October 12th, 2008 by Chris Frost

Prologue

Excerpts taken from Records of Time, Book One

In the beginning, there was void and emptiness. Father Universe saw this as unacceptable. Opening his mouth he uttered the name of his first child and creation. As each sounding of it’s name came, so did the very body of Bahamut form on his tongue. From the great Vastness, Bahamut’s two horned head revealed itself. His eyes, brilliant and searching, opened and saw the empty expanse before him. The body of our father was grand just as he thought himself, with his plate-like metallic scales covering the powerful form underneath. From his mouth, long and full of teeth, to the two sharp horns sitting atop on either side of his head, he was beautiful. Stretching out, he let his energy flow and it produced this plane’s first mists of light, and it shown brightly in Father Universe’s Vastness as glowing white and hot. Spreading each of his spanning wings wide he traveled to his construction with great speed, reached out to it and crafted the first star, still white and burning intensely but now in its rounded shape. With that he spoke a prayer of thanks to Father Universe for the gift of power given to him and the unfathomable omnipotence which his creator saw fit to grant him.

Again from the great Vastness, Father Universe spoke again another name and it was Sarsis. Her flame engulfed body was longer than Bahamut’s, albeit more slender and without wings but replaced with dark, light sapping, spikes down her spine. She looked at her own form then to the being of silver skin alongside his bright star and she took a deep breath from the Vastness and let what was to come form in her great maw. The force of what she had begun to form was so immense it ebbed its energy from between Sarsis’ very teeth.

Finally, as she felt her creation nearly done, her mouth opened and shot forth a swirling dark, cold mass, and its hunger was so great it began to pull the light from other star. Sarsis reached forward and shaped the swirl into what became a dark star, it’s only faded light coming from that which it stole and held to its freezing edges. Once again their father was satisfied and granted Sarsis the same power as he had given Bahamut. Father Universe looked to both his children and commissioned them with the responsibility to fill the void so that it would no longer be. Bahamut’s benevolence alongside Sarsis’ malevolence created a balance to everything that came to be created. For the brightness seen came the darkness cast from it, with the energy that pushed forward there was an energy that pushed in opposition. With the assistance of his children, the universe came to be filled with the bodies of stars and moons in all sorts of variations.

However, Father Universe was not satisfied. So Bahamut and Sarsis came into agreement over a favored body circling a large hot star. They molded it into a hard figure, round and rough with a barren surface. They both thought it best to take smaller forms to craft in detail this globe. Standing on the surface, Bahamut changed his gleaming horns into long flowing silver hair, metallic scales softened to skin and claws shrunk into the digits that held them. Sarsis traded her flame engulfed skin for flawless and beautiful cream colored skin. The spikes on her spine now adorned her neck like a small chain of shining black diamonds, and her mane took on the appearance of an unending fire flickering at the ground beneath her feet. They spoke with each other, while walking along the ground, over the things they desired to create. Sarsis felt the ground to be too cold, so with her nails she scraped at the ground, summoning great mountains and lava to be spewed from them. Ash filled the heated air and Bahamut raised his hands and began to form clouds from which rain descended, clearing the ash, cooling the air and ground beneath them. Soon the water rose, to their ankles in places, and this displeased the dragon-mother causing her to rip fissures, holes, chasms and the like around her, allowing pools and oceans of water to form. Together they did this for a time, responding to the others actions whilst forming the world around them into something pleasing. When they had come to believe they were done they went before Father Universe, showing him what their work had borne. Still, this was not enough to give their creator satisfaction. Again he told them he needed more to be done. With this Bahamut and Sarsis conversed, coming to an idea of what to do. Returning to the world they had taken from a barren rock and making it into a wondrous colored world, they began to make the first forms of life other than themselves. In time they had created living things large and small in all shapes and manners; each with their own strengths and weaknesses. At last, this time when they sought the maker, he was satisfied. However, now that he had seen what could please him, he wanted more. The two eternal creatures agreed once more, to move on and try new creations, seeking to find approval from Father Universe again. Before leaving their first conception they put in place guardians to keep watch of their makings. Their power did not exceed Bahamut or Sarsis’ but they were given a great deal of it, and justly so as was given them the commision to mind over this world beneath them. In the Gods wisdom they saw fit to grant the guardians the ability to shift and shape the world as they saw need. After the last few things were done and sealed, Bahamut and Sarsis left and the guardians stepped forward to take in the realm they were put to watch over.

