The Return of Lorielan

By: Apollodorus Posted on: January 29, 2006

Author's Introduction:

It should be noted that the following narrative is entirely fictional speculation designed primarily as a literary undertaking, with the secondary purpose of inspiring thought and perhaps even discussion of the nature of the Goddess who now walks among us.

-It is known that Lorielan rebelled against the Gods, and was imprisoned on the Crystal Plane.
-It is known that the God, Eros, disappeared at some time between the War of Humanity and the return of Lorielan, and that Lady Selene functions as His successor.
-It is known that Lorielan has presented Herself, before and after Her imprisonment, as a champion of Order.
-It is known that Sarapis, the Logos, retains a love for Lorielan in the depths of the part of Him which once was Proteus.

The rest is the invention and speculation of the author, but perhaps has the possibility of approaching what really happened. Mortals have no sure way to know.

*****

Chapter 1: Seize the Realm

Lorielan paced. The Kx`Krah warriors before Her trembled in fear. Even after Her great defeat and banishment, She was still a Goddess, unmatched in power by any other being of the Crystal Realm.

"The Sapphire fortress still resists Us?"

Her voice echoed through the huge room, its clear tones rebounding sharply off the smooth, polished crystal of the walls. The warriors surrounding Her were nothing like humans, but even they felt a ring of fear before their Lady. The Kx`Krah-megra who approached Her was clearly distinguished as one of the greatest warriors of the Jade Order, but a tremour of nervous energy flickered through his crystal form as he spoke.

"Yes, Sh`karfa-tl`the. The Sapphire father is strong, and his warriors glow with determination. They still hold to the old ways, and deny Your right to rule them."

The Goddess's lips pursed. The Kx`Krah watched in awe. Lorielan understood what it meant for a race of pure crystal to see Her as a soft, curved, beautiful woman, and She exploited it ruthlessly.

"It is important that We obtain control of every aspect-of-crystal within the Realm. This portion of the Sapphire territory still resists Our will. Eliminate the that-which-thinks which opposes Us, at whatever cost."

She would not involve Herself personally, of course. They all knew that. Every aspect of the Realm belonged to Her, and She would not demean Herself by personally battling that which should be serving Her.

The lines of Kx`Krah filed out of the chamber, and Lorielan turned to face a wall. One pale hand extended to touch the crystal surface, and She focused Her will upon it. The mind of the Goddess swept out through the Realm, channeled through the uncountable miles of interconnected crystal. Every time She encountered a that-which-thinks, the complex formation of energy and light that constituted a Kx`Krah mind, She felt it submit to Her. Every aspect of the Crystal Realm was Her tool, subject to Her will, except for one small area in the far corner of what had been the Sapphire Clan's territory.

Lorielan had once been the mightiest of Goddesses, Queen of Creation, with the ability to move effortlessly between the countless planes of existence. As the consort of Proteus, the Supreme God, there was no being in creation that would oppose Her will. But it was not enough. She aspired to the very heights of Creation - She conspired to overthrow Proteus, and caused the Great War of Humanity, using Her loyal Kx`Krah warriors as shock troops. They had been decimated in the conflict, and She had been defeated. Reluctant to kill Her, Proteus had banished Lorielan to the Crystal Realm, confining Her there for eternity.

The Kx`Krah were organized in four groups. The Jade Order, which was fanatically dedicated to Lorielan, the Sapphire Clan, which resisted Her rule after the horrendous devastation suffered by their population in the War, and the Ruby Clan and Diamond Order, which had both dutifully submitted to Her will.

From Her chamber within the citadel of the Jade Order the Goddess observed Her warriors moving into position. Her connection with the crystal allowed Her to diffuse Her will and power through every aspect-of-crystal save the resisting Sapphire fortress, and gave her a degree of omnipresence not normally found even in a God.

*****

Chapter 2: Queen of Order and Chaos

The great, gleaming, blue gem of the Sapphire fortress hovered over the landscape, disconnected from the rest of the crystal mass, and the probing mind of Lorielan. Brilliant flashes of light arced through its substance, as the Noble Father of the Sapphire Clan exerted his considerable that-which-thinks to strengthen his last bastion. But there was little hope.

