Appendix: Fion's Vision of the Great Game

During their delvings into Fenlaros' memories, Fion uncovered a hidden chapter within the forbidden tome regarding the cycle of creation. Using his druidic abilities he was able to read the hidden chapter, and gain a deeper insight into the great game.

*You are floating in nothingness, you have no form, physical or spiritual. You are but an insignificant speck lost within a sea of stars filled with countless worlds, countless cradles of life. Planes of Existence that were, are, or could have been, you glimpse the boundless potential of creation that existed at the start of the Canvas. Small dots of light, untouched and unspoiled by ambition, malice, or greed; beautiful and perfect.*

*But as you’re floating there, taking all of this in, losing yourself in the majesty of potential, taking in the vision of the Tapestry, the will of Dunam and, as you now recognize, the will of Adhan, one by one those lights begin to flicker before fading. And with each fading light, you look to see another version of you looking upon this moment. Eventually only darkness remains, and you realize that you are not alone here, you once more feel the weight of your existence return to you and more so now. You feel the weight of billions of souls crying out in one single voice, one unifying purpose. A purpose that is at first inconceivable to you, but as you hear their cry, hear the pain that suffuses their very being. Your senses begin to adjust, and the darkness begins to shift, the scenery changing into something that is familiar, something that you can comprehend.*

*Beneath you, you see an array differently coloured tiles, stretching out into infinity. An assortment of black and white, and strewn across this massive board are various pieces. Decorated with a multitude of colours however, divided into distinct sides.*

*The pieces to the left seem to have established a very powerful position, their forces arrayed in such a way as to fortify their positions. At their centre, taking a prominent spot is a horned piece of black and crimson, its top decorated with streaks of gold. The pieces around it you realize are similarly decorated with horns, and chains. These horned pieces make up the largest concentration of forces on the left side, taking a prominent central position within their formation.*

*To their sides you now notice other smaller cores of forces, at the back, the furthest away from their enemy are a variety of pieces beautifully decorated some with vines, leaves, and small antlers while others have pointed ears. In their centre, taking on an authoritarian position is a large piece carved to resemble a silver moon, with streaks of green running through it. And as you look closer you notice that many of the pieces are coloured that same emerald green.*

*A bit to their side, you see an assortment of pieces bearing feathered wings, each coloured with a bright gold, each on its side as is traditionally used to signify that they are out of play. In their centre is a majestic piece, with beautiful, lacquered wings of white streaked with gold, and atop it is a bright yellow sun. Unlike the other pieces this one is still upright, although you note that most of it is coloured gold.*

*Moving closer now to the central conflict, you see another core of pieces, these ones carved to possess animalistic appearances with small wings jutting from their side. In their centre as with the rest is a beautifully carved delicate piece, its body and base painted with a starry coat of silver, and its tip carved to take on the appearance of a silver star. These pieces are as of yet untouched..*

*There are two groups of pieces which seem to have suffered the most, each one on both sides of the main central force, with the opposing pieces having broken through their centre. On one side, you see pieces decorated with scales, and small draconic wings, many toppled and on their side, and in the centre of this core of pieces, you see a large piece depicting a serpentine creature its body made of glistening rubies with various draconic wings jutting from its side. This piece is on its side as well. And standing before it is a piece depicting a golden jackal behind which you see an assortment of other malformed pieces, each one different, although you note that among some there are similarities such as more bovine appearances.*

*On the other side, you note that the pieces seem to possess more skeletal, and spectral appearances. Similarly this core is devastated, as a large number of the enemy’s pieces have broken through their defenses. The enemy’s pieces are a mixture of worm and cockroach-like monstrosities, alongside a host of pieces adorned with crowns of fungi, their bases rotting away. At the head of these malformed pieces is a piece both beautiful and terrifying, feminine in appearance, decorated with an assortment of colourful fungi, trailing hyphae and black slime behind it.*

*In front of this piece stands one that is far humbler in its design, a large ivory piece with a crowned skull at its top. However, you note that this piece is neither upright nor on its side, rather it is slightly tilted as if some unseen force is about to declare it out of play.*

*Finally, you glance at the forces on the right, an amalgamation of those malformed pieces jutting out like a pincer towards the forces on the left. However, their centre is vacant, an empty spot as if something unseen is pushing them onwards. You do notice however, that this side is outnumbered, in fact the combined forces on the left easily outnumber the right side. Especially as you begin to account for the multitude of smaller cores hidden among the left side, depicting smaller forces in this grand game.*

*As of yet, neither force seems to have taken the centre of the board, although it is occupied. A large swathe of tiles, across which you see various cracks of red. In the centre of these cracks you see a single red piece, bloated and bulbous with hundreds of tentacles reaching out which then begin to narrow and form thin tethers that latch onto pieces from both sides of the conflict as if pulling them in. Those same tethers also seem to reach out beyond the central conflict here, latching onto, you realize, other unseen cores, and pulling them in.*