Imfalct: The Creation

### **The Creations of Hhurd**

… slightest twist of the tongue and glimpse of the eye. And *Hhurd* made all that exists. A mere
reflection of his eclipse. Everything was but *Hhurd*, and *Hhurd* was
everything. *Hhurd* swept the *Marwa’idilqse*, The Creation, with free
will. The ability to act on their own decisions and without malfunction.

*Hhurd* made all the
existing. And he made the worlds, *Ea’zir*
amongst them. That he made for reasons unknown. For none asked *Hhurd* and *Hhurd* answered none. To regulate it he made the Elements, Free
willed souls bound to *Ea’zir*. At
start there was peace and prosperity. The Elements altered and changed and
reshaped it. This was the process of *Uppermost*
Minglement*. In this the former shape of the world was folded unto itself to*
reveal another new part of it. Before this took place the Elements sang and
danced, rippling the surface and changing the links which made new and
beautiful things. When various Elements interacted together they yielded
different products. This led to the birth of creatures and seas and sands and
plants and much too more.

And amongst them were worst things, uglier and hideous and Evil
itself. By itself *Fyei’num*, Evil, was
not more than the seas and sands and plants and everything else and the fiends
indifferent from any other creature. But Evil feasted on negativity. The
absence of physical presence created the Void. The absence of Void created
negativity, or *Euwijib*, and that was
exactly what Evil desired. Initially weak Evil gained power through influencing
things to bait Void in moving. Whenever Void did, Evil began only powerful.
Gradually becoming stronger it impacted the creations of Elements and when it
had powered all too much, even the Elements itself.

Although *Fyei’num*
had no body, by yet unfound ways it did possess the dominion to gain forms.
Unknown to the Elements, Evil took forms of them and spread tales of falsehood
and rumors amongst their purity. Soon the Elements viewed each other with
suspicion and distrust. It was only a matter of time and effort before war
broke out and that it did.

Twelve groups the elements divided themselves into, and
twelve worlds they snatched from *Ea’zir*.
*Ea’zir* was left sundered and
destroyed, forlorn and desolate. And then the battle really began. The
prosperity and richness was all but lost in the disagreements that followed.
However *Hhurd* had known about it all
along and *Hhurd* only smiled. He sent
down his noblest of followers, The Four Elements who had the authority to
command the others, The *True Enforcement*.
They were equal to each other, yet stronger, nobler and all the more loyal at
the same time. They came down, down to *Ardh’iza*
*Baagh*, The Heart of the *True Progeny*, where their traditions are
honored to the present day. However their light was too bright and their
descent too holy. As each Element watched them wander the sullen form of *Ea’zir*, they were too dumbstruck to
fight further and so they gathered around them. Their light made the Shadows
and a part of all Elements was taken by the Shadows. But none was to learn this
as the Shadows were never seen, hidden away in places where light never crept.
Said it is that Void was struck greatest by the True’s light and more than half
of Void was given to the shadows.

Then the Elements were reunited, under the banner of *Hhurd* and the True. They labored again
to repair the remnants of *Ea’zir* and
the twelve worlds and each Element gave all they had to make it one again,
though never again was it ever that beautiful. They entered the *Surrendered Slumber*, a rest which is
only to be broken when the *Uppermost*
Minglement *comes to take place again. They made their beds under the face*
of *Ea’zir*, too exhausted to lie
deeper. The True Enforcement set all in order, a world where peace reigned.  Hidden from them was the notion that Evil, who
had become as weak and wizened as any old man on *Ea’zir*, had already laid himself in the very foundation of the
world. They bid all the remaining creations a simple task, to live, sustain, continue
and attend to their responsibilities all the properly. The spirits they asked
to inhabit the bodies of all creatures, and emotions to follow spirits in their
travel wherever and everything was given to run everything else, though their
freedom of choice was more or less taken. When everything was in place the True
Enforcement sought to accompany *Hhurd*
again yet they learnt they could not for most of themselves had interspersed
with *Ea’zir* itself. To keep
themselves among *Ea’zir* forever they
sent their fragments in the shape of men, the *Loyal Enforcement*.

Despite all this, the secret of the shadows were never to be
discovered by any enforcement. They were everywhere yet nowhere and thus were
lost forever.

