Book 0

Copyright © 2014 by Evelyn Eve.

ISBN:                  Softcover                  978-1-4931-9772-9

                            eBook                       978-1-4931-9773-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Rev. date: 05/31/2013

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Contents

The Book of All

The Tree that Knows

I

II

III

Epilogue

The Talebinder’s Oath:

Words now I have been given, so a tale for you I have weaved:

A story now before us we witness, but have we been deceived?

I sit back now and gaze upon an astonishing story such as this.

I choose to care not about a lie or truth: ignorance, this be bliss!

The Book of All

(Prologue)

Part 1: The Formation

0.   Behold the words of the All: close not your ears and open your heart, for this is the Truth Undeniable. Thaezal!

1.   In the beginning, there was the All:

2.   And as the All has been the only, the All is only what has been, and only what shall be.

3.   The Deep Black was empty, devoid of matter and substance; and the All, desiring creation, brought forth a tree beyond sight, that grew from the vastness of nothing;

4.   And this tree, He called for us to know it, Existence.

5.   The Existence was fruitless, empty: it bore no fruit, no leaf, no seed. The All looked upon the tree with sadness:

6.   For He knew that this tree would not live, if He did not breathe life into it:

7.   And so He did.

8.   From His spoken word, His breath of sound and life, came forth fruit that began to sprout immediately from the tree. This fruit shall, by His decree, be known as the Spheres.

9.   So the Spheres hung from the branches, and they grew not with warmth. Desiring His fruit to flourish, He gave unto them a Face that shown with bright light:

10.   And to shield the Spheres from the bright light, He created leaves that took the color of the Deep Black. He allowed the light to touch upon the Spheres for half the Glow, and decreed that the leaves sprout during only what was to be called the Cover: this Sphere in the Glow, we are allowed to call the Face.

11.   So the leaves of darkness covered the Spheres for half the day, and withered come the early Glow. And He could see the light shine through the spaces between the leaves of the Cover, and He called for us these spaces the Breach.

12.   And so He created a Sphere that would remain invisible by the Glow, and shine upon the Cover: this Sphere was to protect His creations during the Cover by giving them light; He called it thus, for us, the Mirror as it reflects His mercy.

13.   All knowledge is from the All, all names and titles: we know nothing without His consent.

14.   Those who claim to have knowledge without the All is horribly deceived; a lie is upon him and those who listen: thus their words are not to be received in peace.

15.   Upon the forming of the Mirror, the Face, and the Veil of Glow and Cover, He put upon our Sphere the being; our Sphere-father we are instructed to call Phurst, and our Sphere-Mother Primordia;

16.   And the two brought forth all of mortality, all of Life: the beasts and the creatures of the Sphere.

17.   Instruments of the All were they, bringing forth the beasts of the Vast, the Veil, and the Bound:

18.   After a thousand years of creation, from the flesh of Phurst dripped the Altariun people,

19.   Droplets of sweat and blood mixing with the dirt:

20.   Becoming mud and then flesh, they scampered at the feet of their Sphere-father.

21.   And the All looked upon these droplets with disgust: He seen filth before Him, and His eyes burned with a fury, deep within His skull.

22.   He turned to Phurst, saying:

23.   "My child, what is this, that has fallen off your body? I should wipe it clean, here and now!

24.   For my eyes, they are offended: they burn of rage and fire within my very skull-

25.   And my mind aches at the mere thought of them."

26.   Phurst, being ever shameful before his Lord, humbled himself on his knees and upon his face fell:

27.   "Father, forgive me: for I am flawed before you

28.   And bore these abominations from my own desire to shed from myself my imperfections, so that I may be like you."

29.   The All was not pleased. He said unto Phurst:

30.   "I made you imperfect, so you would follow me, so that I may be the only god of the Existence:

31.   Now that you have shed from you your imperfections and tried to elevate yourself to me, you are no longer my favorite son.

32.   I desire imperfection from my children, lest they try to become like me, which none shall!

33.   Away from me!

34.   I shall allow your children to live: but you,

35.   You, I shall divide into fragments: I shall separate you, and you shall forever be known as the Father of all Prodigals.

