A GOD’S DECEPTION

In the realm above, it seemed as though the God of Death increasingly relied on his divine counterparts to carry out his duties. He withdrew from the mortal world, withholding blessings from Mortals, unlike the other deities. Jastir’s audacious proposal to entrust such power to us unpredictable creatures did not sit well with him. 

***

 The extent of Parith’s powers and how he wielded them remained a mystery, shrouded in secrecy. Not a single record in the Sacred Scrolls of the Heliatic Pantheon acknowledged any of his contributions. 

Scientists and spiritual emissaries were in accord on this matter.

 To me, it felt as if Parith’s lack of ambition showcased his inert and vulnerable nature, revealing his true self.

His indifference often sowed the seeds of injustice – and the creation of the Blood Sea, on the day of the Heavenly Fall, attests to this truth. Thousands of Wolf Shifters lost their lives in the aftermath, their blood tainting the saltwater red. 

 Because their souls did not find passage to the afterlife, the realm of eternal rest, the Blood Sea remains a treacherous abyss, even to this day, devouring any who dare sail its crimson waves. “The dead hardly ever spares the living.” was a saying in Amerith before Veradant’s feather-winged army claimed the lives of the rest of its population.

 I do pray that those lost souls found solace in the vast darkness, otherwise Azirah will do right by them through her quiet vengeance. 

***

 Death and Fate danced as two constants, inseparably intertwined. Where one’s cycle begins, the other ends.

Parith and Moira were locked in an unending circle, trapped in a fateful embrace from which neither could break free.

 The High Priestesses deemed this bond a mark of strength, fated to rule alongside the other Gods and maintain the delicate balance between the realm of Immortals and those below them. It is where they recklessly put their faith in – and the creed they represented followed suit. This blind trust we placed, led to all six realms of Adstaerad celebrating the spring equinox —a tribute to the god and goddess embodying the stability coveted by all. 

 Alas, no one could have foreseen that their trust would be misplaced.

***

The God of Death graced House al Ahsal with his favor the day he allowed another God to spare its heir. Parith has since become the patron of the eastern continent and its royal lineage, shaping the birthplace of trading culture into a land of poison and desolation.