### **The Creations of the Creations**

The coming of the *Loyal*
Enforcement *marked the end of the reign of the Creations. What followed was*
a new world with a young spirit, curious and intelligent, though savage and
uncivilized. The *Loyal Enforcement*
split to spread their wisdom and message. They began a laborious undertaking of
making a raft so long and wide that it stretched from one end of the world to
the other. Months and years and decades passed and they tasked and tasked and
tasked and tasked. Meanwhile a lot of them who had decided to inhabit the Isle
of their landing socialized with the local community who were wild and had
taken upon bloodshed. They taught them and talked to them. They lived with them
and married among them. In considerable time the people of the Island became
civilized and started to prosper. They called themselves *Aab Gaherom Him Yurveda Flaca Falct Adhgul Hhurd*, *Imfalct* in short, The People surrounded
by waters (Of illiteracy) proud and intelligent and the faithful followers of *Hhurd* (And his creations) and the True
Enforcement’s progeny. They built an impressive society which remained for the
most part un-advanced due to their reservation to extensively harm the
environment. They did not needlessly destroy and reap and remained happy with
what they had. This made them unambitious and conflicts that arose between them
were naught but of ideas. They thought deeply and revered *Hhurd* through the *True*
Enforcement*.  Yet soon the bridge was*
complete for the Loyal did not age or tire. They then journeyed throughout the
world and spread the message of righteousness.

But when they had journeyed, a strange man came from the
west of the great Isle. He took ages to complete his journey and when he had,
he taunted the clouds so much that the *Skyburst*
took place. By this time all the Loyal had strangely disappeared, all at once
and none stood to repair the raft as waves and waves of downpour damaged it. In
the end it swayed and fell and like its makers disappeared beneath the waters
of the world. The wise men of the Isle were greatly worried by the sky’s fury
and to appease it they did a strange ritual. No one knows how it went just this
that the four wisest were taken to control the fury. This was the first *Rishwaghub*. The old man had been
stronger once. But now he moved in a strange sort of shuffling. He smiled
still, because he had reason to pain himself. Soon he wandered amongst the
good-natured people of the isle. And spread he did among them malice. It became
so that he divided the people into four tribes and then the four into four and
one more. Divided and enraged the Imfalct passed so close to war. Yet they were
still *Aab Gaherom Him Yurveda Flaca Falct*
Adhgul Hhurd *and did not resort to it. Instead they went to mount* Asa’rih *and from there they sighted* Beholder’sRock*. They made rafts, thirty-six in whole and together they*
journeyed to the rocky den of the *Undraar*,
the mightiest of the *Yandraar*, the
noblest of *Yand*. There he met them,
speaking through a curtain of air, for they were not strong enough to hear him
with his true might, nor withstand even the slightest of his whispers. The *Undraar* has said to come from a
different place, one alongside *Ea’zir*.
From there he had brought forth the birds of the world, whom he had led through
by a rend above *Beholder’s* *Perch*. He was wise above all and
counseled them and bridged their rifts. Asked he did, unanswerable questions
and reminded them that Four defeat Four and Four are equal to Four and without
Four there would not be any Four and the Four balance the Four. Four the tribes
became and he himself confessed that below this number was beyond impossible.
He warned them of Evil who was wandering their land and bade them to run him
off. Then the tribesmen journeyed back and spread in search of the convict.

Meanwhile Evil had been busy. He searched the length of the
island to find the *Crack of Dusk*, an
entrance to a cave system where the deepest of shadows dwelt. He came upon them
and called them all, even from the ends of the world. They gathered around him,
interested to know how he had found them. He bade them come closer until they
piled onto each other so much that a black wall around him formed. He told them
that they must go inside him to really discover this and falling for this trick
Evil swallowed all the shadows in the world. He blew asunder from the depth of
the shadows who had conjoined and merged and had become one with Evil. Only
then became the Shadow complete.

### **The Rise of Shadow**

In the subsequent period after the arbitration and the
search of Evil, an uneasy peace fell upon the *Imfalct*. The Isle had become much more peaceful than during Evil*’s* attempt of sabotage but owing to Evil*’s* escape and failed searched the men
had become fearful and unsatisfied. They had been warned of Evil*’s* by *Undraar* and thus felt that they had left the task unfinished.
However their lives and the *Baagh’s*
social structure was falling apart due to the searches and terror. Therefore
all the four tribes decided that a permanent search should be mounted. A group
whose primary and only task should be guarding the *Imfalct* from Evil. Thus were born the *Ayutneadhh*, which is perhaps the most famous group in *Imfalct* history. The *Ayutneadhh* were the priests of the *Order* *of* *Zahq’een*. Previously
the Order itself was not subject to immense popularity or importance although
the highest of these were included in the event of *Feather-Veiled Guidance*. After the divides were settled the Order
played a huge part in convincing people to search for Evil and offered their
own men for this role. As a result a meagre group of the most brilliant was
made. These men had the ability to take the will of their belief’s avatar. This
was a queer development as *Imfalct*
never attended to magic. It was later discovered that this was no magic but
such a strong connection to *Hhurd* and
*Hhurd’s* *Creations* and *Hhurd’s* *Creations’* creations that a much more
mundane form could be assumed.

