Temple of the Phoenix of Mercy

A great number of people were congregating along the bridge. The temple itself was unfortunately too small to accommodate the entire population. There were people from all the clans of the Land-Tiller's tribe. The Celadine, the Acacia, the Saskatoon, the Dittany, the Redwood, the Ivy, and many others were represented. There were also many people from the Phoenix State.

The bridge was Lai Ban's idea. It was a bit of a silly one, but the truth was the people who came here were used to silly ideas. Her audience included friendly people, old souls, and free thinkers from around the Phoenix Imperium. There was a strange, hidden peace to the not-so-subtle mess that was the crowd, the exception being maybe the children. Lai-Ban was especially aware of all the children, who of course had no idea what was going on and probably just wanted to go home. She smirked when she realized she could still clearly remember what it was like to be two feet tall.

As she floated on the boat towards the center of the bridge, she noticed that a few of the faces were still grim. She understood this. After all, she essentially came out of no where, and now claimed to be the authority on a thousands of year old way of life. To make matters worse, she had tangible evidence of an actual deity, in which many ways threatened the old ways of thinking. Lai Ban could insist that people were free to worship as they wished, over and over again, but in the end it would still take time for them to fully adjust to her presence.

Finally the boat made it to the center. Most of the crowd on the bridge had a good view of her. She was pleased this was happening on such a beautiful day. The sun clearly reflected on the blue waters, and there was a light breeze in the air. The scent of newly blooming frangipanis from the edges of the water added a unique flavor to the environment. It was as though nature itself had given her the blessing she needed to start the morning ceremony.


"You know we should probably extend the bridge out this way... you know, so we could fit more people."

The crowd chuckled . A few nodded their approval, since apparently this was a legitimately good idea.

"In addition to today's beatitudes, I wish to make an announcement. Soon, there will be a grand festival, in celebration, of humanity's triumph over the Cataclysm. Those of you who were born in the Expanse may not be aware that we are not the only ones who suffered great tragedy. The truth is, the whole world has been struggling, not just with natural disaster and violence, but with their own feelings of hopelessness and despair and fear. When the world takes our civilizations away, humanity enters its own hell, one which can take many generations to escape."

There were murmurs and more nods of agreement from the people.

"The truth is, compassion and unity are things we all desire, deep down inside. We are all born with the desire to walk the path towards light. There are those of us who would see the order of the world as a great triumph against nature. And some ways this is true. But I also see it as an inevitability. Humanity is destined to find the light, to find harmony and prosperity. The act of learning and growing is what makes us who we are!"

There was some more cheering from the crowd.

"Let us rejoice in the prosperity of the world. Let us rejoice in Medan, in Isra, in the Phoenix State, in the Land-Tiller's Expanse, in Atlanticus, in Gauldin, and in Sakand. Let us rejoice, for humanity has rebuilt itself from the cataclysm. We live in a world where many languages and cultures may mix freely, where humans and orcs and elves, and halflings and dwarves, and yet even dragons, may be friends! We live in a world of infinite possibilities. And soon we will celebrate those possibilities. Soon, we will all walk the path together!"


"Now, there is one last thing I wanna say. I know there are some concerns about the role of the Chaos Phoenix in our spiritual beliefs. I cannot stress enough that the Phoenix is not here to eradicate or change our ways. It is here to serve as a guardian. We have been gifted with a heritage of openness, and although we've had our own challenges, the freedom to worship as we choose is part of our legacy. The Chaos Phoenix merely agrees with us."

There was a sudden rush of wind, and a great light appeared over the congregation. A massive, bird-like creature, consisting of energy and what appeared to be purple flames, revealed itself.


It cried out, its howl surprisingly easy on the ears. It came to an easy crescendo and an easy fall, a soft warbling undercutting its cry. Still, it could be heard from the other side of the temple.

"This creature, is not our new god. This creature, is our friend, our protector, and a teacher. No matter what our faiths, what we all have in common is a desire for spiritual growth and love, a desire for inner peace, a way to the light. The Chaos Phoenix would have us continue on this path! Worship your own gods. Don't worship any gods! Worship the god within you if you must. But always follow the path of truth, the path of love for your fellow humans. Follow the path towards the light."

Slowly the creature faded away, back into the celestial plane.

