Dragonlance 17 - Dragons Of A Vanished Moon (61 page)

"Sir, I was wondering." Gerard paused, then plunged ahead. "I don't know how to say this, but did Tasslehoff— Did he ... did he do what he meant to do?"

"Did he die when and where he was meant to die?" the elf asked. "Did he defeat Chaos? Is that what you mean?"

"Yes, sir," said Gerard. "That's what I mean."

In answer, the elf lifted his head, looked into the night sky. "There once used to be a red star in the heavens. Do you remember it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Look for it now. Do you see it?"

"No, sir," said Gerard, searching the heavens. "What happened to it?"

"The forge fire has gone out. Flint doused the flame, for he knew he was no longer needed."

"So Tasslehoff found him," said Gerard.

"Tasslehoff found him. He and Flint and their companions are all together again," said the elf. "Flint and Tanis and Tasslehoff, Tika, Sturm, Goldmoon and Riverwind. They wait only for Raistlin, and he will join them soon, for Caramon, his twin, would not think of leaving without him."

"Where are they bound, sir?" Gerard asked.

"On the next stage of their souls' journey," said the elf.

"I wish them well," said Gerard.

He left the Tomb of the Last Heroes, bade the elf farewell, and, pocketing the key, turned his steps toward the Inn of the Last Home. The warm glow that streamed from its windows lit his way.

Report on the Order of Creation and the Progression of Souls

by Valthonis

as told to Tracy Hickman and Matthew L. Martin

Introduction

My name? Ah, I have so many. Paladine, El'i, Fizban, Bah'Mut, Draco Paladin—that last was a special favorite. Forgive the digression; I sometimes find these academic discourses a little disconcerting, even with old friends. In a way, though, all my friends are old friends, since I knew you before you were born, not that you'd know that. In any case, I understand that you desire a record of my observations on the War of Souls. I'm glad to help, especially since this series of events spans times and concepts

only the gods and High Gods fully understand. Of course, because of that, I'll have to be careful how I put things. The gods don't experience time in the same way mortals do; it sometimes frustrates us when you can't grasp the totality of simultaneous

existence and the stream of probability. You see what I mean? In any case, I'll try to keep this simple.

Foundation of the World

The origin of the War of Souls traces its origins to a time just after the creation of the gods by the High God, before the world was completed and the Order of Creation and the Destiny of Souls fully established.

The Beginning

There is, forever has been, and forever will be the High God, who chose to bring forth spirits out of love so that they might share in the glory, joy, and love He possessed. To this purpose, he conceived the Order of Creation and the Progression of Souls.

As a vital part of this plan, souls are born into the mortal world. From whence these souls come and what their condition was before their birth is not given to mortals to know. Nor is it given to us to know to where these souls eventually depart and to what state they may exist in the life beyond mortality. The progression of souls stretches into eternity—of which mortality is but a single moment. Nevertheless, that part of the progression

of souls we designate as mortality consists of souls brought into the world to live, to learn faith in the gods and in each other. Thus mortals learn to love the purposes of the High God, to draw closer to him as they follow the ways of goodness and virtue, and to share in his glory and reflect it in their behavior. Yet some come to reject the goodness of the High God, even stand against him.

The High God conceived the Order of Creation and outlined his plan for the world's development in the Tobril. He created the gods, powerful beings who would help carry out the plan of Creation

and shepherd mortals in their evolution. Greatest among the gods was lonthas, chief among the shapers of the material world, who possessed more might than any of his brethren.

Gilean, Keeper of the Book, held the Tobril and guided lonthas in the forging of the world, while Reorx, Sirrion, and other gods aided the many tasks. Paladine and Takhisis arose to counsel the mortals who were born to this world during the first ages. Majere served as advisor to Paladine and Takhisis, and lesser gods helped with the spiritual guidance.

After speaking the world into existence, the High God commanded

lonthas and the other gods to shape it, bringing it to fullness.