The *Baagh*
witnessed perhaps its most peaceful and prosperous reign around now. With Evil
in hiding and his physical form completely shattered not much obstructed the
development on the Isle where any sign of Evil was immediately eliminated. The *Ayutneadhh* continued all about and
became the representation of good and the rebels against Evil. In this period
the flowers bloomed quicker and the fruit tasted much sweeter. The crops were
abundant and there was never a sign of aggression. Many discoveries were made
including the use of mineral veins protruding on the surface.

The cities were founded and the population flourished. The
Order became so popular that a continuous stream of curious students was always
present. The *Urkhain* was ventured and
the swamps were surveyed. This led to the discovery of the five *Joesh’run* who later gained a small
number of attendants. Many wise men of the island came and deep advances were
made from the religious perspective. Profound cultures and dynamic customs
sprang up. Men, women and children spent happy lives and the usual lifespan
grew to a quarter above a century.

Meanwhile the *Ayutneadhh*
tracked and wandered every bit of the *Baagh*.
They found traces of Evil which gradually started to fall into pattern. Evil
had visited every dwelling and every population on the isle, extending from the
northernmost *Iyrdhan* to the *raft-houses* in the west and south. Everywhere
he left a single souvenir and a faint memory of questions. His token was always
something that fueled negativity around the area. This happened when men
thought wrongly and interrupted the *Void*
in their mind which moved away from such heinous thinking and created
negativity. As such the *Ayutneadhh*
promised to remove all such presence. The other hint of his passing was a list
of questions, the same questions over and over and over again. They were always
directed towards the fabled *Crack* *of* *Dusk*.
The Crack was said to have created because of the *True* *Enforcement’s*
landing. The ground had been unable to bare it and that had split. Unknown to
most the shadows that were created by the True’s coming were so dark here that
the Crack was thought to lead nowhere.

With knowledge of this, the search began anew, not for Evil
this once but the *Crack of Dusk*.
Strange tales shrouded the Crack. So when the news of this strange development
reached the heads of the cities and the general populace, a seething fury about
the *Ayutneadhh’s* intent spread. Men
turned and spoke against the freedom and power offered to the *Ayutneadhh*. People no longer viewed them
as guardians and protectors. Instead they saw the subordinates of Evil. The
Order fell apart and each tribe removed its support for it. Soon no aspiring
trainee joined the Order and only the remaining *Ayutneadhh* kept the final shell of the Order cemented. It seemed
the quick rise meant a swifter fall, though it had been more than a millennia
of the *Ayutneadhh* strength.

But yet the *Ayutneadhh*
had not been wasted. Ostensibly the *Ayutneadhh*
had given the search up, and so the Order had announced too. A wise man had
advised them such and they had followed. But a group of seven had defied their
commands and carried on. The Order had been only too close to finding it and
unsurprisingly a small amount of effort meant that the *Crack of Dusk* was founded. The seven men entered together each with
no intention but to restore the honor of their organization. But none, not one,
ever came out. The seven self-proclaimed heroes were never heard of again.

### **The Fall of Peace**

> ***“**When the shades were tricked for power and lust*
>
>

> *Then became the Shadow complete*
>
>

> *When the Last Shadowed is ash and dust*
>
>

> *Then would be the Shadow defeat”*
>
>

Days passed and the quiet peace returned. Many feared that

their elders had wrongly chosen such an action. Evil was still free, free as
any other thing. The Ayutneadhh had lost several of their strongest fellows and
even still a small trickle departed owing to the rotting reputation of the
organization. Being a strong tie between all the tribes, the decline of the
Order negatively gnawed the unity of the Four too. The Order had become so
distrusted that men wanted to do nothing with them. Alas it seemed that its end
had come, but somehow, someway, due to the determination of some senior
priests, it survived. And in the coming years it was going to be proved how
important this was.

In the stillness of the aftermath of the shunning of the
Order and the severing of the mutuality between the Four, a group of men
arrived at the seven primary locations on the Isle. The four great cities, and
the three smaller ones. These men were pale and spiritless, although their
knowledge was terribly vast and terrible in depth. They preached a new word, a
rumor of the fifth, an emerging element. They said that there existed a shadow.
Not a shadow of the True Enforcement, but the shadow of Hhurd. Initially the
people were slow to respond. None cared to bother much because their lives were
at ease. They seemed comfortable, almost lazy. But then horrible events took
place. So horrible that the belief of each man was tested. As children
disappeared, food turned poisonous and people went mad the population turned to
their leaders for help. They were dismayed, unable to do anything and facing
these things themselves.

