LWK
From CleanPosts
THE LAND WE KNOW
At the time of the creation of the Land We Know, Binah and Bat-El also had not taken possession of one of the humans, nephilim, or jen, but they did not hold incarnation to be an evil of itself.
And this Binah decreed to set apart the Land We Know from Earth and Gorpai: The inhabitants would possess special powers, according to the gender they were born with, and also according to the gender they were attracted to, yet these powers would be apportioned at birth and not be the result of choice, lest one kind of power come to dominate the others.
Therefore in the Land We Know, gender is not a matter of choice, just as it is not a matter of choice on Earth and Gorpai. But neither is the gender that one finds most attractive a matter of choice in the Land We Know, which some believe is the case on Earth and Gorpai.
And there are twenty-five possible preferences.
Eight of those preferences can not result in offspring from their union, so persons with those orientations are called recreationals. The other seventeen orientations are open to the possibility of reproduction, so they are called breeders.
When King Ravenmaster was put to the sword, and the temple of El was razed to the ground in the Revolution*, and it was thought that reason reigned supreme in Nath, El turned away from the men of the Land We Know and departed, and with his passing, the powers that men enjoyed also passed away, but from the beginning it was not so.
A gay is a man who prefers other gay men. These recreationals are found mainly in the city of Alnitar in the land of Hamar, and many gays throughout the Land We Know migrate there. Before the Revolution their power was stonecutting. Many of the statues and the stonework that dot the Land We Know was produced by gay bottoms. A gay top had the greater power, and could bore tunnels into solid rock. Many of the mines at Fatho and Wazol were delved by them, and all of the roads and tunnels connecting the major cities of the Land We Know were the work of gays acting in concert with straight men, who laid the stone after it was cut to shape.
A straight man prefers a straight woman. These breeders are found throughout the Nath Empire, for after the Revolution non-straights are regularly shown to the border when they are identified and come of age. Half of the offspring of straight men are boys and the other half are girls. Straight men were formerly gifted by El with the power to move stone. The lesser works of the Land We Know, such as city buildings and the five temples, were built by weak straight men, but the greater works, such as the wall that encloses the entire southern and eastern border of Menkal, as well as the Enkaa Dam, were produced by strong straight men.
A bauble is a man who prefers knot jen. These breeders are found in the city of Rasal in the land of Hamar, as well as Suhair in the land of Menkal near to the temple of Binah. One- fourth of the offspring of baubles are girls, one-fourth are boys, one-fourth are jists, and one-fourth are dirks. Before the Revolution baubles had the power to control the winds, and a sea captain with a bauble on board his ship would never find himself becalmed. But their control of winds does not extend high enough to reach the clouds, so baubles cannot affect the weather.
A trinket is a man who prefers merry yeng. These recreationals are found mainly in the city of Menkant in the land of Hamar, but many also migrate to Difda on Elendal Island to be with merries there. Before the Revolution, trinkets had the power of weather control, so they were very much like baubles. A weak trinket could bring rain to a parched farm, but a strong trinket could change the very climate of the Land We Know. Yet they were circumspect in the use of their power, and they dared not anger the elohim in this respect, for many have earned swift death in this manner.
A tyke is a man who prefers muffle yen. These breeders are found mainly in the city of Wazol in the land of Hamar, but many are also found in the city of Kochad in the far east of Alodra. Half of the offspring of a tyke are jists and the other half are dirks. Before the Nath Revolution, the power of tykes was clearing land and felling trees. Most of the farms in the Land We Know owe their existence to the tykes of old. The fertile plains of eastern Alodra and southern Nath once lay beneath a great single forest that was divided in twain by many tykes to become Shaula Wood and Nyduly Wood. Yet the power of tykes, along with the power of all men, belongs to history alone, and only their mute works stand in silent testimony to the greatness men once possessed before they held El in contempt.
A lesbian is a woman who prefers other lesbian women. These recreationals are found mainly in the city of Nyduly in the land of Hamar, and in the surrounding Wood. Lesbians are granted by Bat-El the power of pyrokinesis. A lesbian femme can boil water or cook food, but a lesbian butch can create large flames and explosions, so they make a formidable resource for a general in battle.
A straight woman prefers straight men. These breeders are found chiefly in the Nath Empire, and bear offspring of boys and girls with equal probability. Straight women are granted by Bat-El the power of persuasion; the strong ones are capable of possession after the manner developed by Binah for Chokhmah.
A bent is a woman who prefers snap jen. These breeders are found in the city of Eltan in the land of Hamar, as well as the city of Sukai on a small island between Elendal and the mainland. Three-fourths of the off-spring of bents are girls, and one- fourth are jists. A bent has the power of freezing, from small quantities of food to entire lakes or sections of a river. Once a year, the bents of Eltan freeze the river Nanki and produce a dam, and for a time before it melts again, the upper vales of the Nanki are flooded, which irrigates the fields all around.
