"Your sympathies are appreciated, but know that I do not mind the rest I had found. It had come at long last. I am sorry for your own end, but - though I know not the details - it gladdens me to know it was your choice. So few get to choose their end, after all."
A gentle expression blossoms on that youthful face. It speaks of warmth, of comfort, and of a delicate beauty. Holding out a palm, several dozen tiny sparks of light emerge and float into the air. They flit between the two of them, each with its own independent motion.
"The Aetherial Sea is a name given by those who live in the current age to what lies at the heart of our world. It is indeed what one would call our afterlife, but it is far more than that. All in our realm is aether, both tangible and intangible. The land, the body, even the mind and soul - all are comprised of this energy. When the body falls, its aether will eventually return to the land. But the soul?"
He lifts his hand, and the sparks dance, each glowing softly. Elidibus smiles at the memory, having crafted these to be as reminiscent of the real place. His voice gentles now, clearly fond.
"In death it returns there, to rest. To have what experiences gained in life slowly washed away, cleansed until the individual is born anew - another life, to make new memories. To love, to live, as is the nature of our Star. The name is one I quite enjoy, in fact. Like these imitations, each soul appears a star upon its own journey, breathtakingly beautiful as it travels where they will. The Sea teems with life, just as the Star itself upon the surface."
A wave, and the sparks begin to fade, all but one. It flickers towards Joshua, almost curious in how it weaves and bobs around his hands, his fingers. After a few more playful moments, it too dissipates. But now comes a darker turn, to tell of the fate of his world.
"My world is broken. Though it lives - shall live, now, for as long as the mortal races serve as its steward - it has forever changed since my people walked the surface. Recall that Calamity I spoke of, how my people were shattered? The End Days were averted, yes, but the events to follow..." he sighs, heavily. "In the end, our Star's reality was shattered. There was the Source, yes, but so, too were there now thirteen reflections. Every life, every soul - the very star itself - divided into fourteen equal, but far lesser portions. For every division were they exponentially reduced."
One hand comes to rest upon his chest, "My people, once immortal, were no more. They held no memory of the lives they once lived, had no powers akin to our own, and for a time even forgot language. All but myself and two others, who managed to escape but for the talents of one of them." Emet-Selch, preventing the sundering of himself and Lahabrea. "All else was Sundered."
"Of these reflections, one eventually came to fall to Darkness, the polarity tipping beyond salvaging. Another suffered from a flood of Light, halted just before it could consume the remainder of that shard. They have pulled from the brink, and rebuild even now - I fully believe they will return balance to their home entirely. The Star itself, the Source, remains in balance. The duty to keep it so falls now to the mortal races, as the last of us have entrusted it to be so."
Having spoken at length he now swallows, smiling apologetically.
"My apologies for going on as I have. I do hope that answers a fair few of your questions."
no subject
A gentle expression blossoms on that youthful face. It speaks of warmth, of comfort, and of a delicate beauty. Holding out a palm, several dozen tiny sparks of light emerge and float into the air. They flit between the two of them, each with its own independent motion.
"The Aetherial Sea is a name given by those who live in the current age to what lies at the heart of our world. It is indeed what one would call our afterlife, but it is far more than that. All in our realm is aether, both tangible and intangible. The land, the body, even the mind and soul - all are comprised of this energy. When the body falls, its aether will eventually return to the land. But the soul?"
He lifts his hand, and the sparks dance, each glowing softly. Elidibus smiles at the memory, having crafted these to be as reminiscent of the real place. His voice gentles now, clearly fond.
"In death it returns there, to rest. To have what experiences gained in life slowly washed away, cleansed until the individual is born anew - another life, to make new memories. To love, to live, as is the nature of our Star. The name is one I quite enjoy, in fact. Like these imitations, each soul appears a star upon its own journey, breathtakingly beautiful as it travels where they will. The Sea teems with life, just as the Star itself upon the surface."
A wave, and the sparks begin to fade, all but one. It flickers towards Joshua, almost curious in how it weaves and bobs around his hands, his fingers. After a few more playful moments, it too dissipates. But now comes a darker turn, to tell of the fate of his world.
"My world is broken. Though it lives - shall live, now, for as long as the mortal races serve as its steward - it has forever changed since my people walked the surface. Recall that Calamity I spoke of, how my people were shattered? The End Days were averted, yes, but the events to follow..." he sighs, heavily. "In the end, our Star's reality was shattered. There was the Source, yes, but so, too were there now thirteen reflections. Every life, every soul - the very star itself - divided into fourteen equal, but far lesser portions. For every division were they exponentially reduced."
One hand comes to rest upon his chest, "My people, once immortal, were no more. They held no memory of the lives they once lived, had no powers akin to our own, and for a time even forgot language. All but myself and two others, who managed to escape but for the talents of one of them." Emet-Selch, preventing the sundering of himself and Lahabrea. "All else was Sundered."
"Of these reflections, one eventually came to fall to Darkness, the polarity tipping beyond salvaging. Another suffered from a flood of Light, halted just before it could consume the remainder of that shard. They have pulled from the brink, and rebuild even now - I fully believe they will return balance to their home entirely. The Star itself, the Source, remains in balance. The duty to keep it so falls now to the mortal races, as the last of us have entrusted it to be so."
Having spoken at length he now swallows, smiling apologetically.
"My apologies for going on as I have. I do hope that answers a fair few of your questions."