The Guide To Onyx

Divine Matters

The Gods

It so happened that, after a long time of being left to its own devices, the world of Onyx began to go astray. The winds, for capricious reasons of their own, would cease to blow; or a group of trees would grow to ten times their normal size. Or worse yet, the winds of the Void might cause pre–nascent souls to veer from their course into entirely inappropriate bodies. The world, it seemed, required some sort of guidance in order to continue its proper functioning. Kialla and Ysanne and Myirié did not want to spend their time doing this tedious maintenance, and the Zooki bird had already done her part in creation. So the three children of the Zooki bird decided to create some caretakers for the world. These caretakers are the gods.

The gods, like mortals, have souls, but they exist in a different form than do mortals. They do not age, nor can they die, except by violence. To do the work of the world, the gods were given the gift of magic. With the powers of magic, they can effect their will upon the world that it may run according to the natural order.

It is the duty of the gods to oversee the world of Onyx and see that it functions properly in all respects. Because of the tireless efforts of the gods the tides ebb and flow on schedule, the plants grow and wither in their proper season, and life continues as it should. Were the gods to cease in their strivings, or become lax in their duties, all life would fall quickly into chaos.

The gods also have a wide range of discretionary powers that they may apply. For instance, it may be that a certain number of fish must be caught by fishermen: so much is mandated for the functioning of the world. However, the god in charge of making sure that the appropriate number of fish are netted might well be allowed to choose who will catch those fish, and in what numbers. As it is with the catching of fish, so is it also with the harvesting of crops and the dealing of fortune in battle. For these reasons it is considered meet for men to make special offerings to the gods, that they might receive extra blessings from them.

Worshipping the Gods

It is the duty of mortals to offer praises to the gods for their unstinted efforts in maintaining the world of Onyx; and it is likewise the right of the gods to require the homage of mortals. It falls to the priests of the lands, then, to see that all the gods are honored in the proper fashion.

There are two standard ways to express one’s thanks to the gods. The primary method is worship through prayer, devotion, and the singing of praises. This is way that most people show their faith in the gods. It has two main advantages: it is inexpensive, and it can be performed anywhere. But do not assume that this means that the gods are impressed by casual worship. Some gods desire praise continuously, others only accept devotions during special ceremonies. Gods also have their own preferences on what they like to hear and how often they enjoy hearing it.

The other way of expressing faith is through the act of sacrifice. The sacrificial object can be an animal, food and drink, incense, jewelry, or even another fellow human. What will please the god in question depends upon the god’s preferences. The act of sacrifice is generally a more formal event, and is usually reserved for when some special boon is desired from the god. Note that just because one makes a sacrifice to the gods, it does not actually obligate them to do anything about it. The gods have much work to do and certain rules they must follow; thus they do not not always have the time, the inclination, or even the option of helping their faithful followers. Yet note as well, that repeated sacrifices can be quite effective in gaining the favorable attention of the gods.

Laws of the Gods

Millennia ago, the gods fought among themselves over the rule of Onyx. Because so much of their attention was diverted from maintenance of the world to the divine battles, the world became sadly neglected: the seasons did not flow in their proper order, unnatural monsters devoured the faithful, and justice was a stranger to the lands. Those evil gods who were fighting to usurp the natural order could be considered, in a certain light, to have actually achieved their goal, in that many of those sworn to uphold the natural order had been forced to neglect their duties in favor of maintaining their rule.

After the demon wars had been fought and won, the Eternals decreed that, in order to prevent a similar uprising of the gods and a similar neglect of the world, the gods would be prohibited from waging war directly against each other. If they had conflicts that needed to be settled, then they should have their mortal agents act as champions for their causes and let them decide the outcome. In addition, the gods would be prohibited from taking direct action against their opponents’ followers as well.

The decrees of the Eternals upon this matter have since kept the dwelling places of the gods relatively free from strife, and have allowed the orderly existence of life in the worlds of Onyx.

The Greater Gods of the Opal Sea

The Lesser Gods of the Opal Sea

Infernal Matters

The Battle of the Gods

It came to pass many years ago that some of the gods of Onyx became discontent with the roles assigned to them by the Eternals. They chafed under the ineluctable wisdom of the Eternals. Such just strictures as the Canons of Divine Duty and the Laws of Death, which had been laid equally upon all the gods to uphold, were hateful to them. Wherefore banded they together under the vile banner of Demon to wage war against all other gods and usurp the rightful authority of the Eternals.

