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Torumin - From Book 1113, "Prophecies and Portents", Divination MI |
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Early in the morning, during the first night of the Shining Hespra, the Malus holy day, high atop the Malus observatory at Mount Ki're, astronomers detected the first signs of a new, unidentified body in their heavens. It would change the course of the entire system.
The Malus' age-old conviction that no other life existed in the cosmos had never been in question. Their gods, The Aldar, at the height of their power, were drawn into a war with a powerful enemy. Eventually, the Aldar were betrayed in a Great Battle, and were defeated. The Great Betrayer was only known as a symbol in the Torumin.
The Alyssia 1 satellite contained a recorded greeting from the people of Alyssia, a statement saying they existed, in the form of a beacon that would light up the sky. Neither Alyssians nor Malus knew about each other's existence at that point.
"Prophecies and Portents" was written by an unknown Aldar during the decline of that divine race. Pessimistic in tone, the numerous "divinations" are our first indication that the Aldar's time has passed.
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Divination MI: "All living creatures wake to the light of the Sun; When there are two suns,
Does this increase our awareness? Shadow upon shadow, Light negates light."
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Malus: The Malus had long argued over the importance and meaning of this prophecy. How could there be two suns? This passage of Scripture has become synonymous with the "Dual Rise", which refers to the day that the unarmed, unmanned Alyssian satellite revealed itself. As the sun rose prominently over a heavily populated continent, the appearance of the Alyssian satellite in the sky gave the appearance of two suns appearing simultaneously. The message transmitted with light by the satellite was perceived as a second sun. Then, its orbit decaying, the satellite burned through the atmosphere, and crashed to the planet's surface. What was recovered from the wreckage shocked the entire populace. Emblazoned on the wreckage was the symbol from the Torumin, the symbol of the Great Betrayer who caused the downfall of their gods. The satellite also contained an encrypted message. Once deciphered, the Malus recognized it as part of a previously incomplete Torumin scripture.
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Observer to observed, The striking hand gathers the flame;
The crushing hand ignites the path. Victory is the light.
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The threat was obvious. The great evil was returning to destroy them, as they had the Aldar. Malus had to prepare for war, the Great Betrayer was coming back to finish what they had begun ages ago.
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Dual Rise affected every facet of Malus culture, including the development
of a navigational system based on a ship's position relative to the Sun.
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Alyssian: The logical Alyssians do not place much importance on "Prophecies and Portents". Although some religious figures (usually on the fringes of society) claim to have successfully interpreted many of the Divinations, the Alyssian Orthodoxy generally frowns on such unfounded speculation.
Before burning up in the atmosphere, Alyssia 1 had transmitted back enough information to prove to the Alyssians that there was intelligent life on Malus. The lack of response confused them, and finally convinced the Alyssians that life on Malus was still quite primitive.
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