36.   From you, I make Fear, Greed, Avarice, Knowledge, Envy, Pain, Death, Madness, Hunger… all the plagues of your children are on your hands.

37.   You will be unaware of what you do, for you shall be divided:

38.   And as for your wife, I shall take her back into the Heavens, for she is yet to sin against me.

39.   However, her loyalty to you is unquestionable, as I have made her this way and thus know her best.

40.   She would rise against me; turn your children against my wisdom, should she remain upon the Bound:

41.   Away she shall be sealed, locked away in the walls of my altar in Heaven, a burial chamber beneath the sacrificial slab-

42.   And there, forever, she shall remain."

Part 2: The Limits

0.   Behold the words of the All: close not your ears and open your heart, for this is the Truth Undeniable. Thaezal!

1.   And there the All took Primordia unto Heaven, and sealed her away as promised into the Ever-Altar:

2.   There she has remained:

3.   Until the end of time she shall be.

4.   And the All put upon her a grievous task,

5.   So that she shall remember her place as a servant:

6.   Upon the death of her husband’s children,

7.   She is to take their soul into the Altar with her

8.   And cradle them until the time of their rebirth:

9.   The time being at the will of the All,

10.   As it is by the will of the All that none shall be birthed and perished:

11.   Life and death are at His bidding, birth and Existence at His command, and His alone.

12.   And Phurst was left, divided and scattered

13.   Upon the world as fragments of himself:

14.   Prodigals, cannibal incarnations that fed upon their own children:

15.   Some professed to be good, to aid the mortals,

16.   Passing on to them knowledge and wealth, love and happiness

17.   As well as death and fear:

18.   But it matters not to the All, for that which comes from a Prodigal is tainted,

19.   Disgusting and impure.

20.   The All said unto the Prodigals:

21.   "You shall never again be whole; your curse is to be severed from unity, divided amongst yourselves and forever at war with one another.

22.   You shall wage war for dominance, all of you: even Peace cannot be given Rest until War has been vanquished!

23.   But you shall be put under foot from the All

24.   And tossed into the maw of the Great Beast Univerous,

25.   That which was formed by the All to devour even Hunger itself, should it exceed its limits in the Sphere.

26.   And to tame Univerous, the All sent His Seven sons, the Paragons,

27.   Who also keep balance amongst the Great Beast, as well as themselves:

28.   To control the Veil, to bring Down and Face,

29.   To keep all that belongs within the Sphere of the Altarium in

30.   And to keep that which belongs outside of the Altarium out:

31.   Ahmazael, Guardian of the Veil, was created from the very winds and clouds.

32.   To monitor the Vast, to control the tides and to wash away those who would challenge Him by the shores, Mymazael was formed from the foam and the waves.

33.   To push up mountains as well as tear them down, to set under foot any future nations that would defy the All, Ogmazael was crafted from the dust and the bones, the iron and the steel and flesh that settled in the dirt.

34.   The All did this because He knew of the mortals’ power:

35.   For their father was powerful, but not as powerful as his Father:

36.   And thus the All did as much to protect the Sphere from the inevitable corruption the Prodigals would bring to the mortals, who could commit to untold horrors if they were to become corrupt.

37.   The All loves not a soul, and rewards none but His select few: for each drop of flesh is but a curse: and the only mercy given is the chance to live and to die.

38.   Nonexistence is for the foulest only: for they do not deserve to live again, to die again, to be born again:

39.   Their souls shall be spat from the Altar, for even the loving Primordia herself will not be able to suffer their intolerable stench.

Part 3: The Rise

0.   Behold the words of the All: close not your ears and open your heart, for this is the Truth Undeniable. Thaezal!

1.   As the All knew would be, came to pass:

2.   The mortals began to multiply on the Sphere, spreading as insects and devouring all things in their way:

3.   Even each other.

4.   They ravaged the All’s creations,

5.   Ripped up His trees and burned His hilltops.

6.   They consumed His beasts and His creatures,

7.   And He wept as a result of their gluttony and avarice.

8.   And He said to Himself that it was best they remained poor and weak,

9.   So that they would not become strong and ravage all that He created;

10.   He spared only the mortals because of His promise to Phurst: His first son.

11.   So he sent to them the Divinican Ogmazael, with an army of Divinites, to make an example of the most sinister of the nations.

