Temple of Beth, Lechimayim, Land of Tawuse Melek
2 Grand Hours, 4 hours, 8 minutes, 49 seconds (02:04:08:49)
Third Day of Aries, 511 Years after the Fall


The red sun of Resh starts to burn southeast of Lechimayim, upon the horizon given by tranquil waters of the Ryuujin Sea, lighting up the lands on the east of Eretshapir and the eastern portion of the ice canopy known as Shamayim shel Qerach, making the sea turn from black to white.

Stretching over the coast of the Nammu Bay that embraces Lechimayim, the Temple of Beth is the first building welcoming the light of a new day. Built in granite, it includes the port, its pharos right on top of the temple’s nave in the center, being the north hall dedicated to the clerics’ clausters and the south hall to the biggest library of Eretsaphir, having various books and documents and many of them unique and ancestral, being the oldest an Æon-old, 6000 years in a simpler manner, tax collection bill of a city lost to time.

As the first vessels of the fishermen arrive to the port from fishing in the high sea under the embrace of the absolutely dark night, the demons of the waking city start to flock upon the nave of the temple, where granite columns with the letter Beth, בּ, engraved over them while they support the abode with a complex painting depicting ropes, olive branches and the letter Tav, ת, highlighted in the middle. As they sit in the rows of mahogany, the demons put the index and ring fingers in front of their lips and start the prayer: “Beth spoke the first word of the world. Be the first word of my day dedicated to Beth.”At the altar, a golem of Beth, a faceless and genderless living statue representing it as a prestidigitator, stretches its arms in a sluggish manner as it welcomes the prayers of the devout populace.

A female Dantalion, a demon so human in appearance if not for the diminutive horns on the forehead, guides some of the youngest local orphans into the library to continue the lessons on the faith of Tav, the Weaver of Existence, they started yesterday with the Oracle of Beth, another Dantalion by the name of Bento. As they enter the library, even the vastness of shelves filled with scrolls of papyrus, mass chanting manuscripts made out of animal hides and the myriads of simple books, it feels empty compared to yesterday’s afternoon parade of scholars rummaging through the dusty tomes. From the top of a ladder found in the epic poem section, Bento descends to welcome the infants.

Female Dantalion: Good day, Oracle Bento

Bento: Good to see you followed my advice, Matron Barbariccia.

Barbariccia: I should thank you, it’s indeed quiet now.

Bento: I know the scholars of this temple, they’ll only be here when the Grand Hour pointer marks three. I’m just surprised Matron Borea didn’t warn you of the schedule.

Young Orc: Hey, are we getting our lesson or what? I’m bored!

As quick was his outburst, Birr, the young orc, quickly crosses his arms and pouts. The other younglings start to protest as they follow their unofficial leader.

Barbariccia: Hush, children. Mind your tongue in the temple of Beth of the Word.

Bento: Shall we go to the auditorium, then?

Bento points to a door on the same side as the matron and her orphans came in and soon the group follows the indication. The auditorium, a miniature of the nave missing the golem, is connected to both the library and the pharos and is located right behind the sacristy. As they enter, the children witness the light of the bay passing through the colored glass of the windows and drawing luminous letters on the western wall. Now that the children and the matron are seated, Bento starts the lecture.

Bento: So yesterday we talked about Tav and how its Malakeben created the world as we know it, us Daemon included. Birr, do you still remember what a Malakeben is?

Birr releases a grunt for having to answer the Oracle’s question.

Birr: Malakaben means “angel of stone”. It’s like a very special golem, right?

Bento: That’s right. But there’s something I didn’t tell you yesterday about our world. Do you know why the sea west of the Land of Izanami is called Blood of Tanen?

The children shake their heads in complete ignorance on the matter, probably due to never have left Lechimayim, much less venture to the lands of Izanami, Marduk, Prometheus and Mut to see the body of water in constant turmoil crushing its vitriolic waves against the sharp, darkened cliffs that dominate the shores.

Bento: It’s called so because it lays where once was the Land of Tanen, the once holiest of lands for it held the first and most sacred of temples, the High Temple of Tav, where Tav itself and its Malakeben reside. But there’s a fascinating story behind how that land turned into a sea, a story of dreams, disobedience, betrayal and death. It’s the story of the Fall of Lucifer.

