#diadema the prophet

[team-mythic-beasts]

The Gods of Hetaveyond: 10 Facts About Diadema 🐺

A.K.A. The Moon Goddess, Goddess of Design, The Prophet, etc.

1. Diadema is the youngest, yet also the most worshipped among the Three Primordial Gods.

2. The abode of the gods, Hetaveyond, was first created by Diadema.

3. Diadema’s gift is personal magic. Studies have shown that those blessed by the Moon Goddess cannot teach their magic to others, but descendants may inherit it.

4. Diadema is known to receive “prophecies” through a mysterious handheld mirror. Notable events she had “foreseen” include the Rise of Feliciano the Great, the Siege of Bylemisto, and the Dynasty of Discord.

5. Diadema has had nine children in total— six daughters and three sons. However, her eldest son had long perished, a tragedy she has chosen to forget.

6. Diadema’s many instances of splitting her own soul to “bear” children made her emotionally numb and physically weak.

7. Diadema seldom engages in the affairs of mortals, as she believes it to be a waste of energy.

8. Diadema is the most reclusive among the gods, so much that her subjects literally had to beg her to visit them at least every 10 years so she isn’t too disconnected from them.

9. Despite how highly Diadema’s daughters speak of her, she is no less distant as a mother than she is a goddess.

10. Diadema can predict future events with incredible accuracy, but struggles to recall past memories.

Bonus: A Word From Diadema’s Youngest

So… that’s a few facts about my mother. The giver of my name, my magic, and a family for me. And, well… her story goes to show that not even gods are exempt from mistakes.

Celinians really don’t give my sisters enough credit. They’re the ones who deserve all the praise for founding and defending their homes. What has Mother even done? She barely even leaves her room!

But to say I’m not grateful for what she’s done for me would be a heinous lie. Not only did my mother take me in without condition, she technically did the same to my maker as well. She deserves some appreciation for giving me an identity, at least. I just wish she could be more present in the lives of her subjects, rather than watching it all through a tiny little mirror.

Well, that’s about it from me. Please look forward to the other gods and my older siblings as well.

— Lucas R.

(Next: Photia)

[ayellowbirds]

One last night. 

Tomorrow morning, I’ll post Part 29, while I work on Part 30. If, tomorrow, I write within the average number of words i’ve been doing? I’ll have finished NaNoWriMo for the third year, and if i add a bit more after that, i’ll have written a complete story for the second year in a row.

This has been a big undertaking, and it’s absorbed a huge part of my time. It’s been very emotionally rewarding, yes.

But emotional rewards aren’t the only thing I need.

Between car trouble and the news that my employment is ending early next year, i’m increasingly conscious of expenses. I’d really love to commission actual official illustrations for these books, but that’s outside of the present budget, excluding maybe something like one illustration paid for, per month. I do have an artist in mind, and i hope to work things out.

But first, i’m going to need funds to actually pay them.

If you’ve been enjoying what you read so far, and want to tip me even just a buck for the free entertainment, or help fund the creation of an actual finished text with illustrations, appendices, and other added content not included in the initial draft (or just help offset the cost of gas and groceries), then here’s the Paypal donation link for my household, and here’s my Ko-Fi link. 

If you missed the last update, or just want a refresher, then click this link.

And now, the pre-penultimate update:

The 29th of Vernary, 5647 CC

“It did what now?” Toiba asked, hopping up so near to the flame that she had to dance embers off her feet.

Waiting for Orangella’s reports through the flames had become the regular entertainment of the dungeon’s citizens, along with making bets on who and what would be brought back from Sheol. Scoloaster herself had a few pieces of treasure she’d squirreled away in a coffin riding on the possibility that Shiaroc’s mother would be among them, and so, she’d been waiting to hear the news. After all, Orangella refused to share who Cypora and the others had agreed to prioritize until after they learned how much in the way of souls the treasure they’d brought was worth.

“Dropped like a stone,” Orangella emphasized. “As soon as I put Vuègbòrd on the scale, it fell to the ground and wouldn’t rise up. The karishnikim kept piling some kind of weights on the other end, but it wouldn’t budge.”

“I saw you lift that sword like ‘twere nothing, Ella,” Bang said. “How’s it so suddenly heavy?”

“The scales measure worth, Bang,” she replied. “I don’t know if Almaz didn’t know what she had, or if she’s a bigger deal than we realized, but this thing’s monumental in value.”

“So, wait,” Keturah began. She stopped for a moment, seeming to collect her thoughts. “Do we get to bring back whomever we want?”

“Nah, they’re real strict about rules over here,” Orangella said, and sighed. “We have to go somewhere else, to meet with Q’dushah Herself, and get it weighed properly. No haggling, either.”

The 5th of Lumeary, 5647 CC

The journey from Kaf out to the great tower of Etzbamoreh had taken days, not in the least because, although there was a railroad, the train had to take a long route around hills and gorges. But it would have taken even longer to travel the wilderness on foot, especially with so large a party, and Caracosa insisted it was a bad idea if they didn’t want to stay in Sheol.

