By: Elynsynos Posted on: November 12, 2004
"The seed is my Lady's gift to you, lest you forget that Renewal ever
comes in the wake of Destruction. The Great Oak has passed its time. Let
something new grow, to signal a new age, nurtured by your hands."
- Aussipe, the Swift-Wing, Herald of Makali, 10th of Serapin, 360AF
Destruction. A word we hate to hear happen, yet sometimes necessary in nature. Makali, the Goddess of Destruction has been feared by many who dread loss, revered by many who long for rebirth, and confused by many who questions her goals. From the time even before her birth, destruction was already walking along the land. Her birth marked the destruction of a long held tradition of landmarks.
~The Birth of Makali~
It was on a dark day 12th of Ero, 342AF, a great plot was discovered. Members of the mysterious conclave, Hagg, Maklak, O'ising, and Hycanthus were discovered near the well-known landmark, The Angel/Demon Mirror, weaving spells over it. Discovered by some adventurers, the conclave members were slain, for fear of what their spells would bring. And because they were slain, the world was unprepared for events that came to pass. As the adventurers hurried back to mainland, the discovery of the landmarks were realized - they rippled and shook, and the great Sphinx came alive, killing at random over the Mojave Desert. And thus came the destruction of the landmarks. But the events did not end there. The land was thrown into chaos as mirror images suddenly appeared. "Clones" roamed Achaea, attacking the original person of their image.
As clones continued to stream forth, Maim was working towards slaying some members of the conclave, jealous of the power they hold in their hearts, until only two conclave members remained, saved by some adventurers. Maklak and O'ising worked to seal the mirror, stopping the double images. More of the plot was uncovered, as the two conclave members sealed the mirror - something about sealing the mirror so the other Conclave member cannot do something unspecified. The world returned to peace at last - or so they thought.
On the 1st of Serapin, 360AF, when Ethian was close once again, Haag's screams filled the chilly night air. Brave adventurers rusted to her aid, but too late - she was already dead, her heart torn out. Similar events soon happened to the other conclave members. Some adventurers said they saw two veiled woman, rushing away from each corpse - towards Polyargos. The crowd rushed to Polyargos to find the two women, protected against attacks, perform a ritual at the mirror. The power of the ritual was strengthened by the hearts of the other conclave members. The fifth member of the conclave was revealed as - none other than the red dragon who inhabited Polyargos - Yudhisthira, the wyrm from Ethian. With his two twin followers, the ritual brought on a new turn of events. She came with a ball of white light, and the utter destruction of the sphinx, mirror, oak, garden, totem, valley, pillar/fist and the falls marked and heralded her coming. And thus, Makali, Goddess of Destruction was born.
~Destruction vs. Nature~
It has been commonly known, but not well discussed for centuries; whether destruction is against or for nature. Nature is known for its profound balance: Life and Death, Fire and Water, Good and Evil. And it is no exception with Makali. She balances Oneiros? way of peace, and can be seen in many aspects of nature. A common example can be found in each of the elements we use. Fire, water, earth and air all have destructive properties that we use in combat and bashing. The idea of destruction is nothing new to us, although we do dread it somewhat. Destruction is part of nature, whether we like it or not. There are also many aspects of destruction. We can view destruction as a "cleansing" act, or "starting anew". Fire can cleanse and clear away scattered under bush and fallen trees, so new plants may grow. Also, it can "fortify" species, as destruction wipes out the weak and old, leaving only the strongest. The strongest would then breed strong off springs, creating a species that were almost immune to some types of destruction. Another way destruction can contribute to nature is that it creates the death of plants and animals. These "corpses" can then in turn become fertilizer or food for other living beings.
Earthquakes can create lands and shelters to live on, volcanoes create more fertile soil - the list is endless, if you just look for them. Of course, destruction has a down-side to it as well, such as wiping out entire species, causing extinction. And because nature is like a chain, the missing link could affect many things. For example, the extinction of something as small as honeycombs could cause the extinction of jambaalis, who depends on honeycombs as its main diet. And the extinction of jambaalis may affect some bears who normally feed on jambaalis. And in turn, the bear hunters would find less bear pelts to earn their gold on, and become poor and may eventually die from lack of essentials (food and clothes).
Destruction. A word we hate to hear happen, yet very necessary in nature. Makali, the Goddess of Destruction has been feared by many who dread lost, revered by many who longs for rebirth, and confused by many who questions her. But no one can deny that destruction is crucial to our survival, and important to the balance of nature. To those that fear her - loss is life, live with it or don?t live at all. For those who river her - rebirth is the beginning but also an ending. And for those confused by her - her goals are purely for destruction, but within them, we can see life grow, wilt and die - the natural cycle of nature.
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Many thanks to Hoss, for helping me sift through the news, and Mendar, my
mentor, for reading it over with golden suggestions and comments. Bibliography:
NEWS Events 125, 115-116, Public 12440, Eleusis 883, HELP MAKALI