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"The Veil" *IC Pamphlet on religious philosophy*

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MarkZ:
The Veil: Knowledge of its Origin and State of Being

   In the many Makerist Realms of Calradia dwell those Faithful servants of the Church. The Church, respected and sacred, teaches the people of Calradia the ways of the world, and brings them into the Maker’s light. The light of the Maker, brought forth by his sun in the sky, the very visage of his greatness, so bright we cannot bear to look directly into it lest we be blinded by his glorious incandescence, is gifted unto us each passing day. To remind us why we live, why his gift of light is followed by Knowledge. The Maker’s world is a bright one, and his many glorious gifts to humanity dwell within it, out of reach of darkness.

However, there is a darker side to Calradia, one that lies just beyond our grasp. Long ago, when the Maker gifted Calradia his sons, the Divi Filius, he poured into them all of himself, but the Maker created men in his own image, and so his own suppressed imperfection followed. Of his four children, made to watch over the world and guide humanity, each became patron of one of his Domains. Vaghar, the patron of the skies, eldest and closest to the Maker himself. Diath, the patron of the lands, revered dearly for his home is ours as men, Rhudan, patron of the seas, beloved by humanity for his resourcefulness, vengeful of those disrespectful, and harbourer of mysteries and secrets of the deep.

Each of these Divi, perfect, orderly, and loved. But a fourth son, into whom all the Maker’s previous malice was poured, was born. From the very depths of the Maker’s being, buried deep down away from the love and joy he expressed, came Ortysis, the patron of the Void, harbinger of death, destruction, and all things evil. In his creation of his children, he poured all of himself, each of his aspects taking new form, but even those aspects he repressed unfortunately surfaced. The Maker wept at this being that he had borne and endowed with power, but he could not kill his own son. So it was that Ortysis, least treasured son of his Father, was cast out.

Between them, the Maker placed a veil, so that no matter how tempted he was to look, he would never see the son who caused him so much sadness. The realm beyond the veil was dark, and within it, dwelt Ortysis alone. Or so he thought. For other beings soon made themselves known. The Primordial beings, having never been so perfect as to share in the Maker’s afterlife in Calradia, crept out of the very depths of the void, and flocked to Ortysis. Embracing those who dwelt in his realm, so sympathetic of those also cast out, like he, who were unfit to share in the Makers bright world, he plotted.

The Veil was strong, and no matter his efforts Ortysis could not make himself seen, could not make himself heard, for he was too large, too powerful an essence to travel through it, as were so many of the primordial beings. But time went on, and soon he realized his power. As mortal men came and went from Calradia, he soon found others in his presence. Those spirits, borne malignant tumours upon the Maker’s earth, with such a dearth of love, that even in death, even when exposed to the Makers light shunned him, those spirits, were cast across the veil, into the realm of Ortysis. It is then he began to see.

As humanity went on, the imperfect beings embroiled themselves in every aspect of the Maker’s being, even those he repressed. Evil was in them, and it was there to stay. Those who took the righteous path of repression, found his light, those who did not… made the crossing. This is what it became known as, when an evil spirit, even in death unable to accept or be accepted by the Maker, had passed from our mortal realm, it would make the crossing, or be “crossed” as became a term, sent through the veil into the Void, the dark realm of Ortysis. There dwelt countless horrors, insurmountable sadness, and the Master of that realm, was none other than the Maker’s own Son.

These lesser spirits provided Ortysis with an opportunity, for such a small essence could sometimes slip through tears in the veil, slip between the weavings in its very fabric. As time progressed, War and Death came upon humanity, hatred and malice ran rampant in their hearts, and the Maker wept, as this evil began to stretch, and even tear the Veil he had made. He dared not look beyond it, for fear of what he might see, of seeing his own son, cast away so long ago. But the same did not go for his son….