"And remember, there is no shame in having been stained with darkness. There is no shame in what is human. The only shame we must feel is when we allow those who are suffering to surrender, when we could have helped them. It is a regret many of us have experienced, including myself. We must forever be vigilant. Though we may not succeed in helping everyone, we must always try our best. We must learn forgiveness. We must learn compassion. We must learn to love others. The Phoenix gains nothing for being our guardian. It does so out of the compassion of its own heart. So too must we show compassion for others. We are not all born in the light, but we can all end there."

Lai Ban waited for applause. Many people cheered at the presence of the celestial entity, and many more praised Lai Ban's words. And yet there were still those who viewed the creature with fear and the direction of the tribe with dismay.

Lai Ban sighed. Maybe someday...

The ceremony would go on for a bit longer, and would include discussions on the temple's logistics and some new guests. Eventually Lai Ban would finish, and then she would retreat back into the temple.

The wyverns would continue to follow the convoy even as it entered the water. At this point some of the Land-Tillers started to feel guilty. Something about their approach was rather humble.

Lai Ban had just finished a service for the worshipers of the Chaos Phoenix when she saw the strange ones approach.

A few of the worshipers would panic, but Lai Ban would remain steadfast.

"... He... hello. I... I am Grand Phoenician Lai Ban, the leader of the Phoenix Temple." She spoke delicately, not our of fear for herself, but fear of intimidating the delegation. Unlike the others, she could perceive quite clearly that they were not a threat. She had an innate understanding of light and darkness and could sense the light and darkness within the souls of the creatures. Most astonishingly, she could sense that they did indeed have souls!

"How interesting. You must forgive the prejudice of our people. We face a civil war many years ago, and one of the main weapons of that horrific time was necromancy and the use of the undead. But you are not weapons. You are in fact sentient... people. Please, come in. You are welcome among us." She gestured to the others, letting them know that these people were safe.

"I see, so our delegation did arrive safely. Tell me, what brings you to our lands?"

Yarazin's gifts would be met with suspicion at first, but as Lai Ban inspected them, she smiled. "These are incredible. Thank you! Our people will make great use of them."

Several of Lai Ban's attendants examined the equipment further. "This one should go to the Badgers, this one to the Dittany, this one to the Celadine, this one to the Saskatoon..." Each implement was slated for different clans based on what they needed the most.

"Very well, you and your people are all welcome into the temple." Lai Ban led them inside to explore the rest of the structure. What they would find are marble column and floors, statues of various religious figures, and monks, mages, worshippers, and tourists ambling about. "I should tell you, this architecture is atypical of most of the Land-Tiller's. We normally prefer simpler stone and earth. Even our grand Wizard's Tower is not so elaborately constructed. But the cultural influences of the Phoenix Imperium led it to become more... extravagant. I hope you will not be disappointed by how primitive the rest of our land will seem to you after seeing this place."

Finally they would reach the center of the hall. Inside there were two statues in particular which stood out. One was a large, powerful looking man with a hawk's head, and the other was a massive phoenix. "One of these is the god Amun-Ra, guardian of light. The other is the Chaos Phoenix, one of the six children of the Red Phoenix, the Avatar of light and fire. The Chaos Phoenix is in large part where my power comes from, and how I could sense you are not evil."

Finally she asked. "Now, here's an important question. What can our people do for you?"

Lai Ban grinned. "You wouldn't believe it if I told you... but some of our farms can produce five to ten times the yields of the other nations... Your request will be a simple one. We can send convoys almost immediately."

She thought for a moment. "I shouldn't say this, but some of the Land-Tillers are displeased with our current dependence on the Phoenix Imperium for metal implements, such as tools and weapons. And our own access to these resources is limited. Our knowledge of enchantments is... decent, but not spectacular. If you could provide us with more tools, and weapons, we could establish a contract to provide food to your living people for many years."

Lai Ban looked over at the river from which the undead had emerged. "I couldn't help but notice... you seemed ill-equipped for water travel... Perhaps an additional deal. Our knowledge of ship building is limited, but we could construct a few basic galleons for your people, in exchange for more enchanted metal items."

Lai Ban nodded in agreement. "Very well. We will offer enough lumber for several ships, and will accept the metal in proportion to how much lumber we give you." Lai-Ban smiled. "A fruitful agreement for both of us."

However, her face flushed slightly at Yerazin's second question. "... Well, actually, yes... You see, it a long and complex story. To summarize, there was a time where those of us who possessed magic discriminated against those of us who didn't. It was a dark time, one where powerful mages would take advantage of the weak and innocent. This lead to a civil war, one in which justice only prevailed because of... Lynx."

