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Introduction
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In the years 164 and 165 CE, the Basin found itself faced with a previously
unknown threat to its Nexus worlds. The threat soon spread, though, despite the
best efforts of defenders of both cities and communes and countless deaths in
the attempts to purge the Nexus worlds of the serpentine creatures which had
begun appearing in large numbers. As information was painstakingly gathered by
mortals about the threat of the serpentine creatures who had begun to find
their way to the Prime plane, the Elder gods met and decided they would venture
to the Void in order to seek answers which mortals could not reach. As months
wore on, the creatures sought the Sea of Despair, and from their apparent
combination a great Serpent arose to threaten the Basin. It is from these
events that the Basin's decision to weaken the Seals in an attempt to destroy
the Serpent was born.

I am writing this to preserve for the future, as best I can, a most trying and
defining moment of New Celest: the decision to oppose the weakening of the
Seals in hopes of destroying the Serpent which had arisen from the Sea of
Despair. In order to help future readers appreciate these events, I will begin
a short time beforehand, so as to help the reader better understand the state
of mind of those present. I will then present the decision of New Celest at the
Summit with Estarra the Eternal and reactions to it. I will conclude with a
discussion of the relevant teachings of the Supernals which support the
decision and some arguments against it.

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The Last Stand
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After battling the surges of the serpentine creatures from the Nexus world for
months, New Celest, and the Basin, I'm sure, was understandably tired and
distraught from the lack of real, measurable progress towards a solution to the
crisis. With the Basin's Elder Gods gone, seeking answers in the Void,
mortalkind found itself in a position of extreme self-reliance and
responsibility. With no Divine sources of inspiration or assistance, every
decision seemed to gain more significance and weigh more heavily upon the soul.
It is in such a dark setting that we find one of the defining moments of New
Celest.

It was a month as normal as any other had been since the appearance of the
serpentine creatures. As they learned to find their way from the Nexus worlds
onto the Prime plane and began to mass together in the Sea of Despair, each
battle with them became more and more important, for both the safety of the
City and its territory, as well as the unknown consequences of their gathering
in the Sea. That month would be different, however, because with the fall of
the Spire in the nexus world, it seemed the serpentine creatures had redoubled
their efforts to reach the Prime plane.

Early on, a new wave surged into the Nexus world and onto the Prime plane,
escaping past surprised guards and into the Sea. Calls for help went out across
the City, with commands for able fighters to gather at the Pool of Stars. A
courageous group soon began an offensive to the Nexus world which would last
several days, costing many their lives. The creatures so outnumbered the
fighters that a hit-and-run tactic had to be employed, the group making
countless jumps back and forth to the Nexus world, frequently pausing to heal
and recover. Eventually, the creatures were overcome by the dedication of the
defenders of New Celest, and the Nexus world was purged once more of them.

Unable to count those that escaped to the Sea, they could only guess at how
many of the creatures had been present to begin with. Those bodies they
recovered alone counted at least 400. Not knowing if the next wave would be
even larger, the defenders returned slowly to their lives, the uncertain events
and gathering of the serpent creatures in the Sea of Despair weighing heavily on
their hearts.

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The Recession of the Taint
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One effect of the creatures massing in the Sea of Despair had already been
surmised, though. Even as their presence and unknown motives were cause for
concern, the Basin seemed to be offered, false though it might have been, a
glimpse of hope that had not been present since before the Taint Wars ... the
Taint itself seemingly was receding from the Sea of Despair. Faced with exactly
what they had been fighting for, even the hearts of the most suspicious
Celestians could not help but be lifted at this result.

As months went by, the Sea seemed completely restored. There were reports of
demons turning into angels on Nil and exploding. Crow of Glomdoring even
reverted to Raven. With such spectacular results, it was hard for some to not
welcome, if not the creatures themselves, their effects on the Taint. Faced
with this result, Lord Japhiel cautioned that any solution to the creatures
presence should take care to attempt to not disrupt their removal of the Taint.

Some, however, believed the Taint to be feeding the creatures, and thus its
recession could only bode ill for the inhabitants of the Basin, despite the
seemingly positive result. Even so, the recession of the Taint plays a very
important role in understanding the reactions of those of New Celest as further
events unfolded.