A shag is a woman who prefers predator yeng. These breeders are found in the city of Melak in the land of Alodra, and also the city of Shedal in the land of Menkal. Half of a shag's offspring are boys and half are jists. The power granted to shags by Bat-El is to grow green things, and much of the beauty of the Land We Know is from the care and maintenance of many weak shags and their gardens, but a strong shag can turn an entire field into a cornucopia, if the soil is willing and the water is there. For the deserts of the Saiph League are so parched not even the strongest shags can make them green.
A tribade is a woman who prefers snatch yen. These recreationals are often found in the city of Piblo in the land of Alodra, on the north bank of the river Sabik, and also the city of Rynet, up the river on the tributary river Armak. Tribades are killers. The weak ones are indomitable in one-on-one combat, but the strong ones have the power to drop whole swaths of the enemy. If the cause of a person's death cannot be determined, it is probably the work of a tribade. Yet despite their fearsome power, most tribades are very gentle, and will only resort to force at great need.
A flex is a jen who prefers another flex jen. These breeders are found chiefly in the city of Akamar in the land of Menkal. Half of the off-spring of a flex are jists, one-fourth are girls and one-fourth are dolls. The power granted to them by Binah is to communicate over great distances. A weak flex can communicate instantly with another flex. The strong ones can communicate with anyone, mind to mind, even with post-Revolution men who are unacquainted with enchantment.
A knot is a jen who prefers bauble men. These breeders are found in the city of baubles, Rasal in the land of Hamar, but many are also found in Suhair in the land of Menkal, where they tend to the temple of Binah and guard the Wall of Menkal, which they can pass over at will. For the power granted by Binah to knots is to jump very high, or even, for the strong ones, to indulge in true flight. But not even strong knots can carry heavy loads through the air. One-fourth of the offspring of a knot are girls, one-fourth are boys, one-fourth are jists, and one-fourth are dirks.
A snap is a jen who prefers bent women. These breeders are found in city of bents, Eltan in the land of Hamar, but an enclave of snaps is also found in the city of Sukai in the land of Menkal, near Akamar, the capital. Half of the offspring of snaps are girls and half are jists. The power given to the snap by Binah is to indulge in shapeshifting. Snaps range in power from the ability to appear as any person to the ability to appear as any object of similar size. A strong snap can appear as a bush, for example, but never a tree.
A twink is a jen who prefers bear yeng. These breeders are found in the city of Eniph in the Saiph League, where they attend the nearby temple of Belial, and they also live in nearby Zuben Well. The offspring of a twink are one-fourth boys, one-fourth jists, one-fourth dirks, and one-fourth dolls. Binah has granted to twinks the power of transmutation.
The weak ones can transform materials with a touch, the strong ones can make changes remotely, but in both cases, the transmutation lasts only so long as the twink lives. Many have purchased gold thinking it was laboriously mined from the Glob Nab at Fatho or Wazol, only to find their treasury filled with base metal years later after the death of a nameless twink.
A plunge is a jen who prefers snare yen. These breeders are found in the oasis city of Markal and the mountain town of Toturo, both in the Saiph League. Half of their offspring are jists and half are dolls. A plunge is a thinker. Even a weak plunge is a genius, with the ability of perfect, local precognition for a few moments, which makes them nearly impossible to kill. A strong plunge can slow time outside of hezself for an entire area, yet the source of this power over time rests with Binah alone, who founded the physical laws of the Land We Know.
A trite yang prefers trite yen. These breeders are found in the land of Alodra, which unlike post-Revolution Nath does not expel those who are different, but the king of Alodra at least must be trite. The off-spring of trite yen are half dirks and half dolls. Belial has granted them the power of life extension, but not to heal. The touch of and there was no fodder to raise animals there. A strong trite yang will confer immortality, and trite yeng themselves are immortal, but they and the beneficiaries of their touch are not then immune to accident or murder, and even the healing touch of a trite yin cannot heal the removal of one's head by a sharp blade.
A rough is a yang who prefers other yang roughs. These recreationals are found solely in the island city of Mintara in the Saiph League. Belial has granted roughs the power of diving, ranging from a number of minutes to an indefinite time underwater. Roughs make their living bringing forth the treasures under the surface of Thalury, and they can repair the ships of allies with damage below the waterline, and sink the ships of enemies with explosives they plant under their keels. But the worst enemy of the rough is Leviathan, who devours them.
A bear is a yang who prefers twink jen. These breeders are found in the city of twinks, Eniph, in the Saiph League, but they also live in the near-by desert town of Zuben Well. Their offspring averages one-fourth boys, one-fourth jists, one-fourth dirks, and one- fourth dolls. Belial has granted bears the power of telekinesis, ranging in power from the ability to move small objects to shifting rivers from their courses. Yet a bear cannot move hyzself, except by walking.
A merry is a yang who prefers trinket men. These recreationals are found in the city of trinkets, Menkant in the land of Hamar, but a large enclave of merries are also found in the city of Difda on Elendal Island in the land of Menkal. Belial has granted merries the the ability to train and control animals. The weak ones can speak to animals, the strong ones can control them, even dragons. For Belial refused to allow the power to control his dragons to pass to those who owed allegiance to the other elohim.