She said the word Lynx with some reverence. "She was a chaos mage, an entity which only appears in our land once every few hundred years. This being, of phenomenal power, appears to restore balance to the world. She led the fight against the the oppressors and was victorious. Now all that remains are the ruins of the fortresses they used to raise their armies of undead. All this took place about 50 years ago, so another Chaos mage will not appear again for a long time. We can show you where these fortresses are located, but why do you want to see them?" 

Lai Ban pursed her lips. She really had to think carefully about this one.

"... Very well. There is nothing forbidding travel to those ancient sites by our laws. In fact there is one particular ruin you may want to check first. The darkness has not subsided there as it has in the other ruins. But be warned. Do not approach at night without heavy escort."

Lai Ban folded her arms. "Hmm..." She kept her thoughts to herself for a few seconds. Then her face lit up as she was hit by inspiration. "Ah, I believe it would be in your best interest to check out our festival. Nations from all over the world are gathered there. It would be a chance for our people to become... acclimated to your presence."

If allowed, the undead ambassadors would have a ship summoned to them by Lai Ban, which would escort them down the Mau River back to the mainland next to the festival grounds.

Lai Ban was in the middle of preparing her next sermon at the temple fountain when she turned to the Pharisees.

"Zaltos? He's returned from his pilgrimage then. So that is what the Chaos Phoenix has been sensing... His father has returned..." She stood up and beckoned an attendant to her side. After whispering to her ear, she sent her off.

"Indeed, we must go immediately. We must capture the red sun and temper and control its wrath. If we do not, it may completely destroy Goraia, and this is not the way. Many innocents would die. The power of the Phoenix must be used to protect the innocent, not destroy them. At the same time we must ensure the phoenix survives. After all, it is the father of our guide, the chaos phoenix!"

Lai Ban headed towards the outer temple grounds and beckoned the Pharisees to come with her. "Gather anyone you may need. It is possible the Red Phoenix is facing powerful enemies. Our mission first and foremost is to ensure the safety of the Phoenix, though if possible we must also stop it from killing innocent people."

As soon as she reached the outer grounds, her eyes began to glow. One eye was a shining violet and the other a bright white. Anyone around her would sense a great feeling of warmth and serenity, occasionally interrupted with righteous anger and sorrow. The intertwining of these two sides of the soul was characteristic of both the Chaos mages of the Land-Tillers and the Grand Phoenixian of Chaos. Great billowing purple and white flames would flow from her garments.

A few seconds later, Lai Ban's form would change. She would be encased in an ethereal purple aura shaped like a large phoenix. The creature would begin to flap its wings.

"Need a lift? Or have you got your own ride?"

"Hmph, very well. GO!" Lai Ban fluttered her "wings" with enough force to create a gust of wind around her. Then she took off, flying at high speed through the sky towards the Red Sun.

<Exit>

( The morning after the meeting of King Renaux with Elder Havador )

Arianne was most certainly refreshed come the morning. She rose early, which was unusual for Arianne given she could be very, very lazy in the mornings. But this time, she was up almost at the crack of dawn, which, of course, meant that she bugged Renaux until he was up as well.

She wanted to explore and she wanted to know things. He had had the opportunity to do this when he had been with the regimented ranks of the pegasus knights, but she? She had always been in Gauldin, and the Land Tillers' State was the very first place she'd been to outside of Gauldin.

That is, except for where it was she disappeared to when she had been swept to sea for ten months, a story that seemed as if would always remain a mystery. Although Renaux did know some of the details, there were some things that had happened that Arianne did not speak about. Perhaps she prefered to ignore them, in the hopes that they would go away.

Anyway.

She was dressed in silk trousers that molded to her legs and bottom and hips, leather boots, and a fine velvet doublet, tailored for her feminine frame and sleeveless so the silk of her shirt beneath should show through. A light cloak was tossed fashionably around her shoulders, her hair drawn back from her face in an artful but simple arrangement. She looked up at the temple and its beauty, and was vaguely curious about how it was that it seemed to have a bit of Gauldish influence?

"The Temple of the Chaos Phoenix," Arianne said aloud. She'd asked questions before hand to know what it was. "I did not expect a Chaos Phoenix to be a benevolent creature," the young queen said, a little surprised.