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 Post subject: Theories
PostPosted: Thu Jun 09, 2016 3:17 pm 
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Regarding Sorcerous Pacts (June 2016 edition, p. 24), I suspect that the "devastating and terrible" story that Telos learned about Keleos relates to some of the recently revealed prophecies, especially (but not limited to) the prophecy of "The Holy Flame" that "fled the soulless Keleos". My guess is that the spirit of fiery Destruction has moved over time. Originally in Kassegore, it went to Keleos and then to Nier, maybe to Leonydas, and it may in some way be free now.

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David Thomas Chappell
Sestius Ovidius val'Mehan Comma and Khamat - psion patrician diplomatic legate and his Myrantian tutor
Quintus Ovidius val'Mehan - patrician military tribune
Amadi val'Abebi - Monk of Althares
Talathos - choleric Kelekene dabbler


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 Post subject: Re: Theories
PostPosted: Thu Jun 09, 2016 3:55 pm 
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I strongly believe that the Endless Choir (a.k.a. Eternal Choir) is singing a lullaby to keep Kassegore asleep. I believed this even as I first read the description of the Endless Choir, and later-revealed facts have served as corroborating evidence. At least one story says that Cadic, who taught the Order of the Endless Choir their song, was crucial in the imprisoning of the Cosmic Dragon. The choir has sung 24/7 for millennia, starting right after the end of the Gods' War. This explains why the Ardakene priests mysteriously ordered the eloran army to leave the ruined First City alone at the start of the Shadowed Age: they did not want to risk disturbing the choir and thereby awakening Kassegore. The choir sings "within a small cave facing the southeast." Tracing a line southeast from the First City points to Lake Quesselan in the Ssethregoran Empire. Lake Quesselan is said to be where Kassegore lies: "The crater from his fall is said to have created Lake Quesselan, and it is at the bottom of this body of water, over which the city of Sseth looks to this day, that Kassegore rests."

References: Blessed Lands, pp. 34, 35, 78, 122. Codex Arcanis, 2nd ed., p. 196. Ssethregore, 1st. ed.

Thus, if and when the Endless Choir ever ceases their song, Kassegore shall awaken from his eternal slumber. Two recent prophecies may point to this. One says, "The song is ending! \ The song has ended!" Another says, "The very mention of his name shall [...] cause that which was endless to end."

Kassegore may be the Destroyer of Worlds.

Although on the surface, Kassegore's return would be horrendous to all but his few remaining worshippers, I furthermore believe it to be a necessary part of the Gods' long-term plan; but that gets into a much bigger and deeper story that would distract from the point of the Endless Choir's song to keep Kassegore asleep for now.

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David Thomas Chappell
Sestius Ovidius val'Mehan Comma and Khamat - psion patrician diplomatic legate and his Myrantian tutor
Quintus Ovidius val'Mehan - patrician military tribune
Amadi val'Abebi - Monk of Althares
Talathos - choleric Kelekene dabbler


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 Post subject: Re: Theories: the Gods' War and the Other
PostPosted: Fri Jun 10, 2016 3:36 pm 
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The deepest mystery of Arcanis is in the Introduction to the original Codex Arcanis: the Gods' War and the Other. Below is a summary of my deep theory that explains everything coherently. I invite discussion, both privately and on this forum.

The Cosmic Dragon (CD) is the most powerful divine being in the Cosmos, and it may have been the original Creator of all Creation. The CD wants the Cosmos to continue to exist in an endless cycle of Creation and Destruction. The CD has multiple incarnations and aspects. The CD eventually learned about the existence of Entropy, a malevolent force that seeks to annihilate all of the Cosmos utterly and permanently. Entropy is opposed to Gods and has many mortal servants in the form of the Silence.

The CD hatched a secret plan to stop Entropy forevermore. First, the CD's aspects of Kassegore and Yig appeared to depart Onara in order to convey the outward appearance of the traditional cycle of Gods replacing Gods as civilized species replaced species on Arcanis and yet permit their reptilian mortal children to continue to exist. Then the CD sent one of its aspects, known as the Other, to speak with the lesser divinities known as the Gods of Man. The Other did not openly divulge His plan to the Gods of Man but hinted about it and hid away the Goddess of the Mind before luring the other Gods of Man to Arcanis via the Gods' War. When the Other returned to Onara, He created the Black Moon Aperio, which protects from magic scrying sufficiently to enable him to freely tell Belisarda about His plan against Entropy. When the Gods' War reached Onara, another aspect of the CD told the Gods of Man to consume the Elemental Lords and thereby absorb their power; meanwhile the Other hid Belisarda. Eventually, the Gods of Man confronted the Other on the Black Moon, where He was able to freely tell Them His whole plan. The Gods, especially Cadic, assisted the CD by separating His aspects to keep Entropy from realizing that He still existed. One aspect of the CD was trapped in the Dark Moon, and the Gods of Man told their followers that the Other was the worst foe They had ever faced. Another aspect of the CD was kept asleep beneath Lake Quesselan by the lullaby of Cadic's Endless Choir. The Gods of Man accepted Anshar into their fold even though They know She is secretly an aspect of the CD. The Gods of Man created Vals and left Arcanis so that it would appear to the Silence that Arcanis is a world that is divided, contested by nations and races, full of religious disagreements, free of direct divine intervention, and ripe for the taking.