Each guardian took a form to their liking, and after some time of roaming over this world, they also chose names for themselves. They emerged as seven in number, each bearing their own characteristics and personalities, and together they met in a sacred place untouched by the creatures of the world. High above the very ceiling of the world they molded this meeting place into a place more suitable to its purpose. In its walls and pillars they engraved the story of the world’s beginning, up to their arrival. Silver streaked white stone lines the floor, while colored etchings of the world, Bahamut, Sarsis, and Father Universe, told their story upon it. The pillars that lined the room upheld a roof made of shifting clouds, and were decorated in the same fashion, continuing the story with the creation of the guardians and finally to their meeting.

In a calm tone and manner the first guardian spoke her name, Nadine, as her simple but stunning outward appearance drew the attention of the other guardians. Brown hair dressed her face that borne light speckles which continued all along her skin. The eyes that looked from one guardian to the next were nothing more than golden lights, which were not blinding but transfixing, as if they were meant to hold ones attention. Around her figure was a robe of white cloth; simple, spotless, and flowing, hanging off one shoulder. Streams of light looked to flow, like long clear brilliant rivers, all through the garment. From the entrance of the room she took a short walk over to an empty space, from which she made a flat white stone rise from the ground with a wave of her hand, and on it she sat. Behind the stone a large tree rose as well, providing her shade from the sun above the sparsely clouded ceiling.

An’er was the next to speak his greeting, although in a fierce rumbling voice, and as he walked his footsteps were left seared into the ground only to fade into dust moments later. On his golden skin looked to be sweat and tiny shards of metal mixed with soot. Bare feet looked just the same if not darker, though he wore silver dirt covered shin guards that covered the front and back of his lower leg. A similar type of piece covered his thighs though the full sight of them was masked by black cloth that circled his waist and tucked into his belt. From his shoulder, down across his chest and meeting to buckle into his belt was a thick brown leather strap with notches and loops, though at this time they were empty. Thin, short, amber colored hair covered his head and surrounded two horns that grew outwards towards his massive shoulders. Thick muscles wrapped his limbs and he swung them as he walked to the far side of Nadine where he stretched his hand forward and allowed molten rock to drip from his fingers onto the floor piling itself up to his chest. Glowing with heat, the guardian took his hands and formed a backless seat that seemed to be cool at the floor but continued to glow with intensity at the seat as An’er sat. With no hesitation a female guardian walked forward, spoke her name, being Scalena, and without any pause for acknowledgement she took a seat on the opposite side of the room on a stone of her own. The color was of the many high mountains below, dark and earthy at its base fading to the color of snow at the top of the seat’s back. She looked as if she were born of the ice waters of Kultha, her skin pale blue with tiny sparkles of ice glinting on it. The hair that fell to her shoulders from her head looked the colored of the darkened sky and it was as if she placed some of the stars as well to adorn it. A darkened blue gown covered her in whole, leaving only her head and hands exposed. With a slight nod and folded hands, she summoned in front of her thin wisps of clouds that rested under her feet, lifting them off the ground. Bael-ris was the next to enter the meeting area and with him a cool refreshing breeze. The smile on his face brought an ease to the tension in the room. His name filled the room kindly and softly as he spoke and looked to the guardians already seated. Upon his feet he wore sandals and they showed dust on them from his roaming of the world. On his shoulders, shining silver plate spaulders with swirling pools of water rested, clasped to a floor length cape that was likened to the color of dark ocean sea-foam. An ivory colored shirt hung loosely from his upper body and did nothing to cover his arms. The same material covered him from his waist to his ankles, and around them he wore a pair of metal straps decorated with etchings of words in various tongues. Taking the spot closest to Scalena, between her and An’er, Bael-ris noticed each of the others had their own unique looking seats and he chose to follow suit. Touching the floor he made a crack, no larger than his own finger, and from it water flowed upwards whilst a strong push of air curved and held it on all sides in the form of a rounded seat. Bael-ris sat, and not a drop of water touched him or the floor beneath him. Succeeding Bael-ris to enter was Ghaz, and as he had done so some of the light coming into the room faded, although not entirely. Crackling around him, the air became frigidly cold, and this left a small trail of ice that melted behind him. His presence brought a sense of sorrow and looking at him brought thoughts of despair even to the other guardians. Covering his head and the darkness that shrouded his face was his helm, dull gray with seven points atop it like a crown, the shorter ones to the back as they grew taller coming to the tallest one in the front. At each peak, a small oval hole, though the tallest one drew in a thin air of dark mist that emitted from the rest of the head piece. All that could be seen from behind the thin opening in the front was two orbs of amber. Continuing down from his head the same dark mist flowed onto his robe of small chain links, made of a dark metal that clinked as he walked slowly. On the far side of the room, of which no one had yet to sit near, Ghaz now stood. The floor at his feet darkened and began to spread all around him quite a distance, and from this blackness, tiny unclothed ash covered creatures came forth. With horns atop their heads, gray skin, and three pointed tails, they all bowed to the dark guardian. The twin glowing eyes of Ghaz flared then grew dim signaling his minions to begin, and they did so with haste. Stone upon stone, the servants piled rows of small dark rocks into the shape of a square, reaching no higher than the tallest of the small rocks. In the middle of this formation the group of six creatures stood and in a moment they exploded into black smoke that rose, formed and settled into the shape of a high backed chair. As Ghaz turned to sit, the smoke hardened and transformed into a solid chair made of wood with the forms of his minions carved all throughout it. Ghaz curled his gray fingers around the armrests as he sat surveying the room, and when the sound of his chained robes silenced he spoke his name. From the slight shadow cast by the pillar closest to Ghaz, a foot, wrapped in cloths, stepped out followed by its leg and soon the whole form of a female guardian appeared. From her feet to her thighs, cloths, like bandages, wound up and tapered in neatly. The outfit, dyed like ancient pages of tomes, covered her around her shoulders down to her waist and hung down but exposed her legs, clung to her firmly as she stepped around the column looking around the room. On her arms words in various tongues flickered into sight and faded away just as quickly. The cloak she wore covered her head and trailed easily behind. She took a stand in between Nadine and Ghaz but closer to the later. From one of the wrappings on her leg she pulled out a cloth in a long length, throwing it behind her so its end touched the floor. The rest of it formed a seat, and as she sat, she said her name softly, Ishamria. Finally, Neleos was the last to enter, carrying the book of records and taking place at the center of them. A desk, at which the final guardian could both stand and place his large book to write, was now in front of him.