As the gods molded the world in conformity with the Plan, lonthas grew proud and haughty. Deviating from the Tobril, he declared himself the true deity and supplanter of the High God. Paladine, Gilean, and most of the other gods challenged him in this, although some remained silent. lonthas sent his might forth across Krynn, undoing the work of the other gods and doing his best to remake the world in his own image. As he fought against the High God and the others, however, lonthas found that his attempt to dominate Krynn did little more than drain him, and that while he could damage and distort what had been, he could not truly make anything new.

lonthas's anger at his impotence, his failure to create a world in his own image, coupled with his overweening pride, caused him to turn against the High God, his fellow gods, and everything

that was not himself. lonthas even repudiated his old name and identity, from that moment on known to all as Chaos. Many of the other gods, led by Paladine, took up the struggle against their renegade brother. Though Chaos might have stood against them all, even in his now-weakened state, the High God granted Paladine, whose love for and obedience to the High God was second to none, the power necessary to vanquish and chain Chaos. Defeated by the Platinum Dragon, Chaos was cast beyond creation, to drift there, alone, his pride shattered. Thereafter, Chaos descended into an abyss of twisted thought, rather than face reason. He convinced himself that he was the creator of All and of Nothing, that the other gods were his children, that he was simply letting them play in his world. He denied the very existence

of the High God, although deep within himself he dreaded

and hated the High God and all that had sprung from his brow— everything, including to some degree, Chaos himself.

Though he was gone from the universe, Chaos's wrath had undone much. Had they united their natural gifts, perhaps the gods could have healed this marring of Krynn, but such goodwill

was not to be. For Chaos had not only harmed Krynn, his malice and rebellion had spread adversely among the gods themselves.

The High God had appointed as co-regent of the young world Takhisis, who was expected to rule jointly with Paladine. However,

Chaos' evil had influenced Takhisis, for she was closely associated with lonthas and ^admired his many skills. Like Chaos, she began to desire sole dominion of Krynn. Where Chaos had lusted after the physical universe, Takhisis was more concerned with the spiritual. She wished to be worshiped by the other gods, and she sought to possess the very souls of the mortals who came to inhabit Krynn. Subtly, she began to steer others among the gods to her side; the names of these apostates were Morgion, Sar-gonnas, Chemosh, Hiddukel, Zeboim, and Nuitari. These renegade

gods began to draw their strength and might not from the High God and the unfolding of His will, but like vampires from negative energies, drawing power from decay and wickedness and mastering those elements of creation that sold themselves to the darkness. This rising of the dark came to fruition as the creation

of Krynn drew to an end and the next phase of the Celestial Plan began.

The first creatures to populate Krynn were the dragons, who were tightly bound to Paladine and Takhisis, as well as to Krynn. Paladine and Takhisis, assisted by Reorx and Mishakal, crafted the Five Dragons, and the High God provided their souls. Seeing these creatures of might, the first free-willed beings to inhabit Krynn, Takhisis and Morgion seduced them to follow her dictates.

In this alliance, Takhisis and the gods who stood with her declared themselves dedicated to usurping mastery of Krynn and thwarting the execution of the plan. They opposed the Order of Creation and the progression of souls.

Takhisis and her cohorts thus became the gods of Evil, falling from their lofty state into the Abyss, consumed by their own envy and malice. Their rebellion convinced several gods that the further development of Krynn would lead only to decay and disorder. These gods nurtured specific aspects of the Creation, while acting neither to thwart the will of the High God nor serve him as they were intended. Even Gilean took this point of view. These became known as the gods of Neutrality, because they saw themselves as aloof from the struggle between Good and Evil.

This struggle reached a frenzy with the birth of mortals. Takhisis, Sargonnas, and the other gods of Evil declared their intention to enslave the mortals, for, as Takhisis said, "We forged this world. Why should we now surrender it to lesser beings?"

The gods of Good stood against the evil ones, faithful to the High God. Paladine declared, "These coming mortals are children of the High God, just as we are. This world was made for them, as much as for us, and in the end, the mortals shall be greater and brighter than any of us."

The gods of Good pledged to guide the mortals, to protect them from the Evil ones and the remnants of Chaos. They would not betray the High God.

