Before the Begining - book of "Ddoe"

Page 6 - 

Page 6 of 'Everything'

"Before The Begining

"Before the beginning" said the Mage of Waun Fach, after much hassling on my part, and an entire firkin of Minchen whiskey on the part of Orddk (it is truly inspiring how much alcohol a Mage can drink!) "Before the beginning there was nothing.  Then it exploded..."

The 'Nothing' explodes

Orddk let out a short bark of a laugh and frowned, worrying, no doubt, about the liquor he had wasted to obtain this nonsense.  I, however persisted.

"So what made the nothing explode?"  asked. I was excited that at last we might be on the verge of obtaining knowledge of the penultimate "BEGINNING".

What a fool."

"So what made the nothing explode?"

 [Note on the image - This image is of one of the inner rooms of Waun Fach, the independent Mage mountain in the heart of Kreyic.  The furniture appears to be Elvish, while the tapestry on the wall looks like primitive Kreyician work, and the fire dogs are in an ancient pre-imperial Dwarvish style.   The Mage of Waun Fach is pictured here inhabiting it's latest elderly host, with whom it has been twinned for at least 130ish years.]

Page 7 - 

Page 7 of 'Everything'

"A Mage never seems to part with information that is not obscured completely by riddle and mystery...

"Nothing made it explode for there was nothing anywhere. No life, no planet, no rock, no water, fire or air, no time and no nothing."

"What a lode of scrag!" exclaimed an exasperated Orddk. "I know all about explosions, you need something to explode, any fool can see that...  Come on, Mage, we want the truth, not vagaries and fancy!"  It always amazes me how a Dwarve of less than a century can be so rude to a being that was born before the founding of the races (and ultimately had a hand in it, but we shall come to that...)

Orddk the Dwarf, smoking his pipe.  The Mage sign of the Mage of Waun Fach is above his head.

"Never-the-less," continued the mildly inebriated Mage "I am informed by those who study such things that the absolute void that failed to exist before the beginning wasn't there, and then it exploded, and ceased not to exist."

So much for Magish knowledge.

A Dwarvish mining explosion.

What we do know for certain is that there was an explosion! The Dwarves are..."

Page 8 -

Page 8 of 'Everything'

"...the cheif source of knowledge on this. The mistics of the lowwer Queendom[s] of the Dwarves, known as the Maids of Rock, have gathered samples of rock from accross the globe (including some plucked from the sea bed by the Sea-Nation [Sea-Elves]. Indeed it was for this purpose that the Dwarves first invented the under-water-boat, or 'Carreshran', a craft now sinonimouse with the Sea-Elves.).

From these samples they where able to tell that the oldest parts of teh planet had been melted some 600 million years ago, though some say it was 3,500 or even 6,000 million, which fits with the anciant Dim Lwis tribes conviction that mother Earth is 5,005,206,993 years old.

It seems probable that at its formation the earth was like a globe of molten magma like a bead dropped by an incompetent glass-blower.  They also theorized, when it was proven by the sea-nation that the earth was round, and not flat like lead poured upon the floor, as previously thought, that the Earth formed a globe in the same way that a molten mettle will form a ball when dropped off teh top of a tall tower (though in the earth's case we haven't reached teh bottom yet!) The Dwarves where also instrumental in t the Western Elvish descoveies by providing (for the pricey sum of..."

The Carreshran, or submarine boat of the Elvish sea-nations

[On the Carreshran - This is a peddle powered boat tht is made out of a hollow tree trunk and weighted with lead. It swims like a cross between a jelly-fish and a dolphin, with opening and shutting fins on its side that run back and forth along rails and open and shut simply by being pulled through water. The pod attached to the roof floats on the surface when the craft is near the surface and internal peddle powered bellows allow a transfer of air. They are buoyed to float just above the surface, and most simply used forward motion and tilted tail to descend. Some, however, compress air and take in water to be steadier when deeper down.  All Carreshrans are incredibly dangerous, which perhaps accounts for their popularity amongst the sea-nation.]

