Eptian LXXII

Word quickly spread throughout most of Existence of the change in fortune for the Pan Mortal Army and upon confirmation of the rumors most of the Sonimian Overlords withdrew from their provinces in order to return to the Great Chasm Fortress. They hoped to fortify the Great Chasm and make a stand against the intensifying resistance.

The Mortal populations, in reaction to their newly acquired freedom, and on learning of what appeared to be the forthcoming collapse of Velidian rule began attacking any member of the Velidian government they could. Wherever they could they fell upon any Velidian tearing them to pieces, many also destroyed whatever monuments and icons of Velidian rule they could. Many buildings, once having been abandoned by the Velidians, were put to fire and ruined. This left the Mortals free but also without system of governing, all the old systems that had been established under the Vethrians had been swept away by the Velidians and before that the Mortal populations had never really governed over their own destiny. This was the first time since being placed within existence that they could rule over themselves without there being any outside influence. Initially however it was chaos.

Eventually Eptih, who had followed a large part of the army to the Great Chasm Fortress, was nearly at the gates of the city. At this point Velid, his retinue and Rhosrc, who had been released from confinement, fled the place leaving behind all those that had come there looking for salvation and even before many of the Sonimian Overlords had managed to make their way back.

Rhosrc berated his father for their situation, and was not in agreement that leaving was the proper course. He wanted to stay and fight, he believed that the situation could be rectified if they could survive the initial coming assault and reorganize all the survivors.  Velid was more concerned with maintaining his power and feared being a captive of the Mortals and thus felt that if they could escape the situation and reach safety he may be able to heal his wounds and eventually return to his former glory.

Eptih laid siege to the Great Chasm Fortress but once the Velidians inside learned that Velid and Rhosrc had fled they relented and used the opportunity to flee into the surrounding landscape. Most of these however where killed by the Mortals that pursued them. Eptih entered the city victorious and took possession of it. Once inside Eptih was dumfounded, this was the place from where so much pain had emanated, a place that so many had feared and now it was desolate and impotent, just a geographical location and empty infrastructure. It was as if Eptih and many others thought the place itself had been the cause of their pain and now that they stood there they realized it was Velid and his army of slaves not the place itself. Nevertheless, to take the place from Velid was a victory and as such Eptih savored the moment.

Attempts where made to try and find Velid but to no avail, and this fact caused Eptih great consternation. He knew that to capture Velid was the ultimate prize and that with him in custody he could be assured that Velid would never reign over mankind again. Until he was captured the Mortals would never be truly safe nor would they be able to fully enjoy their victory.

Eptih’s forces moved in and occupied the capital taking over the buildings and finding the foodstuffs. Soon after, word was brought to Eptih that Ebrel had been captured by his forces that had pursued the other half of the Velidian army to the east. Eptih immediately sent word back to bring Ebrel to the Great Chasm Fortress so that he could interrogate him. Eptih was sure Ebrel would be able to tell him where Velid was likely to be hiding and he wanted the information as soon as possible.

[ Eptian LXVII ]

Eptih who was on the move with the entire Pan Mortal Army knew the Velidians would be searching them out with the plan to destroy them completely and therefore he sent orders to each of the five divisions to split off into a specified direction. 1st, 2nd and 4th turning back around and heading toward the training ground they had just destroyed. 3rd and 5th continuing on their path to attack a town of the Orabrey. Eptih himself took command of the Fifth Division supplanting Fayareg.

The Velidians were quite confident that they would be able to suppress this rebellion quickly. They saw this as an opportunity to destroy the Hetharcyp once and for all and in turn break what little spirit the Mortlas had remaining and thus cementing their position permanently. What the Velidians did not know was the exact size of the army nor how well organized it was. They had no idea that the Pan Mortal Army was now five smaller armies, they were focused on one group of rebels and one group of rebels alone.

The Velidians where not so confident as to be blind to reality however, they did something that was ingenious and two fold building upon a plan they had begun long ago. One, they began to produce Narcirogen at a much faster rate and two, they sent messengers to all the Narciogen currently living within Mortal societies to start a terror campaign against the Mortals, hurting them however possible whether physically or economically. This masterstroke caused mass confusion among the Mortals and caused the support for the Pan Mortal Army to dry up quickly.

Eptih besieged the town of the Orabrey with the 3rd and 5th Divisions. He felt complete justification for the brutality of the siege due to the sins the Orabrey had committed in the past. Eptih’s only fear was that the Velidians would relieve the Orabrey and break the siege but he had the 1st, 2nd and the 4th that would block any advance of where the Velidian army would likely come from being as uncreative tactically as they were.

