Wrath drove the Adversary to madness, for Meridan beheld it with sorrow. [4:4] And the Wrath wrought a change upon the Paradigms, for Meridan still espied in them the darkness that begat this doom. [4:5] So were the Paradigms transformed irrevocably; and this was named the Enraging of the Pantheon.
[5:1] And through Enraging did Orscika’s mind grow keener and her logic colder; and her charge turned from Logic unto Generalship, raising armies in Meridan’s stead. [5:2] And through Enraging did Sindil’s sensitivities sink to despair and obsession; and her charge turned from Emotion unto Anguish, seeking solace in any love, however twisted and dark. [5:3] And through Enraging did Eris find her grace a heavy yoke, the Paradigms broken beyond succor; her charge remained unturned, for she forsook it and vanished from Halrin. [5:4] And through Enraging did Athellan burn with unquenched thirst for lore; his charge remained unturned, for he too vanished in chase of secrets still hid. [5:5] And through Enraging did Asterlin reckon the contradiction of their mandate and the broken balance of Man and Nature; and their charge turned from the Hunt unto the Wilds, which long had suffered by Man’s hand. [5:6] And through Enraging did Efrasin’s mind devour itself with bloodlust; his charge turned from War unto Savagery, his mirth now madness. [5:7] And through Enraging did Senin find that ingenuity for its own sake was otiose; his charge turned from Agriculture unto Industry, where gold and power reigned. [5:8] And through Enraging did Vestus’ yearning become violence; his charge turned from Sex unto Lechery, his every act enslaved by lust. [5:9] And through Enraging did Yarendel cast away soft negotiation for fierce manipulation; his charge turned from Diplomacy unto Malediction, a power which could raze empires by whisper. [5:10] And through Enraging did Endelion find his joys hollow without sway; his charge turned from the Arts unto Bardship, where Bards wielded craft as weapons of state and war. [5:11] And through Enraging did Cresse reckon mastery of war was naught untested; her charge remained unturned, though the Combat Arts she practiced now sought a canvas soaked in blood. [5:12] Thus was Halrin brought low, as the guardians of Man fell to Meridan’s darkness.
V: Synépeia​​
​​
[1:1] It came to pass, when the Wrath was ended, that Meridan lay hollowed. [1:2] And when at the last he arose, he beheld the place wherein Ensis and Cirus had been bound, and lo, it was vacant. [1:3] And he looked toward the borderlands of Evros Mor, and found that Leianne and her Arcanic were fled. [1:4] And he pondered Telain, who had been absent from these matters, and mused whether he knew the thing that had been wrought; and he feared the meeting of the two, for the Warden of the Hand was mightiest among all that dwelt in Halrin. [1:5] Therefore gathered he unto himself hosts of Men and of the Adversary, that they might hedge him against the vengeance of Telain.
​
[2:1] And Meridan’s fear was met, for tidings of his trespass came unto Telain. [2:2] And Telain mourned sore, for his three children were fallen from their first estate: Asterlin was vanished, Senin bereft of mirth, Efrasin given to madness. [2:3] Wherefore Telain mustered a host of his own, a great company of Men, to set their march unto Evros Mor.
​
[3:1] Thus began the Palikardiá, the War of Hand and Heartmind. [3:2] And the dread war endured ten years’ span. [3:3] And Meridan prevailed, for he knew the wiles of Men better than Telain knew the black craft of the Adversary. [3:4] Yet Wardens may not know death until Void itself be slain; therefore was Telain shut fast within the husk of Orah.
​
[4:1] And thus opened the Second Age of Halrin. [4:2] And Meridan set his face toward the Wardens and the Arcanic who had escaped his hand for a decade’s course. [4:3] And he sought them through all the breadth of Halrin, yet found them not. [4:4] So turned he again unto Evros Mor. [4:5] And he called unto him Efrasin, and the Adversary, to be shields of Evros Mor. [4:6] And he called unto Orscika, that she might aid in the restoring of Man’s cities after the wasting of the Palikardiá. [4:7] And Man abode in waiting for their deliverance, for the return of the three Wardens and the Arcanic, who should purge Halrin of all its griefs. [4:8] So endeth the telling, until the dawn break upon Halrin once more.​​
Addendum: Arcana​​
​​​
This transcription is dated to the 175th year of Halrin’s Second Age.
The answer to the final question of the Orahnia hath been brought unto the Diani by none other than Cirus and Ensis themselves. And with them came a request: that their account be transcribed, committed to memory, and thereafter consumed by flame. Their account is as follows:
​
In that dread time when Meridan unleashed Wrath upon Halrin, Leianne found us bound within Orah’s bowels and did free us. Then, we and her Arcanic turned to that queer mark upon the world that had ever eluded us all: the Rift. In Colloquy had the Rift oft been spoken of in deep discourse, yet Orah denied us time and means to study it, for Its first err bore upon It a great shame. Yet now, with means and brief time granted, we set forth. Thus, whilst Meridan did Wrath, we sailed to the continent of Ajura, Arcana’s power held fast in our grasp. How this might affect the Rift, we knew not; but few options remained outside this last chance.
​
As Wrath gave way to the Palikardiá, we and the Arcanic devoted ourselves fully to the edge of the Rift. With the brightest of the Arcanic, we spent the decade devising systems—whole sciences of breath, gesture, and force—through which the power of Arcana might be disciplined. Each channeling of Arcana was named a spell, and each spell held within it the possibility to react with the Rift’s strange energies. Yet whilst compendiums of spell effects were writ, none bore power upon the Rift. Not until the last days of the Palikardiá.
​
The spell bore no name when first uttered, only the pulse of its making and the shape it carved through the air. Upon its casting, space folded inward; where the Rift had once been still, it now did shimmer. Then, it parted.
What we saw did bring us to question all we knew of the Void and our place therein. For beyond the Rift lay entire worlds; echoes of Halrin, yet changed. Some bore endless wilderness; others continents of flame or ice. Yet in every one, the Rift endured, a scar shared across all reflections. Thus was revealed that at the moment of Halrin’s creation, the Rift’s deep err had shattered the Void as a prism, each catching a different light of being, all connected by the Rift.
​
We have come to call our home Halrin Prime, for it is but one among many. The spell forged that day was named Plane Shift, and through it can the Rift bridge worlds.
There, upon the edge of that great wound, we did part. We two would remain on Prime to aid Man as we might. Leianne would pass with her Arcanic into a world adjacent: a realm of bounteous Nature, called Halrin Fey. There would she grow her army until their numbers sufficed to strike against the Adversary.
​
It may bring thee peace to learn that in the years following our parting, we learned that Eris and Athellan yet live, and are safe. Leianne had long sought to find them and bring them to the Fey, yet deemed the risk too great, and the truth of their plight too uncertain. After the Palikardiá, Eris was driven near to despair, believing her mother lost and witnessing the Paradigms’ Enraging with heavy heart. Upon the verge of casting herself into the Rift’s abyss, seeking death, she was saved by Leianne and borne to the safety of the Fey. As for Athellan, the obsession that consumed him was the fate of his mother. Through his unyielding curiosity, he traced her hidden path and did uncover it. Then was he brought by Leianne into the Fey, that he too might find refuge.
​
And before Cirus and Ensis did depart, they spake thus: On some distant day, when stars themselves align in fury, the Warden of the Oculus shall return. And with her shall come the armies of the Rif; to end the shadow, and to begin the final war: the Warden’s War.​​