Page 9 - 

Page 9 of 'Everything'

 "... 10,000 pit props a year) the Stella Eye, a vast Double Lens, set on the steadiness rock on the continent, that could plot the movement of the stars. It was found, over many, many years, that all stars, being distant suns and planets, moved from a central point, the ancient heart of the explosion...

~Tad~"

"The Stella Eye"

Western Elvish Astronomy is a complex process, akin to meditation, based on the premise that while complex thoughts and consideration can be paid to the cosmos, the information gleaned is ultimately useless. This lack of purpose is said to be its ultimate accolade, improving the soul without directing it.

Inside the Stella Eye.  Some Dwarves consider this devise diabolical (studying the roofless chaos), but the Hive that created it was in desperate need of Elvish wood.

Book of "Ddoe" (Everything) - Introduction

[This introduction has many paragraphs in an Elvish tongue that can be quite hard for those used to the common tongue. Please bare with it. If it is too much of a challenge, simply enjoy the pictures.

This unfinished book appears to have been destined for the Library of the Mage of Waun-Fach. It was a joint collaboration across races, for which this was a second draft - an attempt to set out the illustrations and text.  Unfortunately this version, condemned to the basket of Faadon Naano, was incomplete. Faadon's connection to the book is through Pip Cerrig, his nephew.  Pips father is Karl Cerrig, the map maker of Kreyic who is either Faadon's brother or half brother. Certainly for a man that high up in the hierarchy of human Kreyic Karl seems to have an unusual touch of the Elvish about him, and cannot bring himself to live too long away from the sea...]


Front Cover

Front cover of "Ddoe"

"Ddoe" [Dd pronounced as in a hard Th]

[Gaer Elvish (Calobelvan) translation - "Everything"] 

Page 1

Page 1 of  "Ddoe"

"Ddoe - 1(12)(11)3(11) - Lalsadaceocal"

Gaer Elvish (Calobelvan) Translation - 

"Everything - 39,915 [years] away from creation"

"Everything - 22222 AC"

[A.C. = "After creation" - Quite a discrepancy!  I suspect Human/Elvish disagreement!]

"Vaga ma negal enimova o mo fuaninanl enimofuain o Abalyo nuf mo ilmiranke o mo Shamail astaen; mo Grit Pip Serig o Glascwm Mawth, enimopinscfoarinan o Craic; Aarrddc, ma Dongil enemofoarin; Tad, ma Grit lwis; and Ewis, ma Galimean lalins.

~*~

Ddade:- Mo o ar nuf enimov o mo astaen o lara ar fi o fechmhoor ig sadar mo erins o lara cal met a ceremay erin astaen o mo ca ma blar sadar foarin o lara mhor."

Direct Translation from Gaer Elvish (Calobelvan) to the common tongue -

"Of a combined writing of the master scholars of  Abalyo use[ing] the broken-birth of the Sharmail [Priest-meeting spot]  ?Library?; the Human Pip Cerrig of Glascwm Mouth, 'out-loud reader' of Kreyic; Orddk, the Dwarvish scholar; Tad the Human nomad; and Ewis, a Galmearan refugee.

~*~

Quest:- the because is use writing of the knowledge of all is known of the history flow, towards the present of all folk are, and help build knowledge of the many a soul/spirituality towards the mastery/full knowledge of all spirits/will. "

"Sharmail"

 [The illustration shows an interpretation of the old writing houses of Sharmail, where on warm still days the side panels of the room could be removed to allow the light in.  This scholar and his room show some classic examples of grown furniture and architecture. In some cases additions to the library where planned three generations in advance in order to allow the correct pieces to be grown. You can see here the prominent use of tree-nails. Above the scholar on the wall are a few of the old spirit-signs of the Elvish people. This picture is late in the day for Sharmail, for it depicts the use of iron bindings, and more importantly, of books. Early Sharmail only housed scrolls.]

Page 2

Page 2 of "Everything"

"Ce O Mo Enimova"

Direct Translation from Gaer Elvish (Calobelvan) to the common tongue -  

 

"Birth Of The Writing"

"Origins of the writing.  