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The Rise of the Serpent
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It was not long after the final wave of creatures attacked the nexus worlds
that the newly cleansed Sea of Despair was seen to begin to undulate, as if a
large body were awakening beneath it. People all across the City paused in what
they were doing, calling out to see if they were simply imagining what they'd
seen. They were soon shocked again as they saw the giant Serpent raise itself
from the depths of the Sea, its horrible body still alive with the smaller
serpentine creatures burrowing into its sides. A collective gasp could be heard
as many citizens cried out, some shocked into inaction, others quickly offering
prayers for their souls and still others rushing to learn what they could.

The large body soon crashed back into the Sea, but the Basin had seen what
awaited it, and many were mindful of recent prophesies from the Verses of
Magnora that had been uncovered. Some made their way cautiously into the Sea,
seeking to gain insight into the Serpent by viewing it up close. Those able to
sense or see death soon witnessed these initial investigators fall to the
Serpent. Others began quickly gathering what other information they could,
discussing the possibilities amongst themselves as the Sea continued to
undulate with the movements of the Serpent. Without much warning, the Serpent
rose once again from the Sea, turning its attentions to Magnagora and crashing
up into its harbour and then into the city itself.

It was soon accepted by the general populace that this was the beginning of the
fruition of Quatrain CMLXVII of the Verses of Magnora:

"First to fall is the City of Prophets, beneath their dark stone,
Then the forest under the Silver Moon shall die in fire,
Followed by life snuffed out by those under the Bright Star,
Last to be defeated are those hidden in the dark forest's shadows."

As fires soon sprang up in Serenwilde, many began to seek answers and salvation
from the other verses. Almost immediately, thoughts turned to Kethuru, as some
believed another prophecy referred to for salvation, while others just as
quickly rose up against the thought. This idea would turn out to be the
catalyst of one of the boldest and, in some opinions, most foolhardy decisions
since that of Cosmic Hope. It would also present New Celest with a most testing
and perhaps defining moment.

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The Decision
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The Serpent, after taking up residence in the sewers of Magnagora for a short
time, wrapped itself around the Megalith of Doom, somehow existing on the
several planes connected to the Megalith at once. After many had died
attempting to study, destroy or at the very least delay the Serpent, Estarra
the Eternal appeared over the Basin, demanding explanation for what was
happening. Many voices were raised to praise Her return and offer varied
explanations, but no explanation could summarize the events of the previous
months adequately. To the breathless witness of those present, She grasped the
Serpent and began to rip it free of the Megalith. However, reality itself
shuddered at Her efforts, and She pronounced the Serpent had woven itself into
our reality. She would not be able to remove it.

With this development, Lady Estarra declared that She would hold a Summit atop
Avechna's Peak to discuss how to proceed. As the entire Basin gathered to hear
what She would say and offer their insights, the gathering became large enough
to prevent an effective forum. She asked for a representative from each city
and commune to speak their city or commune's wishes, and waited for each
representative to speak their suggestions for how to proceed. In short order
the possibility of releasing Kethuru was raised, as some believed the Verses of
Magnora required. After some exchange back and forth, She said it could be done
if it was the wish of those gathered.

Lady Estarra, saying She would help to monitor the status of the Seals as they
were weakened and remove them from mortal contact when they reached the proper
level of weakness, asked for the consensus of the majority of those present to
proceed. The representatives of Magnagora, Serenwilde and Glomdoring agreed to
use their karma to weaken the Seals, with some reservation from New Celest, who
wished to seek other solutions. New Celest was unable to offer another
alternative at the time, though, and Lady Estarra agreed to move forward with
the majority's consent, and disappeared to leave them to their work.

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The Reasons
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To understand the various responses to the decision to weaken the Seals, one
must first try to understand the underlying psychological forces at work. There
were two primary motivations for the choices made during the Summit, and two for
the choices made afterward. With the apparent retreat of the Taint as a result
of the presence of the creatures and Serpent, no matter their own inherent
danger, for some to wish to find alternatives at all cost to weakening the
Seals which hold back the source of the Taint is quite understandable.
Considering this, we can understand at least one of the primary motivations of
those who opposed the decision and wished for further study or options.

What of those who supported the decision, even against the majority of New
Celest during the Summit? I think it is fairly self-evident that their fear of
the Serpent and their wish to neutralize the threat as quickly as possible are
valid. Not only so that life could return to a semblance of normality, but also
as the only evident option for securing safety for themselves and their loved
ones and city, albeit at great risk, the option was agreeable. The presence of
the Serpent alone, though, could be argued as serious enough to warrant such
risk.