Cypora didn’t like the way Caracosa paused and looked wistful when she said that, though she seemed to snap with impatience when Cypora reminded her that they would resurrect her first of anyone.

Their party had divided; Yasker, Licoricia, Qurra, and Diadema had gone back to wait at the Sheol side of the dungeon, after Caracosa had pointed out that the rephaim they raised would awaken from their fugues once the price was paid. It would help to have someone there to explain the matter.

Etzbamoreh rose above the landscape from even a day’s journey away, a tower so tall that its peak pierced the wispy clouds of the dark sky, and so broad that once they were within walking distance—or floating distance, as Cypora tried to use her boots to levitate around, instead—that she could not see its horizontal boundaries, either.

“Are we meant to climb all the way up to the top to meet with Her?” Shiaroc asked as she helped Caracosa and Orangella unload their baggage from the train platform, the book with all of its details on the souls and costs of resurrection for the dead of the dungeon tucked under her left arm.

“I suppose I could fly up, but even that,” Cypora said without finishing the sentiment, craning her neck upwards. She could no longer even see even the sky-scraping upper levels, and the rounded stone exterior of the tower looked flat from the proximity of the train station.

Sefora came up beside her, looking up as well. “And what, bring Her all the way down? We don’t even know if She’s at the top. Could be she’s in the middle, assuming she’s not out somewhere else, like the angel.”

Cypora wondered about that, and sniffed the air. Something smelled like olive oil and coriander. “But She’s a, well, She’s Her. She’s a goddess. Couldn’t She be anywhere She wanted?”

“Yeah, probably,” Q’dushah said from where she was standing on Cypora’s other side, looking up at the tower, herself. “Dang, I forget sometimes how tall that is.”

Cypora fell into Sefora, winding up in a startled heap.

Q’dushah was the very image of how She was said to appear to prophets, mystics, and the otherwise devout, albeit at human scale. A woman of indeterminate age, whose head was that of a lion, and whose thoroughly-hennaed hands ended in claws like grain sickles. Cypora did make note that She very specifically had a mane, which made her wonder, and hope a bit more about the nature of the divine.

“You, um,” Cypora began.

“Me, yep,” Q’dushah replied, and leaned down to help Cypora up. “It’s nice to meet you before your time, Cypora, Sefora.”

She looked at the offered hand and its long razor-edged claws, and decided a bit of maiming might be less painful than slighting the goddess of death, the first thing in all of time that ever died. She tried not to let the relief show when the goddess’s grip did not slice off her hand at the wrist, and instead she was easily lifted back to her feet, pulling Sefora up with her without any harm to either of them. This close, it was obvious that the scent of anointing oils came from Q’dushah herself.

“So, I guess you know why we’re here,” Sefora said, “being a goddess, and all.”

“Yes, but it’s still nice to have someone to talk to without listening in on all that davening,” Q’dushah replied. She took a long stride over to greet Orangella and Shiaroc, and pet Sharf. As she did, Sefora leaned in to whisper to Cypora.

“She has the same color hair as you, eh?”

“Nu?” Cypora whispered back. “So’s more than half my family.”

Q’dushah turned to Caracosa. “It has been a while. Do you remember?”

Caracosa couldn’t nod, with how her head was held on in the armor. Her hand went to her neck, gradually. “Not much, but yes.”

“It’s good that you remained, for the others,” She said. “I can start fixing things, if you wish.”

Orangella hefted one of the bags up. “Ready for measuring, if you could show us where the scales are.”

She caught herself, and added, “oh Hallowed Lady.”

“Here, then,” Q’dushah replied, holding out one open hand. “We’ll start with the troublesome thing, that sword.”

Hesitating for a moment, Orangella looked to the others, especially Cypora. She nodded back at her, mouthing, “go ahead!”

When placed in the hand of the dead-but-not-unliving goddess, the the sword Vuègbòrd dropped ever so slightly, enough that it was noticeable that Q’dushah had to assert her strength to hold it up. She let out an inhuman chirp of surprise. “That’s very interesting. Let me see….”

She gestured with her other hand, and the book flew out from Shiaroc’s grasp, pages fluttering open and beginning to fly out as if on a breeze that moved where the goddess willed. Cypora saw enough of the pages as they flew past to realize they left the book in the order that they’d all agreed they’d prioritize resurrections and raisings of the dead. They landed in a stack in Q’dushah’s free hand, and she seemed to be weighing the pages against the sword.

More and more pages fluttered into her hand, and Cypora wondered just how much of the enormous book would be accounted for.

“Interesting,” Q’dushah said as the stack grew higher without sign of stopping. “Of these, I should warn you that many will not want to be resurrected.”

“Nu, raising them is fine, we assumed there would be many more haints and zombies,” Cypora replied.

“That is not what I mean, but, yes,” She corrected. The stack of papers was slowing, but still seemed to have a bit of rising left. “There are those who would prefer eternal rest, just as there are those who would prefer undeath. I will not force that choice upon them.”