The Elves of Abailgor used the part of the library that was taken from Sharmail, seat of Gaer-Elvish knowledge since pre-6000AC. in 20882AC, when Wingaer dissolved, to Abailgor, the peace-meeting site of all the ancient families of northern old Gaer. This contains snippets of knowledge from the ethereal Mage Monilan [Mage-sign], who has long deserted the Elvish Shore. They also used the extensive annuls of the guardians of Aldurelws, who met with many travelers, including the Galmearan, as they passed through the pass of Minabiag and recorded these tales for posterity... 

Other sources used where:- 

The library of Pip Cerrig, being compiled over many centuries by his family and thought to be the largest in Kreyic;  

The open parts of the libraries of Waun-Fach and Tiron, the former thought to be the most comprhensive on Ottarol, and the latter containing most of the languages ever spoken and many more besides;

The minds of Orddk and Ewis, who hold the history of their people, and that of Tad, who has also many tales from teh more removed parts of the east. 

Pip Cerrig."

[Some discussion on illustrations and symbols -

 There are three Mage-signs used. Monilan's is in its origional form , while Tiron and Waun-Fach are both slightly elaborated. Waun-Fach is thought to have got his sign from the ear of the silver Lynx, his preferred host before the coming of Humans.  Tiron is thought to be linked to Wood-Sorrel, but no-one knows why. Very little is known of Monilan.

Mage-signs are used when writing about Mages as they use shape rather than sound in the Faerie dimensions to communicate.

Tiron Mage-sign

Monilan Mage-sign

Waun-Fach Mage-sign

This Rune of dragonic protection (bellow) is used frequently by Elvish, Dwarvish and some Human cultures. It represents the balance of the Physical, Conscious and Faerie.

Dragonic Rune of Protection

Karl Cerrig is the father of Pip Cerrig, and Pip continues to use his fathers logo on his official projects.  the use of Faadon Naano's logo is interesting. Although he is not credited for this project the use of his sign, coupled with the fact that this book has turned up in a collection of his old notes, suggest he was intimately connected with it...

 

Faadon Naano's sign

Karl and Pip Cerrig's sign

This picture is of the group working around a round table.  Orddk is on the left, then comes Pip, then Ewis, then an inebriated Tad. The style of the archetecture suggest they are at Pips house in Glascombe Mouth, Kreyic. As the Abailgor elves would not travel this far it begs the question - who did the drawing? Could it have been Faadon Naano?]

Around the round table

Abailgor? Or Sharmail...?

Page 3

Portraits of the writers

[The dry fallen leaves represent the old leaves of paper used to compile the text. The snake, with its triple tongue, hinting at the Dragonic rune of protection, represents a renewal of these old texts, a sloughing of old hardened skin of rivalry and a restoration of balance.]

Ewis

[Ewis is depicted with the mountains of Nazuoralnitotzu in the background, returning to the old hunting grounds of her people and living off the rich fruit that grow there.]

Orddk

[Orddk is pictured in a Dwarvish doorway at Farin, just inside Darngaer, where he comes from. This is a place of peace in the face of hostilities from all surrounding people, a mixing place for Elish, Human and Dwarvish traders. Above his head is the goat god who terrifies the superstitiouse Dwarvish miners. The only thing that scares this god of mine colapse is his own image, hence it is everywhere in Dwarvish towns around Nazuralnitotzu.]

Pip Cerrig

[Pip Cerrig depicted in the simple robes in fashion at the moment in Kreyic, with a background of one of the shelves of his library.]

Tad

[Tad is a Moryan, a 'Gypsy' as some say.  Her name is not her real one - as with all Moryan to avoid trouble they use pseudonyms based on their real names. Her pseudonym, she has said on occasion, is a shortening of Tadpole, but no-one believes her.  Here she is seen growling at the illustrator, a typical pose for this player of theater. Behind her is one of the vans of her people. Undoubtedly it is not hers. No Moryan would want to go down in print with too much reality around  them encase it turned around and bit her.]

The Abail Elves

[This is a group portrait of some of the Elves who helped with the book. Typically for their people not only are the scholars depicted, but so are the fisher-people who fed them, the camouflaged warrior who guarded them and hose-keeper who cooked and cleaned for them. On Abail all these duties are considered necessary parts of writing a book.]