Of Mers and Men

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The Three Planes

When the Universe was conceived by the Creator, He made three planes of existence for the three types of self-aware beings that populated it. For the silent and unmoving Gods, He made the Eternal plane. Time and Space do not exist in the Eternal Plane and it is a state of endless awareness.

On the Ethereal Plane He placed the Mers - the first beings to emanate from His consciousness. The first of these was Talmad - the Mer Lord of Knowledge and Language. In all, Thirteen Dominions the Creator made within the Ethereal Plane: Knowledge, Time, Light, Darkness, Dreams, Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Beasts, Trees, War and Love.

Finally, with the help of the Mers, He created the Illusory Plane and placed the first humans there.

The Age of Darkness and the Sealing

In the beginning, the planes were not isolated. Some gifted humans could perceive the Ethereal plane, and those rare few could even sense the Eternal. The Mers often roamed in the world of men, appearing as powerful deities and inspiring their history. The normal people revered them as Gods, while the Gods themselves slept uncaring in their Eternity. The Mers enjoyed dealing with humans who they found to be endlessly entertaining.

But those good days weren’t meant to last. Leya, the Mer Lady of Love, in her boundless affection for the humans, taught them the ways of the Mer. She yearned to see humans uplift themselves from their meager trappings and perceive the Divine. But she had erred in her love. Humans rejoiced at the knowledge and their civilizations progressed rapidly. They could divert entire rivers to build cities, flatten mountains to build palaces. And they did. They could hurl powerful bolts of lightning at their enemies. And they did. Soon, things went out of hand. War raged everywhere. The Empire of the Magus rose from the chaos.

The Magus were powerful enchanters who could skillfully wield the power of the Mers. They quickly brought much of the human lands under their control and exerted total control. The face of the land changed. Towering monuments they raised, without fully understanding the full effects of their work. The very fabric of the Illusion began to unravel and still they practiced their magic.

Sensing the great instability, Talmad sent Zandar, the Mer Lord of War to the human plane. There, Zandar was born and raised as a warrior called Herakon. He challenged the might of the Empire, gathered a powerful army and assaulted their fortresses. Single-handedly, he brought down the Empire, branded the Magus as black magicians and necromancers, and changed the political landscape of the land. With the help of Talmad, they turned knowledge into myth and superstition, making histories into legends. An Age of Darkness was thrust upon the humans. They were made to forget what they once learned. They were sealed off from the Ethereal plane.

Since the Sealing, Talmad is ever vigilant. Though Mers can still walk the Illusory plane when they choose to, they are sternly advised against it. ‘Let the humans find their own misery,’ Talmad likes to say. No human since the Sealing has ever perceived the Ethereal plane, let alone wield its powers. For the Mers, walking the Illusory Plane for extended periods of time can mean the loss of either their powers, or their immortality.

Baalog’s Dice

Baalog is the Mer Lord of Dreams, and he is often called Baalog the Mischievous. He loves randomness and chaos and operates in that twilight zone when consciousness wanes and irrational thoughts take root. Dreams are his dominion, and so is Chaos.

A thousand human years after the Age of Darkness, one day, Baalog invited Talmad for a game of dice. The King of Mers was well aware of Baalog’s intention to cheat, but the Lord of Knowledge has ever been attracted to games of randomness - merely to see how chance can cloud the Eye of Knowing. Baalog naturally won since Randomness is his domain. In this endeavor, he was helped by Sama, the Mer Lady of Time. As the victor, he demanded that Talmad close his eyes for five blinks of Sama’s eyes.

As Talmad closed his eyes, Baalog made his way to the Illusory plane where time passes much faster. While Sama blinked five times in the Ethereal plane, 200 years had passed among the humans. 200 years when Baalog had been busy.

He infected the Dreams of Men, having more control over them now that he was on the same plane. He would make entire population go mad with depressing nightmares over and over again. He broke the will of kings and queens. He revived the Magus and gave them more power than before, but ever he controlled them. He taught them how to weave dreams and nightmares. He called himself Lord Burug and claimed lordship over all that moved. The Realm of the Night, he called his earthly dominion and lost himself in the madness. While he kept his powers, his Mer awareness was fading. He was becoming more human.

