Anthemir's Savior
When the immovable city of Fanfare collapsed in on itself from the weight of its thousand churches, the goddess Anthemir became trapped beneath the rubble in the sink's lowest pits. There she has suffered for a thousand years, awaiting the fulfillment of the Anotinyne prophecy:
There will arrive a priest from another land whose actions will save me from my pain.-- Anthemir
The Prophecy's Beginnings
Several weeks after the Great Fall, a brave party located Anthemir's body at the bottom of the pit. She still lived and they all rejoiced. The party tended to her but could not remove the rubble which trapped her; any attempts at freeing her only caused more pain. Anthemir spoke rarely during these times and never above a whisper. Thus a priest was always on duty beside her face to catch her random utterances. And it was this way the prophecy was learned as whispered by Anthemir quickly and succinctly. The priest asked her questions but she could say nothing more. Growing irritated at his prodding, she finally said, "Do you doubt the words of your goddess?" The priest relayed the prophecy to the others and the information traveled back up the seven stands of the pit of Faunfall. Many balked at the idea that an outsider priest would be her savior and some made the dangerous trip down to the depths to confirm the words at the source. Word was spread far and wide and a great number of priests, clerics, doctors, and all manner of people from any number of lands funneled into Faunfall in hopes of fulfilling the prophecy. Some sought fame while others acted out of selfless pity though all failed in the end to restore Anthemir to glory or perished on the downward journey.The Prophecy Fulfilled
Show spoiler
Petard Dimm learned of Faunfall through the stories of his father, Petardais. Inspired to become an Anotinyne priest, he ventured to the city below and devoted himself to Anthemir in the year 2188, over a millennia after the Great Fall. He had a daughter, Antha, who came to revile her father's faith. To prove to him just how weak and cruel the gods were, she ventured down into Anthemir's holy den and slew the goddess herself, thus fulfilling the words spoken by Anthemir so long ago.
Interpretations
Most debated about the prophecy is the mechanism by which Anthemir will be "saved." Many worry that the end of suffering will mean her death. However, most believe in a miraculous cure or that the body of the foretold priest will contain the spirit of an angel or god. Also contested is the nature of the individual mentioned. The "other land" is sometimes postulated to be another world though no priests are known in the nearby worlds of Nipholiles, Ipsij, or Odxifar. Those more down to earth list the many lands and many gods of earth, theorizing that patrons of Anthemir's close allies are likely candidates. Almost all considered that it was the mentioned priest who would directly save Anthemir from her pain. It was then to everyone's great surprise that, many years later, this would not be the case.Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
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