For many years the strife between the gods and the demons went on. The demons wreaked havoc by scorning their divine duties of maintaining the world. Even some of the just gods were forced to temporarily suspend their appointed duties just so they could defend themselves. Mortals too were not exempt from the battle, as the allies of the demons sought to annihilate the mortal servants of the gods. The world of Onyx was nearly destroyed as god fought against demon and man struggled against monster.

At long last, though, the gods won out over the demons in pitched battle. The survivors of the enemy force were brought in chains to the Field of Judgement to be sentenced for their crimes. For punishment it was decided that the renegade demons would be imprisoned until such time as they had worked out fair restitution for all their wicked deeds. So Ulba Kazil, the enchanted city of brass, was built, and it was placed many miles below the surface of Onyx. The city was lightless (being well–hidden from Auris) and it was reft of beauty, in order that the demons not be distracted from their repentance and atonement; and the walls of the city were so enspelled that the demons could not leave until their restitution was complete. The demons were marched into the city and the gate was sealed behind them with powerful seals. The three keys to the gate were then scattered and hidden throughout the world so that no one would ever find them.

The remaining gods then set about restoring the world to its proper functioning. The task was so huge that nearly a century passed before all was as it should be. And to prevent a similar catastrophe from ever overtaking Onyx again, the Eternals set a stricture upon all conflict between the gods: that the gods could never directly enter into battle against each other and that all the differences of the gods should be settled either peaceably among themselves, or in surrogate, by the gods’ mortal followers.

The Redemption of Demons

Were the demons never able to leave Ulba Kazil, they would never be able to make the restoration that is required of them. For this reason, they are able to leave the city under certain circumstances. In particular, all demons are now liable to summonings. Under optimal conditions, when a demon is summoned, it must perform any action requested of it. Sadly, many of the demons are not at all repentant of their misdeeds, and are highly uncooperative in their actions and extremely resentful of the demands placed upon them. Many demons are also skilled at luring mortals into blasphemous ways with promises of power. Still, with firm will, clear purpose, and suitable inducements, demons can be summoned and commanded with a minimum of danger; and the will of the gods and the redemption of the demons will be furthered thereby.

The Major Demons

Ætheric Matters

The Garden of the Gods

In the young days of the world mortals were unable to wield the powers of magic. In those days magic was a tool of the gods, which they used to keep the world functioning properly. Through the magical arts of the gods, the winds were caused to blow and the plants were made to grow. The gods acquired their magical powers by eating the enchanted fruits from the garden of the goddess Urkippa. A high wall was built around the garden to keep out prying mortals, and fierce guardians, the Onoäbo, were cast out of bronze to guard the gate of the garden.

But mortals, ever ambitious, grew covetous of the powers of the gods. Many times they tried to climb the high walls that enclosed the garden, but the walls were too high and too smooth: the climbers always fell to their death. Many times they tried to battle their way past the Onoäbo, but the guardians were too strong: the mortals were always slain. After these vain attempts to wrest the secrets of magic from the gods, the great smith, Armor, who was blessed by the gods, worked out a wily ruse to gain entry to the garden.

Working in secret for many days and nights, Armor fashioned nineteen plates of bronze to be worn upon his body. When he had finished his labors, he strapped the bronze plates to himself so that he took on the appearance of the guardians of the gate of the garden of Urkippa. So garbed, Armor made his way to the garden and walked up to the bronze guardians. The gatekeepers, taking Armor in his plates to be one of their own, gave him entry to the garden.

The great smith went straightway to the magic trees of the garden and began to harvest the fruits therefrom. Of the fruits that he plucked, some he ate forthwith, and the knowledge of the secrets of the gods trickled into his brain as the juice of the fruit trickled down his throat. The other fruits that he plucked he placed into a sack that he had brought for such purpose, that he might bring back the magic of the gods to other mortals. When he had eaten his fill and filled his sack he returned to the gate of the garden, and the Onoäbo, still believing him to be one of the keepers of the garden, allowed him exit.

That evening as Urkippa did stroll through her garden, she did notice that many of the fruit had been stolen from her garden. Furious, she ran to the gate of the garden and looked about her. Far in the distance, she spied a figure running away, clad in a skin of bronze and having the appearance of the bronze guards; but Urkippa was wise and had eyes like an eagle and penetrated at once the disguise of Armor.

