Private Tales A Thirst for Understanding

[Zalandria Osuaneth]

Night had fallen on the Tree City. Lamps glowed with strange lights. For it was neither with fire, nor magical illumination that they glowed. But through the use of well placed mirrors and certain kinds of glass, the natural bioluminescence of well fed cone worms was amplified to produce a vibrant light which rhythmically shifted from pale green to sky blue to banana pudding yellow. Of course, this elvish style of lighting was very beautiful, and often looked magical to children and foreigners coming to Fal'Addas for the first time.

Zalandria had begun to lose touch her playful love of such small, everyday beauties recently. Her studies Fal'Addareth kept her mind distracted from such. Things that used to give her such satisfaction simply to behold. Perhaps, she thought with a shudder, she really was growing up. Although the elders often maintained that an elf wasn't really mature until her second or third century of life, that was likely colored by their own far more venerable ages.

This evening the young scholar was sitting at a library table, on the verge of crying in frustration. She had been digging all day through the archives of the House of Understanding in Fal'Addareth, one of the three largest libraries in the Scholar's Wing of the lower levels of Fal'Addareth. She had been tasked by her mentor to read Falien Draeth's tome On Thiria as a part of her lessons on the Age of Wonders. She had already searched the House of Wisdom, but found that the book wasn't considered magically relevant enough to be stored there. Then she tried the House of Knowledge, but the book wasn't well verified as a genuine historical record, so it couldn't be stored there. And now it looked like she wouldn't find it here either. At that left her with no idea where else to search.

She sat there at the library table with her face buried between her palms desperately attempting to let her frustration subside. Getting all worked up wouldn't help her to find the book, and it wouldn't make the archivist suddenly find it either. Perhaps, it had been stolen? She was told that there was no record of anyone borrowing the tome in the past several years and it's last return was confirmed. So it should have been there, right? The pale elf sighed as she looked up from her hands. Maybe she should just go back to her dormitory for the night and start searching again tomorrow.

Viktoriya Antonov

 

[Viktoriya Antonov]

So much had changed since her last visit to the elvish home lands, yet so much was still the same. She often forgot how different their way of live was for the humans, it was honesty a nice change of pace. Instead of flat walled city with stone and brick structures most of Fal'Addareth melded into the natural state of the forrest.

Some homes where proper wooden construct, even if they had been sung into shape, but just as many where still apart of the trees and bushes. In a sense their ancient city growing as the nature around them did and with seemingly no negative results. Tis was always a marvel even for herself, though it may just be because of how much it contrasted with the other nations. I mean, what other race used magic to will their homes into existence?

As the women’s emerald gaze shifted around the many structures they soon fell upon the lower levels, more specifically the several libraries where every speck of knowledge and understanding was stored. It had been well over a century since she had exploded the almost endless isles of book within their walls, she was quite eager to see what new tones and records had been added to the collection.

With a graceful spring to her stem Vicktoriya made her way into the old library, taking in the scent of old aged books. Tis was a pleasing smell for varying reasons, one of them being a clear proof pf each books age and reliability. Though it would seem at these late nightly hours something else was present.

Turning around one of the many shelf’s the blonde elf’s sight fell upon another of her kind. A seemingly younger or if just shorter women with long silver hair sat at one of the tables burying her face with a clearly exasperated look about herself. Most cases she’d just leave someone to her study but it would seem that the would be scholar was in need of some mental comforting.

Walking closer Vicktoryia sat across from the silver haired elf, giving a pleasant and warm smile. “You seem to be quite frustrated with that book in front of you, or perhaps you are looking for answer which just don’t seem to exist”? If said elf was in a library it was safe to assume she was researching or trying to find something. Thus reasoning she was probably having trouble with said research.

Zalandria Qsuaneth

 

[Zalandria Osuaneth]

"Ah!" Zalandria jumped back from the book that she had been reading as soon as she heard someone speaking to her. It was a humble time filled with psalms and poems compiled by an ancient elven bard. Some of which were supposed to reference Draeth's works. Unfortunately they all seemed more concerned with vivid descriptions of violences against innocent creatures of nature performed in the name of glory and moneymaking by the so called 'Heroes' they spoke of. It was a deeply annoying read, as not only were there no hints of what Falien Draeth had written, but the whole thing seemed an ode to arrogance and excess.

Dropping the book before catching in in her hands again, she was immediately distracted by the lovely elf sitting across from her. When had she shown up? How long had Zalandria been absorbed in the reading? It could have been minutes or hours.

"Sorry... I was just lost in reading... But you probably could tell that..." The short, pale girl was caught very much off guard by the stranger's confidence in just sitting across from her and speaking so freely... So... Zalandria couldn't quite put her finger on it, but the other elf definitely had a certain quality to the way she had talked. A certain presence. The student could very well become intrigued by it if this woman continued to speak in this way.

"Actually, I'm looking for a book which doesn't seem to exist. On Thiria, by the ancient Sharathi diplomat and traveller, Falien Draeth... And not one of the libraries in this entire tree seem to have a copy of it, even though this one was supposed to. Ugh!" She vented her frustrations aloud and felt a little bit better. And the, suddenly remembering her manners, she closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly in greeting. "I'm Zalandria, by the way. Are you a Scholar In Keeping?"

