The Eternals

Brief

Encased seers, glass statues, living watchers, witnesses, and companions to a goddess of life and death, nature and nurture. Former leaders of villages who have devoted themselves, as a sort of sacrifice, to their goddess to keep her company.

The steady ‘drip drip’ of the ceiling leaking into the vast underground lake was a sort of music. Ripples played over the faintly lit surface, where the pale white light of synth torches created a pristine atmosphere. There was no fungus on the walls, no fish in the water. This was an utterly perfect place with a vaulted ceiling that made each footstep an echo.
It was sacred here. Divine. And it was here that Rachyl brought the pages from his people. Notes of all scrip from so many different people. They were prayers of a fashion, written with blood for ink. His robes brushed over the glass walk that was faintly raised from the water. Every once and awhile, the gentle ripples would reach the path and send a thin sheet of water running over it. The way was precarious. Slippery. But worth it.
Out of reach, lining the glass path, were circular spots made of the same see through glass where statues decorated the cave and provided light. They were real people, locked in their various poses. Some as gracefully bent as ballerinas, others standing casually. More so were contorted in ways that, on their own, they would not be able to hold. One such body stood on the tiptoes of one foot, with their body near parallel to the water. Her eyes were open and followed him, though she could not move any other part of her. This was to be his fate, some day. To join the eternal watchers of the Gods. But for now, he collected and delivered the prayers.
At the end of the glass walkway, in the center of the cave, was a simplistic marble square. It was about waist high, with the pillar disappearing into the black waters and to the bottom far below. On this square was a small indentation. The perfect size for the parchment the notes were written on. And it was here he dumped the collective and watched, amazed as always, as they dissolved in such a thin layer of water. With his bounty delivered, Rachyl turned to go. He felt the weight of the living Eternals attention, knew that every statue he passed was aware of him though they could not breathe or move. And he shivered, knowing one day he would join them and be as trapped in the musical drips as they.

Summary

There are a lot of stories about the Eternals. Who they are, who they used to be. What it must be like to become the glass statues, witnessing the prayers, living in their cavern. Records are few and far between, writ on parchment that becomes faded over a generation or so. It isn't out of neglect so much as the peoples are more focused on survival. Fishermen, gatherers, farmers. They don't have the free time to devote to libraries and heavy scripture, so much of what is known is traded through verbal stories.
Every Seer that goes into the cave tells of the Eternals in different ways. The Dancer, the Watcher, the Father, the Mother, the Sister, the Fisher, the Farmer. They all take on aspects of their lives and thus their stories evolve around these names. While the peoples do not pray to these Eternals, they ask for their guidance and for certain Eternals to look out for them, depending on what they're doing. "Fisher, watch the skies for storms" might be a thought a fisher has before they cast off for the day. Small, every day thoughts the people have that they may give voice to.

Cultural Reception

While the Goddess is the power, the beginning and the end, the Eternals are the connection to the people. There is a sense of familiarity and almost like they're a part of every family. As every Eternal was, at some point, a living Seer that existed amongst the villages, they were known people who experienced all the hardships and joys the people do. In that, the people feel a strong connection, love, and affection for them while they respect, and sometimes fear, their Goddess.
She might be their creator, but she is also their death.

In Art

Most houses have small wooded, wittled variations of Eternals. They aren't especially detailed, but they will have the defining trait of the Eternal they are meant to represent. It will usually be whatever Eternal/s speak to that particular person or family the most.

by Isidoro Martínez