The children gasp at the mere mention of the name of Lucifer, a name that they only met from the adults sandwiched between scoff and scorn. A female troll child by the name of Brina raises her hand.

Brina: Wasn’t Lucifer a very bad man?

Bento: I wouldn’t call him bad. Misguided is a more accurate description of him.

The Tower of Tzimtzum, Sitra Achra,Land of Zeus
Thirteenth Day of Taurus, 15 years before the Fall

Even when the penumbra as covered the metropolis of Sitra Achra, the crystalline Tower of Tzimtzum shimmers over the last rays of sunshine of the day. Over 852 meters tall, it is the tallest construction made by Daemon, observable for hundreds of kilometers and one of the three buildings constituting the Temple of Shin, being the other two the Ward of the Sword Saint to the east and the Ward of the Shining Seraph to the west, all built above the underground Temple of Pe.
On the very top, Sathariel Lucifer, a very handsome angel of silvery threads of hair and white wings, sits upon the Adamantine Throne in front of his generals, the Qliphoth. From right to left, the first two are Gamaliel & Nehemah, two sisters and succubae, being Gamaliel Lucifer’s wife. Third is Samael Adrammelech, a 4 meters tall anthropomorphic he-goat with twisted horns, sapphire-colored feathers instead of fur and a 5 meters long peacock tail. Fourth is Harab Baal, a demon with the peculiarity of having three heads, being the left one of a frog, the right one of a cat and the middle one of a human. Fifth is Thagirion Belphegor, a dwarfed demon with a beard so long a few centimeters of it sweep the floor. Sixth is Golachab Asmodeus, a demon very similar to Baal but with a lamb’s head on the left and a bull’s head on the right. Seventh is Gamchitoch Astaroth, an angel of dark, curly hairs and dark wings. Eighth is Chaigidel Beelzebub, a 3 meter tall insect with an emerald-colored husk, two enormous composed eyes and four small mammal-like eyes between them, enormous fangs, feathered antennae, a triangular abdomen and wasp-like wings and waist. Finally, the ninth is Thamiel Satan, a red-skinned demon with oryx horns, hooves and bat-like wings. Although not one of the Qliphoth, Isaac Alastor stands next to Lucifer since he’s the latter’s assistant; he has golden eyes contrasting with his skin and bull horns, darker than the night.

Nehemah is the first to break the initial silence.

Nehemah: Why did you summon us so late, melech?

Sathariel: I’ve figured out how to invade the Land of Izanami.

Thagirion: How?

Sathariel: By invading the Land of Tanen first.

The Qliphoth look at each other with genuine concern for their leader’s sanity. The Land of Tanen was holy and forbidden ground to all Daemon and only those who aren’t aware of the borders step on it, making the only way to enter or leave the Land of Izanami by foot the Canyon of Roi, that connects it to the Land of Marduk. Sheireil Lucifer, Sathariel’s father, had conquered almost of Eretshapir except Tanen and Izanami, the first out of respect and the second due to the reinforcement of the Bara Fortress located at the east end of the canyon, making it useless the numbers invading forces may pull due to the field advantage the fortress provides. A maritime invasion was even more fruitless thanks to the almighty naval fleet of the Land of Izanami, being composed of twelve regiments proven to overwhelm any attempt of attacking the shores.

Sathariel: My father didn’t lead such an enormous empire by playing it safe. The border between the Land of Tanen and Izanami is a very long blind spot that we can easily exploit.

Gamchitoch: But to set foot in Tanen, that’s heresy, melech!

Sathariel: Heresy? Why, because the Malakeben live there?

Thagirion: Precisely!

Sathariel: I say is high time to knock the Malakeben off their pedestal. Countless Æons have passed since they were last seen and we still have to worship the ground they walk upon?! Preposterous!

Chaigidel: Melech, are you out-t-t of your mind-d-d? Have you forgot-t-t what-t-t happened-d-d to Abezeth-th-thibou?

Samael: Nobody cares about the fairy tales of your people.