At last, the covers of the book remained in Shiaroc’s grasp with about half the contents remaining. Several hundred pages sat high in Q’dushah’s outstretched hand, and the goddess seemed to be testing the weight of them. In spite of having just fluttered over through the air, they looked to Cypora like they were a lot weightier, in the goddess’s open palm.

“This is sort of unprecedented,” She growled, and holding up the sword, turned to Cypora. She continued to turn it about, examining it as though she could see details that its utterly black surface did not reveal to Cypora’s eyes. “I may, hrm.”

She fixed her gaze on the sheathed blade, something imperceptible in her dark feline eyes.

“We could start with the other treasures,” Orangella suggested, offering one of the bags. The goddess shook her head, long red locks swaying out wide.

“I do not like the idea of this remaining in mortal hands. I may have to do something I have never had to do before,” Q’dushah said, her tone far more serious than when she had greeted them. “I shall have to owe you.” 

The 6th of Lumeary, 5647 CC, in the living world

Scoloaster was the one who finally managed to speak. “We have credit with the goddess of death?”

“That seems to be the case,” Orangella replied. There was something odd about the light of the flame she was speaking through, which flared much brighter than normal when she made the connection, this time. “We’re going to need to be here for a while to work out the details, but Caracosa’s going to come through first to help guide people back as they’re resurrected.”

“So she’s really gonna…?” Keturah let the question hang in the air. She leaned back, and looked to Acantha, whispering, but not so quietly Scoloaster could not hear her. The senses of a dybbuk were sharp, even when possessing a suit of armor. “We kinda figured on her being a representative for the dead who didn’t want to be brought back.”

“Gonna be tricky, on account of her status as soon-to-be alive,” Bang agreed.

Scoloaster scoffed. “Whence did you get that idea?”

“Well, according to Cypora, Jayyida said that the older dead wouldn’t respect Qurra as a leader, so,” Keturah shrugged.

“It’s not because she’s alive,” Scoloaster explained. Honestly, the living could be so dense, pun intended. “It’s because she’s never been dead. She’s not even a gilgul.”

“So, because Miss Grandee has been dead, and I’m guessing for a good long while,” Bang observed, “folks what are dead will listen to her?”

“More than that, one supposes,” Scoloaster said. “Those who were dead and will soon be alive again. She was a military leader.”

She wondered if perhaps she could convince Caracosa to become an Avanturistyeger. It was great fun. 

The 6th of Lumeary, 5647 CC, in Sheol

Caracosa let out a terrible scream when she came back to life, and Cypora dropped to support her as she fell. On top of wearing armor, she was bigger and taller than Cypora. Strength wasn’t the question so much as just getting the right angle to hold her up.

“What’s wrong?” Cypora asked, bracing her. Caracosa was heaving, choking. All the color that had gone back into her had turned into an anguished flush.

“She’s been dead long enough that it’s a bit of a shock, suddenly feeling how empty her belly is, blood starting to flow again,” Q’dushah explained, holding out a bowl of some kind of broth. “Even having a beating heart and pumping lungs is going to be hard to cope with. Here, drink.”

Caracosa nearly buried her face in the bowl, and Cypora had to hold her hair back, not only to keep it out of the soup, but to keep her from drinking too fast. “Hey, pace yourself a bit. It’s not going anywhere, and you’re back. You’re all back.”

“Is this gonna happen to everyone who returns to life?” Sefora asked. She had insisted on several people in particular, and Cypora suspected she was worried about them suffering.

“Different people react differently,” Q’dushah replied. “I will have some food available back at your dungeon, and I recommend that you arrange for that on the living side, as well.”

Orangella nodded, readying a candle to light to light to link to the fires at the dungeon. “Who’s coming back first? I’ll need to tell them what to prepare, after all.”

As Caracosa finished drinking down the soup, she collapsed into Cypora’s lap, breathing heavily but seeming to calm. Cypora looked to Shiaroc, who was holding the stack of papers the goddess had returned to them. They’d spent more time going over her letters, and Shiaroc was a fast enough student that she was starting to grasp at least enough to guess at names when she saw the illustrations on each page.

“If Yasker and Diadema are there, we should bring back those who would know them, first,” she said. She plucked out a smaller stack of pages from the bulk. “The small folk, for the first? Shreteles, kapelyushnikles, leprechauns.”

“I can do that,” Caracosa said, starting to stand. Cypora helped her up, and the older woman gave her a strange look. “You’re a lot stronger than you look, honey.”

The 11th of Lumeary, 5647 CC

When Caracosa Grandee returned through the ring of mirrors in the grove to the land of the living, she had had time to freshen up and change into more comfortable—yet grandiose attire. The only exception was a growth of pale stubble that had returned along with her breath and the flow of blood. Scoloaster was waiting for her, along with the Widows, Bang, Keturah, and nearly every living shretele and kapelyushnikle. That the small folk tended not to menace adventurers in the dungeon had never been a deterrent to the greediest of their kind, and small size along and magical trickery was perhaps the only reason as many survived as had. Of the smaller population of leprechauns, none remained alive in the dungeon, until that day.