The Velidian army eventually reached the training grounds of the Pan Mortal Army and found it in ruins and so proceeded onward. A short time later they came face to face with the 1st, 2nd and 4th Divisions of the Pan Mortal Army and a major battle commenced. Word was sent to Eptih that a battle with the full Velidian force was under way. Meanwhile the battle raged and the Pan Mortal Army fought well initially but being outnumbered the relentless losses began to wear them down. Luckily the Velidians army was doing no better and as a result both sides fell back and entrenched their positions.

Word eventually reached Eptih of the battle that was underway and Eptih wanted to stop the siege and assist the other Divisions but felt he was close to achieving his objective. Every moment that he wasted on the siege was a moment the other divisions were suffering. The Orabrey held out hoping for salvation but it never came and at the last possible minute they opened their gates to negotiate with Eptih. Seeing his moment, Eptih forced his way in and all the Orabrey where slaughtered.

Now Eptih could rush to help the other divisions. When Eptih arrived with the 3rd and 5th Divisions he was surprised to see the two sides in a standoff but he was equally surprised to see how many men the 1st, 2nd and 4th had lost. Immediately Eptih consulted with his generals to formulate their next move. The Velidians upon seeing the arriving Pan Mortal divisions were frightened and as a result sent word back to Velid that they were stalled out after receiving massive casualties and that the enemy had been reinforced with fresh troops. They requested Velid send reinforcements quickly or they might be destroyed.

Velid was angered by the Mortals arrogance and demanded the little rebellion be put down quickly and brutally. He specified that no quarter was to be given and that anyone or any town supporting the rebellion in any way be destroyed. With that a large Velidian army was assembled near the Great Chasm Fortess which was composed mostly of Queid. This force was commanded by _____.

Eptih who was on the move with the entire Pan Mortal Army knew the Velidians would be searching them out with the plan to destroy them completely and therefore he sent orders to each of the five divisions to split off into a specified direction. 1st, 2nd and 4th turning back around and heading toward the training ground they had just destroyed. 3rd and 5th continuing on their path to attack a town of the Orabrey. Eptih himself took command of the Fifth Division supplanting Fayareg.

The Velidians were quite confident that they would be able to suppress this rebellion quickly. They saw this as an opportunity to destroy the Hetharcyp once and for all and in turn break what little spirit the Mortlas had remaining and thus cementing their position permanently. What the Velidians did not know was the exact size of the army nor how well organized it was. They had no idea that the Pan Mortal Army was now five smaller armies, they were focused on one group of rebels and one group of rebels alone.

The Velidians where not so confident as to be blind to reality however, they did something that was ingenious and two fold building upon a plan they had begun long ago. One, they began to produce Narcirogen at a much faster rate and two, they sent messengers to all the Narciogen currently living within Mortal societies to start a terror campaign against the Mortals, hurting them however possible whether physically or economically. This masterstroke caused mass confusion among the Mortals and caused the support for the Pan Mortal Army to dry up quickly.

Eptih besieged the town of the Orabrey with the 3rd and 5th Divisions. He felt complete justification for the brutality of the siege due to the sins the Orabrey had committed in the past. Eptih’s only fear was that the Velidians would relieve the Orabrey and break the siege but he had the 1st, 2nd and the 4th that would block any advance of where the Velidian army would likely come from being as uncreative tactically as they were.

The Velidian army eventually reached the training grounds of the Pan Mortal Army and found it in ruins and so proceeded onward. A short time later they came face to face with the 1st, 2nd and 4th Divisions of the Pan Mortal Army and a major battle commenced. Word was sent to Eptih that a battle with the full Velidian force was under way. Meanwhile the battle raged and the Pan Mortal Army fought well initially but being outnumbered the relentless losses began to wear them down. Luckily the Velidians army was doing no better and as a result both sides fell back and entrenched their positions.

Word eventually reached Eptih of the battle that was underway and Eptih wanted to stop the siege and assist the other Divisions but felt he was close to achieving his objective. Every moment that he wasted on the siege was a moment the other divisions were suffering. The Orabrey held out hoping for salvation but it never came and at the last possible minute they opened their gates to negotiate with Eptih. Seeing his moment, Eptih forced his way in and all the Orabrey where slaughtered.

