Meghzaal

The Hand of Ink & Poetry, at the centre of which is the Hearteye

**Meghzaal**, known as the *Kavijama* (The Dirgelord) and the *Hibrach* (the Ink-eyed), is a conceptual god of Ink and Poetry. A recluse by nature, he observes the world from his ethereal inky realm of Glossolalia and sends out his avatar into the world in the form of a great cloud of burbling ink.

## History

When this newborn world first came into being, there was only that great unthinking mass known as the Lifeblood. Eventually, the singing of a draug caused Meghzaal to awaken, and in awakening he created the drighina and their soulsong. The divine bard, intoxicated on song and wishing for more sound in the world, then created the Worldsong and the means by which mortals can communicate with it, Spiritsinging.

The Worldsong sends the god into a great frenzy of song and poetry, and he travels the world in the form of a great cloud, picking up various creatures and things and bringing them to Kubrajzar. Amongst these are human women, alminaki men, celestial sheep, itztli, leeoli wisps, magnus pods, yetis, various magical trees (alder, hawthorne, lonethorn, are specifically mentioned). The Yetis of Kubrajzar are without horns and rather than being white they are mottled black and white. They are not as crazed or ravenous as their counterparts in the Anchor.

The god then meets Lucia, with whom he is immediately infatuated - he believes that his inherent lovelorn state was provided with an answer through her; she was surely the one he pined and yearned for all along. He shows Lucia the Worldsong, a deeply stirring experience for her, and also tattoos her body with ink made of sunrays. Upon her abdomen he tattoos a golden Hand of Ink & Poetry, the Hearteye aligning with her navel.

He also places a kiss upon her hand which takes on the form of a tattoo of a crimson kiss that has the capacity to produce stirring poetry useful for spiritsinging. After Lucia assures him of her love, the god transforms into flowing black robes and clothes her naked form.

When the depressed Gibbou visits the Sunlit Temple, Lucia introduces Meghzaal to her. The couple do not initially click with the saddened goddess, who rejects Meghzaal's attempt to bathe her in a glorious sing and dance. The trio sit in silence for some time until Meghzaal asks Gibbou what has made her sad. It transpires that she is suffering from a serious crisis of self-belief and feelings of utter inadequacy before her sister, Oraelia. The god then creates Inklings, which put on a theatrical performance for Gibbou showing her all the good that merely one of her creations, the draug, have brought about. This cheers the Goddess up and she asks how she may repay the couple for their kindness. Lucia wants for nothing, but Meghzaal requests that he be permitted to tattoo the goddess. She shows him that she is already tattooed, and instead offers him the opportunity to decorate the *Hir*, which he does:

* Those who drink from the druidic horn will gain a proclivity towards Poetry that many will view as madness. They are likely to speak in poetic riddles and, due to the natural affinity to the Worldsong this will create, will come to hear voices that only other enlightened artists can (contributing to their perceived madness). This eases the realisation of Spiritsinging to druids, but merely drinking from the horn does not grant Spiritsinging. This horn also blesses druids with knowledge of the Hand of Ink & Poetry and the arts of ink, glyphs, and tattoos; they will know that ink can be made of near anything and that the substances that go into making ink can bring about related qualities and traits, will know how to tattoo themselves and others, and will know how to draw glyphs.

Following this, Meghzaal insists on tattooing Gibbou, and she concedes. He places a tattoo between her shoulders of the Hearteye and the Hand of Ink & Poetry, made out of ink drawn from moonlight and night itself.

The tattoo will strengthen Gibbou's resolve and will against any pain or depression rooted in the belief that she is a source of pain and suffering, or that she does no good. It is powered by all those who have been inspired to great acts of art or love, or any creative production, by her creations. Gibbou displays her gratitude to Lucia and Meghzaal by gifting to them the Nightstone, and artefact that allows the one who possesses it to stay up all night without tiring, thus allowing the couple to sing and dance throughout the night without worrying what the day may bring. Meghzaal and Gibbou also passively bless the night so that artists, and all people, are more inspired towards acts of creativity and artistic production in the small hours when the sun is asleep and the night bathes the world in her glorious white gaze.

