Creation, as Recorded in the Book of Phenex Through new eyes

[Deadbolt]

Deadbolt scratched his chin, the dry flesh of the demon's face frowning and pulling across its metal frame. "I do wonder, with the revealing of these new things, how something we discovered fits together. Firstly, Phenex addressed Miss West as 'scientist.' The way Doctor speaks of magic it seems as if at least mages and those of faith are quite the same.

He walked across the tavern and sat on the edge of a table where he could see everyone.

"We have discovered a link between resonance, faith, and damphir previously, but how might they fit together now? If we lump faithful and mages as 'scientists' that leaves us with only two things to consider: damphir and scientists. Is it perhaps that the Chayodine's worship of the damphir runs older than we can remember? Is it perhaps that all humans have damphir blood in them which allows them to cast works of magic? Furthermore, how to vampires fit into all this? I do not wish to make suppositions that might upset someone, and I am no philosopher or reader of older works, but how can we take this knowledge and tie it together?"

[Alan]

::tilts his head thoughtfully as deadbolt speaks.::

"What if you consider 'Scientist' as one who can manipulate the basic forces of nature? Complicated enough technology, after all, does seem like magic to those without the knowledge to understand what was happening. After all, do not the Outlanders appear this way to some? Trappings of study, technology, or faith are just the means to the end.

"As for the Vampire blooded, I can not speculate. No one has told me any stories not have I known to ask. They have been worshiped you say?"

[Dr. Sinclair]

" i know the jist of what your talking about deadbolt. before Barron Warrwick passed on, he took some blood samples to make portable blood for the Dampire in town. upon doing this, he accidently found out that there are diffent colored orbs that look like white blood cells. he then figured out that each color resides to a cerain occupation or race. such as White- Faithful, Blue- Mage, Black Dampire ....i think thats that. so if you keep that mind. there are three ships. maybe each color ment for the ships. just a thought." he then scraches the back of his head. "ya know, kinda found it funny actually looking back when i first stared using the power of phenix to heal people. it was really me that did that. umm let me explain to you all. back on the Blind Molly in the quarentine room. there was this man dieing of a massive lasseration. i will not go into great details but it was going bad for him. now at the time i tried everything in my medical knowlegde and what i have there to treat this man. but could not do it. hopeless and out of luck, i said to my self i will not let this man die not on my watch. then something happend. i felt a warmth comming over me then a quick jolt ran threw my arms and out my hands. then suddenly as like a mirricle the wound was healed. so that being said raven said it right. also i would like to thank the great ship of phenix for bring us here to ayos. so heres to Phenix" takes a swig of hot choco

[Deadbolt]

Deadbolt reached up and touched a horn in salute when Doctor Sinclair's toast, a habit he had yet to deprogram. "Yes, Alan, the Chayodine worship damphir as holy creatures, though I am unsure of their opinion of vampires." He glanced at Pastor Talbot. "Now, I would hope that you can correct me where I'm wrong, Talbot, as my knowlege of the Chayodine only extends as far as Phenexian predjudice. From what I understand the Chayodine say that damphir are holy creatures in that they imbibe the blood of humans and humans are sacred or some circular logic such as that. If humans have the capability to expulse magic through sheer force of will, by Doctor Sinclair's example, then perhaps the blue and white spheres within human blood is what damphir and vampires utilize for their own abilities. It is extremely unfortunate that we have lost Warrwick in this troubled time, he could shed the most light on this, but as he is not, we shall just have to make do. If we still have access to his research perhaps we could examine it again. There might be a link in there that includes warlocks as well, as we also cast magic."

Deadbolt wrung his hands together and folded them as if to crack his knuckles, the demon eyes glinting with a harsh green light. "Back to earlier discussions, however, three spheres, three ships. Consider that over time truth may become fiction and change. Perhaps each ship carried a crew with those of a sphere-"

He suddenly snapped his leather-gloved fingers. "What about the Outlanders? We know that vampires can exist for considerable lengths of time, if not indefinitely. We know the least about the Outlanders, but why do we call them 'Outlanders?' Furthermore, how long do they live? What is behind their masks? Do they have fangs? There has been speculation about them being the crew or descendents of the crew of the ships that landed here. Maybe they are. Maybe they are also vampires. Maybe they created humans to rebuild their ships. Maybe they mated with humans and damphir were created. It is a lot of speculation and I am by no means a man of books and knowledge but I think these things should be considered and researched and I'll be damned" he punctuated this by slamming his fist on the table, "if an Outlander waltzes in here and helps us with this. The faster we understand things and stop getting led by the nose by the Outlanders the easier things will be."

