The Eoti March 04, 2010

"Easy Graven. Calm yourself. Your daughter is fine. We figured it would be too much of a shock for you to meet at the edge of the city so she is waiting for you at your home. As for how she feels about your absense, I can assure you that your trek was seen as no less then necessity and she understands completely.

With that Graven returned home, accompanied by Coral. He met his adult daughter Kalyx for the first time but seemed all too eager to call it short. Some matter of grave importance seemed to call his attention.

"We must have audience Coral, immediately. I have learned something that has changed everything we thought we knew about why we're here."

Graven and Coral went to a large room on the upper level encircling the Gaiasphere. They then stepped into one of the sectioned areas reserved for books accumulated throughout the history of Axium, the library was becoming quite large from the years Graven had been gone.

"Would you like some tea Graven? This brew is known for it's calming qualities."

"We must get to the business at hand Coral. I have learned much in my time away. In my readings I have found tale of a book that in itself has the power to remake all life on the planet. If the book is not united by the end of the third era all life on this planet will fade from existence."

"Three eras?"

"The eras corespond to the parts of the mortal condition. The body is the era of Order. The soul is the era of Forge, the era we're in right now. Finally the third era is the era of the mind, or Entropy."

"So this ties into the Masks then does it?"

"It doesn't just 'tie' into the Masks, it is the work of the Masks themselves. See this passage here." Graven points to the appropriate passage in the book.

A book split into three,
Body, Soul, and Mind
To be bound forever in unity
All must be found in kind

All will at one time be lost
But so to must it be restored
No matter what the cost
All pieces together explored

"There is a prophecy transcribed here regarding the end of all things. If we do not assemble the book all life on earth will end in 2000 years."

Coral thought about it for a moment and considered she was 1400 years old. Reflecting on her age the span of years before her she spoke.

"2000 years is a long time Graven, surely there is no need to fret yourself so."

"This must be done. I will see it done. We cannot rely on the future to believe such a myth. This world must be saved for our children's children in the future. From what I have read the second part of the book must be found in this era. It annotates very specific rituals through which the pages are to be revealed."

"If this is so important to you Graven, I will do what my old hands can to see it done. How do we find the pages to the second book?"

"The ritual is quite elaborate. First we must choose 12 people. They must be humans, Etherians are not capable of Deathprinting."

"Deathprinting?"

"When a body with a soul dies within 27 minutes the soul evacuates the body. Through the use of a special candle the soul leaves an imprint. The candle's flame sets a sheet of Vyskara paper aflame. The flame burns the paper slowly for 3 hours. At the end of the three hours a single idea is revealed upon the paper representing a single word."

"All of that for a single word? How will we ever complete the book?"

"It also outlies the details of a secret society to be formed from the 12 people. These 12 are to devote their life to taking Deathprints from every one who passes from this life."

"We will select them immediately then and get started."

"Not so fast. There are conditions that must be met for each member. It says that each person must have been born coinciding with a death. This is the only way to make the soul pass through the candle."

"That will be a problem. The only members of the community I know of whom fit those conditions are those whose mother died in childbirth. If memory serves we have had 3 in the 28 years you were gone."

"Three members eh? That's not a great start but it's something."

"We must appoint a leader to this society. Someone who can oversee it's will done for ages to come...Someone not yet mortal. An etherian."

"Syrka will head the Order. If anyone is secretive enough it is him. We will call the order the Emissaries of the Ind, the Eoti."

"It seems the Order is off to a good start. If you will handle briefing Syrka I will gather the three initiates who meet your conditions."

All throughout the day preparations were made to see the society formed. Syrka responded well to his appointment while the three others seemed more confused then anything else. In addition to the three a fourth was found who was born as his father died of a heart attack. Syrka held a meeting at 2:30 am to inaugurate the Emissaries.

Syrka's low raspy voice seemed to set the ambience for the moonlit meeting on the opposing shore of the lake near the Gaiasphere. There were chirping sounds coming from the forest and a gentle wind blowing over the top of the lake.

"I hereby call to order the first inaugural meeting of the Emissaries of the IND, the Eoti. Friends we are gathered here because Graven, our leader and respected seer has seen fit to appoint us to a most dire and secret task.The purpose of this group will never be known to anyone but Graven and myself, but as leaders of the community you have trusted us to guide and protect you and your children for ages past and to come."

Looking out over the four others gathered Syrka noticed the four had worn the masks like they were asked to before the meeting.

"I see you all have worn the masks I had made especially for the Eoti. Our identities are to remain secret even from each other. A statue will be commemorated for unknown reasons, except to us. This statue will hold a candle. On nights where we are to meet this candle will glow pale blue.
Now for the task at hand. You will all find instructions in the wax sealed letters that you received to make a candle. This candle is very special and must be kept hidden at all times save those times you are practicing your craft. You are to gather the wax of the Grimorum Bee and use a braided hair from the back of a Kalypsian Caterpillar as a wick."

"What exactly is our task once we have completed the candle Master Syrka." One of the candidates asked in curiousity.

"The task is not complicated but takes some time. You must wait for the death wisp, the moment at which the soul leaves the body with a candle. This candle will burn a character into a sheet of Vyskara Paper. Once the image is captured in the paper you will store the pieces in this satchel."