In the period following this, Meghzaal spent much time painting the Sunlit Temple's walls with various icons and impressions of Lucia. They depict her laughing, dancing, singing, frowning, sleeping, eating, walking, swimming, basking in the sun, and much else. Though the god wishes for them to see the world, his desire is constantly thwarted by the Orb, which wants Lucia to do nothing but train train. Meghzaal suggests that Lucia and he elope while Orb is not watching, but Lucia is reluctant to do so, and Meghzaal accepts that as he had likely done on many occasions before. At that precise moment, the Lifeblood tore him away from his beloved Lucia, a rather traumatic experience for both. Lucia is doubly traumatised as, just as Meghzaal disappears, Oraelia appears only to also be swept off, leaving the hero at a loss and weeping for a long time.

However, Meghzaal continuously communicate with his beloved across the wall that the Lifeblood had erected between them over the 2,000 years (which Meghzaal experiences as far longer than that). He spends much of this time weeping, and from his tears of ink and song the realm of Glossolalia forms. It is apparent that during this period his inspiration and trembling take over completely and he enters a heightened state of ecstasy beyond the limits and confines of sanity. Over the 2,000 years, his communication with Lucia very slowly decreases until, around fifty Galbarian years before the awakening of the gods, his voice stops reaching his beloved altogether.

> Let not the foolish heart conceive that love may wane
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> My love of love o'erflows the cup with ecstasy
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> So countless aeons may all torture me in vain
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> And never see but laughter and the bard's disdain!
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## Personality

> *Amiable. Articulate. Benevolent. Calm. Captivating. Caring. Charismatic. Colourful. Compassionate. Contemplative. Creative. Dedicated. Dramatic (in the throes of poetic output). Eloquent. Forgiving. Generous. Idealistic. Imaginative. Recalcitrant. Insightful. Observant. Passionate (in the throes of poetic output). Perceptive. Perfectionist. Protective. Reflective. Romantic. Sentimental. Serious. Ascetic. Enigmatic. Retiring. Melancholic. Secretive. Suspicious. Eccentric. Slightly mad.*
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Meghzaal does not take too well to insults, and though unlikely to react immediately to them he will not forget. In this vein, he may not always declare his disapproval, but may certainly work silently against things he does disapprove of. He is very generous to those he perceives as being in need and readily forgives those who sincerely seek forgiveness. He is repulsed by the idea of betraying those who have placed their trust in him, though this revulsion is subject to a variety of other factors (particularly the power that the person in question wields and their degree of vulnerability to betrayal; the more powerful and less vulnerable to betrayal, the more likely it is that Meghzaal will betray them). Meghzaal generally respects those whom he perceives as having greater wisdom and knowledge, and he will generally favour those members of a society or community who earn their status due to their perceived knowledge and wisdom. Meghzaal holds corruption by the powerful in the lowest esteem. He actively keeps people at a distance, is unlikely to be in constant communication with others, and is very likely to disappear for long periods unless sought out. Despite this, he will actively contribute to the world - from a distance. He would never insist on being repaid a favour or something he is owed, but certainly respects those who do repay him - it is a show of gratitude, and gratitude is a good trait. If fellow gods were endangered by an external enemy, he would likely defend them unto death as a principle. Despite this, he likely does not trust other gods and likewise feels distrusted by them, and so would never expect them to aid him in his hour of need - such help would certainly surprise him. He only has a vague respect for the laws established by the gods and will only abide by them if it suits him. He readily expects to be shunned, for that is the fate of artists. He has no respect for those in authority and would not seek positions of authority amongst the gods, for authority and power corrupt, but he would reluctantly take up responsibility if thrust by others into it (and would seek to relieve himself of said authority as soon as is appropriate). In times of need, he is the self-sacrificing type. When he feels he has done wrong, he will actively seek to make amends, though he would not make himself beholden to any kind of 'judge'. He has no issue expressing subversive and revolutionary sentiments. He strongly believes that wealth, in its broadest possible meaning, should be used to help the unfortunate. He has no qualms cheating the wealthy. Meghzaal's ambition is to fill the world with ink, poetry, and inspiration, opening up the ability to *express* to mortals. He wants to be the ultimate muse, but in many ways, he is also in pursuit of a muse. For what muse does the muse himself have?