Now Eptih could rush to help the other divisions. When Eptih arrived with the 3rd and 5th Divisions he was surprised to see the two sides in a standoff but he was equally surprised to see how many men the 1st, 2nd and 4th had lost. Immediately Eptih consulted with his generals to formulate their next move. The Velidians upon seeing the arriving Pan Mortal divisions were frightened and as a result sent word back to Velid that they were stalled out after receiving massive casualties and that the enemy had been reinforced with fresh troops. They requested Velid send reinforcements quickly or they might be destroyed.

[ Eptian XLII ]

As Eptih walked he came upon another grouping of Lycevoin relics. Upon looking at them, having stopped to rest there, he came to the belief that the Vethrians must be in seclusion within the immediate area. It occurred to him then that their rule, having initially been fair and ordered, might be the best way of freeing Mortals from the current Velidian slavery. If he could find the Vethrians he might persuade them to return, defeat the Velidians and retake control of Existence and thereby restore freedom to the Mortals. If he could accomplish all of this he would be a hero and virtual savior to is people and so he diverged from his path with the hope of finding the Vethrians.

And so Eptih broke from his plan yet again and set off to look for the Vethrians. He had no knowledge of their whereabouts and no reason to believe he could find them but he began to feel again as if he was being guided by some otherworldly force. In this new plan he found a purpose to pursue with all of his effort and with purpose his head cleared, leaving behind all of the cranial chatter he had recently been occupied with.

Although Eptih’s actions were now deliberate and occupied his mind he began to be haunted by ephemeral apparitions of the old man he had destroyed and the blood of that act reappeared on his hands forcing him to stop and wash them many times. This specter was always fleeting, appearing to Eptih in the corner of his minds eye almost like a trick being played on him but as time went on these apparitions became more and more pronounced and unavoidable. The old man soon became clear as day to Eptih and spoke to him in riddles seemingly providing guidance in his journey to find the Vethrians. Whether this appiration was real or in his head Eptih did not know, nor did he know if it was helping his cause or harming it and therefore Eptih took cautious heed.

Eptih roamed for a long time cutting back and forth across a swatch of land he felt held the key to his cause but eventually, when nothing was found, he began to retrace his steps and loose regard of his position. Had there been someone observing Eptih from afar it would have appeared he had lost his mind. Eptih finally realizing he was retracing his steps decided to expand his range proceeding further and further away. In time he came upon another grouping of Lycevoin relics which, in his mind, confirmed the properness of his mission and he also took it for a sign that the Vethrians were close.

Eptih ended up spending a large amount of time hunting the Vethrians, always finding some small thing just when he was loosing hope that would again stoke the fire inside and provide incentive to further the search. All evidence however provided endless clues and when he thought he had solved a piece of the Vethrian puzzle ten more questions needed to be resolved.

Alas he found himself disillusioned with the Vethrians feeling as though they were avoiding him, fleeing any chance at making a stand and putting themselves in danger always letting him get ever so close just to move when he was within distance. It seemed to him that they were trying to drive him crazy prolonging his futile effort needlessly.

At this point in his pursuit, so focused on the discovering the whereabouts of the Vethrians, he had become lost having forsaken his bearings for speed in the quest. Eptih found himself failed in his attempt to find the Vethrians and more lost then he had been previously if that was possible. He sulked for a short time finally deciding that he must return home having been gone for so long he knew he must help his mother to survive the Velidian rule. But where to go, the apparition that seemed to be shadowing him once again placed his opinion within a puzzle which by now had become tiresome for Eptih to unravel. If the old man was before him in the flesh he would take his life again without concern but the apparition grew bolder and spoke more often. Eptih grew angrier and took his rage out on the trees surrounding him snapping them with his bare hands and tossing them aside as if they were twigs, the sounds of the commotion awaking many sleeping entities within the dark ice forest. What was awakened in Eptih though was his understanding of a growing strength within him, it was at this moment that Eptih first truly understood that he was no mere Mortal but a hammer in a world replete with the easily shattered.

[ Eptian XLI ]

Eptih returned to his original plan and headed off in the same direction that he had decided to follow before. As he trudged along his mind continually returned to Torquis, part of him wishing for revenge against her and another part wanting her for himself. It was as though she had placed some kind of spell on him that refused to fade.

With time seeming to be the only thing he had in abundance he tried to put the pieces together so that he could see the entire picture and perhaps figure out where he was. With what he had learned from the Graelim and what he had seen with his own eyes coupled with the seeming contradiction of Torquis and her control of Spiritforms he worked the pieces in his mind as he trudged along but could not realize how they all fit together and thus his frustration grew. Who and what was Torquis and why was she able to control Spiritforms if Velid was in control of the Firmornam. Who were the Graelim and why did they seem to have some deeper knowledge and an immense power that no one else possessed. Why were there so many Mortals doing the bidding of Velid and for what price. Eptih had so many questions and it seemed that the closer he got to the truth the more confused he became.

