𝙲𝚁𝚃:𝟽:𝟺 | To this and similar parts of the Otherworld, the wicked would be drawn when they passed through the grim gates of death. But Habaris taught a different conception of wickedness, one where lack of effort, indolence and indifference to duty and obligations, the taking of the easy path, were just as wrong as actual deeds of wickedness. He taught that men reach the true goal of life by transmuting lustlove into truelove. That true victory is gained only over the defeated bodies of their vanquished passions and baser selves.

@kolbrin

𝙲𝚁𝚃:𝟽:𝟻 | These and many other things were taught by Habaris, but many of his teachings displeased the people of Krowkasis who were then as they were before Herthew's forefather was led away. So Habaris concealed many things from them and taught, by simple tales, things within their understanding. He taught them the mysteries concerning the wheel of the year and divided the year into a Summer half and a Winter half, with a great year circle of fifty-two years, a hundred and four of which was the circle of The Destroyer. He gave them the Laws of Weal and Woe and established the folkfeasts of harvest-tide and seeding-tide. He taught them the ritual of Ulisidui.

@kolbrin

𝙲𝚁𝚃:𝟽:𝟼 | But Habaris instructed Herthew in the ways of the Otherworld. He taught him concerning the three rays from the central invisible sun, which manifest all things, upholding them in stability of form. Also concerning the Oversoul, which filled everything in creation, as the Soulself filled the mortal body. This Soulself, he declared, would develop from mortal sensitivity and feeling transmuted into divine sensitivity and feeling, through suppression of the baser instincts within mortals. It was strengthened by development of feelings of love between man and woman and between these and their kindred by the appreciation of beauty and devotion to duty, by the development of all qualities that pertain to humans and not to animals.

@kolbrin

𝙲𝚁𝚃:𝟽:𝟽 | Herthew learned that the Soulself is quickened by soul substances outflowing from The Godhead. That the strong soul is transformed and moulded to the soul's desire, but the weak soul is not its own master; it is flabby, unstable and is pulled into a state of distortion by its own vices. In the afterlife, there is unbounded joy for the entry of a noble soul; it will glow with splendour and stand out proudly. The mean soul of the wicked is dull-hued, twisted and drab, and, being drawn towards its own compatible state, it shrinks into the dark places.

@kolbrin

𝙲𝚁𝚃:𝟽:𝟾 | When Herthew had barely crossed the threshold of manhood, black-bearded spearmen began to ravish the borders of Krowkasis, and Idalvar, king of that country, called his fighting men together and when word came to Herthew, he prepared to depart. But Habaris bid him stay awhile, for he was unprepared for battle. Then, Habaris prepared a strange fire with stones, unlike any fire seen before, and when it burnt low he plucked out that which is called 'child of the green flame' and he beat it out so it became a blade. This he fitted to a horned handgrip and, when it was edged and blooded, gave it to Herthew, saying, "Behold, Dislana the Bitterbiter, faithful servant of he who strikes hard and true." Then, he made a shield of wicker covered with ox-hide and a cap of hide which came down over the face and neck. So equipped, Herthew went to the encampment of Idalvar, taking eight fighting men with him.

@kolbrin

𝙲𝚁𝚃:𝟽:𝟿 | In those days, men fought with hand-thrown spears and clubs, with flung stones and sticks sharpened by fire and weighted, but they did not close in the battle clash. So when Idalvar saw the battleblade of Herthew, he wondered and it passed his understanding; but when he saw Herthew close on the battleline and the foeman fall before him, he was amazed.

@kolbrin

𝙲𝚁𝚃:𝟽:𝟷𝟶 | No man about the king could understand the making of such weapons, offspring of fire and stone, but Habaris made others, and Herthew became the king's right hand man and the first hero of the Noble Race. The king offered Herthew his daughter's hand in marriage, but Herthew declined, saying, "The days of my manhood are not yet fulfilled."

@kolbrin

𝙲𝚁𝚃:𝟽:𝟷𝟷 | When the war-filled days had passed, Herthew withdrew to the place where Habaris made the bright battleblade, and already he had taught the mysteries of their making to others, sealing their mouths with magic. But Herthew was less concerned with the weaponry of war than with the mysteries of life and the battles of the Spirit beset by mortality. So, while his workmen drew bright blades from the thunderstones, Habaris taught Herthew and his battlebrothers, and these were the things they learned from his mouth.

@kolbrin

𝙲𝚁𝚃:𝟽:𝟷𝟸 | "Beyond God, there is an Absolute, which no man should try to understand, for it exists and has always existed in a state beyond man's finite comprehension. It is from this Absolute that God, The Ultimate in all Perfections, was engendered."

@kolbrin

𝙲𝚁𝚃:𝟽:𝟷𝟹 | "To create, God first visualised in thought, then He produced an outflowing wave of power, which, in a manner of speaking, solidified what might be called building stones. The outflowing power also produced the Celestial Hymn, which brought the building stones together in harmonious forms. So it is truly said that all creation is the harp of God, and it responds to His song and manipulations. It is an everlasting unfoldment. The voice of God can also be heard in the voice of His beautiful daughter who endows all growing things with life and beauty."

@kolbrin

𝙲𝚁𝚃:𝟽:𝟷𝟺 | "There is a divine purpose in creation, which may be known only to the few; this knowledge is the key to all unanswered questions. Acquiring it is like the drawing back of heavy curtains, which have kept a room in gloomy half light, so all things suddenly become clear and distinct. He who gains this knowledge knows the Grand Secret, the answer to the riddle of the ages and knows beyond a shadow of a doubt. This divine purpose, and the divine secret concerning it, is called Gwenkelva."