Today, it appears to outsiders that the Ssethrics, Elorii, and Men are all enemies and that Their Gods have fought each other over the eons. In truth, Their Gods have been working together in a secret plan that neither Their worshipers nor Their Valinor know. When the full malignance of Entropy is lured to Arcanis, the trap will shut and the CD will reform to flight alongside Belisarda, the Goddess of the Mind, the other Gods of Man, and Their assembled allies in the End Times to preserve the cycle of the Cosmos.

Other details in the story involve the Chalice of Midnight, the return of Kassegore in the form of the Fire Dragon and His Black Talons, the Cult of Hromu, the val'Holryn, the Celestial Giants, the Voiceless Ones, psionics, prognostication, time travel, the Obsidian Masks, etc.

What mortals know of the Gods and the Gods' War is 99% what the Gods specifically told us and <1% traditional stories passed down from the events witnessed in the mortal world of Arcanis. Very few mortals know any details of the truth, and even the Valinors are ignorant. The Mother Church does not know but is complicit in keeping certain secrets labeled heretical. The Obsidian Masks and the Lifewardens know some parts of the plan. In a world full of politics, mysteries, and secret societies, having one more deep secret seems par for the course, and the full depth and nature of the Gods' plan remain obscure. The overt clues are intentionally planted so that the Silence will fall for the trap, and just barely enough subtle hints remain to enable diligent natives to uncover the true plan.

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David Thomas Chappell
Sestius Ovidius val'Mehan Comma and Khamat - psion patrician diplomatic legate and his Myrantian tutor
Quintus Ovidius val'Mehan - patrician military tribune
Amadi val'Abebi - Monk of Althares
Talathos - choleric Kelekene dabbler


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 Post subject: Re: Theories: the Gods' War and the Other
PostPosted: Fri Jun 10, 2016 10:11 pm 

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Dante wrote:
The deepest mystery of Arcanis is in the Introduction to the original Codex Arcanis: the Gods' War and the Other. Below is a summary of my deep theory that explains everything coherently. I invite discussion, both privately and on this forum.<snip>


Hi Thomas. Interesting thoughts. I don't have time to go through all of it at the moment, but there was one thing that struck me that I was hoping you could address within your theory.

I read your theory to include the following assumption: The Cosmic Dragon and Entropy are universe-wide entities and are basically the governing forces across all the many worlds of existence.

If that is the case, then I'm not sure I follow how the CD breaking itself into multiple parts and hiding / the gods disappearance would work as a means for Entropy to believe it had vanished entirely. The spheres of influence for both beings go far beyond the mortal plane of Arcanis and therefore should be less swayed by pieces moving / hiding elsewhere. Can you help clarify?

With a sweep of his hat,

Paul


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 Post subject: Re: Theories
PostPosted: Fri Jul 01, 2016 1:37 pm 
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Hat wrote:
I read your theory to include the following assumption: The Cosmic Dragon and Entropy are universe-wide entities and are basically the governing forces across all the many worlds of existence.

Paul, that's a good question.

As I interpret it, the Cosmic Dragon is not a universe-wide entity but has a physical form. Stories of Kassegore's being at the bottom of the lake directly indicate that He has a body, and the picto-story from "For the Lesser Gods" implies that the Cosmic Dragon has some sort of form that can be imprisoned. Moreover, the prior lack of interaction between the Cosmic Dragon and the Pantheon of Men indicates that They had probably not been able to interact with the Cosmic Dragon until They came to Arcanis. Thus, I suspect that the Cosmic Dragon (and its avatars/components) is/was not an invisible, intangible, transcendent, omnipresent entity but has some sort of physically bounded form. In theological and philosophical terms, I think I'd say that it has immanence and not transcendence.

I do not have an interpretation as to whether Entropy has a form or not, but it's clearly not both omnipresent and omniscient or else it would instantly be aware of any planned attempts to thwart it. Rumor among players has it that there is an intelligence behind Entropy but we don't yet know what it is. This is another deep mystery of the cosmos of Arcanis.

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David Thomas Chappell
Sestius Ovidius val'Mehan Comma and Khamat - psion patrician diplomatic legate and his Myrantian tutor
Quintus Ovidius val'Mehan - patrician military tribune
Amadi val'Abebi - Monk of Althares
Talathos - choleric Kelekene dabbler


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 Post subject: Re: Theories: the Gods' War and the Other
PostPosted: Fri Jul 01, 2016 1:40 pm 
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Dante wrote:
The deepest mystery of Arcanis is in the Introduction to the original Codex Arcanis: the Gods' War and the Other. Below is a summary of my deep theory that explains everything coherently. I invite discussion, both privately and on this forum.

If there's anything in the theory I've posited that seems inconsistent with any part of the stories of Arcanis, I'd like to hear it. Whether or not the theory is correct, it seems as best I can tell to fit coherently with all the dissonant stories of the Gods' War.

There may be a new piece of information I've gained of relevance, though I'm not yet at liberty to share it publicly.

_________________
David Thomas Chappell
Sestius Ovidius val'Mehan Comma and Khamat - psion patrician diplomatic legate and his Myrantian tutor
Quintus Ovidius val'Mehan - patrician military tribune
Amadi val'Abebi - Monk of Althares
Talathos - choleric Kelekene dabbler


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