Although it seemed Eptih had missteped having come upon Torquis in the first place, he wondered if maybe he was meant to meet her and learn something important and it was at this point, feeling as though he had somehow shirked his responsibilities or missed out on some key piece of knowledge that she could have been able to provide that he decided to turn back and retrace his path back to where he last had seen Torquis.

Eptih retraced his steps back and when he came to the site where Torquis had lived he found it burning, not a single Velidian solider remained nor did Torquis or her spirit retinue. Eptih sifted through the ruins but found nothing, no clue or object that he could learn from. As he sat idle considering his next move, somewhat dejected that the retracing of his steps had led to nothing, he heard someone approaching and before he could stand an old frail man appeared, his unimposing stature relaxing Eptih’s fear and he settled back to return to his pondering.

The old man approached and asked Eptih if he could join him and Eptih allowed the old man to sit with him but informed him that he would be alone again soon as he planned to be on his way again soon. The old man sat there with Eptih and the two spoke to each other. The old man asking Eptih many questions, obviously impressed by Eptih’s stature and somewhat irregular appearance. But as the old man rattled on Eptih stopped him, realizing the oddity of the old man in this location at this time, and asked him who he was and what he was doing so far out beyond the periphery. The old man told him his name was “____” and that he was a Siradyt who had been banished long ago, so long that he had learned to become one with the land and therefore roamed endlessly, living off the land.

Eptih asked the old man many questions and the old man answered with pleasure happy that someone had taken an interest in him. He told eptih that he was very old and that he had witnessed many events first hand, many events that had shaped Existence as a whole. He was asked and answered many questions the most important being the location of Eptih’s home lands. The old man told Eptih that he was on the correct path to return to his home which seemed strange to Eptih as the old man had not seen where Eptih had come from nor did he know where Eptih was headed. This aroused suspicion in Eptih but he remained quiet hoping the old man would give up further information or declare his true identity.

Who are the Siradyt? What are their numbers? Are their more Mortals out in the Periphery? What do you know of Velid? What do you know of the Vethrians? Are they alive or dead? The questions went on and it became became dark.  The old man invited Eptih to his home for dinner but Eptih hesitated to answer and continued his questioning. It was after the second time the old man asked Eptih to his home and Eptih ignored the request that the old man became angry and stood up as if to challenge him. Eptih, laughing and wishing to test the mans memory, asked the old man again if he knew the location of his peoples lands and this time the old man said he knew nothing of lands in question and as such can not advise him as which way to travel. This stirred a rage in Eptih and he insulted the old man for being senile, pointing out his earlier answer to the same question, and as Eptih sat there the old man hit him across the head with a wooden cane. Eptih enraged with blood boiling up from his pores stood up and ripped the man apart with his bare hands, leaving him in pieces where he had last stood.

When Eptih made his way back to his path he began to feel as though he was living some surreal existence and wondered if maybe he had been killed in an earlier event and was now experiencing the world as a Spiritform. Had Torquis achieved her purpose after all, was he now her possession or had he been killed at some earlier time? Eptih was in a state of disarray considering his fate growing more bewildered but decided to remain true to his original plan and hold his chosen heading until he could find his way home or was stopped in the process. If he was dead or had been transported to some other world far from his own the only option in his mind was to persevere and so he continued to walk quicker then before, his youth causing him to wish for the safety of home.

[ Eptian XXXIX ]

Eptih awoke in a strange place seemingly having been transported by unknown means from where he had collapsed in exhaustion. This place was a strange forest that was covered with ice and snow, all was white and it seemed that color had been exhiled long ago and in this place he found himself alone and bewildered.

Eptih was still exhausted but managed to pick himself up and trudge through the snow looking for any sign of life, he was freezing and hungry. Eptih continued to trudge around not knowing where he was or where he was going unable to find a framiliar landmark until he eventually came to footprints in the snow that gave him hope, that is until he realized that the footprints where his own. Day became night and night lasted long but eventually became day which was shorter then night and still he searched for any sign of life.

When Eptih was at his wits end he screamed out in frustration. His scream echoed and in the mist of the echo was cut off and everthing became silent. When Eptih started to turn his head to look about he became paralyzed and a force took over his body and he floated up slowly as if by the will of the very ether that surrounded him. He could not scream out as is voice was gone and at that moment the Graelim, which he was unframiliar with, appeared before him.