@kolbrin

𝙲𝚁𝚃:𝟽:𝟷𝟻 | "Apart from Gwenkelva, God gains nothing from His creation, except that as a Being possessing infinite love and goodness, He must have something to receive the gift of love and respond to it. Even among mortal beings, who is there that could find satisfactory fulfilment in self-love? Also, He needed something wherewith He could contrast Himself, some medium wherein He could perform, and this is creation."

@kolbrin

𝙲𝚁𝚃:𝟽:𝟷𝟼 | "Creation is also, for mortals, the school of life. The training ground for godhood. There are Three Circles of Reality, three realms, three stages of existence. They are: Heaven, where perfection visualised on Earth may be realised and desires and ideals materialised; where hard-striven-for aspirations are attained; it is the place where all the properly developed spiritual potential latent in man reaches maturity and fulfilment. Earth, the place of training, development and preparation, the testing ground, the battlefield where men discover their true natures when confronted by life's challenges, contests and contentions; where competition and controversy are the rule. It is here that aims and objectives are conceived and thought-out for realisation later in the proper place. It is a starting point, the beginning of the journey; it is here that the proper road must be wisely chosen. Then, there is the Realm of the Misty Horizon, the intermediate place, the place of spirits, where those above can commune with those below and where free spirits wander within their limitations."

@kolbrin

𝙲𝚁𝚃:𝟽:𝟷𝟽 | These things, which Habaris taught in those far off days, have been rewritten in transmission to accord with our understanding, but it is unwise to voice them in these troublesome days, when words become snares to entrap the unwary.

@kolbrin

𝙲𝚁𝚃:𝟽:𝟷𝟾 | Now, Idalvar desired to learn the secret of the bright blade
engendering thunderstones, but no man who came with Habaris or laboured for him would disclose any part of it, and the king was afraid to put them to the test. So, having thought the matter out, the king sent for his daughters and told them what he expected them to do, for he had devised a plan to learn the secret. Then, he sent an invitation to Herthew and Habaris. When they arrived at the king's encampment, they found a great gathering in their honour, and the king's daughters favourably inclined towards them, one smiling upon Herthew and the other upon Habaris who was at the age of hoaryheadedness. Though at first, Habaris was indifferent and wearied her, the king's daughter pandered to him, encouraging even his follies, setting out to charm him with her wit and beauty.

@kolbrin

𝙲𝚁𝚃:𝟽:𝟷𝟿 | It was no great length of time before her womanly wiles ensnared the heart of Habaris, and though he was almost ripe for the surrender of secrets, the damsel's efforts had taxed her, and the game became tiresome, so there came an evening when she could not endure his company. In the midst of the merrymaking, when the alebowls had made many rounds and the sound of song and story was at its height, she slipped away with a young battleman, who attended upon her father. Many who sat among the benches saw this and whispered to one another, nodding knowingly in the direction of Habaris who was not unaware, though he appeared to have drunk to his capacity.

@kolbrin

𝙲𝚁𝚃:𝟽:𝟸𝟶 | Habaris had learned to love the young woman; so he was sorely heartsmitten, but within himself, he knew the tree of Winter love bears only Winter's fruits. Yet he made excuses to himself for her, thinking perhaps it was just some girlishness with no more weight than a floating feather, nothing of serious import, for it was true the merrymaking was better suited to the natures of men than the natures of women. Maybe, he thought, it is just an innocent indiscretion.

@kolbrin

𝙲𝚁𝚃:𝟽:𝟸𝟷 | So when the day came to its fullness and those who had made merry went heavily about their tasks, Habaris approached the king and asked for his daughter's hand in marriage. He said, "Your daughter Klara has delighted me with her winsome ways; she has charmed me with her gaiety and beauty; she has displayed much pleasure in my company; surely I have not misread the signs." The king was not overpleased, for though he greatly desired to know the secret of the bright blade he had not intended giving his daughter's hand to Habaris, but neither did he wish to offend him. Therefore, he was wary in his reply, saying, "It is the custom for any suitor for a highborn woman's hand to be himself highborn and worthily battleblooded. Yet, such is my affection for you that I would not let even the custom become a bar to this marriage, and you may be a battleblooded man among your own people. But let us not enter lightly into this thing, for the girl is still young and it would be well if you established yourself favourably with her. She will be a worthy wife indeed, for she is one who is ever ready to learn, one with an enquiring mind. Nothing gives her greater pleasure than the acquisition of knowledge." So the matter was left.

@kolbrin

𝙲𝚁𝚃:𝟽:𝟸𝟸 | Now, some days later Idalvar and his retinue, accompanied by Herthew and Habaris, went to the gathering place for folkfeasts, some five days journey away. People were accustomed to meeting here every thirteen moons to celebrate the season of fruitfulness, many coming a great distance. Beside the gathering place was the compound of a far-framed seer and warlock called Gwidon, who, in the fullness of the moon on the third night, would prophesy events for the forthcoming year.

@kolbrin

𝙲𝚁𝚃:𝟽:𝟸𝟹 | Idalvar and those with him presented their gifts and took their places before the compound. Presently, Gwidon came out cloaked in the skins of wild dogs, with a horned crown and skull-headed staff. He seated himself before a small fire, into which he threw prescriptions, making a cloud of smoke, which completely enveloped him. When this had drifted away, he seemed to be asleep, but after a while, he lifted his head; then raising himself up, he started to prophesy.

@kolbrin

𝙲𝚁𝚃:𝟽:𝟸𝟺 | He talked awhile of small matters, then told of dangers to the people through enemies who would bear down from the Northlands. He prophesied a great bloodletting, telling people they would be saved by a great war leader, a king knowing the secret of the bright blade, himself a war- wielder of one. He exhorted the people to bestir themselves and prepare, wasting no time in finding their leader.

@kolbrin