Reign of Peace
Long ago, when the gods fought their first war to determine who was eldest, they used the div in their struggles.
Alone among the gods it was Morwyn , Gentle Morwyn, who cared for the fiery race. She did not exploit them, but rather taught them many secrets. It is said that she would go into their cities and whisper a different secret in every ear—secrets of why flowers bloom, and why the sun sometimes looks red. She showed them that the world is lovely, and that it is lovelier still when your heart is at peace.
The path she set them down was noble, and these div built great societies, with thriving cultures of art and beauty. But Morwyn the Compassionate was not yet Morwyn the Wise, for she had not yet had to temper her love with the bitterness of tears. Her brothers were not yet murdered, and she had not yet experienced the horrors of war. She taught these div to not build walls or defenses, and said that the good in the hearts of their kin would come forth. Though war raged around them, she told the div that peace was stronger than war, and that when their hostile cousins saw their beautiful homes, savage hearts would ease, and all would walk once more on the path of peace.
Sadly, the White Lady was wrong. When the war of Tinel and Terak reached the peaceful people Morwyn had instructed, these gentle empires paid war’s bounty in tears and blood.
Their homes were burned and their temples were destroyed. The adults were slain, and their children were enslaved. Soon, there was no sign there had ever been peaceful empires.
Morwyn, Gentle Morwyn, wept.
She found her brothers then, and falling upon them wailed and gnashed her teeth. She tore the hem of her robe, crying out, “Why? Why would you tell your servants to do this to my people?” And for a short time, Tinel and Terak put aside their war and went silent, for Morwyn was beautiful and terrible to behold in her sorrow, and their hearts were moved by her tears.
“Sister, I promise you, I never ordered such a thing. I have fought for my rightful place and have no time to tend to them. They are told to destroy Terak’s usurpers.” Tinel stood tall and proud. He knew the truth: His hands were clean of the matter, and so he mourned not.
But Terak’s heart was more than moved; he was wounded to think he had caused his beautiful and peaceful sister such sorrow, for this was never his intent. He knelt before Morwyn and kissed the torn hem of her robe.
“Beloved Sister, I swear to you it was not I that did this thing, for you are the treasure of the Tree, who I fight to preserve. I make this war so that you will be safe.” And truly, Morwyn saw the love her brother bore for her, and knew then that she loved him also. She saw clearly that they would be married in time, but how much that is sorrowful would come to pass before there would be joy. And touching his hair, she walked away from her brothers, and let them fight their war. If her brothers had not ordered her people, the gentlest of the div, to be so abused, she determined it must have been Zheenkeef. And she found her sister playing a game in which she lit two bulls on fire and tried to put them out with her urine. Morwyn watched her sister running around, squatting over the flaming bulls to douse the flames; but always the bulls, crazed by the pain, would run from beneath her and kick and buck. At one point in this painful ordeal, the sisters’ eyes met. In that moment Morwyn the Wise saw the truth—her sister had never ordered such a thing, for she would never care enough about the races of the earth to give such a petty command. So now she knew the div who perpetrated these crimes were ordered to do so by Kador the Wicked. It was the only explanation, and she sought these div out to punish them for aligning themselves with the dark power. But when she found those who had savaged her people, they had been enslaved by an even more powerful kingdom of the div, and they wailed to her to release them from their torment. And when she asked what commands they had taken from Kador, they did not know of what she spoke, for they had taken no order from any god. “We have waged war, lady, and for this we are sorry. We killed your people not because anyone told us to, but because we could. Please, release us!” And she did, breaking their chains and setting them free, for she could not abide seeing anyone suffer. And she found those that remained of her people, and she took them to secret places of the world and made them safe, but they were few and nevermore built wonders. It was then that the White Lady learned that which she knows to this day: The races of the earth do not need the will of the gods to justify horrible acts against one another, for they are no purer than the gods. They have a secret fire burning in their breasts that tells them to hate, and if ignored, that fire spreads. But she also knew they had other secrets in their hearts. Morwyn the Compassionate saw that all people desire peace. Deep in their hearts, perhaps less fiercely than the savage fire of hate, there glows another, warmer light. There will come a time, she knew then, when all mortal people will at last heed their calmer voice. There will be a day, though it may take a thousand, thousand years, when all people will be washed clean of the dark fires, and live in peace. They will no longer kill and burn simply because they can. Until that time, it must be the work of Morwyn, Gentle Morwyn, and those who would walk at her side, to make the damage done by hatred and war the least it might be. They must tend to the flock of the good and gentle, keep them safe, and defend them against those who hate. Never again would Morwyn preach the casting aside of blades, for some, she saw then, must bear blades to protect those who cannot. And the Queen of Heaven looks for signs of the Reign of Peace, as she calls it, and where she sees them protects them, blowing on the embers of compassion, as one kindles a fire in the rain.
“Beloved Sister, I swear to you it was not I that did this thing, for you are the treasure of the Tree, who I fight to preserve. I make this war so that you will be safe.” And truly, Morwyn saw the love her brother bore for her, and knew then that she loved him also. She saw clearly that they would be married in time, but how much that is sorrowful would come to pass before there would be joy. And touching his hair, she walked away from her brothers, and let them fight their war. If her brothers had not ordered her people, the gentlest of the div, to be so abused, she determined it must have been Zheenkeef. And she found her sister playing a game in which she lit two bulls on fire and tried to put them out with her urine. Morwyn watched her sister running around, squatting over the flaming bulls to douse the flames; but always the bulls, crazed by the pain, would run from beneath her and kick and buck. At one point in this painful ordeal, the sisters’ eyes met. In that moment Morwyn the Wise saw the truth—her sister had never ordered such a thing, for she would never care enough about the races of the earth to give such a petty command. So now she knew the div who perpetrated these crimes were ordered to do so by Kador the Wicked. It was the only explanation, and she sought these div out to punish them for aligning themselves with the dark power. But when she found those who had savaged her people, they had been enslaved by an even more powerful kingdom of the div, and they wailed to her to release them from their torment. And when she asked what commands they had taken from Kador, they did not know of what she spoke, for they had taken no order from any god. “We have waged war, lady, and for this we are sorry. We killed your people not because anyone told us to, but because we could. Please, release us!” And she did, breaking their chains and setting them free, for she could not abide seeing anyone suffer. And she found those that remained of her people, and she took them to secret places of the world and made them safe, but they were few and nevermore built wonders. It was then that the White Lady learned that which she knows to this day: The races of the earth do not need the will of the gods to justify horrible acts against one another, for they are no purer than the gods. They have a secret fire burning in their breasts that tells them to hate, and if ignored, that fire spreads. But she also knew they had other secrets in their hearts. Morwyn the Compassionate saw that all people desire peace. Deep in their hearts, perhaps less fiercely than the savage fire of hate, there glows another, warmer light. There will come a time, she knew then, when all mortal people will at last heed their calmer voice. There will be a day, though it may take a thousand, thousand years, when all people will be washed clean of the dark fires, and live in peace. They will no longer kill and burn simply because they can. Until that time, it must be the work of Morwyn, Gentle Morwyn, and those who would walk at her side, to make the damage done by hatred and war the least it might be. They must tend to the flock of the good and gentle, keep them safe, and defend them against those who hate. Never again would Morwyn preach the casting aside of blades, for some, she saw then, must bear blades to protect those who cannot. And the Queen of Heaven looks for signs of the Reign of Peace, as she calls it, and where she sees them protects them, blowing on the embers of compassion, as one kindles a fire in the rain.
Related Organizations