The Graelim surrounded Eptih in a circle and levitating there he was spun round slowly so that he could see each of them but not focus on any one. At this point a deep voice spoke up calling Eptih by his name as if they knew him well. The Graelim told Eptih many things including his father is Velid, they tell him that Velid controls the Spiritforms and that this is the true source of his power, they tell him Rhosrc is his brother and is another component of Velids increasing power. They tell him how his mother was a captive of Velid and that in this fashion he and his brother were conceived. Much is revealed to Eptih regarding the knowledge of Existence, he is also told of the true nature of the Vethrians, that of a race of slaves and that the Colossals are the most powerful beings who have created all. He is told that he himself and his brother are a hybrid race called “Norstilam” and that Ebrel, Velids main ADC is also Norstilam and that many more Norstilam have been created who will seek to destroy the Mortal way of life. He is told of the large numbers of Mortals that are working with the Velidians and how there is so much more going on in Existence then most Mortals realize. They tell him of epic struggles that are underway and how he will play a part in the coming conflagrations.

This and more knowledge was imparted to him and he had many questions, but was still unable to speak. Although the Graelim conveyed a lot of information many things were left out. Many key points that left Eptih with more questions then answers. The Graelim told Eptih to return home and use his new knowledge to attain symmetry, not saying exactly how symmetry might be attained or what symmetry might actually look like in a world that was becoming ever more complicated.

Velid awoke some time later and found himself face down in the snow. He wondered if what had just occurred was in fact a dream or a hallucination brought on by his exhaustion. He was however in the snow and unless he had been sleeping for months he had to have been moved by someone. This led him to believe what he had witnessed did happen.

Confused but feeling his strength returning he set out to return home. He had no idea where he was or which way home was so he decided on a direction which he would hold until he saw a familiar landmark or came upon someone who could tell him where he was. And with that Eptih headed off.

[ Eptian XXXIII ]

 

When Eptih was banned from taking part in the fighting competitions Thmascuid decided to train the boy himself. Eptih would normally have been considered to young to enter this type of training but Thmascuid felt the boy needed to be able to control his growing power.

Existence had now been transformed into a tyranny managed through a caste system whereby the majority of the Mortals were reduced to slaves. These slaves were continually forced to labor in order to increase the strength of the tyrant by building up an infrastructure that allowed him to better govern his vast holdings. Each new building the Mortals built, each new road and fortification allowed Velid to further tighten his grip on the collective Mortal neck and they new this was the case. Something had to be done in order to stop the madness and if something were to be done it would be a hero that would need to take the initiative and give the people something to follow. As Thmascuid was the best know hero many of the Mortals looked to him to lead a rebellion. Thmascuid however, knew that the time was not right, he believed that the Velidians would need to become complacent before a rebellion would have any real chance of success. At the current moment the Velidians were still actively consolidating their power and would thereby move quickly to quell even the slightest hint of resistance.

The Mortals wanted to move against the Velidians sooner than Thmascuid was willing and hoped to find them back on their heels. During this time a few resistance movements were formed but quickly and brutally put down and therefore it became obvious the Thmascuid had been correct in his thinking. Because of this many of the Mortals watched Thmascuid closely and as a result a following began to develop the eventually turned into a hero worship cult.

As Thmascuid waited for the Velidians to relax their grip the years passed and Existence was rebuilt into a new world through the labor of the Mortals, with large cities and government centers and a system of roads connecting the whole system. All signs of the Vethrians were wiped clean from Existence and it was against the law to speak of them. As time went on the treatment of the Mortals did not ease and most of what they had owned had been redistributed among the various Velidian elements, the Orabrey receiving their property angering the Mortals most of all. Times were tough for the mortals as they labored many hours with little rest and many Mortals died under the Queid fist and by doing dangerous work.

The situation with Othamar (Derram) and Thiaraceph had become much worse in the years that passed since she had arrived back from The Great Chasm fortress. Thiaraceph was finding it harder and harder to play his role in what he saw as a façade, especially since he had married Derram in what was meant to be an act of family unity but had actually been forced upon him, or at least that is how he saw it. Thiaraceph contemplated leaving every day but knew if he dishonored Derram he would make an enemy of Thmascuid and that was something he did not wish to do especially as Eptih was firmly on Thmascuids side. As a result, Thiaraceph’s attitude became worse, feeling as if Eptih, Thmascuid and Derram were plotting against him in order to ruin the value of his life. He felt they were trying to drive him to suicide for what purpose he was not sure. His dislike for Eptih now became hatred and Eptih was fully aware of it. Eptih only feared what Thiaraceph might do to his mother and dreamed of killing him. Derram sensed his rage and saw the deteriorating relationship between the two and asked him not to harm Thiaraceph and he made a promise to her that he would not as long as he did not harm her. He made it clear to her however, that should Thiaraceph do her harm he would show him no quarter. Thmascuid was not aware of how truly bad things had become as Eptih did not speak of Thiaraceph.

