Title: King Edward, Part XII
Author: Anonymous
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Price: 300
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[/center]King Edward, Part XII



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[/center] The dragon had paused, so Edward interjected, "Mother and I have been
discussing the nature of the gods recently, Akatosh, and she
thinks that poetry would be a godly activity. What do you
think about that notion?"

 "I am not so certain that one can attribute anything to the
gods, Edward. They are another example of an unbounded
problem, of course, but also, their characteristics are just
not very well known to us."

 "But surely one can determine things about any being that is
a god?"

 Akatosh replied, "I do not think that we can, at present; they
are not like the Daedra, who have a nature that is with them at
their birth. That is, the Daedra capabilities are inherent in them, and not are the result of any
changes that have occurred to them."

 Willow interrupted: "Akatosh, we can determine that the gods have a few basic characteristics, can't we?"

 Edward added "Of course, Akatosh - they are powerful beings
who can perform acts that are incomprehensible to us. That
in itself must signify their difference."

 Akatosh nodded and replied "I understand your point of
view, but to a farming community on Tamriel in our southern
lands, that could also describe how they would perceive me.
Perhaps this is attributable to the fact that they seldom see
a dragon nowadays, but it also does not mean that I am a
god ... neither does it mean that I am not a god."

 Willow giggled, and said "Of course you're not a god,
Akatosh" and Edward, smiling, nodded agreement.

 Akatosh replied "How do you know, Willow? I can understand
that you would guess that I am not a god, particularly
since I am a dragon." He grinned, and then continued "But
how can you  know that I am not a god?"

 Edward scoffingly replied "Well, I know that I'm not a god anyway. And I've certainly never seen you
perform any godly acts, Akatosh - you also don't seem to
have any worshippers about either."

 The Companions were smiling and generally agreeing with
this, but Akatosh responded "But that does not mean that I
have no worshippers, nor does it mean that I cannot perform
any godly acts - it just means that you have not seen either
of these. I am not yet certain that gods and goddesses require
worshippers to maintain their existence. And as I said, I
can perform magic that would look like 'godly acts' to many
Tamrielians."

 "But the gods must have worshippers, Akatosh" said Aliera,
"That's how they get their ... sustenance, or whatever it is
that allows them to continue ... to be godly. Husband, you
must know more about this subject. After all, you made a
god of your brother S'ephen."

 "I did no such thing!" Moraelyn responded, with a touch of indignation. "His godhood is between him and his
worshippers, among whom I am numbered. I did establish a
temple cult in his memory. Anyone with the worldly means
could do as much for anyone, living or dead. That alone is
not enough. Maybe it helps -- facilitate matters, but I think it's not really necessary. I know no more of it, but if
you want my opinion--" he paused politely for confirmation that it was indeed still solicited, as
elven etiquette demanded if one were giving opinion at
length.

 He continued. "There must be something, well, godly, in the
person's soul or essence or whatever part it is that does not
die with the body. I know not whether that capacity is innate
in the person, from birth or conception, or quickening ...
whene'er it is that soul and body are wedded for a life
span, or whether great deeds and great generosity might breed
it, enlarging the soul and transmuting it, so to speak. We all change and grow
with each passing day, with every breath, some more than
others. What else is life about?"

 He went on without pausing for an answer to his rhetorical
question, probably for fear that he might get one. "In
other cases, gods seem to arise from a locality, a
mountain, or a spring, or wood, or a collection of localities, such as Tamriel itself. Places, like persons have
souls, some greater than others. This place might produce a
god or a daedra -- or maybe it already has one or more. As it
changes, so do its gods and daedra, I think. Maybe they can
choose to resist the change or aid it, if propitiated."

 He looked at Akatosh inquiringly. The dragon had stopped
fighting the new gods, he said, but would he go so far as to
worship them? "That speaks to the question of whence gods
arise, but source is not nature: of that I know as little as
the rest of you, maybe less, since the question does not truly
interest me. The gods are; my worship of them benefits me and
mine. It is sufficient."

 Akatosh did not respond immediately and Aliera refused to be distracted, "But suppose such a cult were established and worshippers provided
for one of small and mean spirit. Would that spirit not
become a god?"

 "I suppose it might be done, if one were determined enough
and had a sufficiency of means to pay worshippers to
perform rituals without -- spirit -- behind them. Maybe that's
where small, mean gods come from, wife. Or maybe daedra?
Maybe I'll raise a cult to thee and see what happens."

 "Are you calling my spirit small and mean?" Ali glared at
him.

 "Only by comparison -- you don't fancy yourself a goddess, do you? You might make a daedra,
though. The experiment might be a bit too chancy. Could I just mourn you
for a century or two instead?"

 "Mm. I'll think on it. What about you? You've deeds enough
already to qualify for godhood, surely ... although if you
plan on many more such you may not outlive me."