When Talmad opened his eyes, he quickly perceived the destruction and chaos that was raging in the Illusory plane. Immediately, he sent his summons to the other eleven dominions. The message was clear: Descend to the Illusory plane and assume human form. Destroy Lord Burug and his work. Do it quickly.

Time is running out. If Baalog becomes completely human and dies a human death ignorant of his Mer nature, his earthly work will continue to exist but the Ethereal will be deprived of a dominion. And mankind will fall into an eternity of nightmares. So if Baalog/Lord Burug isn’t dealt with immediately, both the planes could be in jeopardy.

Appendix

The Thirteen Dominions and their Mers

The Dominion of Knowledge

Lord: Talmad

Minor domains: Language, Art and Craftsmanship

Talmad is gifted with Foresight. On the Illusory Plane where Chaos and Time battle eternally, his foresight is limited in how far he can see in time. He is the master of all the words ever spoken. He understands the language of even the mountains and the rivers. On earth, he is usually revered in the form of an old bearded man.

The Dominion of Time

Lady: Sama

Minor domains: None

Sama is the busiest Mer in the Ethereal plane. Never does she rest as she ceaselessly moves the two planes forward. In the land of Men, she has the power to slow down and speed up the passage of time to her advantage.

The Dominion of Light

Lord: Galad

Minor domains: Sight, Sky, Illusion

Illumination - of the spirit and of the land - is Galad’s dominion. Noble of heart, Galad is often depicted in the world of men as a shining knight in white or as a pure lady. He is also gifted in creating visions and illusions.

The Dominion of Darkness

Lady: Tamas

Minor domains: Death, Night, Shadow

Tamas induces sleep and weariness in mortals. She shrouds herself in darkness and is often depicted as either a hooded shadow or as a disfigured monster in many religions of men. She is the Mistress of the Night and is particularly mad at Baalog for claiming that title.

The Dominion of Dreams

Lord: Baalog

Minor domains: Randomness, Chaos

Baalog is the Prince of Dreams, able to weave powerful dreams and nightmares. He has a skillful tongue that he puts to use in creating Chaos - the ever present fuel of human history. On the Illusory plane, his words have great power in creating chaos.

Dominion of Earth

Lady: Gemma

Minor domains: Mountains, Metals, Alchemy

The most patient of all the Mers, she is often depicted as a fertile woman in most cultures. She has the power to raise and lower mountains, create earthquakes and she shapes the land like a child shaping clay.

Dominion of Air

Lord: Maru

Minor domains: Weather

Maru the Swift is the Lord of Air. Through his fingers blow the west wind and his hair laps up the east wind. His breath is the north wind and his feet churn the south wind. On the human plane, he can whip up the wind to do his bidding.

Dominion of Fire

Lord: Angad

Minor domains: Lust, Hunger

Fire - of the heart and of matter - is Angad’s dominion. He is a quick-tempered Mer and ever quick to judge men too harshly. He doesn’t suffer fools gladly. Fire leaps at his command. Lava waits for his call.

Dominion of Water

Lady: Agana

Minor domains: Rivers, Seas, Healing, Energy

She is the Mistress of the Waters. At her command, the water churn forth. She is the motive power that makes life move and has great healing abilities in the human plane. In many religions, she is shown as the lady of a lake or water.

Dominion of Beasts

Lord: Vagnar

Minor domains: Hunting, Disease

Vagnar is the lord of all animals and birds, of all worms and fish and all the other beasts that move but are not self-aware. He is depicted as a hunter in many myths.

Dominion of Trees

Lady: Celina

Minor domains: Forests, Agriculture

Depicted as a wood nymph in human culture or as a giver of fertility, Lady Celina is the Mistress of all things that are alive and immobile.

Dominion of War

Lord: Zandar

Minor domains: Strength, Bravery, Destruction

Zandar is perhaps the only Mer to have visited the lands of Men more times than Tamas. He is the Lord of War and the art of fighting. Ever has he been an icon in the histories of men, appearing in various valiant forms.

Dominion of Love

Lady: Leya

Minor domains: Happiness, Growth, Hatred, Beauty

Last but hopefully not the least is the Lady of Love, Leya. She instills the sense of love and beauty in humans. She is often depicted in a motherly form in various religions and continues to hold an important place in most pantheons.