[ Eptian XXXI ]

The remaining Mortal army retreated back to Mortal controlled Existence and tried to rally all available assets in order to defend the various cities and towns against the expected Velidian onslaught.

The Seven families now felt a deep fear and realized all to late that their salvation was only possible via the Vethrians, who were now no longer available to protect them. They also realized that to have manipulated the army as they did for there own welfare and in order to hurt the Vethrians chances of regaining power after their inevitable victory over existence was a shortsighted if not misguided strategy.

So purely based on self-preservation the Seven families worked closely with the returning remnants of the army to set up a home defense relying heavily on guerrilla tactics. They poured all of their wealth into the task at hand. Some key scorched earth policies were used along with numerous other defensive methods.

Velid, looking to conserve his armies energy allowed considerable time to pass. Mortal society was in a state of disorder, prepared for the coming fight and without the guidance of the Vethrians was doomed. Once Velid felt the Mortals were at their weakest he moved in for the final kill and with a vengeance that had not been seen in Existence for a long time.

The fighting at this time was very hard due to the fact that the Mortals were dug in and determined to save themselves. The Velidian army though was tenacious and eventually took over town after town crushing any resistance with a great ferocity, so much so that as time passed and stories were spread, more and more of the resistance gave in without a fight. In time the Velidians had subdued most of what had been Vethrian controlled Existence. An administrative system was set up by the Velidians that broke Existence up into various provinces, each of which was governed by a Sonimi territorial lord whose law was enforced by the ever-growing Queid forces.

The Queid forces were absolutely ruthless in carrying out the Sonimi lords’ wishes and as they were dead and controlled only by the possessor of the Firmornam could not be reasoned with. The Sonimi were unconcerned with the plight of the Mortlas and proved that on many occasions but the Queid were absolutely cruel. Some Siradyt Mortals acted as the eyes for Velid almost like a secret police force and so were hated most of all by the Mortals.

Once dominion had been established, and his hand was everywhere, Velid tasked his various provincial lords with eliminating the Seven families. The Velidian system being highly effective, the entire structure of the Seven families was destroyed and nearly all their numbers cleared away from Existence. Once this project had been completed the Mortals lost what little hope they had remaining, no longer was their a possibility of being rescued by some outside force that would set everything right.

With all previous power structures gone, Velid was free to remake Existence as he saw fit. Velid, copying the Vethrian system, established a Triad of Sonimi to handle the minor details by managing the provincial Lords. This Triad had three components much like the original Vethian Triumvirate and they were called the NuU, the XeuD and the RotiS. With this system Velid was able to enslave all the Mortals who had fought against him using them to build a new infrastructure within Existence. At this time, by way of Mortal slave labor Existence passed into a new area where the buildings went from having an ephemeral quality to a quality of permanence. Structures that had made from short-lived materials like wood were now made of stone and concrete. Many government buildings were built as well as a system of permanent roads in place of the dirt ones. The capital was moved from Avirenth to the Great Chasm. It was also at this time that the Sonimi created the Horse from the Beasts of Burden for the purpose of conveying orders, men and material around Existence quickly for the purpose of quelling any uprising that might come about. The horse quickly became popular. The Mortal groups that had not fought against Velid were treated better but not by much. The enslaved mortals developed a hatred for these Mortals as they had the Siradyt and they termed all of these trader Mortals , the “____” as an insult.

[ Eptian XXX ]

The Vethrian army was in a state of deterioration before it had been completely formed and it was far from being battle ready, progress having been slowed due to the conduct of the Seven Families, but it was decided that a surprise attack would be the best hope for victory. If the Vethrians spent additional time building and strengthening the army, relying on the Seven Families for men and material, eventually the growing disorder would destroy the army before it ever entered action. It could either be used now in the state it was or allowed to die on the vine never having been used.

The decision to act at once having been made, vanguard Elements of the Vethrian army moved out in force toward the Great Chasm Fortress. The idea was to send the best trained soldiers first in order to scare Velid hopefully convincing him to prematurely yield. If he did not a siege of the Great Chasm Fortress would be raised by that time the bulk of the army would be brought up acting merely as a battering ram. Disciplined soldiering would be less important for this plan and brute force more befitting the demeanor of the majority of the army. This plan had to work, the quality of the army leaving no other possible option if the siege should go wrong.

