Strangerside Scholar: Demon Urns

Demon Urns, jars of clay with wax seals. Jars wrapped in spells and wards. What do they contain?

http://signpoststoeden.blogspot.com/2009/08/mesopotamian-incantation-bowl.html

Most scholars say that Demon Urns contain evil spirits of Fire and Air. Only great wizards and powerful priests with the gifts of the gods themselves can seal such beings within jars of clay. In this way, for a time, demons are bound to and sealed within the Earth. They can't harm anyone while they are sealed within the jar. But who profits from their confinement and how? What bargains will be struck; what feats will be coerced?

http://rambambashi.wordpress.com/tag/herodotus/

Many priests say that Demon Urns are a work of human impiety, a sprung trap for the godlings of a particular city or place. The jars were placed where the godlings would find them, and deceptively appeared to them as spirit houses, palaces of clay.

Unfortunately, the godlings who choose to reside within Demon Urns soon find themselves trapped, wandering the corridors of an endless palace-become-tomb for the undying. Trapped within Demon Urns, such unfortunate godlings fall victim to their own Faults and furies, often unwittingly becoming vengeful and demonic, and soon completely beholden to the unscrupulous persons who tricked and trapped them.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17323/17323-h/images/122.jpg

But a few sages contend that the Demon Urns are remnants of realms that collapsed in upon themselves. Realms with a Virtue and a Fault, but no Fate. Realms with a Virtue and a Fate, but no Fault. Realms with a Fault and a Fate, but no Virtue. Realms with only one quality, or even less. These sages believe that Demon Urns contain the materials for making new gods - or that such jars, when broken and their contents spilled, give birth to Floodgates, and thus to new realms.

Strangerside Scholar: The Elemental Alleviators

Heinrich Khunrath
http://www.trinitysaintdavid.ac.uk/en/rbla/onlineexhibitions/witchcraftandwizardry/

There are four of them - and there always have been. They travel together across the spheres. As long-time companions on the road they seldom feel the need to converse. Each of the four has an apprentice or companion. A caravan travels in their train, carrying their impedimenta and equipment.

"The First Stage of the Great Work" by Hans Vredeman de Vries
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_Khunrath

The Elemental Alleviators are an ancient society of elemental wizards. Each wizard is a master of an element and of the cosmic forces associated with that element. They can restore the balance in a realm. Or they can let it die. If they help, they will always exact a price.

They are always headed somewhere, but some worlds they cannot reach in time. Others, they judge beyond their capabilities. Still others, unworthy of assistance

But when they choose to help, the Elemental Alleviators can make a real difference. An imbalance among the elements can put a realm at risk of annihilation or implosion. This is what occurred in the realm of Bensalem after their religious revolution; the Alleviators were not there to help the realm, and it is no more.

The Elemental Alleviators begin to help by identifying what is wrong in a realm. Their tools include divination and magical metrology, the sciences, and more mundane means of investigation. They will present the authorities of the realm with an analysis and a plan to address the realm's existential threat. This may involve potions or gases; magical or political intervention; scientific and social innovation or reform. Solving a sphere's core problems usually requires multiple methods of intervention.

Iranian Alchemist
http://www.alchemywebsite.com/a-archive_sep04.html

Finally, the Elemental Alleviators will always ask for something significant in return - a boon, a new apprentice or companion, a safe house, or some other favor. Most realms are only too happy to oblige. Unfortunately, some try to renege on the deal once the Alleviators have done all the hard work.

Ancient scroll records within the Library of All Worlds claim that the Elemental Alleviators are nearly ageless and immortal. Some have suggested they were the first Spherewalkers to follow in the Walker's footsteps. An ancient portrait of one, Lord Fire, hangs in the Hall of the Chamber Platinum. But the fact that they always have an apprentice or companion also suggests that they can be killed. It is said that they always watch their backs, for a few desperate Spherewalkers pursue them, hoping to appropriate their storied Spherepaths and possessions.

Questions:

1. What was the most recent realm where the Elemental Alleviators were of help? 
2. What challenge was the realm facing? How were the elements out-of-balance?
3. What boon did the Alleviators demand for their help?

What are your answers?

Strangerside Scholar: The Mother's Day

Today is normally the day of rest for The Everwayan, but the Strangerside Scholar had something important to say.

The Mother's Day: Over in Strangerside, The Quarreler, one of the few to escape the implosion of the realm Bensalem, waits for The Mother's Day to roll around to make his usual joke:

"Ever notice how whenever someone creates a holiday for the oppressed - say, Outsider's Day - someone in Authority has to come to create a holiday for the oppressor, like Horizon Day? It's tiresome. It's just the same with Mother's Day; next thing you know the Authorities create Father's Day so no one feels bad."

Once a Moon or so, Strangers and Outsiders do listen to what the The Quarreler has to say, but most Everwayans just shake their heads, and point out that The Quarreler just doesn't understand how things work here in Everway. There's gender equality in Everway, not gender oppression. There's also no Mother's Day or Father's Day, here. There is only The Mother's Day.

The Mother's Day is as old as the city; indeed, it founded the city in a very real sense.

***

The legend of The Mother's Day began when Everway was just a collection of huts surrounding The Walker's Pyramid. The Pyramid was quite new in those days. In fact, our story begins the morning The Walker laid the final stone upon the seventh tier of her Pyramid. "One left, she thought. Time to go away for a while and find it."

The Walker descended the Pyramid. As she did so, she heard a baby crying. The Walker found a child left all alone, a baby girl in a wicker basket who had been placed on a stone on the first tier of the Pyramid. The basket's bottom was wet. So was the baby's.

The Walker then looked out at the Pyramid priests.They were staring at her. "Where did this baby come from?" The Walker asked.

"We're not sure" shrugged Half Moondance, the chief of the Pyramid priests. "A fisherman found her in the Sunset River, fished her out, and brought her here as an offering."

The Walker snatched Half Moondance's fine cloak right off his shoulders. She tore it in half. With one half of the robe, she cleaned the child. She used the other half to line the basket, and put the baby inside it.

The Walker turned and began climbing back up the Pyramid. Slowly, surely, steadily, keeping a strong hold on the basket until she reached the seventh tier. Then, the Walker took the baby girl out of her basket. She held the her up, and faced her out towards the scattering of huts that would one day become the great city of Everway.

She turned the baby to face each of the four directions.

The child saw smoke rising from the huts, and beyond them fields and trees. She also saw small fishing boats bobbing in the Shimmermoon Bay. The baby smiled.

"All this is yours." The Walker said. "I hold you up now, as you will hold up others."

"Help them. Heal them. Ensure their children come into this world safe and sound."

"I show you your world. Your name will be Mother First."

"Take three three gifts with you: Awareness. The Healing Arts. Responsibility."

This is how the Mother family came to be the first great family of Everway.

"Teach other Mothers this ritual."

***

Sources: This legend was inspired in part by the Moses story (which relates to other wood and wicker Mesopotamian and Egyptian arks). Another inspiration was rite of the Roman goddess of childbirth, Levana. Those familiar with the film Suspira by Dario Argento, and with its inspiration, Suspira de Profundis and "Levana And Our Ladies Of Sorrow" by Thomas DeQuincey will be familiar with De Quincey's significantly darker view of this goddess.

For Alice T. Till.