An Exploration of the Realm of the Enigma

     At the very apex of Mount Seirode, where the craggy peaks stand cloaked in dew and mist at sunrise, there is an enveloping shroud of twilight, impenetrable to the naked eye. This obfuscating veil is commonly known to be a portal to one of the Godrealms, domains that embody the spirit and essence of their respective Divine creator. Upon entering the shroud, I immediately lost my bearings amid the mist. I wandered for what seemed like hours, but which could have only been mere moments. When I was once more able to see my surroundings, I was standing within the atrium of a great cathedral. This was the Temple of Lord Elostian, within the Realm of the Enigma.

     Chanting voices could be heard within the cathedral, though I could not make out the words they spoke. While this was intriguing, my attention was immediately drawn to the strange landscape discernible through the church windows and doorway. Stepping over the threshold and out of the cathedral, I immediately found myself in the very centre of the Twilight Maelstrom, an endlessly swirling, dizzying vortex. It was a startling experience to say the least, for the power of the dark maelstrom seemed to pull the very earth in different directions, like an earthquake. All around the cathedral, there were several floating islands of jagged rock, connected to one another by way of crystal platforms. In certain areas, the ground would seem to disappear, as though partially faded out of existence.

     Dragging my gaze from the maelstrom roiling around me, I noted that before the cathedral stood one of the servants of the Enigma: a twilight eidolon, a peculiar shade that would condense into sight and dissolve away without a word. These eidolons were everywhere in the realm, I found later. At the time, my attentions were focused primarily upon the maelstrom, for lightning would often discharge from the vortex that encircled the cathedral, so closely that I had to dodge out of the way several times. I did not emerge entirely unscathed - there is still a smoky, burning smell imbuing my pelt as I write this.

     Within the maelstrom, and without the cathedral, there was some respite from the perpetual pulling. I ducked into a cave I saw, and found myself within the Apex of Mists. The Apex of the Mists was even darker than the twilight maelstrom, with adumbral mist blanketing everything in sight. What could be seen seemed to possess a strange grey glow, and curious purple lights floated in the air. The floor underneath was black quartz, etched with a multitude of arcane symbols, none of which I could read. I saw that the black quartz extended to and covered what must have once been a library full of books. None of these tomes were retrievable or readable, their words enigmatically concealed beneath the caliginous quartz surface. In one part of the dark mists, there existed several mirror-like structures that did not reflect their surroundings, but instead showed hazy, dark shapes, their amorphous bodies staring back with purple eyes. There was a pool filled with quicksilver, with distorted limbs and faces submerged just beneath the malleable surface. The faces, when they did emerge, had a dead, unnerving gaze.

     From the Apex of the Mists, I crossed a docking structure for aetherships, making my way to the Apex of the Winds. The Apex of the Winds, in contrast with its neighbour, was clearer, brighter, and much more colourful. Here, I found myself at the top of a gigantic cloud formation. There were no mist in sight, and one could gaze into the endless blue sky without obstruction. It was far more stable than the chaos of the maelstrom. There was a sense of peace about the area, though it was somewhat unsettling to look over the edge and see nothing but sky beneath, nothing to catch the careless if they fell. Its most beautiful aspect was a crystal waterfall, which flowed down into the sky beneath, descending in a winding course between the cloud columns.

     As twilight fell in the realm, a bell reverberated throughout the maelstrom, hailing from the cathedral in the centre of it all. Fighting my way through the maelstrom once more, I returned to the building, which was imposingly tall by itself, with dramatically looming spires. Connected to the cathedral, there was a chapel which housed the bell "Great Tom O'Lincoln," which could be rung in praise of the Lord Enigma by pulling the rope dangling beneath it. Within, the inside was symmetrically structured and very composed compared to the maelstrom raging outside. Just as the Apices of Mist and Winds were a juxtaposition of opposites, so were the cathedral and maze-like maelstrom. There were high, impressive arches; windows of translucent, stained glass; ornately-engraved pillars; and an organ instrument, left unplayed.

     It is common knowledge that Lords Lacostian and Elcyrion united to become Lord Elostian, the Enigma. The Eye of the Mists was on the western side of the cathedral. This "eye" was a large, circular window of stained glass that portrayed the Lord Lacostian in all His incarnations: the Pearl of Wisdom, the Guardian of the Akashic, the Mysterial Lord, and the Enigma. The Eye of the Winds was on the eastern side; similar to the other window, it showed Lord Elcyrion's various incarnations. The coloured glass designs depicted a tall white-haired Elder, an empty window, a translucent spectre, and the Enigma. At the northernmost end of the cathedral, the Eye of Twilight illustrated the story of both Lords Lacostian and Elcyrion, and the creation of the Enigma. The cathedral, in accordance with the rest of the realm, was full of striking contrasts, magnifying its impact upon the mind and senses.

     Overall, the entire realm is veiled in mystery, and in an unsettling way, from its petrified books and face-filled quicksilver pools to its floating rock islands and strange, evaporating shades. The world of the twilit maelstrom outside the cathedral is chaotic and unpredictable with its movements of the land and frequent electric discharges. The much more symmetrical and solid structure of the cathedral is beautiful and can serve as a place for meditation at some points in time, but the great bell might serve to be distracting. As well, the Apex of the Winds is peaceful, and to me, a more suitable location for deep contemplation.