Behind Caracosa—in all the finery of her old cavalry uniform restored, her cape billowing out impressively as she took long steps out of the grove—a crowd of tiny people returned to the land of the living. A cheer went up that living ears could not hear in its entirety, and there were many fond embraces.

And amidst the conversation and explanations, words of gratitude on tiny mouths. A building cheer as more and more agreed on what was the ultimate reason they’d been restored to life, in many cases after a great, long time. Who it was who had pushed for treasure to be returned to the dungeon, and then used for its inhabitants.

It wasn’t that she had suggested anything particularly clever, or that nobody in the dungeon had ever thought of it, Scoloaster knew. It was a matter of the timing of it, and a stubbornness that cut through convention to get to what made sense, rather than what they’d all gotten used to as the facts of life. The cheer went up in the name of the girl who came in and gave that last little push everyone needed to do something about everything that had gone wrong, to do more than simply survive.

In the ultrasonic chirps of the shreteles, Yasker led the cheer, “Cypora! Queen Cypora!”

The 23rd of Lumeary, 5647 CC

When Caracosa returned the second time, the stubble starting to turn into wispy hints of sideburns was oiled down slick in a metropolitan style, and she fussed at it in the way those trying to seem charmingly roguish often did. She was accompanied by Diadema, along with those among the formerly-dead who had been more beastly and varied, but she was also followed most closely by Licoricia. The girl was apparently trying to learn the trick of traveling between the worlds of the living and dead.

A varied crowd of bigfoots—or perhaps the right plural was bigfeet—greeted Bang warmly, as did, to Scoloaster’s surprise, a few se’irim.

“Call yourself an anti-paladin?” she heard one say, seeming impressed. “Can anyone get in on that?”

A ‘small’ giant had managed to almost get herself through the gate of the opening, and Bang excused himself to lend a hand in easing her through without breaking anything, but the new hangers-on were following.

More of the white beasts that often accompanied Diadema had come through, joining their packmates and expressing what Scoloaster supposed was joy, and other pale creatures that must have been their near kin; one more bipedal beast with horns and a thick tail, a half dozen others that stood fully upright and bore long claws. This last group had managed to get through the gate with ease where  the giantess was having trouble, in spite of standing just as tall at easily twice the height of a very tall human. She supposed they might have been like some small furry animals, more hair than flesh and bones, allowing them to squeeze through.

On the subject of furry things, a great many taily-pos had returned, and Rifka excitedly told them of her adventures with the Avanturistyegers. Scoloaster thought that it would be unfair to bet on whether every last one would join the next excursion.

Other creatures and critters arrived; many of which Scoloaster would not have known for fully intelligent members of the community if she had not been so long in and about the dungeon. A thing like a cross between a small dog and a teapot, a cylindrical monster that giddily rolled itself about, and all kinds of stranger birds and beasts.

Far up above, Toussaint was applauding.

[pamphletstoinspire]

THE BOOK OF ESTHER - From The Douay-Rheims Bible - Latin Vulgate

Chapter 6

INTRODUCTION.

This Book takes its name from queen Esther; whose history is here recorded. The general opinion of almost all commentators on the Holy Scripture, make Mardochai the writer of it: which also may be collected below from C. ix. 20. Ch. --- He and the queen were certainly authors of the letter, (H.) enjoining the celebration of the feast of Purim, or "lots," which is the ground-work (C.) of the present narration. D. --- The compiler has also had recourse to the archives of the kingdom of Persia: so that his work has all the authority that can be required of a profane historian; and being moreover inspired in all its parts, we cannot refuse to receive it with the utmost respect. Those additions which are not now in Hebrew, (C.) though they were perhaps formerly, (W. Origen. D.) have been carefully preserved by S. Jerom, and were recognized by the ancient Vulg. as they are at present by the Greek, without any distinction. Lysimachus, the Greek translator, was probably the author of them. C. xi. 1. C. --- The objections of Capellus against this "Greek scribbler," as he is pleased to style him, despising the judgment of both Jews and Christians, are in general very unaccountably borrowed (H.) from the Latin version, and are easily refuted. Houbigant. --- Those Jews, who have rejected this work entirely, with Melito, (Eus. Hist. iv. 26. S. Greg. Naz. &c.) ought not to prevail against the consent of the majority, (C.) expressed in the Councils of Laodicea, Carthage, Trent, sess. 4, &c. To read this book according to the order of time, we should begin C. xi. v. 2, &c. C. i. ii. and xii. and iii. to v. 14; then we find the distress of the Jews in the rest of that chapter, and in C. xiii. to v. 8, and their delivery in C. iv. to ix. v. 17, and C. xiii. v. 8, &c. and C. xiv. xv. and xvi. The consequences of these events are recorded C. ix. v. 17, &c. to C. xi. 1. (W.) with which verse the book ends, in the Greek editions. H. --- They vary considerably, as did the copies of the ancient Vulgate, which called forth the complaints of S. Jerom, Pref. But the Church has distinguished what was spurious from the genuine word of God; so that the doubts of Lyran, Sixtus, (Bib. viii.) &c. respecting the fragments at the end of the book being not canonical, ought no longer to be indulged; much less can the boldness of many Lutherans, (C.) and particularly of Le Clerc, (Houbigant) be tolerated, who represent the whole work as a mere fiction. The Jews have a greater respect for it than for any of the prophets; whose works, they say, will perish at the coming of the Messias: whereas this will subsist with the books of Moses, and the feast of Purim will never be abolished. C. ix. 28. Maimon. --- Ben. Gorion (ii. 2.) admits the additions. But Josephus is silent about them, as he probably did not find them in his copy. C. --- He recites, however, both the epistles of Assuerus. Ant. xi. 6. D. --- It is not agreed whether these events happened before or after the captivity. But it is now most commonly supposed, that Esther was married to Darius Hystaspes, A. 3489, about the time of the dedication of the temple. C. xiv. 9. He had been on the throne six years, and reigned other thirty. See Herod. vii. 4. C. --- Josephus thinks that Esther was the queen of Artaxerxes Longimanus, who was a great friend of the Jews. D. --- The Thalmud attributes this work to the great Synagogue, consisting of Esdras, Mardochai, Joachim, &c. and, as various persons might write the same history, the Greek, with the additions, seems to be taken from one copy, and the Hebrew from another rather more concise, (Huet. D.) but equally inspired. H.