Suddenly as a flick of a candle, the population hurried to
the ragged, pale men in dark clothes. They had warned them of such happenings
and as a result were convicted these horrendous acts. No one found anything
against them but saw that the men were stumbling alongside them. Thus,
desperate and anxious they held their pleading arms to them. Then came the
Shadow Binding.

For the most part the remaining minute leftovers of the
Order had secluded themselves. It had been years since they were condemned but
the effects continued. The most steadfast of Hhurd were left now and not more
than two dozen could Naturalize. A few Priests of the cities wisely conferred
that the vile happenings had started taking place only after the coming of the
Dark Men, the name given to them for their role, for their Evil role. It took
weeks and months before the newcomers could convince the Order the rejoin and
save the people from disaster. The Order, reluctant at first, agreed to help given
that they are left alone after the threat is dealt with. Desperate for their
aid the City Priests accept. The Noblest Priest of Noble Lodge of the Literate
gather four of best men, the most true, the most loyal and most noble. They
went out to search for proof against the Dark Men. Years and years they
searched only to recover more tokens of Evil. And suddenly they found that they
had all the proof they needed.

By this time the tribe of Shadow had already been formed.
Seven men, almost dead, ruled the Shaded City, Iqaybed. They had gathered
considerable number of men, each ready to commit their life for their new,
ill-found faith. Their followers had went with them to the new city But the
Ayutneadhh were not fools, neither was the Noble Lodge of the Literate. They
knew that before any step could be taken the false faith had to be exposed. And
thus the most Noble went to the people to appeal to the citizens of Iqaybed.
They told that it was impossible for Hhurd to have a shadow, given that he is
pure light, and his presence will only light up every single thing in the *Marwa’idilqse*. The people try to resist
and fend this off, but to no avail, the truth is the truth. This is the first
resistance to the Shadow tribe, and the first aggression between two groups on
Ardh’iza Baagh.

The going was slow and the path torturous. The Ayutneadhh
faced all kinds of conflicts in their struggle to right the wrong of faith. They
first went to Rikar’she, the City of the Earth tribe which lay in the west.
However they were not only unable to find it but its sight was unpleasantly
different. There was no Rikar’she, but amidst its faded memory stood Iqaybed.
Their movements there were highly disturbed and their message ridiculed. But no
effort was wasted for some men’s heart, and soul, was reverted from this hideous
faith of revering Shadow. Next they went to Isar’she and there they met hope.
The Ahwaz’waim had figured this out too. Together the Air Priests and The Order
rallied the truth under the banner of Hhurd. They liberated Absaroan and the
great city of Undhqazir before it was too late. Then came the Urkulon who had
never been fooled by the new face of Evil. The Order called upon all the
Ayutneadhh, former or future and prepared a force. Those too old were somehow
youngened until they were ripe to fight. Weapons were crafted and armors made,
it was time to oppose the Dark Men.

#### **Thrice Struck**

The waning strength of the
truth now was full again. The Order of Zahq’een now stood, proud and strong,
backed by all traces of sanity on the Isle, against the disgusting Shadow
Binded, against the Dark Men, against Evil itself. They marched together, men
from the north and the Urkhain abreast, each intending no more than sacrificing
their worlds for truth and Hhurd. They crossed the Hawk’s Wing and stared at
the Shadow city. Thus began the Thrice Struck, a simple condemnation of the
corrupted, the march of truth and the felling of falsehood. The first strike
had been delivered when the first person rejected the Shadow. The second came
as the righteous stormed the bounds of Iqaybed, flattening all that reeked of
Evil and Shadow. A good lot were martyred that day. Good men, brave men,
righteous men, faithful men, loyal men, the True men. The Shadow flitted away,
trying to flee, but could not, for the Ayutneadhh had surrounded it. They
slashed and pounced and bit and clawed, each going gradually to the Eternal
Garden. And indeed it was them who pushed the enemy to their deep underground
fortress that joined Iqoo’tha, the Temple of the Shadow, which had been
constructed upon the Crack of Dawn. The beams that supported the entrance in
Iqaybed were burned and destroyed, leaving only Iqoo’tha as the last bastion of
the subterranean regime of Shadow.

The forces of truth
gathered about Iqoo’tha. A ragged bunch, tired and miserable yet more determined
than ever. There comes the Third Strike. Weak yet powerful, thin yet vast. And
they dove inside the eerie place and pushed the Shadow back until it became one
and still. Thus emerged most dead, half-alive, but free and true to the faith.
And so was restored the peace of Ardh’iza Baagh