When Elements Take Form

When Elements Take Form

By Antìlàn Orfyvyénà¹

c 20BFD / 862 AFQ²

A research and evidence-based study into whether the Elements can intervene, or have intervened, in the affairs of the Erdàn Savànii. The resulting tome is draws on documents from a variety of sources across the Tri-Kingdom states of Qal'ath, Shevezz and the peoples that eventually formed the Byantē Alliance. The Elelupii were approached for their views but my questions were dismissed and I was assured that no such records would exist within their libraries.

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Purpose

To provide the King of Qal'ath with an evidence-based summary of historical temporary appearances of powerful people who changed the course of history. It was originally commissioned to put to rest the rumour of the Elements themselves intervening in physical form in our world.
A Note to Readers Please be aware that this is a single-page condensation of the equivalent tome within the Bezélian Archives. Anyone seeking to understand this more fully should familiarise themselves with the entire tome and the work of others it draws upon, before making judgements or determining research directions of their own.

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Document Structure

Publication Status

• Published.
• Unrestricted.
• Filed Under: Mythology
• Previously Filed Under: Mystical Research

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Footnotes & Addenda

(1) from what little we have found of the writer of this theory, Antìlàn was a powerful mage in their time who possessed three Elemental Shards: Wind, Light and Fire. While the Crystal Circle as we know it was only formed following the First Destruction, it appears that Elemental Mages still gathered together for sharing skills, tomes and techniques. Antìlàn's last name is more likely a title than a family name given it is derived from Orma, Fyr and Aevyen. As for the remaining two dominant Elements: Erdé and Ousii, it seems the modern term for Marsh of Erdousii stemmed from the Seers in the marshes being mostly focussed on what the ground and water could provide, which makes sense given their physical needs were predominantly met by these two Elements.
(2) "After the Founding of Qal'ath", the designation of Time before the First Destruction.

Read the Document

When Elements Take Form

When Elements Take Form

By Antìlàn Orfyvyénà

c 20BFD / 862 AFQ

While the Elements remain aloof and beyond our reach, it becomes too easy to presume Them to be little more than the deities early civilisations worshipped. Invisible, inaccessible, intangible, uncontested.
Yet, still greater risk is posed should we believe them purely natural forces when the earliest manuscripts show Them to be at least semi-sentient.
A disturbing account estimated by our Alchemists to be around 395-425AFQ appears to report of the Elements intervening directly in the events of Savàni. This they apparently did through manifesting themselves in Parànti form. These "humans" would appear, but have no past or family, yet with a natural yet unnatural influence over one Element. Once that Element was stable in Savàni once more, they would disappear, leaving a trail of confusion behind them.

Why Did They Appear?

As alluded to above, it would be during a destabilisation of a natural Element. But, if one looks at the societal and geopolitical landscape of the time, one would notice other cultural injustices being particularly evident.
The 395AFQ example saw land tremors and deadly "Sea Whirls", evidence of Erdé and Ousii's imbalance. Looking more broadly, exploitation of Kyadii and Kyparàntii as slaves in the mines and docks was occurring at the same time. Thus, an unusually-mighty seafarer appeared seemingly out of nowhere, captured the five worst slave ship captains, released the slaves and disappeared. The Sea Whirls, and the natural disruptions caused by them, ceased to be from that moment on. The simple fear of the dubbed "Phantom Liberator" was sufficient for many years to minimise exploitation at sea.
While the being presumed to be Erdé incarnate had similar goals, the methodology was different. In this case, a type of political leader that resonated with all parties arose and negotiated freedom and recompense for miners. There are recorded interviews of citizens from across the social divides and pan-regions where this "leader" was described as "grounded", "on the level of the people" and that they had a natural strength "upon which one could build a sure foundation". Once the freedom of the miners had been accomplished, the tremors abated and they too vanished and were rumoured to still be working from the shadows.

Gender of Such Beings

I have travelled across all major nations outside of the Unknown Lands, collecting records - scientific, poetic, rumour and religious. While some do specify a gender I can say with certainty there is no consistency. Hence my insistence on employing "they" and "their" above. As semi-sentients, I propose it matters little what form they take.

Not Proved

While the cause-effect cannot be objectively proved, that such beings existed and the historical events mentioned did occur, along with the cessation of Elemental Disruption is a matter of fact. Whether they are the Elements in Parànti form may be debated until Forever.

Learn Lessons

Even should the Disruption and the historical details be inexact - and even if all of these so-called appearances were not related to the Elements, what is clear is that our actions impact the natural world around us. We are in nature, surrounded by nature and reliant on nature. This is true for us all, so we must treat all with the same dignity, lest nature remind us of Who is truly master of Savàni.
Suffice to say, should the Elements reveal themselves in corporeal form and we identify them as such, we must take a long look at ourselves to see which wrongs need righting. And then follow that up with remedial action.

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Type

Study, Scientific

Medium

Papyrus

Authoring Date

20BFD (862AFQ)

Myth

Erdénaii

Location

Bezélian Archives

Authors

• Antìlàn Orfyvyénà