The Book of Visions
I knew that my time here was over. I had seen the gods in their splendor and knew the names of them. Juris, unceasing Justice. Sophie, untarnished Wisdom. Decora, unwavering Honor. Civis and Taeas, twins of Community. And Verus, awesome Truth. My spirit returned to its shell and I continued on my way- my thoughts heavy with all I had seen. - Archbishop Sapphira, The Book of Visions, Number 3Written in 3 BS by Archbishop Sapphira, The Book of Visions is the detailed record of her experiences in the Spiritual Realm and her first encounters with the gods of The Pentan Church. It is through this text that the Pentan Faith was solidified and remained as the holy document in the faith throughout the ages. While the visions recorded within this book were really experienced by Sapphira, the metaphysical content was as much a fabrication as the gods themselves. Shown to the young girl by The Drunkard, the visions were meant to incite action within Sapphira, urging her to spread the word of the gods and thus beginning the Cycle of Transconjectivism. This makes the Book of Visions less of a holy scripture and more of an executed game plan by a higher power, which many have argued is effectively the same thing, regardless of the wars fought over its authenticity.
Excerpt of the Book of Visions
Book of Visions, number 3- Sapphira. My gaze turned to the North, and beyond the mountains I saw a land, veiled in smoke. My eyes could not pierce it, though I knew a bright light shown beyond it. As I stared, I felt my soul leave my body once more- another waking dream. I flew forward, unable to stop myself and soon I melded with the haze. All senses were marred but I did not despair, for I knew I would be safe. Soon the light grew until it almost blinded me. As I blinked the tears away, everything came into sharp focus. I found myself in a lush garden lit by an unseen sun. All around me were plants- trees and bushes, well cultivated. The flowers were of every color- some previously unknown to me. There was a fragrance on the air- sweet, of cloves and honey, but not pungent. All was fresh and good and I found myself wishing to tarry there but alas, I could not. My incorporeal form drifted down a path, paved with cobbles and clean, towards a large amphitheater, ringed with columns of white marble. Here I found five beings, all cloaked in light, with faces of carved granite and eyes of brilliant gemstones. They did not acknowledge me, but I fell, prostrate, all the same. These were the gods, wrapped in majesty, clothed in might. And I slowly raised my eyes to acknowledge them in turn. First and greatest among them was Justice. His eyes shown as brilliant onyx- drinking the light around them. In his hands he held a great tome, bound in gold and written on the finest vellum. He held an eagle’s feather in one hand and as he wrote, red blood sketched the page. He spoke to himself and as he did, the voices of a dozen languages hit my ear, where I could both understand, and not understand, all that was said. His feet were clad with two souls of the damned. As he paced about, their screams of pain shattered stone and froze water, the weight upon them so great and unrelenting. He was cloaked in a cream white robe and as he wrote in his book, the bloodied words mirrored themselves across it. He was Justice, written and unwritten, unrelenting and immutable. Next to him was Wisdom. Smaller, but shown more brightly still than her husband. For they were husband and wife, Justice and Wisdom. While he was ponderously vast and unrelenting in his action, she was meek, standing away from the others. Her eyes were Diamonds- clear and unflawed. Around them were creases, marks of age upon her otherwise unblemished face. But in those I saw joy and contentment. She was the only of the Five gathered to look back upon me, and as her diamond-hard eyes fell upon me, I could not help but look away. It was as though she stared through me- to my core. She saw the center of me and I crumpled under the weight of her gaze. Her clothes were of parchment and upon them was a great map. I saw Rehu over her breast, but the rest was unfamiliar to me. when she spoke, though it was but a whisper, the others froze, considering her words. She was Wisdom, worldly but untarnished, quiet and inexorable. My eyes were then drawn towards Honor. I was surprised I had not noticed her first, being as she was in a state of distress. Her back was to the others, facing towards a land shrouded in darkness. She had raised before her a shield of glittering bronze, wide and thick with strong wooden braces in the bowl. Licking at her were tendrils of shadow- dark things that drew in all light around them. Most were turned away by the shield, but they were cunning and would circumvent it, lashing out and drawing thin wounds on her body. These bled light, and I could scarce look at her long- shone as she did like the many fractals of a broken gemstone. Her robes were in shreds, though I could tell they were once beautiful, the iridescent tones of mother-of-pearl still catching the light as the tatters flailed against the onslaught. She did not cry out as the shadow tore at her, merely standing there, still and stoic as stone. There were two hounds at her feet, and they snapped at the tendrils that evaded her shield. It was in this way the darkness was kept at bay. She was Honor, broken and adamant, bloodied and beautiful. Then I looked to the twins- Community. They were two, but one, equal to each other but wholly different. They danced amongst the others, pausing to give gifts of Honeysuckle or bright beads. Their eyes shone brightly, both with leafy-green emeralds that gleefully soaked in the light. They wore crowns of chrysanthemum and as they played, a lilting song hung in the air around them. The tune put me at ease and, though I haven’t the knack for it, I soon found myself singing alongside them. They were barefoot and skipped with the confidence of youth. As I watched, I saw one of them trip, a long gash formed of light blossoming on his shin. He did not cry but sat, looking imploringly to the other. Without a pause, his sister knelt and placed her hands on the wound. The light dimmed, but did not break. Just as this occurred, I saw a similar wound appear on her shin, dim as his- the same, but shared. She helped him up and soon they began to skip again, their song never wavering. They were Community, of themselves and each other, lesser, but the stronger for it. Though I saw five beings before me, I knew that Community were two parts of a whole. There was one who eluded my sight. I strained my eyes long, searching each corner of the amphitheater. Soon, I grew tired and my sight widened, no longer focusing on the crevices and shadows. As it did, I saw the Fifth- Truth. He stood in the middle of the group, making no effort to crouch or hide. He was a ghastly thing- nowhere near as lovely to behold as the others. He was hunched, clearly young but with heavy marks of age- his skin sallow and loose off his frame, and a heavy hunch that required he place a hand on the floor to remain upright. His eyes were two unblemished Sapphires, truly blue and deep as the ocean. He had upon his head many faces, each looking in a different direction. They sung at once, straining my ears with their discordant noise. I closed my eyes and moved to cover my ears though as I did, something happened. The voices, at first seeming disjointed, began to weave together into a solitary melody- something vast and beautiful. I was lost in it- so deep it was that I could stand for an age and still not pick at the subtleties. I blinked, tears beginning to form and as I dared to look again, he was gone, but not forgotten. I searched again for him but I could not, for all my wit, find him. He was Truth, visible but invisible, his song resounding in my heart. I knew that my time here was over. I had seen the gods in their splendor and knew the names of them. Juris, unceasing Justice. Sophie, untarnished Wisdom. Decora, unwavering Honor. Civis and Taeas, twins of Community. And Verus, awesome Truth. My spirit returned to its shell and I continued on my way- my thoughts heavy with all I had seen.
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Text, Religious
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