The Goddess's forces massed. Red, white and green fields of warriors were maneuvering into position around the isolated bastion of the floating gem. The warriors, not significantly powerful as individuals, began to combine within their respective divisions. Smooth facet pressed against smooth facet, allowing light and energy to flow from being to being, amplifying as it flashed through the melded Kx`Krah. In a matter of moments, the forces of the Goddess had assembled into three large masses of crystal, one for each order and clan, and each with their facets focused upon the isolated fortress.

The Ruby Clan acted first, as was their traditional right. The mountain of red glowed brightly for a moment, light flowing through it and focusing upon the foremost facet. There was a brief flicker, and then a bright flash. Searing white light sprang from the melded crystal hoard, blazing through the air towards the fortress. Within moments, the Jade Order and the Diamond Order had followed suit.

The focused beams of light struck the fortress with a blaze of energy. The massive floating gem shuddered, its glow flickering and fading under the assault. Defensive energies flooded to the points of contact, negating and diffusing the damage as much as possible, but this solitary citadel had never been meant to withhold the combined force of three of the Crystal brotherhoods. It began to fall. The watching Kx`Krah observed solemnly, watching the shimmering, multifaceted gem descend from the sky. By the time they realized that its descent was controlled, not the crashing fall of a defeated enemy, it was too late. The fortress touched the ground, immediately connecting it to the rest of the Realm. Before the questing mind of the Goddess could enter, however, another voice boomed out. The Great Sapphire Father, a being which, like the other Clan and Order fathers, had held power and authority approaching that of a God before the coming of Lorielan, bellowed in a voice which could be heard by every Kx`Krah on the plane.

"BROTHERS, LOOK AT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE. YOU MINDLESSLY WORSHIP THE DEMON BEAST, WHO HAS BROUGHT NOTHING BUT WAR AND DEATH TO US. WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF ORDER, AND SHE HAS TURNED US TO CHAOS. SHE HAS MADE THE NOBLE KX`KRAH INTO HER SLAVES! RESIST HER!"

From the depths of Her crystal palace, the Goddess flared. How dare they?! She was the embodiment of Order! Who else had understood that the entropy of the Gods had allowed the barriers between the worlds to weaken? Who else had seen that the humans, the spawn of the horror, were composed of a substance which was anathema to Creation? Who else had understood the Aldar's prophecy, and perceived that Proteus's benevolence towards the humans would result in the annihilation of every plane in the universe? Only She! Only She had moved to take action against the threat! They had dared to condemn Her use of the underworld and the inferno, not understanding that the evil planes were still planes of Natural Order, and that their taint was nothing to the horror of Chaos!

The rage of the Goddess surpassed all that had unfolded in the Crystal Wars to that point. The Sapphire fortress exploded into a million tiny shards, silencing forever the voice of the Great Sapphire Father. Raw power surged through every crystal of the Realm, fierce rage, and the Kx`Krah cowered. Now there was truly none remaining who would resist Her will, and any who might have been moved by the Sapphire Father's last words quickly suppressed such thoughts of rebellion.

The tide of Her wrath withdrew like an ominous storm cloud, and She allowed Herself a moment for composure. She had not intended to take such a direct hand, but it did not matter, in the end. She had bent the Realm to Her will, and now She could proceed with the next part of Her plan.

With a flick of Her mind, Lorielan moved Herself to the throne room, and sat down upon Her throne. Her mind had already evaluated the situation. Proteus loved Her, and the love of a God is an immortal thing. He would not be able to bear eternity away from Her, isolated from Her. He would come to Her eventually, and She would be ready for Him. The prophecy still held. The multiverse was still threatened. She had lost a battle, but She would pick Herself up. Next time, She would be more careful.

Settling down comfortably, Lorielan extended Her will. The Crystal Realm responded like a well-tuned instrument. The entire plane was at Her disposal, amplifying Her power. Her divine ability to move between worlds had been taken from Her, but there were other means. Carefully, She focused Her amplified power on a point before Her throne. With utmost patience and attention to detail, She shaped a great casting. A full six hundred years the Goddess sat there, looking to the attendant Kx`Krah like a terrible statue of unimaginable beauty. But She had to get it exactly right, or all was lost.