Scholars In Keeping were those who lived in Fal'Addas and attended the Scholar's Wing of Fal'Addareth as an enrolled student would attend something like the College of Elbion. Although it was far less formal, and wasn't focused exclusively around one theme like magical studies, it still required a certain degree of official commitment. Zalandria herself had pledged to remain devoted to her studies here for another fifty four years.

 

[Viktoriya Antonov]

The reaction was rather cute if she had to give it a word, Vicktoriya stifling a small chuckle as the surprised elf calmed down and explained her certain problem. "Well, you know what some say, reading never hurt anyone... directly that is". The nun placing a finger to her chin, thinking about it for a few moments before shaking her head. A small saying to be talked about alter, her gaze falling back down to the white haired elf across from her.

She continued to listen as the women went on about the non existent book, Vicktoriya cocking her head to the side a little, trying to think if she had heard about it in her travels. Alas it would seem she too had no real knowledge of the book in question let along have an idea of where it could be. For a long period of her life places of education or considered sacred/religious were 'off limits' to someone such as her.

As the women's short story came to a end introductions where swapped. "It is a pleasure to meet you Zalandria, the world is always in need of good scholars such as yourself". "My name is Vickoriya, and no I am not a Scholar in keeping". "I be a simple women of cloth of the Annunaki Pantheon and yes I know it is a little strange for an Elf to follow such believes, though I wouldn't be considered 'orthodox' like other followers".

Thinking of that their situation was a little similar, if but reversed, where as Zalamdria yearned for knowledge but could not find it herself had knowledge but struggled to fine other willing to listen. Had the gods? Both the three and six guided her towards this frustrated soul? "I am not sure if I can be of much help, but my shoulder are open to take your burden... not figuratively".

 

[Zalandria Osuaneth]

Zalandria smiled with uncontrollable amusement as Viktoriya complimented her on being a scholar in such a kind way. And she listened with friendly interest as this woman spoke of religion. She was certainly curious about the stories that people told to one another and found meaning in. But she could never see herself as one of those clerics of this god or that one or as one of their followers. She believed as the ancients believed. As her mother and father and many, if not most if the elves in Fal'Addas believed. Though certainly not all did. Many elven families had never cared much for this way of believing even in ages past. And It was not too strange for elves of the world to adopt more worldly beliefs. But usually some hint of this old way of believing stuck with them, or so the student's research would suggest.

It was perhaps the oldest elven belief ...that there is a singular force which is called Nature by some, and Life by others. Some refer to it as Light, while others call it Night. Many call it Love. But none would ever call it hatred. Quite a few break this force down into entire pantheons of deities, each with their own powers, wants and needs. But the traditional elves would see this as a metaphor, representing how Nature interacts with itself. It is always singing a grand symphony of light and energy. And each living being is a note within the same song. The harmony and discord produced only serve to add beauty to the music in the end.

Coming hand in hand with this belief was a rather playful way of approaching life, generally speaking. And those elves who appeared proud and haughty to other races were likely of the kind to have never meditated long upon it's mysteries as Zalandria had in the little known grove where lay a garden filled with nightblooming flowers. Her precious place of deep letting go... She looked into Viktoriya's eye as the though of it. The moonlight of the moss was a similar but very different shade...

"My burdens, hmmm?" A smile crossed her lips as she thought about how the two of them might end up getting along. "I can't say that I have nearly as many of those as some of the less fortunate elves around. But I would be lying if I said I had heard of the Annunaki pantheon before. Is that a common religion?"

 

[Viktoriya Antonov]

Oh, that smile, she was up to something, that was for certain, perhaps she should have phrased her words a tad little better. Alas, one reaps what they have sown, what ever Zalandria was now thinking it was to an extent her duty to listen. Interestingly enough she didn't make some sort of joking request as expected, instead the scholar posed a query about the religion she claimed to serve.

"It is one of the larger religions among the humans, most notably those living in Amol-Kalit though it has slowly spread as far as the Allir Reach and then even a little further". "Many humans converted to the Pantheon from another older religion called Celestialism due to the more, as they would say, common displays of divine power".

"One of such displays of power being the bestowing of divine magic among those most devote to the gods along with, but among that it is said that Annuk, the governor of the pantheon directly interacted with the humans who made residence their". It may have been a little vague but the appearance of the first deity was always surrounded in Myth even before her time.

"The Pantheoan grew as Annuk united the other scattered deities from among the desert and though their are 8 named and defined patrons among them the Pantheon contains hundreds of other smaller gods too". "Most though are smaller mythological beings and heroes from the past, except for Abtatu who is a deity of the sand elf's from Amol-Kalit". The existence of such a god merging with a human religion was an interesting thing, even if some tribes of elf's didn't really see 'it' as an actual god and more a state of mind or concept to live by.

"One of the more, questionable aspects of the history surrounding the pantheon is what is called the second ordering where three gods, Bel-Ayya, Tabin-Ur, and Hissut lead a rebellion against Annuk, their attempt to dethrone him ending with themselves being ousted from mythical Astral Valley where the gods resided into our world". Some even saying all the problems caused today come from that even, or were propelled forwards by the evil intent of said gods.

"Those three are by most considered 'evil' due to what they as supposed to represent and though I agree to a certain extent my views on them... differ a little from the common orthodoxy". Deep down she always felt there was a more to each of the three besides doom and gloom along with a possible alternate way their supposed 'treason' played out. "I've spent a many decades searching for answers myself and trying to talk with other about such a topic, alas not many are very 'receptive' to my views".

Zalandria Osuaneth