Thus began the All-Saints War, as Good strove against Evil. The gods of Neutrality originally intended to ignore the conflict, tending to their own gardens. In the end, Paladine and Majere persuaded Gilean and the other Neutrals to side with the gods of Good, for Takhisis sought dominion over the entire world, which would leave those elements cherished by the Neutral gods enslaved to her ends or destroyed.

The alliance of Good and Neutrality pushed the forces of Evil back, but without a decisive resolution. The High God was obliged to intervene directly.

"Know ye that I am the High God, and thou art my children, just as are these mortals whom I shall soon create.

"Paladine, thou and thine allies hath done well in remaining faithful to thy calling and desiring to aid the mortals. Though

they shall be free to choose for Good or against it, thou shalt be free as well to aid and protect them so that this freedom may be maintained. And as it shall be with the mortals who choose Good, so shall it be with thee. Thy labors shall in the end bring about Good, though Evil may surround thee. For Goodness, sought truly and for its own sake, shall redeem its own.

"Takhisis, thou hast followed lonthas in foolishness, and those who follow thee shall likewise know their folly, should they not repent. Thou and thine shalt be free to mar, wound, and tempt the mortals, yet in the end, thou shalt regret this most grievously. For I am farther above thee than thou canst conceive, even more above-thee than thou perceivest thyself to be above the mortals. All that thou shalt do to thwart my designs shall in the end fulfill them and be used to bring about Good. But, Evil, thy work remains, and thou shalt suffer for this, even more than the mortals who serve thee suffer for their misdeeds. For Evil, even pursued in the guise of Good, shall turn in upon itself.

"Gilean, though thou hast not acted directly against mine designs, still thou and those who declare themselves Neutral hath failed to fullfill the Plan. Thou shalt fulfill it despite thyself, and I shall permit thy declared Neutrality, for even in thy silence, thou all shalt bring Goodness. As thou art free, so are the mortals. Yet thou shalt not remain betwixt forever; in the end, thou must stand either with us in the Light or with Takhisis and her compatriots in the Darkness. For all are free to choose for Good or against it, but all will make a choice between sides in the end.

"Know ye all that there shall be a Balance. I will permit Good, Evil, and Neutrality all to work upon this world, and the mortals shall be free to choose between the three and garner the consequences

of their choosing. They may alter the Balance, but the decision must come from within, and not be forced upon them from without. Know thee, Paladine, that if those mortals in thy service seek to force Goodness upon the others, they shall fall into Evil and bring about great suffering. Know thee, Gilean, that if

thy servants try to forbid the mortals from choosing between the two, they shall likewise fail and bring about devastation. Know thee, Takhisis, that when thou dost attempt to enslave the world to thine service, thou shalt be thwarted in the end, and yet in thy folly, thou shalt continue to seek such dominion until the end of thy presence upon this world."

Thus ended the All-Saints War, named because it affected the destiny of all who could become saints on Krynn.

Of the Gods

Though the gods numbered twenty-two in the beginning, Chaos was cast from their number in the first days of the Age of Starbirth. By the end of the All-Saints War, there were twenty-one gods on Krynn, divided into three orders of seven, the Gods of Light, the Gods of Neutrality or Twilight, and the Gods of Darkness.

The Gods of Light

Greatest among the righteous gods is Paladine, the Celestial Paladin and Platinum Dragon. Mightiest of all gods, save Chaos, Paladine is the exemplar of virtue and holiness, patron of the great virtue of Charity. Leader of the Order of Light, he protects Krynn against the schemes of Takhisis and leads both mortals and his fellow gods in the path of righteousness. Thus, he guides all who protect the innocent and seek to lead others in truth and goodness. His role as leader and keeper of Krynn, though, is tempered

by a deep and sincere humility, which he strives to inculcate

in his followers as well.

Majere is only slightly less in might than Paladine. Paladine loves the High God most fiercely and deeply of all the Powers. Majere is said to have the greatest understanding of the High God's wisdom and the Celestial Plan, surpassing even Gilean. Thus, Majere serves an advisor to Paladine and fosters the virtue of Faith, as well as the diligence that encourages mortals to