[Herbert Wayland Baker]

Baker walks into the club. He looks like he's doing well, for someone who might not have slept all week.

"Friends," he beings "we are witnessing the dawn of a new Ayos." He doffs his hat and continues.

"The events of this week have challenged the faith of many. Yet where others see cause for despair, I rejoice. I rejoice, for I have seen the nobility of our past. I rejoice, for I know that our ancestors were masters of the heavens, of the sciences, of death itself. I rejoice for I know that we will seize these heights once more.

"Among our number, there are those who talk of secrecy in the face of our enlightenment. It is to my sorrow, then, that I concur. We are yet weak, and our enemies our many. However, it will not always be so. Whatever challenges we now face, our ancestors faced as well. In their triumph, we see the natural course of history. We see it is inevitable that we shall regain their glory.

"We will stand once more as the equals of our fathers. The cosmos will be ours to shape and explore. There is no greater task, there can be no greater mission, than to seize this birthright once more. We must proceed with caution. Yet, we cannot turn from our task. To abandon the knowledge of our ancestors is to surrender entirely to the darkness that now sweeps Ayos. To turn back the darkness, we need burn brighter than any light 'ere cast upon this planet.

"We are the dawn of a new Ayos."

[Wolfman2006]

A harsh voice cuts in, it is hoarse as if used too much, or perhaps from lack of use.
"NO. Nothing has changed".

The Inquisitor stands in the door way to the Tavern. His golden mask is back in place, and it's expressionless face gives away little of his mind. However blood still stains his armor plates, dirt covers his clothes, the edge of his mask still caked in burned tissue, and overall seems unkempt.

"The Book of Phenex taught us that we were the chosen of the Almighty, that we would overcome our imperfections and achieve glory at our service and enter heaven. How has any of this changed? We are the created spawn of the Outlanders, we are creatures of their making for purposes we have yet to understand. How does this change anything? We were tainted by the touch of madness and evil from the soil of Ayos, and yet we were to be given such a chance to earn our way into the favor of the Divine. We have learned we are not of Angelic blood, and I say this changes nothing."

"The Almighty has give us the greatest of challenges to overcome, he has taken away the foundation of our belief. Such an obstacle strikes us only as hard as it mattered to us, I was raised by the Church, and the seed of doubt and despair almost destroyed me. Yet I still stand. Our origins matter little, what matters is what we do with our lives and how. What matters is if in light of this revelation do we continue to stand for the Light? Do we continue to oppose the Darkness? Or do we abandon all the sacred principles once held so dearly based upon, an irrelevant truth? I nearly did. I committed the sin of doubt, and I hid myself from my faith. But I was not alone, many a person gave me their words, and reminded me of why we struggle, and the purpose of our Faith. Do not be deceived by the details, what matters is where we go from here and how."

The Inquisitor pauses and takes a deep breath before continuing. When he speaks he sounds almost distant or dazed, as if the words are alien to his lips.

"There is little purpose in hiding this truth, for it will get out if it hasn't already. The Etymarchy exists within the Church of Phenex for the SOLE purpose of ensuring the survival of the Church, at all costs. That means finding potential threats to the Church, and removing them. Why do you think I was here? The Church had reason to suspect a grave danger in Greyhook, well it seems it has been found. They will do whatever it takes to silence any rumor of this truth, and destroy any and all evidence to be found. Understand this could destabilize the thousand year rule of the Church, they will show no mercy and they will do whatever they think is necessary to protect their interests. The Church aside, most won't believe the truth anyhow, and fewer still will even take this claim seriously. Be honest, if someone told you years ago that Phenex was a crashed airship of sorts and the entire Phenxian Faith was a misunderstanding... would you have believed it? Of course not, why should anyone believe it now?"

[Herbert Wayland Baker]

Baker's eyes widen as Sahal enters the club. They grow wider still at his profession of faith.

"Correct." Baker continues "As the Inquisitor just demostrated. Our first priority is necessarily the defense of the ISS Phenex. The church will sooner destroy it (and us) than see their lies exposed. As such we must reclaim as much of the technology as possible before it is too late. Anyone with a mechanical, resonnant or linguistic proficiency would do well to join me in investigating the crash site.

"Reactionary elements will always stand against us. Yet, where they blind themselves with lies, we arm ourselves with the truth. This story has only ever ended and will only ever end one way. These past two years we have dreamed no higher than our survival. Now, in our waking hours we see this town once synonymous nightmares shall be a beacon to the world."