No, Ortysis did what he could to peer into the Realm of men. And when he did, he had an idea. Though far too small for his own crossing, Ortysis sent through lesser malicious essences, lesser souls, to wreak havoc upon the realm of men, and bring more suffering and death. The more evil that plagued the world, the larger the tears would be, and the greater essences of evil Ortysis could cross. Plague, famine, these occurrences thought so unbearable by mankind, these are said to be essences, large and powerful ones, brought forth by Ortysis through the largest holes in the veil. And one day, when evil permeates the Mortal Realm, Ortysis will cross, and once again see his estranged Father. Or so they hope…

But the Maker’s love for his creation was too great, and his favoured sons shared this love. Wherever they could be found, tears were mended. By the love of the Maker, and the spreading of his light. Where the Maker found tears, he would mend them, where those evil essences crossed, his Divi would cast them back. As the ages dwelt on, it became the duty of mankind, passed down from the Divi, to mend these gaps, and to cast back the abominations vomited forth from it. Love, compassion, mercy, all good works, these are things that strengthen the veil, keeping the darkness out. Hatred, War, death and evil, these are the things that weaken the veil, the things that give credence to the Dark Master of the Void to send his beings through, to expose humanity to.. “The Crossed.”

They have taken many forms over the ages, or so it is said. Demons in live form, horrible beasts, magnificent and deadly, abominations, deranged and unfit for the mortal realm. However, not all are so, the lesser spirits appear human, and often times even blend in with humanity. Shaman of the Void, or “Veil Renders”, are mortal beings whose essence and soul has been replaced by a lesser essence of the Void. These beings spread the word of Ortysis, lies and deceit, and with silver tongues and fiendish charm they sway mortals to their side. Their very worship of the Dark one is evil, and their sacrifices allow for tears to form in the veil, and for greater evils to be crossed. A constant struggle, to break free of the prisons they have been confined to.

But it is not their fate, for the Maker and his sons have created so much good in the world, that they are to be kept back. Priests of the church, and their divine servants work tirelessly to counteract the ripping of the Veil, mending it back whole and strong. This is why in times of War, prayer is so essential, for it provides a slight resistance to the damage the Veil takes in such times of hate and death.

Alongside priests, though having lost popularity in all but the tales of old, are the very counter to Veil Renders, those who mend the Veil, Veil Menders so to speak. Through historical recollection and tales of fancy people of the Realm have taken to referring to them as Paladins, Holy Men of staunch and flawless faith, striving against the darkness, hunting those who would rend the veil unwhole down and casting them back across it. In the Modern day such things have been chocked up to old wives tales and folklore.

Children claim to be them as they run about the streets fighting with sticks, any sensible man of today would laugh at such a quarry. For the days of the larger tears are over, having passed long ago, now we have only to pray, and keep our own evils, as men, in check. Lest we bring about dark times once more. Yes, it would seem that the days of great evils are over, the Age of Heroes long since past, magnificent and terrible things that once roamed this earth are now gone, and only the Makers men remain, kept company by those beings taken under the patronage of the Divi, the birds, the fish, the animals of land. All under the Maker's bright sun.

In common day, it has come as  custom that to be “crossed”, to claim one is such or to wish them to be, is a statement of a man or woman’s status on the moral spectrum. To a woman so unsavoury as to practice prostitution, one might say “She’ll be crossed soon if she doesn't find her way to a nunnery..” A statement of pity, but a prayer she may find the light. Another example, to speak to a man you are at odds with, “I’ll cross you soon enough!” This in reference to the speaker believing whom he speaks to is so bad, or so evil, that upon wrestling his soul from its mortal coil it would be cast across the veil, or ‘crossed’. This insult is common as it both implies that you seek to kill that person, as well as the implication that they are so inherently bad, sinful, and evil that the Maker would be unable to accept them into his embrace, few people truly exist in such a manner, but it is meant to be insulting, so it is.

There is another way in which the term has become used, and that is in reference to those who cross…. in the other direction. To refer to a being, or person, who is so suspected of evil and or malice. Those who practice witchcraft, and other unworldly beings can be seen as those taken over by the evil entities that cross the veil. One might shout at a witch, or woman accused of witchcraft, “She’s crossed! Crossed I tell you! I heard her whispering in the night about some darkness or other!” Or perhaps if one were to see a being so otherworldly (though doubtful, but occasionally put in use to intimidating things like large bears or sharks or other perfectly normal but still frightening things) it looked as if it were not of this realm, “It’s Crossed… its got to be! Look at it!”

Beings that find their origin across the Veil are known collectively as “The Crossed”, and such a reference can be used to refer to them collectively. These are not things you wish to spend time with, and if you have any suspicions about them I implore you all to contact your local authorities and your local parish, for prayer and good men are needed. I thank you all for reading, and implore you to see to any of my further and prior pamphlets!

Ever your servant of knowledge,

   Father Olivar Belwick

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