 "I'm doomed to be R'Aathim, living and dead. It's godhood of a sort, but what a sort! Don't begrudge
me my long life span. Think of me doomed to eternity in the
gloomy Ebonheart council chamber listening to the eternal
wrangles ... small wonder the dead R'Aathim pulled the
place down on the live ones twenty years ago, thus causing my
brother and my mother to join their number. The dead R'Aathim
must have welcomed the century and a half of respite while
the Nords held Ebonheart."

 "But your brother S'ephen was killed too, as well as your
brother King Cruethys, and S'ephen wasn't R'Aathim, being
your mother's son and not your father's, if I have the story
straight -- that's why he got his own temple," Edward said.
"So why did they kill him, too? The story sounds very daedric
to me."

 "You'd have me justify the ways of the gods to you, would
you? I think they act for ends we cannot see, and slay the
just and the unjust together -- not that I'd label any of my
Kin as either -- not altogether. We see only the means -- how
can we judge? Gods too face choices; I do not think their
power supreme. They can overrule nature on occasion, as can
any Mage, yet they, like Mages, are in the end bound by it --
and their overrule must answer other rules still -- and in
those rules, whate'er they be, I think lies the answer to your
questions. I think it's not something men and women may know
while living."

 Akatosh smiled and replied "It is not so easy to describe the
gods, is it? This is true even though, myself included, each
of us thinks that we have a mental picture of what godliness
means. On the other hand, the gods and goddesses certainly do exist - and I also believe that there is a
connection of some sort between them and the Daedra, and
another connection between these entities and the power associated with
performing magic."

 "The priests of Julianos have been calling this power
'Magicka'" said a stranger who had joined the group.

 Akatosh replied "Greetings bard. Please allow me to
introduce ... Geoffrey, a ... wandering poet who has been
visiting our village for these last few days." The
Companions greeted the wood elf newcomer, some rising to their feet to do so according
to their individual customs, and then all resumed sitting
(actually sprawling about) and conversing.

 "A number of priests are theorizing that the gods and
goddesses live on another plane, as do the Daedra - there is some debate
amongst these priests as to whether they share the same plane
of existence, or whether each has their own. And some of the
Alessian priests are claiming that we can visit these
alternate planes in our nightly dreams" added Beech.

 Edward asked "Why doesn't someone just ask a goddess or a
Daedra about this?"

 Geoffrey chuckled and replied "Most of us are not able to be
so thoughtful when confronted by one of these beings, Edward. Also,
there is a common belief that the gods and Daedra are as
reluctant to discuss their own natures as dragons are to
reveal anyone's True Name."

 Edward looked quizzically at Akatosh, but Beech stated to
Geoffrey "Well said, Bard" ... and that pair shared the slightest of smiles.

 Beech then said, "Do you know what the Resolutions of Zenithar
has been saying about the gods and magic? This magic power,
or Magicka, is just the power generated by the existence of,
well, existance itself.  When it becomes focused by living
beings through natural processes, then it becomes accessible to the gods and
goddesses as worship power, which is the next level of
Magicka. After receiving some from their worshippers, the
gods can then concentrate it up to god-level power - the
true Magicka. The gods themselves can't generate the mid-level
Magicka, since they are dependent on it for their own existence, but they can 'convert it' to Magicka, which can
then be used by mortals to cast spells.  This Magicka is
usually dispersed widely across the planes but there are
areas of greater and lesser concentration due to
interferences with the dispersion process."

 "When a goddess loses worshippers, her inflow of mid-level
Magicka is decreased, so she in turn produces less god-level
Magicka. With less Magicka under her control (for providing
to worshippers, or dispersion), her influence is decreased
in the mortal planes - of course the converse is also true. 
In the extreme, she receives nothing, and is relegated to a
state of Stasis, barely existing from the ordinary Magicka
generated by her few remaining Consecrated lands, zones of
influence, and so on."

 Beech continued, "On the other hand, Daedra receive very
specific, or 'modified' mid-level Magicka from a few
mortals with specific areas of interest, and these Daedra are
normally tied to very specific circumstances. Because of the
ir nature, they gain much more power from their
small worship base, but the gods, with their much broader
base, generally have greater overall power, even though
the amount of concentrated worship that they receive from
any one source is much less than a Daedra's. Most of the Magicka that the gods
'process' is dispersed into and throughout the universe, no
longer under their control, thereby making it available for
everyone.  It's not really something they do consciously,
but as a natural process that happens automatically - in other words ... just because they are divine."