A predator is a yang who prefers shag women. These breeders are found in the city of shags, Melak, in the land of Alodra, but many are also found in Shedal nigh to the Eliath Wood in the land of Menkal. The offspring of predators averages half boys and half jists. Predators have been granted by Belial the power to generate blasts of sound, ranging from stun to kill. So they are used as "living artillery" in the wars of the Land We Know. But they can also serve as heralds and issue commands across a battlefield, for their voices are far greater than aught else that lives.
A trite yin prefers trite yeng. These breeders are found chiefly in the land of Alodra, where the ruling queen in Atria must be trite. The offspring of trite yeng are half dirks and half dolls. Chokhmah has given to them the ability to heal, from simple self-healing to the ability to cure all, but they cannot heal old age or extend life indefinitely. If a trite yin journeys to Earth or Gorpai* sha loses her power to heal, yet if a human or nephilim is healed by har in the Land We Know, this healing is true, and when they return to the other worlds, they remain healed.
A bliss is a yin who prefers other bliss yen. These recreationals are found in the city of Caph in the Saiph League, but many also are found in Sadl, in the land of Alodra, on the lower reaches of the river Sabik. Chokhmah has granted the bliss power to copy the powers of others, but only according to their strength or weakness as a bliss. A strong bliss can temporarily cancel another person's power when they make a copy. But a bliss of any degree can only copy one person's power at a time, and this power is dumped when they copy the power of another person.
A snare is a yin who prefers plunge jen. These breeders are found in the city of plunges, Markal, in the Saiph League, as well as in the nearby town of Toturo at the mountain pass leading down into Alodra. Their offspring averages half jists and half dolls. A snare is an intangible, even the weak ones have from Chokhmah the power to achieve perfect camouflage. A strong snare can literally walk through any barrier, even a great one like the Wall of Menkal, unless the barrier is protected by the spell of a muffle.
A muffle is a yin who prefers tyke men. These breeders are chiefly found in the city of tykes, Wazol, in the land of Hamar, but many are also found in the city of Kochad in the land of Alodra. Their offspring averages one-fourth girls, one-fourth boys, one-fourth jists, and one-fourth dirks. Chokhmah has granted muffles the power to shield a single person or a wide area from arrows and missiles with a spell of enchantment, and they can completely mute sound. Thus in combat a company traveling with a muffle can many times come upon an enemy unawares, but a muffle's shield is no help against a sword or axe wielded by a strong arm at close range.
A snatch is a yin who prefers tribade women. These recreationals are found mainly in the city of tribades, Piblo, in the land of Alodra, but a colony of them also exists up the river in the city of Rynet, also in Alodra. Chokhmah has given to snatches the power of light. They can illuminate wide areas at night or even blind a person with a bright burst of their light. Often a snatch is ordered to create a terrifying mirage to deceive enemies in wartime, but every night in times of peace the cities of Piblo and Rynet compete with each other to be called the Queen of Lights, and there are no cities in the Land We Know to compare to them.
The inhabitants of the Land We Know wearied of the predations of the dragons of Belial which multiplied in the Land, and many men and yang and jen of old took thought, and contrived to kill the dragons. But the deed was perilous in the uttermost, and these heroes are remembered in many songs to this day.
As the years wore on, the dragon slayers slowly gained the upper hand, the dragon's numbers dwindled, and Belial dared Binah to do nothing, since by divine agreement the afterlife promised to the people depended on the existence of at least one dragon. And at the last, when only the dragon Demonstick remained alive, Binah fashioned a sword made from a single diamond and called it Dragonthorn, and infused it with a powerful spell binding Demonstick.
And Binah declared that the eldest daughter of the ruler of Menkal (human or jen, it mattered not) would wield Demonstick, and the spell would remain unbroken for as long as she remained a virgin. And she was called the High Priestess of Binah, and dwelt in the Temple of Binah near Suhair in the Kingdom of Menkal. And when she held Dragonthorn in her hand, whatever she bid Demonstick to do, he would do it, even to allowing persons to ride upon him in the air as though he were a winged steed.
And to the High Priestess was given the oracles of Binah.
A plunge was given the power to foresee the next few moments, perhaps, but only the High Priestess of Binah was given the broad view of the future as though it were already history. Many people made pilgrimage to the Temple of Binah to consult the Oracle, and the gifts they brought were for the upkeep of the Temple and bread and meat for the priestesses.
And the High Priestess also delivered the commandments of Chokhmah and El and Bat-El so long as they remained without possession of flesh, for they spoke to Binah, and Binah communicated their words to his High Priestess without error.
But Belial was come in the flesh, and spoke for himself.
So the High Priestess was a role with great honor and privilege, but it was also a serious duty, and control of Demonstick hung by the slender thread of her virginity. To guard against the desecration of this office, a terrible penalty was set. If ever the High Priestess broke trust and lost her virginity, she would be rendered immortal by the king of Alodra and buried alive for all eternity in an incorruptible metal casket.
