AN ACCOUNT OF THE SECOND AGE
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During the Second Age, each of the seven planes of the Heavens were reordered according to the hierarchy of the elohim by the design of Az. This reodering was accomplished by means of theurgistic symbols and numerical systems, a secret language of the Heavens which was used in the instruction of the enim, among other things, which carried and transmitted the force of the divine will of Az.
Az had created the celestial chorus of angels, the enim, to maintain the song of creation following the destruction wrought by Ehrimon at the close of the First Age. Each of these “lesser angels” was endowed with the gifts necessary to maintain a certain aspect of reality but, through the science of Theurgy, we discovered that they could be directed to discharge their gifts in various ways. This gave us a means by which to access and effect the workings of the upper planes. Much to our dismay, however, we found that the same tools could be used against us in retaliation, due to our divine origins, and so the practice was largely discouraged.
Also during the Second Age, Az created the sephiroth, immensely powerful beings of every shape and demeanor, iconic personalities, each an extension of the creative genius of Az not bound to any particular plane and not sharing any common purpose, born to pursue their own interests by their own devices. The sepiroth dispersed throughout creation as they were devised. Some remained in the Heavens with Az. Some descended into the Hells. Still others sought their own places on Midaerd, the middle plane.
Authors of The Book of She ascribe a particularly emotional, human motive on the part of Az which is questionable at the very least, a fictional device, as so much of their narrative is, to be regarded with skepticism. The truth is that the impetus for the creation of the sephiroth is known only to Az. The minds of Az and Ehrimon are beyond the understanding of any, including the authors of the books of The Tome of Creation, including even myself, and it is well to keep this in mind for, take my advice, in life it is a mistake to presume the motives of anyone, most of all the gods.
Now, while Az was busy birthing the sephiroth, the complicated order of the Hells was being established. Ehrimon descended into the Abyss, the deepest region of the Hells, as far from the purity of Az as it is possible to be, so great was his distaste for light and harmony. The destructive energy of Ehrimon’s corruption was so intense that only the most powerful of evil beings could endure there. To him gathered survivors of the War Incipiens, shayatin whose angelic heritage he distrusted, and the most powerful of evil sephiroth, whose motives were unknown to him.
Yet, many of the shayatin and sephiroth sought to establish their own realms, scattering throughout the layers of the Hells. Some founded their own kingdoms, drawing evil servants of various types from those things corrupted by Ehrimon still wandering Infernus, the vast upper plane of the Hells, an open pit of pitch and bedrock. Some built lairs hidden in the far corners of the Hells and pursued goals known only to themselves, secluded by darkness, ice, fire, endless winding passages, vast wastelands, or decrepit jungles. Others traveled between the many layers, trading, marauding, spying, or looting the fortresses of other shayatin who had been destroyed during the war. Ehrimon found himself at the center of a growing web of intrigue, politics, and power. His was not a temperament well-suited for social machination. He had no interest in politics and no skill for it. Many powerful beings surrounded him, scheming, forming alliances, and hatching plots.
Having read the political landscape, I became a broker of information, an arbitrator of disputes – an advisor. Mephistopheles, a genius of law and contracts, became my vizier. I set about weaving a political artifice which would isolate Ehrimon and thereby neutralize him: not so difficult a task as you might imagine considering that at the time Ehrimon was maneuvering against Az for control of She and was so ill equipped for the task. So were they both, to be sure.
Here again I find an opportunity to emphasize the similarity between Az and Ehrimon instead of falling into the tired routine of painting them as antipodes. Far from it. Both motivated by strong passion, they fought over She, giving an objectivist like myself an opportunity that I simply could not forego: to use their obsessions to my advantage with an eye towards my own future. As the two of them contested Midaerd, I began consolidating my position in the Hells. The strategy was a simple one of delineating a difference between the reckless emotion of Ehrimon and my own detached business-friendly sensibilities, for it soon became clear to even the dimmest intellect in the Hells that Ehrimon’s consumption with Az compromised his judgment. He was not a master who could be dealt with in the conventional sense. With painstaking caution, one complex arbitration at a time, I endeavored to elevate my status amongst my peers and supplant Ehrimon’s authority.
Politics is a fickle mistress which must be mastered through applications of brutality as well as finesse. The knowing of which and when served me well, as did the capacity to use the necessary tools to effect a result. I did so with no more desire for pain or destruction than for peace or benevolence. It is the very desire for these things that renders a leader ineffectual. I do not choose the solution to a conflict or conundrum, I identify it - a meaningful distinction. The reason that I have been so successful at doing so is that I am unbiased, meaning only that I do not disqualify any means of resolution. I consider all options and choose dispassionately. Far from evil, this strikes me as strictly logical. After all, who would not steal or kill to feed his own child? Is this evil? I have acted in my own interest but devoid of malice, for malice is at odds with logic. I do not deny the evil within me. I do, however, denounce the negative connotations commonly attributed to it.
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