 Aliera said, "I would think that Magicka is simply
available to sentient beings, although the gods and Daedra
could facilitate its usage. I would think that the gods and
Daedra have other influences on us as well, because not
everyone has spellcasting ability! Maybe in those
'alternate planes' it's actually existance, and not
sentient entities, that radiates Magicka, just as the stars
give off light in our dimension. I just assume that Magicka is
'out there' in the ether, or maybe sentient consciousnesses
automatically tap into an alternate plane as they sleep.
I think that everyone has some supply of Magicka, but most
r nature, they gain much more power from their
small worship base, but the gods, with their much broader
base, generally have greater overall power, even though
the amount of concentrated worship that they receive from
any one source is much less than a Daedra's. Most of the Magicka that the gods
'process' is dispersed into and throughout the universe, no
longer under their control, thereby making it available for
everyone.  It's not really something they do consciously,
but as a natural process that happens automatically - in other words ... just because they are divine."

 Aliera said, "I would think that Magicka is simply
available to sentient beings, although the gods and Daedra
could facilitate its usage. I would think that the gods and
Daedra have other influences on us as well, because not
everyone has spellcasting ability! Maybe in those
'alternate planes' it's actually existance, and not
sentient entities, that radiates Magicka, just as the stars
give off light in our dimension. I just assume that Magicka is
'out there' in the ether, or maybe sentient consciousnesses
automatically tap into an alternate plane as they sleep.
I think that everyone has some supply of Magicka, but most
don't know how to use it very well, or else they adopt a way of life that inhibits or forbids
its use. Maybe certain gods and Daedra serve as facilitators
for the entire process; that is, both obtaining and using
Magicka? But how do priests heal and cure and bless? Is
Magicka involved at all or do they invoke their goddesses
directly?"

 Ssa'ass said, "I am not ssssure that Magicka isss usssed;
perhapss there isss yet another capability involved here.
Thisss capability would be unknown at thisss time, and maybe
even unsssenssssed... but I feel fairly certain that
sssomehow it is a godly 'force' that they are employing."

 Then Geoffrey responded: "Ssa'ass, I believe that Magicka
fills the universe of planes.  All things are infused with
Magicka to one extent or another.  In this regard Magicka is
attracted to some people and things over others, and some
people with talent or training can control and even
release Magicka in new forms. There may be other sources of
Magicka available by tapping into alternate and
otherworldly planes.  There is also the possibility of
alternate planes that are entirely void of Magicka.
Regardless, certain beings of great power, such as the gods
and Daedra, can not only control Magicka, but can see,
absorb, and transfuse Magicka to and from objects and
people. By employing this ability, worshippers of these
beings are sometimes capable of greater acts of Magic than
they could accomplish otherwise. Also in this way, some items
sacred to powerful beings can be said to be holy, with
additional amounts of directed Magicka provided by gods or
goddesses."

 "Magic items fall into two main categories by definition.
Items that draw on the surrounding Magicka to create
spell-like effects, and items that hold Magicka in reserve for
their own internal effects.  Normally magic items which
absorb Magicka, giving increased abilities to their
wielders, only affect themselves and are considered to use
internal Magicka. In some areas where great amounts of
Magicka have been used, the surroundings may be completely
devoid of it.  This of course negates the ability of beings
to produce magic effects in these areas, although gods and
Daedra carry their own supplies of Magicka, as do magic
items that do not depend on the use of surrounding Magicka."

 Aliera said, "We've been investigating some rumors and
stories concerning something that might be called
anti-Magicka. I think the presence of a powerful Daedra with
whom you weren't in 'tune' could cause interference with
spellcasting - maybe even cancel out existing spells.
Perhaps particular Daedra simply favor thief or warrior
types. Or some goddesses, and their priests, might frown on
'competing' magic in certain areas, for example in
locations dedicated to them. So then unauthorized spells
could interfere with their rituals."

 Willow asked, "Can Daedra supply Magicka? And how about
both a god and a Daedra being nearby? - wouldn't they sort of
nullify each other's powers? This might be the cause of the
anti-Magicka effect."

 "I've experienced an anti-Magicka zone myself" inserted
Mith. "It felt a lot like the effect of casting a spell like
Dispel Magicka. At the time, I thought that a truly powerful
spellcaster could still effectively cast spells, but their resulting power would have
been much reduced. I didn't get a chance to test this out though" added Mith with a smile.

 "We can also assume that certain powerful spells,
creatures and even magic items might actually drain the
surrounding area of Magicka," replied Geoffrey. "This could
be extended to places where great amounts of magic energy
were once gathered and expended, for example in ancient
temples where great spells were cast, or battlefields where
powerful mages contested. Perhaps certain metals or stones
could act as absorbers of Magicka, allowing for whole structures of anti-Magicka zones. If so, you might
be able to wear a amulet made out of anti-Magicka material
and gain a good advantage against spellcasters.  Perhaps the purity of the material used would allow for
better and better magic resistance".