The additional Notes in this Edition of the New Testament will be marked with the letter A. Such as are taken from various Interpreters and Commentators, will be marked as in the Old Testament. B. Bristow, C. Calmet, Ch. Challoner, D. Du Hamel, E. Estius, J. Jansenius, M. Menochius, Po. Polus, P. Pastorini, T. Tirinus, V. Bible de Vence, W. Worthington, Wi. Witham. — The names of other authors, who may be occasionally consulted, will be given at full length.

Verses are in English and Latin.

HAYDOCK CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY

This Catholic commentary on the Old Testament, following the Douay-Rheims Bible text, was originally compiled by Catholic priest and biblical scholar Rev. George Leo Haydock (1774-1849). This transcription is based on Haydock's notes as they appear in the 1859 edition of Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary printed by Edward Dunigan and Brother, New York, New York.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES

Changes made to the original text for this transcription include the following:

Greek letters. The original text sometimes includes Greek expressions spelled out in Greek letters. In this transcription, those expressions have been transliterated from Greek letters to English letters, put in italics, and underlined. The following substitution scheme has been used: A for Alpha; B for Beta; G for Gamma; D for Delta; E for Epsilon; Z for Zeta; E for Eta; Th for Theta; I for Iota; K for Kappa; L for Lamda; M for Mu; N for Nu; X for Xi; O for Omicron; P for Pi; R for Rho; S for Sigma; T for Tau; U for Upsilon; Ph for Phi; Ch for Chi; Ps for Psi; O for Omega. For example, where the name, Jesus, is spelled out in the original text in Greek letters, Iota-eta-sigma-omicron-upsilon-sigma, it is transliterated in this transcription as, Iesous. Greek diacritical marks have not been represented in this transcription.

Footnotes. The original text indicates footnotes with special characters, including the astrisk (*) and printers' marks, such as the dagger mark, the double dagger mark, the section mark, the parallels mark, and the paragraph mark. In this transcription all these special characters have been replaced by numbers in square brackets, such as [1], [2], [3], etc.

Accent marks. The original text contains some English letters represented with accent marks. In this transcription, those letters have been rendered in this transcription without their accent marks.

Other special characters.

Solid horizontal lines of various lengths that appear in the original text have been represented as a series of consecutive hyphens of approximately the same length, such as ---.

Ligatures, single characters containing two letters united, in the original text in some Latin expressions have been represented in this transcription as separate letters. The ligature formed by uniting A and E is represented as Ae, that of a and e as ae, that of O and E as Oe, and that of o and e as oe.

Monetary sums in the original text represented with a preceding British pound sterling symbol (a stylized L, transected by a short horizontal line) are represented in this transcription with a following pound symbol, l.

The half symbol (1/2) and three-quarters symbol (3/4) in the original text have been represented in this transcription with their decimal equivalent, (.5) and (.75) respectively.

Unreadable text. Places where the transcriber's copy of the original text is unreadable have been indicated in this transcription by an empty set of square brackets, [].

Chapter 6

The king hearing of the good service done him by Mardochai, commandeth Aman to honour him next to the king, which he performeth.

[1] That night the king passed without sleep, and he commanded the histories and chronicles of former times to be brought him. And when they were reading them before him,

Noctem illam duxit rex insomnem, jussitque sibi afferri historias et annales priorum temporum. Quae cum illo praesente legerentur,

[2] They came to that place where it was written, how Mardochai had discovered the treason of Bagathan and Thares the eunuchs, who sought to kill king Assuerus.

ventum est ad illum locum ubi scriptum erat quomodo nuntiasset Mardochaeus insidias Bagathan, et Thares eunuchorum, regem Assuerum jugulare cupientium.