12.   Gurgosh, the tribe of lechers and gluttons, was the sickest amongst them:

13.   They ate things unclean; toxic brush and insect alike, not fit for consumption.

14.   Their very skin became rotted and corrosive, destroying all they came in contact with:

15.   They ate their own kind, nipped at the heels of their brethren, and spread their unholy disease.

16.   Ogmazael then put them underfoot; their vile breath shook him not, their cries of mercy slowed him not a step. Thus Gurgosh was no more: its line, its blood, ended soaked in the sands in the valley of Incenna, where nothing may since grow.

17.   And Ogmazael stood high, his head towering in the clouds, and his voice bellowed the law:

18.   "A man shall not eat from the bush, nor shall he consume that which scuttles on the ground or slithers in the sand:

19.   If it be not of gill and fin, he is not to eat from the Vast;

20.   If it have curved horn on its head or spine from its skin, it is not to be touched.

21.   One shall not nibble from his brother’s heel, or his leg or arm: no meat of another Altariun may he put to his lips.

22.   To do so is to invoke the wrath of the All, and become a disease unto the Sphere: and a disease has no purpose other than to be set asunder, and wiped clean from His presence; which is everywhere.

23.   He can be nowhere else but every place, so be wary of what you make yourself!"

Part 4: The Scuttling About

0.   Behold the words of The All: close not your ears and open your heart, for this is The Truth Undeniable. Thaezal!

1.   Now the All slept, turning His mind inward to rid Himself of the sight of the Altariuns. He did this to calm His hand, as His patience with them was none.

2.   It was not long before Altariuns once again sprung forth about the Sphere: while the All slept, they began to scuttle about;

3.   Cities began to form in their wake, and nature fell before them.

4.   They quickly forgot about the smiting of the vile Gurgosh,

5.   And the image of Ogmazael faded soon from their memories.

6.   Oh, how vain they became! Sufferance was their way.

7.   One amongst them remembered clearly the All: his name was Sammash (obedience to him forever), and he was to be the first amongst the great prophets;

8.   His blood was the first to flow in the vein of the Voices.

9.   He commanded the people to honor the Sphere, for it was the All’s and not for them to defile:

10.   But they heeded him not.

11.   Even in His sleep, the All knew of Sammash’s purity,

12.   And He dreamed pleasant dreams of Sammash, sending him jurisdiction of the forces of the Sphere itself:

13.   Manteia over the wind, the dirt, the fire and the water;

14.   Life and death, disease and health;

15.   Wealth and poverty:

16.   These became, by the will of the All, ways for His Voice to be heard.

Part 5: The Weeding Out

0.   Behold the words of the All: close not your ears and open your heart, for this is the Truth Undeniable. Thaezal!

1.   The All knew Sammash would continue to give Him pleasant dreams and comforting visions:

2.   And anyone who is of the right way knows that the Law of Sammash is perfect and undeniable, the Will of the All living amongst us.

3.   When Sammash spoke, filled with the wisdom of the All, only a few listened, for only a few recognized the words of their High Lord.

4.   These few were pleasing to Sammash, and so they were pleasing to the All.

5.   Sammash warned the wrongdoers again: and a few more listened this time,

6.   But not as many as during the first words he spoke.

7.   The third time he spoke to them words that straighten, but even fewer this time heeded his call.

8.   In the words of the fourth calling, no more would listen;

9.   So full of vanity they were, and false wisdom, they refused to take his words on faith:

10.   So Sammash, by the Will of the All, called open the Bound to swallow up one third of them:

11.   One third swallowed by the jaws of stone.

12.   Half of the remaining defilers fell upon their knees in obedience:

13.   The other half were too full of themselves still, so they were consumed by fire, sent down from the Veil by the All (through Sammash).

14.   Now three-fourths of they, bowed: the remaining quarter that held their pride to the end were washed away by waters from the Vast that swept through their villages (by command of Sammash.)

