The Divine Audition
It was in this way that the gods began their search for a mortal worthy of ascension:
Three promising candidates arose: Amazira, a Drow scholar-sister of the Uraka'val; Gimmel, a Gnomish lorepriest of what was then one of the Highwater Territories; and Udel, a Dwarven high arbiter from the mountains of Aeshlaron. Each was brought before a council of the gods, and told of the current crisis.
Aeshlir, Ura, and Sil’vat conspired to form for each a spark of minor divinity, and each was tasked with creating something innovative to help the gods with their plight. At the end of one year, each was to return to the council and present their creations for evaluation.
The Presentation of the Divine Audition
Udel presented his creation first. He had crafted the Shield of Everform. Its uses were twofold. Both it and its bearer may find their form immutable, and immune to the malicious will of the Void by way of their undeniable existence (which, coincidentally, undoes the effects of any shapechanging active upon the bearer). Additionally, its aura may be projected on grand scale as a shield against the Void incursion, allowing a buffer against its creeping nonexistence. As a bonus, it may be made completely indestructible and immobile. Amazira presented her work next. She had created the Loom of Destinies, by which she may weave life and death, existence and annihilation, for any being in the universe. In this way, a god unmade may have their thread spliced within the fabric of destiny, and continued everlasting. Finally, Gimmel presented his creation. He had crafted the Runestone of Persistent Truth. Anything that Gimmel may write upon the Runestone becomes the known and persistent truth. In this way, were a god to be unmade, Gimmel need only reverse the act within known and recorded history, and they would be made again. These three items together became known as the Divine Audition, by way of the trial used to determine their quality.The Judgement of the Divine Audition
The gods saw these creations, and debated amongst each other regarding which mortal had showed the most divine promise. Most of the gods regarded Udel’s creation, the Shield of Everform, with a reserved admiration; for while it was indeed useful, it did nothing to acknowledge threats potentially unknown to the gods, which worried them all. Despite this, Aeshlir and Cevena took a liking to Udel’s work, and vowed to reward him with their favor. Between the Loom of Destinies and the Runestone of Persistent Truth, opinions were mixed. Each sought to solve the problem of the impending Void threat in a similar manner, which, while reactionary, would doubtless prove effective. A heated discussion regarding their preferences arose. Ura and Rataxa were in favor of Amazira’s creation, the Loom of Destinies. On the other hand, Donar, Sil’vat, and Layoya preferred Gimmel’s creation, the Runestone of Persistent Truth. Time wound on, and one by one, the remaining gods came to favor Gimmel’s contribution, and resolved that he would ascend, while the Loom of Destinies would be stripped of its spark of minor divinity and return with Amazira. However, Ura, slighted by the rejection of her champion, took the Loom of Destinies and Amazira to another plane in an instant, before Aeshlir could despark the artifact.The Ascension of Gimmel
In light of this development, the remainder of the gods granted Gimmel the power to ascend, and he became Gimmel, the Lorekeeper. He keeps as his charge the recording of known history, and vows his protection to those who wish to spread understanding to the world around. His first divine act was to unite the Highwater Territories into a new nation to support this end, one that became known as Gimmela.Fates of the Divine Audition
The Shield of Everform Aeshlir commended Udel for his creations, and enlisted him as a collaborator within her forge. With some convincing, Layoya gifted him with immortality, and he works as Aeshlir’s apprentice to this day. The Shield of Everform itself is in Cevena’s care. It is said that she awaits a worthy challenger to claim it from her, and in doing so take charge of the Divine Defense. When questioned what this “Divine Defense” means, Cevena apparently refuses further detail, and will often seek another round of ale as a distraction. The Loom of Destinies The current location of the Loom of Destinies eludes detection. It shows up in stories and folklore across Naria, often in places marked by mysterious deaths or miraculous escapes from death. Scholarly opinion is divided on whether it currently resides on the Material Plane at all. But by all accounts, both the Loom of Destinies and Amazira herself likely still exist, hidden somewhere safe from any manner of divination. The Runestone of Persistent Truth Over history, many attempts have been made to steal the Runestone of Persistent Truth from Gimmel, so that their new bearers may write their own histories to their liking. However, knowing this to be a possibility, Gimmel has cursed the item to be frustratingly literal and maliciously compliant when used by anyone but himself. Indeed, a whole school of tales in folklore involve villainous characters stealing the Runestone, and then becoming undone by their wickedness or avarice.
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