*****

Chapter 3: The Power of Love

Eros was having a great deal of fun. As an Elder God, He was enjoying the relatively new race of humans. They worshipped Him, and He played with their emotions. He tied the bonds of love between them, and He broke them apart. He was the God of love and lovers; it was what He did.

This particular day was a little unusual though. He felt something calling to Him, something pulling at His essence. If He had been a mortal, it would have been called the wanderlust -- the touch of Raclawice. It was not an altogether unusual thing for a God to get the urge to explore. And so, bidding farewell to the divine garden for a time, He set off.

The flighty God of romantic passion wandered creation for some time, occasionally pausing for a decade or two to play with the hearts of the new races He found, or ponder some great thought He came upon. It was during just such a period of contemplation, while stepping effortlessly from one plane to the next, that the God found Himself in a very unusual place. Panic flooded through Him immediately. How could He have misstepped?! He was a God!

"Welcome, Brother, to My home."

Instantly the racing mind of the God froze, as if it had hit a brick wall. He opened His awareness to His surroundings, and discovered that He was standing in a vast hall of what seemed to be pure glass. Dancing lights flickered in the clear crystal, illuminating the pillared room with an ethereal glow. At the far end stood a great monolithic throne carved of blue crystal, and upon the throne sat the One who had spoken. He recognized Her instantly, of course.

"….Lorielan?"

"Indeed, My brother. Have you missed Me?"

He stuttered. Even to His capricious mind, the true import of where He was became apparent. This was the great enemy. She was supposed to be powerless and confined. How had She done this to him? He had to get out.

Exerting a small force of will, the God exerted Himself to move between planes. And screamed in pain as the power He had sought to employ blasted back at him from the surrounding crystal, amplified hundredfold.

Lorielan laughed quietly, the sound tinkling like crystalline music through the room.

"Did you imagine that I would bring you here, oh Eros, if I did not have a way to keep you here?"

The God stared back at His sister, the Jade Empress, not truely comphrehending.

"...what have You done?"

The divine laugh echoed through the room again, cheerfully.

"Proteus forgot the nature of the Crystal Realm, My brother. Here before all places they have mastered the sciences of order and control. The Kx`Krah have developed the manipulation of wave and light resonance to a degree unheard of anywheres else in the multiverse. It was no large step to apply that manipulation to My own power, once I had complete control of the Realm."

Eros, who wore the form of an unnaturally handsome young man, stared back at His sister. As She continued, understanding began to dawn, and with it came despair and panic.

"I am bound here, but Proteus in His arrogance forgot that there is more than one way of opening a gate between planes. A God's method is merely the simplest." She gestured modestly to the space through which Eros had appeared. "By concentrating My amplified power, I was able to send you the wanderlust that took you from the safety of the Garden and into the unexplored multiverse. From there it was merely a matter of observing you, and waiting until you made a jump while distracted. It was a small matter of redirecting the energies here, where I have been preparing a web of spells that could restrain even a god."

The God of love had recovered His voice at last, and His honeyed speech flew out in response.

"Even so, Sister, You cannot hold Me here for long. I too am a God, and it will be only a matter of a decade or two before I am able to return to the Garden with news of your schemes."

The soft corners of Her lovely mouth curved up in a knowing smile, and She gave a light wave of Her hand. Eros felt the force of Her will working upon Him, and attempted to resist. But it was to no avail. She had spent too many years in preparation for this. Before the flighty Patron of lovers had a chance to resist, He was overwhelmed.

A God does not die. His essence is merely diffused throughout the realms. In this case, Lorielan did not allow the essence of Eros to diffuse. She needed it. She drew it into Her own. The power of the God of Love now supplemented the power of the Queen of Heaven.

*****

Chapter 4: Order Supreme

With a gentle smile, Lorielan composed Herself upon Her throne. She had a great deal of time to grow accustomed to this new aspect of Her power, She knew. The Goddess did not intend to retain Her aspect of Love. It did not especially interest Her in and of itself. But as a tool, it was priceless.