At first Velid and his seemingly meager force of mixed Sreoth, Queid and Syradyt mortals retreated back into the Fortress putting up little resistance and it seemed that it would not be long before the siege would be effective. When the bulk of the Vethrian force arrived victory seemed all the more assured and in this aura of inevitable certainty it became harder to keep the army organized. Disipline being what it was soldiers would frequently wander off searching for food or other spoils leaving their posts unattended. The Vethrians became furious with the laziness of the army during the siege and began to doubt their original rationale for the siege and faith in victory long before others did.

Velid sent out some of his best soldiers to fight single combats and the Vethrians accepted. Thmascuid did particularly good during these matches. But as the single combats went on the Sonimi continued their work of creating new Queid battalions unbeknownst to the Vehtrinas.

As Velid peered out from the Great Chasm Fortress he laughed at how the Vethrian army had walked right into his trap. Not only that, it was now obvious that if given time the Vethrian army would destroy itself right where it stood. But eventually Velid became tired of waiting and called on Ebrel to advance, Ebrel having been set up for some time behind the Vethian army hidden from their view. Ebrels army which was much smaller then the Vethrian army but highly disciplined, pined the majority of the Vethrian army up against the Fortress and at that moment the forces from inside the Fortress were unleashed and carnage ensued. The Vethrian army was trapped in this spot and was destroyed. The Vethrians abandoned the dying army and fled into hiding only a small number having been killed in the battle. The Mortal heroes, including Thiaraceph and Thmascuid, did their best to stall the Queids efforts, breaking holes through the Queid lines allowing some of their own numbers to escape. Many of the Mortal heroes were killed during this time. Thiaraceph and Thmascuid however did survive and managed to lead a small element of soldiers back home. This bravery gaining them more fame, adding further luster to already stellar reputations.

The Velidian army had pursued the fleeing remnants of the Vethrian army at first but were eventually called back by Velid. He had come to the conclusion that the hardest part of his plan had been executed and that now he could establish control on his terms and when and how he saw fit. All the dead soldiers that were scattered around the Great Chasm Fortress were immediately converted into Queid by Velid and the Sonimi and thus the Velidian army grew larger and larger.

[ Eptian XXIX ]

The one Vethrian who Velid allowed to return eventually did and told the Triumvirate everything he had learned. With this new knowledge of Velids rise the Vethrians became fearful that they might not survive the coming troubles and secretly wondered if all of this wasn’t the work of Aeyrom. Had Aeyrom set up a situation that was hopeless for them or was this possibly a test, one that if they passed would earn them the right to ascend back into the Continuum. These questions loomed large over the Vethrians and brought about two distinct and opposite possible responses. Regardless of Aeyroms possible manipulation, they knew that this was a defining moment. Should they run and hide, using their power to maintain their very survival, abandoning the rule of Existence to whomever possessed the ability to take it, or should they take control of the situation taking the initiative and settle the score with Velid before all was lost.

The Vethrians at this point had little control over Existence. The seven families had managed to usurp most of the power and had reorganized existence as best suited them. This was only possible however because the Vethrians themselves had lost faith in their plan for Existence and were slowly pulling back from their responsibility. They had been played by the Mortals and most especially the Seven Families but only because of their own ignorance.

As the Vethrians began a debate over these matters the Mortal populace somehow learned of the Velidian threat and became fearful which in turn began to cause the organization of the society to begin to break down. The mortals quickly demanded that the Vethrians and the seven families do something to defend their way of life. At a meeting of all concerned parties the Vethrians were persuaded to help the effort and at the same time the seven families were urged to do their part. After this meeting the Vethrians decided to make a stand and thereupon took control of the situation. The seven families however were not happy with what appeared to be a resurgence in the enthusiasm of the Vethrians. As they saw it, much effort had been spent to bring Existence to this point and they knew they were on the verge of removing Vethrian rule for good. Even though, they did not what to appear to be undermining the effort wich might cause them to loose the support of the Mortals and so being in control of most of the resources and assets did the minimal that was necessary while feigning strong support. Their main goal quickly became not allowing the Vethrians to regain their former power, which diminished the effort.

A ragtag army was quickly built with conscripts and volunteers. Many able-bodied male Mortals were utilized including many of the heroes. Problems did arise when some towns and cities refused to send soldiers out of fear, by some previous arrangement or out of some hope of gaining from the final result should they not participate. However at the moment nothing could be done about it as more urgent matters were pressing.