## Domain, Portfolio, and Realm

### Domain

*DOMAIN of INK.* A substance used to mark out images, words, and meanings. Ink does not occur in a ready-for-use form naturally and must be combined with other materials to truly become ink. There is no particular recipe for ink production, with different kinds of inks and colours being made up of different substances. What makes ink into ink is its ultimate purpose and usage: marking surfaces, putting down meaning. In that sense, ink is a catalyst, much like spoken words, allowing for the transferral of thoughts and feelings into the physical world. Ink holds thought, it holds emotion, and it transfers it. A master of the ways of ink knows how to make use of ink to best convey the substance of an image or words - what colours to use, what type of ink, what substances to mix in. And when the correct ink is combined with the correct meanings, the result may seem magical to the uninitiated.

*DOMAIN of ART.* Art refers to the various branches, theory, sapient application, and physical or documented expression of creativity found in sapient cultures and societies. It often involved the application of skills and imagination in order to produce objects, environments, and experiences. Major branches of art include the visual arts (including architecture, ceramics, drawing, painting, and sculpting), the literary arts (including fiction, drama, poetry, and prose), and the performing arts (including dance, music, and theatre). Art serves as a vessel for storytelling and conveying the relationship between sapients and their environment, and can often have emotional, experiential, or other impacts on audiences or, indeed, the artists themselves. Art also encompasses ceremonial, religious, and utilitarian crafts that possess aesthetic or creative value such as cooking, tailoring, weaving, needlework, embroidery, wood carving, basket weaving, and other similar activities.

As a god of art, Meghzaal can guide the development and growth of any of the branches of art, is capable of personally producing or inspiring the production of artistic wonders, and can often be found - usually subconsciously - aiding the formulation of myths and legends about the worlds temporal and spiritual.

### Portfolio

*PORTFOLIO of POETRY.* Poetry, it is said, is one of the ancient arts, and it begins, as do all the fine arts, within the original wilderness of the world. It emanates from the highest happiness or the deepest sorrow, from experiences with love, war, tragedy, and the myriad of occurrences individuals, societies, and civilisations go through. It may bolster the status quo and those who hold power, or it may act as the lifeblood of rebellion and revolution. Poetry may enlighten and uplift consciousness, or it may be such as to condemn individuals and peoples to darkness, willful ignorance, and cultural death. Meghzaal is the poetic spark and muse, the spirit which breathes into the hearts and minds of mortals so as to inspire them with words that form on their tongues but emanate from a higher plain; words that inspire action and passion and life, and words that may well kill for what they contain of misery.

*PORTFOLIO of SONG.* Singing is a melodic sound created through vocalisation or by the innumerable spirits and souls of the world, which is collectively referred to as the Worldsong. Along with this song that permeates all of existence, different sapient and sentient species sing vocally, from humans to gibbons to birds. Singing can cause joy or happiness, inspire rage or indignation, and can also mock and humiliate, among other things. Singing is often associated with dancing because the right tune can inspire a person with an almost irresistible desire to dance. When used to commune with the Worldsong, songs can calm animals and affect the world in different ways. Beyond this, song is a mundane cultural phenomenon much like poetry and other art forms with no innate powers.

*PORTFOLIO of WARDS.* The use of apotropaic symbols, objects (such as amulets or talismans), gestures, rituals, colours, and words to guard against or ward off misfortune, unfavourable omens, injury, disease, suffering, crop failures, unnatural desires, magics, and other harmful influences and evils. Such wards prevent these things from entering, or occurring in, a certain place, or from harming an individual, group, or community. A ward may be engraved or etched onto, or burned into, areas of entry — windows, fireplaces, and doors — so as to prevent the entry of anyone or anything seeking to bring about any form of evil. They can be tattooed onto a person's body, worn in the form of jewellery, made into statuettes, drawn or written (e.g. as an inscription or command) onto paper or papyrus, and can be spoken (meaningless words can have warding powers; for example, 'abracadabra') or sung or gestured, or danced ritually. Apotropaic symbols can take on any form - a circle, a pentacle, and much else -, though one of the most recognisable and powerful such symbols, present across many Galbarian cultures, is that of the Hand and Hearteye. Amulets are very important wards - these are objects that confer protection upon the possessor, thus protecting them from all sorts of trouble. Anything can function as an amulet; items can include gems, statues, coins, drawings, plant parts, clothing items, animal parts, rugs, and written words. Certain gemstones may be associated with specific gods, and so the protections they offer may be relevant to things associated with the god. Wards, no matter what form they take, are generally in need of being recast after a certain time period, usually a year.