[3] And when the king heard this, he said: What honour and reward hath Mardochai received for this fidelity? His servants and ministers said to him: He hath received no reward at all.

Quod cum audisset rex, ait : Quid pro hac fide honoris ac praemii Mardochaeus consecutus est? Dixerunt ei servi illius ac ministri : Nihil omnino mercedis accepit.

[4] And the king said immediately: Who is in the court? for Aman was coming in to the inner court of the king's house, to speak to the king, that he might order Mardochai to be hanged upon the gibbet which was prepared for him.

Statimque rex, Quis est, inquit, in atrio? Aman quippe interius atrium domus regiae intraverat, ut suggereret regi, et juberet Mardochaeum affigi patibulo, quod ei fuerat praeparatum.

[5] The servants answered: Aman standeth in the court, and the king said: Let him come in.

Responderunt pueri : Aman stat in atrio. Dixitque rex : Ingrediatur.

[6] And when he was come in, he said to him: What ought to be done to the man whom the king is desirous to honour? But Aman thinking in his heart, and supposing that the king would honour no other but himself,

Cumque esset ingressus, ait illi : Quid debet fieri viro, quem rex honorare desiderat? Cogitans autem in corde suo Aman, et reputans quod nullum alium rex, nisi se, vellet honorare,

[7] Answered: The man whom the king desireth to honour,

respondit : Homo, quem rex honorare cupit,

[8] Ought to be clothed with the king's apparel, and to be set upon the horse that the king rideth upon, and to have the royal crown upon his head,

debet indui vestibus regiis, et imponi super equum, qui de sella regis est, et accipere regium diadema super caput suum,

[9] And let the first of the king's princes and nobles hold his horse, and going through the street of the city, proclaim before him and say: Thus shall he be honoured, whom the king hath a mind to honour.

et primus de regiis principibus, ac tyrannis teneat equum ejus, et per plateam civitatis incedens clamet, et dicat : Sic honorabitur, quemcumque voluerit rex honorare.

[10] And the king said to him: Make haste and take the robe and the horse, and do as thou hast spoken to Mardochai the Jew, who sitteth before the gates of the palace. Beware thou pass over any of those things which thou hast spoken.

Dixitque ei rex : Festina, et sumpta stola et equo, fac, ut locutus es, Mardochaeo Judaeo, qui sedet ante fores palatii. Cave ne quidquam de his, quae locutus es, praetermittas.

[11] So Aman took the robe and the horse, and arraying Mardochai in the street of the city, and setting him on the horse, went before him, and proclaimed: This honour is he worthy of, whom the king hath a mind to honour.

Tulit itaque Aman stolam et equum, indutumque Mardochaeum in platea civitatis, et impositum equo praecedebat, atque clamabat : Hoc honore condignus est, quemcumque rex voluerit honorare.

[12] But Mardochai returned to the palace gate: and Aman made haste to go to his house, mourning and having his head covered:

Reversusque est Mardochaeus ad januam palatii : et Aman festinavit ire in domum suam, lugens et operto capite :

[13] And he told Zares his wife, and his friends, all that had befallen him. And the wise men whom he had in counsel, and his wife answered him: If Mardochai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou canst not resist him, but thou shalt fall in his sight.

narravitque Zares uxori suae, et amicis, omnia quae evenissent sibi. Cui responderunt sapientes, quos habebat in consilio, et uxor ejus : Si de semine Judaeorum est Mardochaeus, ante quem cadere coepisti, non poteris ei resistere, sed cades in conspectu ejus.

[14] As they were yet speaking, the king's eunuchs came, and compelled him to go quickly to the banquet which the queen had prepared.

Adhuc illis loquentibus, venerunt eunuchi regis, et cito eum ad convivium, quod regina paraverat, pergere compulerunt.

Commentary:

Ver. 1. Sleep. Anxious what Esther could desire. Sept. "But the Lord removed sleep from the king that night." H. --- Providence watched over the welfare of his people. --- Chronicles. The king took particular care (C.) to have their benefactors mentioned in history and rewarded. Herod. viii. 85. Assuerus had not recourse to musicians, &c. wisely (T.) reflecting that history is the most pleasing and useful amusement. Cicero, &c. T. --- God directed him on this occasion, as his eye never sleepeth. Josephus. W.

Ver. 3. No reward at all. He received some presents from the king; (C. xii. 5.) but these were so inconsiderable in the opinion of the courtiers, that they esteemed them as nothing at all; (Ch.) and they were not specified in the history. C.

Ver. 4. Inner court. To which only such favourites and noblemen had access. Herod. iii. 72. and 84. This king had himself come thither with six others, when they conspired to destroy Smerdis. Heb. &c. read, "the outward court," in which Aman was, till he heard the king was awake, and called for him. C.