Urkippa then sent the true men of bronze to catch him and and kill him and return the stolen fruits. Armor was a great hero and the fleetest of mortals, but the plates of bronze slowed him down as he ran, and the magic bronze guardians ran faster than the wind. As they neared Armor, one of the guardians stretched its arm out against Armor and grabbed hold of his heel and bore him to the ground. The Onoäbo then set about to pummel him with their mighty metal fists and to snap his spine with their fearfully strong arms. But the plates of bronze that Armor had fashioned brought him protection and cushioned the blows of the keepers of the garden, so that no harm was laid upon him.

During the struggle it so happened that the sack burst asunder that was carrying the magic fruits. The fruits then fell from the heavens back to the mortal worlds of Onyx. Men took great delight in seeing the fruits fall from the heavens. And both man and beast found the fruit pleasing to look upon, so they ate of it. Upon the eating of the fruit they too gained the secrets of magic and enchantment.

The untiring bronze guardians of the garden of Urkippa at length mastered Armor and brought him, unharmed, to the presence of Urkippa for judgement. Thus spake Urkippa: “The punishment for the theft of the fruits of my garden is death. But for the plates of bronze which you have fashioned I grant you a measure of mercy. For by your arts you have arrived at a means of protecting the physical form somewhat from the dangers of the world. For all time then shall your name be honored by men and gods alike, that when they don plates similar to yours for protection, they shall remember you. As punishment for your theft of magic, however, you shall be made to fashion such protective plates for the gods for all time. And because you were not satisfied with your own handiwork, the choice shall also be put to all mortals, whether they shall use the protections designed by the mind of a mortal, or whether they shall rely upon the stolen magics of the gods. So judges Urkippa. Let it be done.”

In this way was the secret of magic given to mortal men. Also at this time was the invention of armor, and blessings upon the use thereof for all except those who practice the ætheric arts.

The Practice of Magic: Magicians

Wielding magic is both an innate talent and an acquired skill. It is an inborn talent in that only those who have eaten of the magic fruits of Urkippa’s garden — and their descendants — may wield the powers of the gods. Of course, in this age, nearly everyone has at least one ancestor who partook of the magic fruits: it is believed that nearly everyone is equal in this regard. What seems to differentiate the powerful mages and sorcerers from hedge–wizards and wise–women is study, practice, and strength of will.

Magic can be invoked by a number of methods. Some spells require the chanting of magic words and phrases, others require the use of certain arcane gestures. Still others can be effected by sheer force of will alone.

The power of magic comes from the magician himself. He builds up his magical reserves with rest and meditation. This is in contrast to the case of priests, whose magical abilities come directly from the gods they serve. The magician and his spell serve as a conduit for the motivating force of magic, the æther. When the proper magical reserves have been built up, spells can be safely cast; if the magician has not built up an appropriate amount of æther, the spell will draw upon the personal life force of the caster instead, causing debilitation and possibly even death.

Magic can also be divided up into different schools. It is believed that spells and powers will belong to the same school because the fruits that were originally responsible for those powers and spells all came from the same tree in Urkippa’s garden. Those who study one school of magic over all others are able to cast spells from that school with uncanny precision, although they tend to less useful at spells from other schools. The phases of the moon Metronymé also seem to have some impact upon the effectiveness of spells from different schools.

Monthly Correspondences

The Practice of Magic: Priests

The practice of divine magic has much in common with the practice of mortal magic. The primary difference is the source of power for the magic. As mentioned before, the magic of priests comes directly from the gods they serve. Every day, at dawn, the favored priest begins the day afresh, with all of his magical powers completely recharged. There is no rest period or time of meditation required. Of course, there could well be other duties required of the priest, such as prayer and sacrifice, if he is to serve his god properly.

Another difference between the different forms of magic is that, since the interests of the gods is not in any way confined to one particular school of magic, there is no reason why any priest would need to exclusively study any one school, or even care what school his spells belonged to.

Adepts

There is one extraordinarily rare breed of magical practitioner: the Adept. Adepts are awesomely powerful magicians with nearly godlike powers. One reason that Adepts are so powerful is that they have given up the names that were assigned to them by the Eternals. Among other things, this means that they cannot be directly affected by magic. They also seem to possess nearly limitless powers. And no one knows what happens to them after they die — if they die at all.

It is not known how to become an Adept. They can come from (it appears) any race and any gender. Some beings were not even magicians before they ascended to the state of Adept. It is believed that there have only been eighteen of them. Since nineteen is a number sacred to the gods, it is also believed that there will be at least one more Adept before the end of time.

The 18 Adepts

Continue with the Guide to Onyx Intro, Eternals, Heaven and Earth, Gods and Magic, or Opal Sea page.

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Last modified: Wed Dec 27 14:53:54 PST 2000.