*PORTFOLIO of INSPIRATION.* Inspiration is the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative - though it is not limited to that. It can manifest as a sudden epiphanic or timely idea to aid in a process of discovery or as a burst of creativity that helps towards a literary, musical, or any other artistic endeavour, or, for instance, as a sudden rallying burst of conviction in the face of odds. It may be an overwhelming experience where one loses control, going into a divine ecstasy wherein they act not as themselves but as and for the god. It can also be a relatively mundane experience, and the one experiencing it may well believe that they have arrived at an idea, discovery, conviction, or artwork by their own logic and wit. It can also be caused by a person or thing that inspires either by mere presence, words, discussion, encouragement and other such methods - Songs are one example of such sources of inspiration, though even a beautiful scene or an event can be a source of inspiration. Ultimately, however, and whatever mortals may think, inspiration is a form of - direct or indirect - divine influence, and generally a positive one; one cannot be "inspired" to become lazy or fearful, though a lack of inspiration may allow for that.

As a god of inspiration, Meghzaal is able to directly or indirectly inspire individuals or groups towards artistic endeavours, new ideas and discoveries, or towards individual or shared goals. He can also imbue people or objects with inspirational properties - for instance, herbs, aromas, substances, names, places, objects and so on.

*PORTFOLIO of SCULPTING.* Todo

*PORTFOLIO of DANCE.* Todo

### Realm

* *Main article: Glossolalia*

The realm of Glossolalia is a realm of shifting ink without definite shape or form, meant to awaken the inner world and, where that is impossible, to bring into being a beauteous environment that will inspire such awakening.

## Forms

### Base Form

A man in white enrobed, crowned with a laurel wreath. The flesh is inky and amorphous, colours changing and facial age shifting from passionate youth to the zenith of the middle years, thence to wise old age.

### Domain Forms

#### Ink Domain

An inky darkness that exhibits shapes and forms. To those initiated to the madness of poetry, the god appears in many glorious colours, and his Face - heart-rending in its sadness, enlightening in its wisdom, captivating in its beauty, frightful in its ugliness, elating in its ecstasy - is made to shine on them, and is the greatest poetic muse.

## Avatars

### The Deepborn Spirit of Ink and Dirge

* *Main article: The Deepborn Spirit*

A shifting shade, formed from the darkness of the deeps hidden beneath the ocean waves, that descends upon the heads of men and causes to burst therefrom words locked away in their hidden depths.

## Creations

### The Hand of Ink & Poetry and the Hearteye

The hand of ink & poetry and the accompanying hearteye is a powerful apotropaic symbol created by Meghzaal. It is especially attuned at channelling ink magic, meaning that the symbol may, for instance, be a particularly effective ward against danger if the hair of a guard dog is used in it, more so than with just ink alone or if the ink is used to create a different symbol.

Moreover, the hand is among a limited number of things that can provide protection against the unfulfilled. Drawing the hand of ink & poetry in any of the following ways will provide such protection:

* Simply incorporating ink derived from a Dreamsong into the hand of ink & poetry.
* Drawing two hands, one out of ink derived from the Dreamsong and the other out of ink derived from a reflection.
* Incorporating the Triquetra into the hand - e.g. a hand of ink & poetry formed out of many interlocking triquetras.

## Musical Theme

> Since the pleasant Spring has come towards the grass,
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> Oh Spring of wishes, spread your shadow on me,
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> Like the breeze of the newly-come Spring, visit my home,
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> So that my ruined cottage may be showered in flowers.
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> Since the Spring of life has come, you come, oh the tranquillity of my life,
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> Since the breeze has come from the flower's side, come walking proudly,
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> Like espand pour me on the fire and sit for a moment,
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> Like tears sit by my side and disclose the secret pain.
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> Since the pleasant spring has come towards the grass,
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> Oh spring of wishes spread your shadow on me,
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> Like the breeze of the newly-come Spring, visit my home,
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> So that my ruined cottage may be showered in flowers.
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> Come and see me in astonishment,
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> Break the silence of my solitude,
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> See my sorrow on my hot face, which is like a lonely tulip.
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> Oh you, whose face is my mirror,
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> Your love my old grief,
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> In this Spring come like a flower...
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> And place your head upon my bosom.
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## References

1. ↑ https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5099924