Rebellious Ideation : The Best Intentions

It is often remarked that stories aim to foster understanding of people from different backgrounds, perspectives, ideals, values. By experiencing the lives of others, whether the characters in a story are based on real people or entirely constructed, we come to identify with them. We may not like the fact that we do, with a character's flaws highlighting our own shortcomings, confronting us with our failures. Alternatively we may find ourselves slipping directly into a persona we identify strongly with. Whatever the case, when we imagine the lives of complex characters, we identify, but not necessarily identify with, their dreams, desires, drives and fears. When we do so, the characters become more than just names, labels and descriptions; they take on a life of their own.

Perhaps one of my more controversial ideas on the face of it, but the enemy of the Creator in my mythos is not hell-bent on mindless dominion. He may play the role of an antagonistic force, but his motivations are not at their core, destructive or malevolent. In the real world, the human mind cannot possibly comprehend the plans God or Satan, but within Eldawn, I have license to change that. It seems too abrupt to suppose that the cosmos in a state of perfection could breed a host of depravity and disgust in an instant. The manner of disorder and violence that is so rampant on our planet. In the Bible, Lucifer fell because of pride, holding himself above his Creator. Certainly this is not repulsive and distasteful, but at it's core it is still simply and blatantly selfish. I do not feel satisfied with such a straightforward explanation of the Etheric Rebellion for Eldawn. Hence my attempts to construct other motives, less shocking, but ultimately, equally consequential.

I suppose it could be deduced from my earlier posts that Ällora is the one who makes the fateful decision to turn against Eleyon. The idea began to conspire soon after creation was complete, with Aram and Etria, the first two created human beings. They were given the Garden of Elen as a home, a haven amidst the wonders of nature. While Eleyon was content and delighted with their presence in the Garden, Ällora soon became restless, dissatisfied with what he came to view as stagnation. Whatever circumstances shaped his being, they somehow excluded a true appreciation of the relational facets of existence. The other Deols were able to grasp the developments, the growth of Aram and Etria's appreciation for their creation, and for the beings that shaped it. How they learned to understand each other and the depth of relational connection. To appreciate the standard of care to which they had been crafted, loved, and provided for in every aspect so that nothing would be wanting.

But Ällora was ignorant of the growing maturity of humanity in matters of the heart. Instead he looked to the future, and in his mind's eye he envisioned astounding feats of architecture, advanced technology, sublime works of art. Upon returning to the reality of quiet communion in the Garden of Elen, Ällora was increasingly sickened by the perceived idle squandering of time enforced by Eleyon. He suggested a change to the frail materially based humans; the Prometheus Chalice, to allow them to work with the magic of the Deols, with ether and energy. However Eleyon vetoed this suggestion, leaving Ällora to mull on further resentment.

He had ample opportunity to clarify the situation with Eleyon, but Ällora chose not to, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Ällora began to devise a plan that would induce the potential of humanity to blossom. Ällora convinces a third of the energetic beings to side with him, and together, they wrested control away from Eleyon. Eleyon, as previously mentioned, is a triune being, as a result of his initial investigations to the substance of the spirit. Ällora bided, awaiting a moment when Eleyon's three aspects would each occupy a separate plane of reality. Then he cut the plane-link between the aspects of Eleyon, leaving one trapped in a physical body in the plane of matter, another in the energetic construct of the plane of energy, and the final in the etheric spirit form in the plane of ether. I'll detail how this happens in another post, but as of now mechanics are secondary to the effect that produces. Eleyon, for the first time, feels incapacitated and disoriented; he lost contact with himself. The other Deols were in shock, unable to react, except Yevassë, who had suspected Ällora's intentions.

Ällora quickly moves to tempt Aram and Etria with the Prometheus Chalice, promising the ability to shape the universe as the Deols would. The parents of humanity took the cup, drank, and their eyes were opened to the higher planes. But soon the effects of Yevassë's countermeasure set in, and Aram and Etria lost their personal connection with anything beyond the physical plane, and along with that, their pristine immortality.

Thus, Ällora turned against his creator in his pride; taking matters about the fate of mankind into his own hands despite his well-meaning intentions for Aram and Etria. Humanity became fragmented and imperfect, Eleyon was rendered powerless temporarily and all the world was shaken to its foundations but subsequent disagreement and strife.