Gaia

Gaia, the Archon of Time

Gaia is the immortal guardian of the Mortem Apostarium realm and its Apostate inhabitants. He was also the Archon of Time, before renouncing his faith to Sunarar in favour of the Apostates, whom he dedicated his existence to protecting. When he recognised tyranny in the Creator, he led Her Apostates to salvation by escaping the Mortus, crossing the Veil and cultivating the Mortem Apostarium. The Apostates hail him as their saviour and god-king.

## History

### Early life

Like his 5 companions, Gaia was one of the first men to walk the Mortus in the Primal Age. His Mortal parents and lineage have been lost in time, but he is known to have a brother, Mioto, and a sister who did not attain divinity as her siblings did. He was born under the name 'Velas Mora', but later cast aside this name along with its prophesy in place of the name 'Gaia'.

#### Childhood

Gaia's time was spared the horrors of the Insurrections and defiance of the Creator. He spend his infant years fascinated by everything beyond his reach, often devising nonsense contraptions that he imagined would reveal the mysteries of the world. He had been described by his family to be an extraordinary child of great potential, having a creative mind that never ceased to produce new ideas, as flawed as his solutions were to his curiosities.

In his teenage years, on multiple occasions, he had noticed flirtation between his brother, Kiras, and his sister, Viviana. Though he had not known the nature of their contact at the time, he later came to realise that they had forbidden love for one-another. One day, he approached Kiras and asked him is his assumptions of their bond were true, to which his brother confirmed them to be so. Kiras collapsed into tears and shame, and implored Velas not to tell anyone of what he knew, a wish that Velas respected thereafter.

As he neared adulthood, the eastern Elv clans had begun stirring blasphemy and oppression against the Creator, going as far as to burn and pillage Her sacred sites. When the Temple of the White was demolished and the first Insurrection began, Velas' father left home to fight for Paleilin, never to return home.

He spent much of his mortal life in solitude, studying the constellations and observing the Moons. The stars fascinated him, some say to the extent that his studies led him to a solitary and obsessive madness. Despite this conspiracy, his observations have yet to be disproved.

#### The Consortium

> "*Education is the greatest weapon you can wield in the face of ignorance. A catalyst through which you may cast your ideals, and change the world.*"
> ― Shara Mora
>
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When Gaia founded the Consortium, presumably after being named Shara, he broke away from his personal isolation to pass on his knowledge to others. He and his students began developing his astrological theories and making entirely new discoveries. The Consortium's exact date of founding is not certain, however it is estimated by historians that is was founded after Gaia attained his divine mantle.

Though it was short-lived, the Consortium was the first premises to offer a formal education to all Elves, regardless of background or social status. Gaia himself often made appearances to give lectures on astronomy, philosophy and religion.

It was disbanded roughly 80 years after its creation, but some former students went on to teach privately, or even start schools of their own, making it an important and influential movement in education for aeons to come. Even though it is long vanished, Gaia's influence has passed through generations in all of his fields of study.

### Ascension

Gaia was recognised by the Creator as the first to comprehend and engineer Time, and so he was named 'Shara Mora', roughly meaning "Being of Time" in the common tongue. He was the third Archon, after Qualar and Mioto.

Most of the other Archons and Mortals saw him as nothing more than a mad scholar, though Gaia's admirers would claim their spite as a cloak for their jealousy. He was very reclusive in his work and kept many secrets for the short time he was faithful to Sunarar, even from his own people upon founding civilisation on the Apostarium.

#### Renouncement

When the Primal Mortals rebelled against Sunarar during the first Insurection, Gaia also saw through Her proselytism. The Creator began sending the souls of the renounced damned to the Mortum Apostarium, the twin-world of her beloved Mortus. It is there that their souls would wander for eternity through the corrupted land with no purpose, purely for their rejection of Her godhood. It was at this point, that Gaia began to doubt sincerity of the people's faith.

Using a the power of Korillium's Cube, an ancient and incomprehensible mechanical artefact, Gaia took himself and his treasured works to the Mortem Apostarium. The nature and capability of his Cube is unknown to all mortals, however it is speculated that Gaia literally ripped the Veil asunder by propelling into it metaphysically, otherwise known as a Transmorphic Ethereal state of being, which has never been attained by mortal Sages. The few of Gaia's former mortal assistants that still walk the Mortus cannot even comprehend the workings of the Cube, even after witnessing its development.

### Death

> "*Even in his final breaths, he scorned me with silence! Now look upon all his treachery has wrought. Now is not the time for mercy, you shall join him in this fate.*"
> ― Mioto
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>

In the final months of his life, Gaia travelled frequently outside of his Mortus. While it is unknown exactly where he went or why, he was slain in his home. Gaia met his death at the hands of his brother, Mioto, by the divine will of the Creator.

His final seconds were presumably torturous and gruesome, to Mioto's pleasure. Gaia's corpse lay mutilated and malformed, with each limb and organ carefully severed. It was revealed by the Senator that these wounds were carved by his Elvish spear, Viviana.

Gaia offered no resistance in the face of his death, as Mioto had expressed his frustration in Gaia's silence, perceiving it as a mockery.

## Work

### Marvels of the Primal Era

Gaia developed many of the simple technologies taken for granted today. Some of them served as vital bases for his more advanced technologies, such as his later Motoric Replications and developments in Geomancy involving material components.

### Motoric Replication

Among Gaia's most impressive works was his synthetic units such were the Sentinels, Chimecha and various anthropoid models. While many of his projects did not see completion, some remain in the Apostarium, though the science and techniques behind their creation may forever be a mystery.

## Personality

Gaia's wisdom appears without limits. He sees through possibility and time, often appearing to be aware of future events as though they have already transpired. This can affect his emotion to unpredictable effect. He may mourn the future, envisage the past and know the present as though he exists everywhere at all times. He cares much for the well-being of his people, though the indirect nature of his work often means some Apostates regard him as cold and uncaring. Some of his people go as far as to doubt his powers, and even his very existence.

He moves with elegance. Every step and gesture he makes appears to be calculated and made with care. The few Mortals who have seen him in person describe his presence as warming, and that they felt somewhat equal to him in faculty.

## Trivia

* Gaia believes Mortal curiosities of life are often cursory, and the truths they seek about place and purpose will only lead to frustration or deficient satisfaction.
* He wears very little aside from his cloak, and often walks around bare-footed. This may reflect the way he connects with his people, dressing himself not in regal attire, but rags alike their own.
* It is speculated that Mora changed his name to 'Gaia' (meaning 'earth') in mockery of Sunurar, as though to say that his Apostarium is the true earth.
* He describes his Apostarium as a mirror; not only a reflection of the Mortal world, but a vessel in which his people freely cast their image, whims and ideals.</small>