She had a great deception to prepare for, and plans to make. She was no Twilight, to delight in plans and scheming - to Her, it was merely a means to an end. And the end She desired was less selfish then many supposed.

From Eros's memories She could see that Her original plans in the War of Humanity were no longer realistic. Eliminating the humans, and their offspring, would no longer effectively purge Chaos from Creation. Entropy and Discord had seen to that. Oh, those beings! If only She had known that Pazuzu was in their employ! She had never suspected the fact that the forces of the Inferno were working on behalf of Primal Chaos. She had played into their hands!

But it was not too late for change. And She was still the Goddess of Order. Her affinity with the near-perfect order of the Crystal realm proved that, didn't it? Her mind had become like a crystal; smooth and clear. Enlightened. She needed to get back into play. Only She could save Creation. Proteus was a fool. Order must be preserved at any cost, by any means. The great deception would go forward.

Resting Her chin on her elbow, the Goddess pondered Her strategies. She would have to lie low upon returning to Creation, playing the part of the repentant sinner. Perhaps feign neutrality for a period, before gradually allowing Her affinity for Order to become known. She would amass trust and influence and power. The humans were the key. They would rival the Aldar in power one day, said the prophet. She would lure them into serving Her.

Eventually She would have to work to free Agatheis and Khalas. Perhaps leave Khalas for later. His connections to the Inferno were too close to allow Her to interfere in His return without inciting suspicion.

She knew now that three would not be enough to overthrow Proteus. She would have to form more alliances. Perhaps Shaitan would jump at a chance for the power He always claimed to worship. She could dangle that in front of Him, and forsake Him when His use expired.

Either way, it would take a very long time. But She was patient. She was eternally patient. She would seize control of Creation at the proper moment, and purge the stain of Chaos.

*****

Chapter 5: An Immortal Love

When He came, it was as She had expected: with no warning, and no fanfare. One moment She was alone in the room, and the next, He was with Her.

Lorielan was surprised to find Herself examining Him closely. Could She actually have retained some shade of affection for this man? Impossible. It must be the influence of Eros.

He was different than She remembered Him, and yet, somehow the same. He was at once Ayar, the Omnipotent Creator, and Proteus, the Chief of Gods. He was Sarapis, the Logos.

They needed no words, these two. She had been waiting for Him, and He knew it instantly. She did not attempt to hide it from His eyes.

The presence of the Logos swept over Her, filling Her mind with the purity of eternity. He wore His familiar form - the shape of a man in a billowing, hooded grey cloak. Unassuming and out of place in this wonderland of gleaming crystal, but even the onlooking Kx`Krah could not mistake Him. His presence was unavoidable, as He intended it to be. Sarapis was arrogant in His own small ways, thought Lorielan.

She knew what He saw when He looked at Her mind. He saw the Crystal realm reflected. Pure and seamless, refined and impossibly deep. She presented to Him the image of repentance, and the soul of one who had endured great suffering to emerge with a new enlightenment. Enlightenment was the key to Her plane.

Lorielan felt small and insignificant for the first time in her life beneath the weight of His inspection. She felt reduced to her component parts; stripped bare and exposed to His examination. As His mind began to approach the part of her that harbored the her great plans, she rallied. Drawing upon the essence of Eros, the power of divine love, She dared to guide His mind. His love for Her, which would never truly die, gave Her entrance to his mind. His examination slid over the portion of Her nature that, had He found it, would have led Him to depart in raging fury, abandoning Her to this place for all time.

It took every last drop of the Love God's essence, but the deed was done. The Logos pronounced Her to be suitably reformed, and ready for release. Lorielan, the Enlightened, was loosed upon Creation for a second time. Even now She sits in Her mountain temple, gathering strength and support, preparing Herself for what can only be thought of as the Second War of Humanity.

*****

"And so it was that Sarapis in His infinite mercy and wisdom saw fit to test My spirit, and has found that I have indeed changed. Thus have I been freed by His hand, and have descended once more into the realms of My Brethren. And thus shall My presence be felt upon the plane of Achaea again." -Lorielan, the Reborn; 7th of Chronos, in the year 236 AF.