Then, once the decision was made by the majority of the Basin, what of the
Celestian response? It was the choice between following the Basin's wishes and
accepted course of action, in order to expeditiously be rid of the great threat
of the Serpent, or following, dispassionately, the decision of the Star Council
and the beliefs and teachings that New Celest and its citizens hold dear. The
first is the natural, emotional response to the crisis, for which no better
solution had been proposed. The second is the harder choice, which requires
deeper consideration to understand and appreciate.

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The Relevant Teachings
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The highest faith is eminent in the ability to face the greatest trial and stay
sound and unwavering in your path. Many were faced with such a trial during and
after the Summit with Estarra the Eternal, thus it is imperative to understand
the choice made, how it was made, and most importantly why.

The Loving Radiance teaches us that we must show mercy and love to all. By
reaching out to others and connecting with them, we can work together to
address any problems which may arise and help prevent or solve them. The
efforts of many to reach out to the Basin and work together to both share
knowledge and help to learn more of the crisis demonstrates the best of Lady
Raziela's teachings.

The Illuminator of Merciful Justice teaches us that we must carefully weigh all
information and judge the worth of our knowledge and decisions carefully. Many
followed Lord Japhiel's example in their studies and research, discussions with
others in and out of New Celest, and the judgment of those at the Summit and
following.

The Defender of Dawning Hope teaches us to defend the Light to the end of our
power and to protect those whom we are able to protect. Seeking to weaken the
Seals and risk releasing Kethuru, the source of the antithesis of the Light,
demonstrates clear refusal of this obligation.

The Crusader of the Holy Flame teaches us to fight against the Taint and for
the Light. Lord Methrenton fires our souls for battle to deny the Taint hold
and to bring the Light to every corner of the Basin. The efforts of those
battling the creatures and Serpent show the true bravery of a follower of
Methrenton. Seeking to weaken the Seals shows a rejection of that holy charge,
putting the entire Basin at risk to allow Kethuru to provide an easy solution.

Finally, Lady Elohora, the embodiment of the Light, teaches us to temper and
balance all the teachings of the Supernals. Her wisdom is evident in the
decision of New Celest to oppose the weakening.

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The Arguments
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Some may argue otherwise, of course. Some will say that we should be most
concerned with the survival of New Celest, without caution for the fate of the
rest of the Basin. They would claim priority for some lives over others and
rather meet the Basin with a sword rather than risk approaching with palm open.
Others will thus claim that the decision of New Celest was a selfish one, and
that New Celest would rather ally itself with the unknown threat of the Serpent
rather than see the Taint it had removed return to the Basin, no matter the cost
to others the Serpent was directly attacking.

Some may say that protecting the lives of their charges and those who follow
the Light could only be made certain by assisting the Basin in its endeavor to
weaken the Seal and be rid of the Serpent, even that a life with more Taint or
Kethuru is better than no life at all. This is an incorrect judgment, though,
as life with Kethuru would be worse than death, and allowing the Taint and its
result to spread with our help would be to give up the Light itself as forfeit.

Some will say that New Celest was weak, hiding behind its oaths and holding to
its beliefs as a shield. True bravery was facing oblivion or Taint in order to
do something, at least. They will shout of action and resolve, forgoing the
need for balance or consideration in times of trial. And some will say that
staying true to our beliefs was foolhardy and misguided, given the grave threat
to the Basin. They would argue that the wisest course is the most certain, that
which might seem to ensure their survival.

But they are wrong. They have forgotten their oaths and the teachings of the
Supernals.

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Conclusion
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The decision to oppose the weakening of the Seals in favour of the
consideration of other options was a sound decision for those of New Celest.
Contemplation of all of the teachings of the Supernals and a true search for
balance in your heart will lead you to the decision made by New Celest. It was
not a sure decision. It was not the only decision. It was not an easy decision.
But it was the right decision.

The Love, Wisdom, Hope, and Bravery of New Celest on that day and the months
that followed as the Seals were weakened is a true testament to the strength of
the Light. But we cannot deny or reject those who disagreed with that decision.
The trials of the Serpent crisis and the decisions made can be a lesson to us
all, that we should consider the strength of our beliefs and the oaths we have
made. One day, they may again be tested in the most spectacular of ways, and we
must be prepared to meet that day in the Light.