15.   So now only the obedient remained, and all of their vain cities were burnt to the ground:

16.   Only the humblest of towns and tribes were permitted to stand.

17.   And Sammash said to them:

18.   "You may rebuild your cities; but only if they are built in accordance with the All’s Will. You must live your lives in accordance with His laws, if you wish for your societies to remain standing; not one building shall have a firm enough foundation to avert His wrath, if you choose to disobey.

19.   Before you, etched in plates of gold, I will place before all and the All, the 99 Conditions."

Part 6: The 99 Conditions

0.   Behold the words of the All: close not your ears and open your heart, for this is the Truth Undeniable. Thaezal!

1.   Before you are the 99 Conditions that are to be followed without question, lest the All take from you all He has allowed you to borrow from His Sphere:

2.   You shall not have any other Law, other than the one put before you by Shammash: only the All can place before you a Condition or Law that can take the place of that spoken by Shammash. The Law is the All, and the All, the Law: to worship the All is to follow the Law, and to follow the Law is to worship the All.

3.   You shall not take thy neighbor’s belongings without his consent: this includes his food, wife, children, estate, temple relics and holy books; not even a palm’s worth of soil from his property may be borrowed without his permission.

4.   You shall not kill, lest it be in the name of the All, and by permission of His Voice alone. If one wishes death to his neighbor for a grievance or persecution, it is to be taken before the Voice and a half dozen of his appointed Council members: as the Seven Paragons judge by seven, so shall the Voices judge.

5.   One is to not draw water for a bath, or bathe, on the first, second, and third day of the fifth week of the month. To do so is to face trial by Council, where to be found guilty is to receive one lash from every adult male member of the village; failure to lash a guilty party means one shares the guilt of the violator of Law, and is to receive twice the lashing of the original transgressor. This Condition of punishment is to be upheld at all times, not just for those who draw water on these days: double is the punishment for the one who punishes not when punishment is due in all things.

6.   Juhaaztu is the sacred day, where all are to refrain from work and pleasurable activity. Only the acts of temple attendance and rest are to be observed: violation of this Condition is death by fire. The Voice of each city appoints the day of Juhaaztu, to meet the needs of the village: as long as one day is appointed amongst the cycle of seven days, the village is considered to be in accordance to the Law, and to the All.

7.   Lest one becomes likened to the people of Gurgosh, one is to not eat more than his or her share; one is to not ingest insects of any kind, nor are they to eat anything having more or less than four legs, or two wings and two legs; one is to not ingest any creature that takes flight on furred wing, or feasts upon the dead. Eating of the pig or cow is not permitted in the warm seasons: only one swine per household may be consumed in the cold months. No horse or creature used for transport of goods or soldiers may be consumed, even if starvation and death is certain. On the third day of the week, all are to fast during the time the Face sets and rests directly overhead: from the Cover to the following Cover, none shall feast.

8.   Amongst the commoners, marriage is only between male and female: as is with kings and lords who are required to have an heir. Slaves and servants, soldiers during war time, are only permitted to lay with their kind: males with males, females with females, but only if their lords permit such. This act is not to be discussed but behind closed doors. A slave or servant, as well as a layman Voice or other of the priestly sect, may only have relations with the opposite sex by command of their masters only: and this is to bare forth more servants, members of the Temple, and slaves. Any who carry children with them without permission are to be cast out into the wilderness for forty days and forty nights; any caught harboring said individual is to be put to death with the transgressor.

9.   One is to offer prayer up to the All at least twice, daily: once upon waking, and another before one retires to his or her quarters for the evening. This is in addition to the thanks that must be given during times of feast.

10.   One shall take slaves of the women and children only of a conquered nation or tribe: all grown men are to be put to death, save for the male house servants of vanquished foes. These men are to be given freedom from slavery and servitude, as long as they join the ranks of the army; otherwise, they are to resume their subservience to the nobles of your empire.

11.   If a child becomes unruly, or ill beyond the healing of a Voice or physician, he or she is to be cast into the wilderness with wood spear and loincloth, and to be branded with a mark upon their foreheads. They are to never enter civilization again, and are to be killed on the spot if discovered in the wilderness. They are to be like beasts for the rest of their days upon this Sphere, and to be killed on sight.