The guardians took this time to speak with each other on the things of importance and the role given to them by Bahamut and Sarsis. Each agreed on the principles to which they be held and vowed not to break them. Along with this they also had their own domains which were solely their own. No one guardian was the ruler of any one place, peoples or force but each did have their affinities and bonds to such.

The particulars of what was spoken of are not contained in this volume. - Neleos

In time, though, enmity, bitterness, jealousy, and greed abounded between them, causing an unbalancing of things. As the conflicts between them intensified, the creatures of the world below became involved battling those they felt to be in opposition to them and their beliefs. Chaos and disorder reigned until Father Universe intervened. In order to balance everything he placed all the strife of good and evil into two stars, Sar’Lunis and Sar’Clipse and placed one under the right wing of Bahamut’s constellation and the latter under the left. However, this did not settle the friction between the opposing forces, good and evil, the very guardians and their followers themselves. The wars became more intense, the hostility more extreme to a point where the creatures and gods chose to settle the conflict in a single massive war.

Records of the events in this war are not contained in this volume. - Neleos

During this struggle, a great force, strong enough to acquire hold of the guardian’s attention, ripped across the vastness, shaking this world and all others. Moreover, this force embodied itself in nothing, but made itself known to the guardians. From this moment the course of events were set, with no clear knowledge of its outcome but to be completed for certain. The guardians withdrew from the conflict, thus ending it and taking with them their hatred, but leaving the world in a worsened state.

The world and its remaining inhabitants were left to start over, though the scars of war left their mark clearly visible. The guardians convened again at the place where first they met, and decided to allow the fate of what was to happen to this world to be in the hands of its dwellers, with little influence to come from them. At this the guardians left to their respective realms.

Over time the world began to take shape once again but it and the creatures on it in now way resembled their former selves. Some of the lands that once were no longer existed, and with them, their creatures ceased as well. For some of the things lost, others came and took their place, and with dire consequence to many.

As time passed, situations and events occurred, bringing the guardians to meet once again. With careful consideration they chose to stay and watch, and only to become involved if a necessity, however the condition of the world, the universe itself, was changing, and it was unclear why, by whom or to what end. The guardians looked upon the world, intently, as if to find an answer to what was happening.

Specific details of events or peoples are not contained in this volume. - Neleos