Because there had been no previous custom of large organized armies there existed no tradition or skill for it and as such no necessary foundation to build upon. Because of this the army was quickly thrown together, poorly trained, insufficiently supplied and completely disorganized. All of this caused a great uneasiness to develop in the army but most especially in the Vethrians, making them feel that victory would be up to them alone. They were however committed to seeing the project through to the bitter end.

Simultaneously, As the Vethrians were consolidating their power and designing battle plans in hopes of a quick and decisive attack, Velid had made the decision to descend into the great chasm. Now that he had the power of the Firmornam he would descend establish command over the Spiritforms and use them for his own purposes. When he descended into the Great Chasm he was able to communicate directly with the Spiritforms and in that way learned that Othamar had in fact made it out alive with her baby who was also alive when they ascended. Velid, incensed and having established his command over the Spiritforms ascended and upon his arrival at the surface sent out a search band to find Othamar and the baby. These groups, scouring Existence quietly, discovered the Mortal armies assembling and quickly reported this information to Velid. As more search groups were directed to reconnoiter the movements of the Mortal armies it was discovered that the Vethrians were playing a big part in this operation. Velid who was increasingly confident due to his power over the Spiritforms could not bear that his power had yet to establish dominion over the Mortal and his hatred for them only increased knowing that they were making plans to destroy him. Quickly he began to build his own army with the help of the Sonimi. Also the Siradyt and the Sreoth were enlisted to help in the effort. One by one corpses were gathered and Spiritforms were applied to them creating a horrible army know as the Queid army.

[ Eptian XXVIII ]

Velid sulked in a state of complete melancholy wishing there was someway to end his life, releasing his spirit so that he might be free from this life that seemed so laden with misfortune. It was at this moment when Velid was at his lowest that Ebrel came to him and presented to him a rare gift, the Firmornam. Ebrel told Velid that this object had been crafted by the Graelim out of the smashed bones of the first Mortal male- who was named Firmornam, reformed into a single small object. Velid initially rejected the gift disregarding it due to its unimpressive appearance. Ebrel however explained to Velid that this object possesed a certain quality that would fulfil the promises the Graelim had previously made to him and with that Velid took notice. Ebrel continued to divulge the power of the Firmornam to Velid, most important of which was its ability to control all the Spiritforms in Existence. This is why it is also known as the Spiritform Controller. Once Velid fully realized what Ebrel had given him his mood changed and he no longer was miserable.

Ebrel gave the rights to Velid and then the Firmornam was his. With it now in his possession, Velid decided to hide it and did so in a place no one would ever expect. He did this without Ebrels or any other beings knowledge. With that Velid now controlled the Spiritforms and made plans to seek revenge against the Mortals of Existence for what damages they had caused him. He would however need to remove the Vethrians as a threat and so made plans to do just that.

On the grounds that they were not helping Rhosrc and most likely could not save him, Velid had Ebrel kill all of the healers who had been attending to baby. Immediately after this incident Velid sent Ebrel to request the best healers from the Siradyt which were at once delivered.

The Vethrians, who were in a more disastrous position with each new day, could sense another disorder had occurred and this time they came to the conclusion that it must have involved Velid. This caused alarm among the Vethrians and so a party of their own number was sent out to attempt to gain information regarding the fate of Velid. Velid was informed of this parties actions and allowed the to find him rather easily. Velid received them with hospitality but when they looked upon him they were horrified. They had never seen a Vethrian who had become a Sonimi and were frightened. When Velid demonstrated his ability to control the Spiritforms and explained to them that he was now immortal, they submitted to his rule and were forced to become Somini like him. That is all but one who was sent back to the Vethrians in order to describe what he had seen and what fate was coming.

The Vehtrians that remained were given Mortal wives, taken from the Siradyt and eventually became Sonimi like Velid. Now Velid could wield the tremendous power he had more effectively knowing that the Sonimi were damned as he was and had no further options beyond serving him. And thus a ruling class was established.
Elsewhere, Thmascuid checked in on Othamar (Derram), Eptih and Thiaraceph often. It was during these visits that Thmascuid noticed that Eptih was no normal baby, being so large and seeming to be more cognizant then babies his same age. Thmascuid began to take an interest in Eptih and would notice small changes with each visit. With Thiaraceph seemingly unable to establish any kind of affection for Eptih and therefore having no paternal bond with him the relation between Thmascuid and Eptih became much more paternal in nature.