Ver. 8. Apparel. Gr. "of byssus," which was very superb. C. xv. 9. The king alone could wear the tiara upright. The nobles wore it hanging backwards. Cyrus allowed his nobility to appear in purple, but he would have only his own robes striped with white. Cyrop. viii. Curt. iii. --- The kings often made presents of garments, &c. to ambassadors, and to those who were styled "their relations." --- Horse: 200 such appeared in the train of Cyrus, with golden bits, which none were permitted to use without special leave. --- Head. Gr. seems to refer this to the horse, which might indeed have a sort of crown. But the golden one was more probably worn by the person honoured. C. viii. 15.

Ver. 9. Nobles. Lit. "tyrants." H. --- But this word was not formerly odious; as it only denoted "a prince." Pars mihi pacis erit dextram tetigisse tyranni. Æneid vii. --- Abuse of power caused it to become hateful. T.

Ver. 10. Spoken. The distinction was not for one day only. Mardochai might afterwards wear the tiara, &c. God thus clearly manifested that he would resist the proud, and give grace to the humble. S. Jam. iv. 6. The exaltation of Joseph in Egypt, (C.) and lately of Daniel at the court at Babylon, (T.) was hardly less wonderful. Gen. xli. Dan. vi. C. --- We may easily conceive the astonishment which would fill the breast of Aman, as well as of Mardochai, on this occasion. The Greek published by Usher, has expressed these sentiments; (H.) and the Chaldee has added many embellishments, which are of no authority. C.

Ver. 12. Covered. To hide his shame, (T.) as Demosthenes did, when the people kissed him. Plutarch. See 2 K. xv. Ezec. xii. 6.

Ver. 13. Wise men. Probably the magi, who concluded, from the first miscarriage, that he undertaking would prove abortive, (C.) as they were also informed of God's protection given repeatedly to the Jews. Sept. "because the living God is with him." Chal. They might have heard of the fate of Sennacherib and of Holofernes, (C.) or of God's promises, (Gen. xiii. and xv.) unless they were guided by human prudence. W.

Ver. 14. As. Thus from morning till noon, (T.) or night, had this petty god (H.) been forced to stoop to the meanest offices, and durst not say a word in opposition. T. - He would gladly have now absented himself from the feast, (M.) with the idea of which he had been enraptured. H.

[team-mythic-beasts]

Hi, it’s me again. Just came back from performing a rite with my family. If anyone wants to see the robes they made me, let me know.

Anyways, today I bring you this piece:

Yup, it’s Mother as a bunny. I designed this for a gift shop quite a while ago. Heard it sells like hot cakes 😁

The Moonrise Festival is one of our biggest festivals. I’ve yet to popularize this event where I currently live, but take a walk anywhere in Celinia and you just might see a wave of lanterns floating over you.

This tradition is based on a legend that earned Mother her title as the Moon Goddess - that the moon itself is a giant lantern she released into the night sky. It’s said that with this “greatest” invention of hers, we never have to worry about vampire attacks here on the surface.

So once a year, when the moon turns bluish and full, every family raises a flying lantern in celebration of this revolutionary moment, including my own.

September and October are some of the busiest months in our world… the birthdays of the Primordial Gods all fall within this period. I haven’t even started working on Aluros’ birthday gift yet and it’s in less than two weeks 😱😱😱

— Lucas R.

[team-mythic-beasts]

Seven Years of TMB, Part 1: The Blind Prophet and the “Reformed” Villain

by Jones Fitzgerald (feat. Diadema)

(Read series introduction here!)

Most people already know that I am in… not very good terms with the Prophet. It’s even worse when she tells me, reluctantly, that I’ll become a hero one day. Source? Her silly little “predictions” that she sees in that wicked mirror of hers.

And those do-gooders from Luftstadt call me a heartless psychopath. This woman doesn’t have a heart or conscience at all! The only thing she ever does is look at her precious little mirror and believe everything it shows her. She never takes responsibility, ever. What a sorry excuse of a deity.

Sadly, being one of her biggest haters isn’t going to stop me from having to see her face again.

None of her daughters in sight, I stepped into her temple to find the woman had already set up a table in her usual spot. She didn't even turn her head towards me or give me the usual temple greeting; pretending not to notice me, she kept sipping her tea. It wasn’t until I pulled my chair back and sat myself down... did she finally make her first remark.

"So... you have saved a continent from certain doom and earned the favor of my children. I have feared this would happen."

…

Pfft, haha! Who would’ve thought a goddess would be afraid of a miserable prick like me? Next time Arthur tells me off for bragging, I’m passing on those exact words to him. My amusement didn’t last long, though… As the old woman revealed to me the truth of my family… and why her “precious baby son” decided to look for me in the first place.

A ring she wiped with a tiny piece of cloth, golden and decorated with a foggy white gemstone. She claims to have obtained it from my old man, who’s missed me dearly since my mother whisked me and my older brother away to Phantasmia. Seems to me that she thinks I’m ready to take his place as king… What madness!

“Should you never return to Einlon, your family’s reign will surely end with your father. I dare not think of what will happen if the kingdom falls in the hands of other nobles once again.”