12.   One is allowed to divorce their partners, but only if done so in front of an appointed official and six others. A vote must be made by the council of seven, to see if the grounds for divorce are just. If the grounds are fair and mutual, and the reason for divorce is a peaceful but mutual indifference, the male is to keep the estate and nine-tenths of the wealth: the woman is to become his head servant, and be treated with the utmost fairness and equality; yet he is not allowed to lay with her. Should he do so, he accepts her back as his wife, and must go back to the council for restoration of their marriage. If a male suitor finds interest in her during the time of separation, her former husband is to release her with one tenth of his wealth as a dowry to the new husband. Failure to do so earns him public lashings by all married males.

13.   When making business transactions, loans, and other similar dealings, two must do so in front of an appointed council. Failure to do so renders the deal unverifiable; any attempt to reclaim any property that one desires back will be considered theft, and the severing of the right hand for the individual attempting to reclaim their former property (because it will be deemed unknown by the council.) All deals made before the council are final, until a new deal has been struck: withdrawing from a deal after it has been made in front of the council is grounds for one to be stoned to death by the town merchants.

14.   Whenever entering the Temple, one must wash their hands and feet, lest they defile the sacred grounds with the filth of the outside Sphere. Upon leaving the Temple, one must wash again, as to not mingle the pure dust from the Temple with the outer impure soil. Only in the presence of the All can one ever be considered pure: but one must be pure before they are to remain so.

15.   If a soldier dares defy an order from his superior, he is to be punished severely, and tried for treason. If his commander issues him an order that violates the word of the All, the soldier is to still follow this order: he (the soldier) is free from the wrath of the All. However, when the officer perishes and falls to death and returns to the Altar of Heaven to be measured, he shall have to answer for his unholy orders. Only the All knows his heart, so he is to not be questioned by anyone on this Sphere other than a Voice or Temple council member.

16.   If a city acquires great wealth, but has no Temple present, this is a sign from the All that a Temple is to be erected there at first chance: the city is to receive the Temple with open arms and grant one fifth of their wealth to the Temple. Failure to do so is to have any neighboring city turn their swords, spears, and torches on you: failure for those cities and tribes to do so is to face punishment severe from the All in the Weighing at the Eternal (Heavenly) Altar. A most unpleasant Recycling is in store for these people.

17.   If a woman becomes a widow, she is to cut her hair clean off: only the skin of her head shall be seen. She is not eligible for marriage once more, until her hair once again reaches her shoulders. Anyone who lies with a woman before her hair returns to this length is to be dragged out into public and pelted with stones and shards of glass for one evening: if they live or die during this act is of no consequence, it is by the Will of The All and judgment has been passed.

18.   If one kills an innocent child, one is to be hung from a rope until death claims them and they are pronounced dead by a Temple councilman or appointed physician. If one has killed multiple children, their corpse is to be hung over again for each child, until the family of the deceased child has been pleased: so shall their debt be paid.

19.   The Temple has the authority to pardon any criminal, sinner, or violator of the Law: this decision is between the Voice and the All, when they enter into the Altar for Measuring.

20.   If one heals without the consent of the Temple… be they physician, mystic, or user of Manteia… they are to be tried by the Temple for witchcraft; those found guilty are to be tossed into a pit of fire by the day’s end. Throwing said witch into the Vast or other body of water is also acceptable, should no pit of fire be available. All power comes from the All; but on this Sphere, the Temple is the ones who decide when it is appropriate to use said gift. All miracles must be repaid through service or offering; if a healer accepts one’s thanks, and refuses a gift or offering, the redeeming service has been rendered full.

21.   If one is encountered by a Paragon, one is to yield to his wisdom after he reveals his birthmark: those in the priestly order or Templars alone are able to see this spiritual mark and recognize it. A Priest (Voice) who fails to honor this mark and bow in reverence is to be Recycled most unpleasantly, and die most horribly. However, a true Paragon under the service of the All will not be able to break any of the Conditions: therefore, their judgment is to be trusted and followed without question. Blessings be great to those who kneel before a Paragon!