 Akatosh spoke: "Dragons have long been interested in the
anti-Magicka effect, naturally enough. We have found some
amulets that appear to act as Magicka absorbers. They might
contain something like Negative Magicka, in which case they
would attract any 'stray' Magicka floating free in the
local area. They are made of a stone, or mineral, resembling
marble - it is very rare, but could be extracted, and
shaped by skilled craftsmen. For example, I'm sure that the
dwarves could have worked with this material. They might have m
ade
these amulets - or even that statue that I once saw ... it was
taller than any of you humanoids. Regardless, in these
mountains we have found deposits scattered throughout the
halls and tunnels at random, sometimes deep within the
walls. Consequently, one appears to go in and out of these
anti-Magicka zones of varying intensities, with little or no
warning. I have been imagining that this material works
almost automatically; it seems to 'reflexively' absorb
Magicka if given a chance to. However, we cannot rule out the
possibility that they have been magically charged somehow -
perhaps this happened long ago, but the charge has somehow
remained."

 Moraelyn asked, "Would the amulet affect its wearer, or
would he be immune?"

 "Maybe a blocking spell could be developed, and then cast,
to shield the wearer from the effects of the substance."

 Moraelyn then asked, "But Akatosh, getting back to our
earlier discussions - what do you think of the speculations
de
these amulets - or even that statue that I once saw ... it was
taller than any of you humanoids. Regardless, in these
mountains we have found deposits scattered throughout the
halls and tunnels at random, sometimes deep within the
walls. Consequently, one appears to go in and out of these
anti-Magicka zones of varying intensities, with little or no
warning. I have been imagining that this material works
almost automatically; it seems to 'reflexively' absorb
Magicka if given a chance to. However, we cannot rule out the
possibility that they have been magically charged somehow -
perhaps this happened long ago, but the charge has somehow
remained."

 Moraelyn asked, "Would the amulet affect its wearer, or
would he be immune?"

 "Maybe a blocking spell could be developed, and then cast,
to shield the wearer from the effects of the substance."

 Moraelyn then asked, "But Akatosh, getting back to our
earlier discussions - what do you think of the speculations
concerning the connections between the gods and goddesses,
Daedra and Magicka?"

 Akatosh replied, "I think that there are many truths that we do not know, and perhaps
there are some truths that we are not meant to know."

 Moraelyn asked with a smile, "All right then, I've always
wanted to know this - considering the shape of your mouth and teeth, how do dragons manage to speak the humanoid
languages so clearly?"

 Akatosh paused, and then carefully responded,  "Why, in
much the same way that we can fly, even though our wings are not
naturally strong enough to support such heavy torsos."

 "Speaking of dragon flight and sunsets..." Mith said,
rising to his feet and squinting into the red-gold eastern sky,
"We have a vistor, Dragon Lord. That's not a bird."

 Akatosh's head came up and he too scanned the sky. Tension grew in him, and one by one the Companions rose, watching as
the distant dot grew nearer and resolved itself into the
largest dragon they'd seen yet.

 "Ma-Tylda!" Akatosh exclaimed, "She deigns to bestow her
presence on us!" His wings lifted and unfurled, and the
Companions broke and ran for cover as he took flight. The
two dragons wheeled through the sky, spouting great gouts of
flame against the purpling sky.

 "They're fighting," Edward cried, "what does it mean. Who is
Ma-Tylda?"

 "I don't know who she is, son," Moraelyn replied, "but they
do not fight. You behold a dragon greeting ceremony." The
pair alit beyond a rock outcropping out of sight. 

 "Should we go greet the stranger, too?" Edward asked.

 "Nay," Mith said. "They'll let us know if our  presence is
wanted -- look, even the other dragons stay away." It was true. Dragon heads had poked from the caverns to witness the event, but none of them had taken
wing, and now they were retreating to their hoards within.

 The Companions ambled back into the meadow together and
built a fire as a chill wind had sprung up. The elves sang an
evening hymn to the stars, deftly weaving the dark elf
version with the wood elf form. Aliera added her voice to theirs, but Mats
and Edward and Silk and Ssa'ass sat listening silently.
They couldn't manage elven music of this kind. Geoffrey had
a particularly clear sweet voice, Edward thought.

 Akatosh returned presently, smiling in satisfaction. "Ma-Tylda's going to join us
here, at least for awhile," he said. He was actually glowing
in the dusk, each scale giving off a golden radiance.

 "Is she your queen?" Edward asked, feeling very small and
human.

 "She -- just is. Maybe she'll want to meet you all some day. I hope so. Until then, well, I don't talk about other
dragons, you know."

 To which Edward blinked in surprise and then surmise, and the
discussion dissolved into jokes and songs for the remainder
of that clear and beautiful evening. 