There she went again… Always guilttripping her subjects into heavy, life-ruining decisions. I’m doing good enough in my new home with a giant stone demon upon my roof, I told her— but I doubt she even heard me.

Below were the words she left me as I got up to leave, finding this conversation a waste of time.

“I know your ancestors well, Jones Fitzgerald. Or should I say… Alfred Lycardia II. The choices they faced then… you soon shall, too.”

…

Why did I agree to this meeting again?

Next: Mikel & Fra’ser + Alphix

[team-mythic-beasts]

Seven Years of TMB: Introduction

This year’s TMB anniversary project will be a four-part writing series, one for each god.

But wait, aren’t there only three?

There’s actually a fourth god named Alphix (he's made a few appearances back on IG), who plays quite a big role in TMB. He’s too young a deity to have his own facts post though, so he will be making his debut through this series.

The posts start on April 25, Jones’ birthday and seven years since the original mod was released, and end on May 6, my personal TMB anniversary and Luke’s birthday.

Now you can probably figure out who’s going first and last, but we hope you stay tuned for all four parts!

— Makoto S.

Story Portal

Part 1 (Apr 25): Jones + Diadema

Part 2 (Apr 29): Mikel & Fra’ser + Alphix

Part 3 (May 3): Finny + Photia

Part 4 (May 6): Luke + Aluros

[team-mythic-beasts]

Hetaveyond 1795: Memories in Frost- Synne (Nyo!Norway as Iya Tiki)

Levi’s Aveyond 2 x Hetalia mod is still up, but I don’t feel like using her cast anymore - too many overlaps with her Aveyond 4 roster. (I know the AV2 mod came first but the boys are just too iconic, y’know…)

So while Lukey is still on break, here is the story of Synne, heroine of Hetaveyond 1795: Memories in Frost, as well as her predecessors.

💔 Sunniva Lillefugl, the Forgotten Girl (1779-1795)

Sunniva was born into a family of singers, yet she couldn’t seem to pass her village’s annual singing exam, even after five tries. Her neighbors mocked her. Her guardians abused her. Even her little sister Emy, who passed on her first try, laughed at her.

The only elves in the entirety of Valer who never joined in the bullying? Her childhood friend, Mathilde “Mette” Ietrai, and her cousin(s?), Siv (and Kristan?) Ryeva. Ever since her first attempt, they had been the ones encouraging her, telling her to never give up on her dreams. But it had been four more years and four more unsuccessful tries… even she was not sure whether they truly mean well, or they’re just clinging on to false hope, as she had been.

The day after her fifth and final try, Sunniva locked herself away in her bedroom, far from all the mocking and insults. The same night, she would vanish completely, leaving behind snow on an island that had only seen sunlight and green... strange.

❄️ Eva, the Frost Princess (1795)

The Snow Queen of Bylemisto, Yekaterina, adopted a fair maiden from the land of the elves. Eva was her name, and sixteen was her age. Besides her perfect looks, she is dignified and loyal towards her mother - a proper example for all good Bylemistans to follow.

On the day of Eva’s presentation, men pushed against each other for one good glance of the princess. Women, both married and single, wept in envy of her beauty. Children talked about her beautiful dress and floral headpiece. Even in another life, she remained the center of attention - except this time, she was loving it.

But as much is Eva loved by her people, nothing the Frost Princess did or said could touch her mother’s frozen heart. When Mathilde revealed to her the true reason the Snow Queen kept her, she ran away from the palace, leaving behind in her room two unconscious guards.

🎶 Synne, the Melodic Sorceress (1795-present)

Diadema was surprised to learn that such a rare branch of sorcery, which was long thought to have been lost… survives within a child from a secluded elven settlement. Completely reliant on her voice to cast spells, she has no need of a physical medium, like an orb staff. In olden times, sorcerers like her were called Songbirds. They are known to learn through sensory experience, notably by memorizing tunes played by exclusive artifacts known as Melody Pearls.

The Prophet has no clue why Photia would choose this elf—one from a land far away from human civilization, no less—to become mankind’s next hero. Well, it doesn’t really matter, for her only job was to help her through this strange journey. The Pearl of Nature she gave the chosen girl, and she tasked the elven pair with two simple missions - to seek the blessings of her daughters, the Six Nymphs of Virtue, and to unite the two largest nations of Celinia, Einlon and Aimore, against Bylemisto.

But what shall she call herself now? She rejects the name Sunniva, for it belonged to a disgraced village girl who died in her sleep. She could not call herself Eva, for the Prince of Einlon has an enemy by that name. So, after a moment of consideration, the girl decided from that point on, she would be referred to as simply… Synne. (Pronounced SIN-nuh)

[BONUS] Synne’s Final Outfit: Designed by Erika, Nymph of Hope

By collecting several blessings and becoming a full-fledged Songbird, Synne has demonstrated great courage and diligence. To reward her, Erika gathered her people to make the elf a new dress.

“If you’re going to defeat someone as big and strong as the Snow Queen, you better do it… with style!”

Oh, this is also what she’s wearing to future appearances on this blog, by the way.

— Makoto S.