22.   The All has no children born upon the Sphere: any who make this claim are heretics and witches, and to be executed no sooner than the words leave their lips if they fall upon the ears of a Templar or soldier. If the soldier or Templar dies during their attempt to destroy the blasphemer, they will be Recycled as nobility or Temple Voice: if one does not kill or be killed in said circumstance, their judgment on this Sphere will be harsh, and their Recycling will be most unpleasant.

23.   One shall not speak to a Voice unless spoken to; the only exception to this rule is during confession. Violators of this Condition are to be lashed upon the lips with a strap made from animal hide.

24.   When paying taxes, one must pay what their government asks of them. The government, however, is to pay homage to the Temple once every thirty days: this comes in the form of a one-twentieth tribute. Failure to do so is the excommunication of the ruling body from the Temple, in which case a new head will be placed at the Temple’s discretion; if no new leader is placed, the nation becomes property of the High Voice.

26.   One cannot wear any clothing made from the hide of any animal unclean to eat; no buttons from the bones of these animals are to be sewn into garments, or to be worn as jewelry or decoration.

27.   No ink or stain is to be placed onto or underneath the skin, unless it is a Temple marking signifying one’s status within the Temple.

28.   Males and females may only pierce their ears; none may have a piercing that is fitted to a chain or loop that stretches the flesh anywhere on the body.

29.   Dyeing of the hair is strictly forbidden: males must be distinguishable from females, and females from males; and the Crop must not take the likeness of the defiant races… the Prodigals and the Caronians… under any circumstance.

30.   Only the Temple and the ruling body of a nation is permitted to carry iron or steel weapons or armor; the poor and any militia are only allowed to be covered by the hide of animals; and wield arms of wood, bone, stone, and copper: if a material does not come from the Sphere naturally, it is not to be used. Any lower classman who owns a steel or iron weapon or armor is subject to immediate death by stoning, as they are not permitted by the All to carry such instruments. Owning steel tools, utensils, cooking pots, or any other item is also forbidden for lower classmen: merchants, however, may purchase the Temple’s blessing to carry steel weapons while they transport goods.

31.   The drinking of alcohol on the day before, the day of, and the day after Juhaaztu is strictly forbidden. Having an open bottle or unsealed keg on these days near one’s person is also in violation of this Condition.

32.   It is wrong for one to speak ill of one’s neighbor behind closed doors: if one has a grievance with a neighbor, it is to be brought before the council. If one is caught speaking poorly of his neighbor in secret, he will be tried before the council for slander.

33.   A man lying with a woman before marriage is a sin of the worst kind: only when man and woman are married, are they to engage in pleasurable acts. If a man and woman are caught engaging in relations before marriage, they are to be stoned to death, or married immediately.

34.   If a man takes a wife and she is not a virgin, it is his right to divorce her, or have her burnt in a pit for witchcraft. If he takes her knowing she is unclean, he takes it upon himself to bear her sin with her.

35.   When selecting a spouse, a man is entitled to know of the dowry in advance that she is to bring. If he is not pleased by said offering, he can refuse her hand in marriage, and take half the dowry for himself, and give the other half back to the father of his would-be wife. He is to then free his potential spouse of all duty and obligation, and never to marry her from henceforth.

36.   A soldier is not to have relations with a woman the morning of, the day of, the night of, the morning before, the day before, or the night before a planned battle. To do so is for him to be moved to the front line.

37.   No female may serve in the military. To do so, is to be put to death by beheading, for she is in violation of natural laws.

38.   Women are to remain in the home or on her property, unless accompanied by their husband, eldest son, husband’s brother or father, uncle, father’s father, son over the age of 32 seasons, or at least two other females over the age of 48 seasons.

39.   If a family member, companion, friend, neighbor, or loved one renounces the All in your presence, you are to demand their repentance at once; if they do not reclaim the All as their Lord, they are to be dragged into the streets and struck, until the life leaves their body.

40.   Only the Voice is permitted to speak during sermon, unless he addresses a member of the congregation directly. Speakers speaking out of turn are lashed with a leather strap across their lips in the Temple courtyard, to be made an example of.

41.   One is to follow the will of the Temple as if the Temple were the All Himself, for only the High Voice of the Temple and his voices can