Syrka passed out a satchel to each member with a candle icon over a book sewn into the leather.

"Every 12 pages you collect you will return to master Graven for private storage. Do not worry about the order, the candle will annotate the page and verse as well as the character."

"How will we know when to collect the print. People die all the time."

"Excellent question. These rocks are etched with a rune. Each one of you will receive a different rock with a different rune. When someone dies a random rock will alight an arrow upon the compass of cardinal directions. At that moment you are to follow the light to the direction of the death. All of you will find safe boxes at your homes when you return. You are to keep your rock on your person at all times. The remaining materials are to remain locked away till needed."

Syrka looked around to be sure everyone seemed to understand.

"If there are no further questions I will call the first meeting of the Eoti to conclusion. May secrecy guide your steps and shadow steal the light that should reveal you. One more thing, should any births coincide with the alighting of your stone you are to inform me directly and immediately. We still need eight more members."

With that the Eoti were formed. A secret organization bent on completing the second book of IND one character at a time. The Eoti became a mystery in Axium. Often and quite randomly the masked people would show up and all knew there was the stench of death to be found. It was almost as if they were the harbringers of death itself. Over the years it became second nature to the Eoti, it was even rumoured that the masked ones could feel death coming.

* * * * * *

Asimov became aware of the Eoti by accident. No records had existed concerning the organization, much less the name itself. The Eoti were an apparition drifting through the annals of history on shadowed wings. A silent crow chasing death in the night. Nevertheless the safe of one of the original members was found in an archaeological dig halfway across the world. The symbol of the candle over the book engraved upon it's side in small etchings.

The moment Asimov was made aware of the symbol was the moment several billion calculations and references took place. The symbol was known to be associated with deathprinting merely by rumour but Asimov calculated the chances high that this clue would lead him to the other members of the organization. So he sent Siren to aquire the piece from the auction by legitimate means if possible so as to not attract too much attention, for it was well known that Asimov's avatar Peyton had an obsession with the Eoti.

Siren departed for the auction the next day, access to several million at her disposal to purchase the lost artifact. This was more of an errand mission for Siren and she felt discomfort at the idea of being relegated to delivery girl. Nevertheless she took her mission on with importance. She always sought the payment at the end to leave one more piece of her human self to the waste, replaced by some mechanical or electrical adaptation that would make her better, faster, stronger.

She arrived at the auction the next day by the corporate jet of Solomon United. Siren was dressed eloquently in a stunning black dress of high fashion quality, only the best for those representing Solomon United. Despite her near perfect balance the high heels at her feet felt awkward and illfitting. Her feet cramped with each step and her stride seemed less then graceful.

Siren entered the room to little notice for the audience. They were already engaged in the auctioning of some other antiquity of no doubt priceless quality, the private company was well known for traffiking in obscure objects of astounding value to those who sought the remnants of ages past. Siren waited for what seemed like ages for the item she was to bid upon.

"The item for bid at this moment is from the Hallowed antiquities of the ancient city of Axium. It is a safe of stone design etched in nearly perfectly scribed runes and smoothed to the finish of glass. Those of interest would note the symbol here upon the side, the candle over the book. Surely this is the symbol of some organization of great import and meaning. The contents of the safe are unknown and as far as we know untouched. Such a mystery inherent in this piece will support the price of 750,000 Gaians."

The auctioneer gestured over the symbol and the finer points of the safe and it's seemless construction but Siren was more interested in the contents then the vault itself.

"Bidding will now open on the centerpiece of tonight's auction. Do I hear 750,000 Gaians?

The bidding went on for what seemed like hours. The original price was dwarfed by the surplus bids of Siren and another hooded competitor. She tired of the pretense and after the constant back and forth decided enough was enough. She conceded the bidding war to the other customer and left immediately in frustration and to make preparation for a long night. She would not fail Peyton but there were other ways to see to his prize.
That night Siren returned quickly to the jet to change out of the godforsaken dress she had been coerced into wearing. Feinburg sat there enjoying a cup of tea while Siren stormed in and made ready.

"Something go wrong Madame Siren?"

"Let's just say plans have changed."

She stripped right there before Feinburg careless as if the pretense was gone from their relationship, he was her doctor after all. He did his best to seem at ease and uninterested despite Siren's light muscular build and toned waist. As the dress fell to the floor she grabbed her jumpsuit and utility belt and without poise or grace she slid the suit up her body before zipping it to the neck.

"Are you sure about using the suit? Do you have any idea what that cost? It's worth more then you are."

"Expensive though it may be it is Peyton's only chance at ever seeing the safe. There was another bidder."

"Another bidder?"

"Someone else, a hooded figure with a robe. He seemed very out of place and stoic, unflinching in the face of my every bid. He countered me at every turn. I trust my instincts, he would not have relented. There are other ways to get Peyton's safe. I take my leave of you."

With that Siren flicked her wrist and then vanished from sight. The suit bending the light around her taut frame. She made her way back to the auction barely in time to find the hooded figure leaving. The safe already deposited in the armored truck outside.