T'was in the early days proceeding after the War of Choice; many gods became afeard of Az– the Greater God of the Dead. Heaven's executioner cut the heads of forty Haraush'teth and nearly thrice the number of Beshíri kings.
Several of their divine scores beseeched THE ONE.
For although the souls which Az tormented were unworthy of heaven, many were not so evil as to deserve pain either.
There arose discord as the gods perceived the menace of Az, yet EX'ÀOMË claimed that He still had action to perform on behalf of Heaven, and that all was part of a greater plan.
This did not appease the detractors, who beseeched THE ONE'S most favored child for support.
Alassochisma– Greater Goddess of Pain, Breath, and Life, was the greatest of the Ten. Not the mightiest, for t'was not through the authority of force that Alassochisma overcame. But Her influence pervaded the world in every struggle and no god of the first age became more worshipped than She.
"The mortals suffer under the embrace of Az, each year He reaps more victims into His realm to make slow arts of their suffering! He is a menace– a bane on all who would feel pain in death!"
Alassochisma lamented to hear of the cruel nature of Az, yet She did not condemn His darkness. Instead, she felt only pity.
As the gods beseeched Her, Alassochisma wove a cord of rope from the hairs of Ishdal.
She responded to the gods dismayed, "what cause did Az cite for His cruelties to the damned?"
"That 'tis His provision, that He is King of the Dead, as THE ONE is of Heaven and Terra. But this is false— a tyrant, not a king He is!"
"And how do you judge Him a tyrant?"
"He has brought pain to people undeserving of it."
To this, Alassochisma asked, "why are they undeserving of pain?"
"They are good, not evil."
"But 'tis not so that they lacked excellence and virtue? Did they not fail to ascend into Heaven? 'Tis not the case then that none of you saw fit to be their patron and guarantee their souls into paradise?"
"'Tis so. Yet the crime does not match its punishment. Why should those who lived honestly– even if flawed, be brought into the Place Between, while those who are conquerors, murderers, and menaces, find their ways into Heaven merely because they embodied the virtues of their fell god's domain?"
"And which gods are fell; which are kind?"
"We are kind, they are fell."
"Then you say t'was FATHER'S error– HE who is our creator and of perfect foresight, to allow these fell gods the same right of birth as you and grant them the agency to inflict their moral action upon the world at large, as all of you have?"
To this the gods could not argue, for none had courage to dishonor THE ONE. But each felt strongly that Az must be opposed.
"The gods of Death and War are not good. They bring struggle, pain, and unfairness to the world. They take what is evil and ascend it to Heaven, and bring what is kind and innocent into hell."
"No one is good but for THE ONE" said Alassochisma.
"We are good gods, we have brought beauty, justice, and compassion to the world. We have lived honestly and have worked many miracles for the betterment of our subjects, we have made labors to drive back evil and have stayed true to every virtue of Heaven– as have our subjects too."
"You claim then to be as good as FATHER?"
"This we claim, for we are true to the virtues of Heaven."
"Then can you cast out your godly status and powers? Can you resign to take the place of those who now reside in the Place Between– brought to pain under Az? Can you be a patron for all on the Terra, and ensure they each have a place in paradise, whether they are deserving or not in your eyes?"
"That is outrageous," said the gods.
"Outrageous, why?"
"Without our godly powers, how would we defy evils such as Az? If power we have to take from Az His ill whims, why then would we resign ourselves to suffer in the place of mortals subordinate of Him? And should we become patrons for all on the Terra, what would become of excellence and virtue– what drive would they have to seek out and perform a morally righteous code? How could any of these things be upheld if we did as you would ask?"
"'Tis as I said then, no one is good but for THE ONE."
Yet the gods became wounded in pride, their egos throbbed to hear Alassochisma's calm reply.
"What of Yourself then, Goddess of Pain? Will You take it upon Yourself to do these things that You have asked of us?"
"I shall," She said.
Then, as Alassochisma had finished Her labors of the rope, the gods had still not found a retort. So, they departed and left the goddess to Her pondering, which She continued for a timespan equal of seven cords of rope. At last when She had made an end of Her meditations, She retreated from Heaven and fell into the Place Between to speak with Az.
But Az fancied Alassochisma and desired to keep Her as His wife. When She arrived in His realm, Az took Her and did not permit Her to leave for nine days.
In such time, the gods had dispersed from complaint and formed a committee. They called upon THE ONE to demand Az face trial.
EX'ÀOMË permitted and in the court of heaven, Az appeared to the chagrin of the gods– who each brought forth testimony from themselves and from the many mortal victims of His cruelty.
Metaphor– Greater God of Craft, stepped forth to speak, "I have seen innumerable mortals who were worshippers of my faith each taken by Az and made to suffer in His realm. Though they were not wholly honest in their labors, many had not lived a life deserving of such pain."
But Az rebuked, "'tis My right. I am King of the Dead– ruler of the Place Between. What I do with those in the domain that is given to Me by THE ONE– who is flawless in His works, is in My rights to perform. Yet, would the gods subvert law and justice to bring to their pride satisfaction?"
"'Tis not pride that moves us, but compassion!"
"Ah— but semantics you speak, for you've all simply distorted such phrases that satisfy your moral hubris!"
Order was brought to the court and a silence fell. The trial proceeded onwards.
Another stepped forth; a victim of Az's cruelty.
"State your name, lost soul," commanded THE ONE with perfect clarity.
"I am Thea, daughter of Matheon. I was a worshipper of Yrell in life, though I failed to live up to the ideals of greater justice."
"What was your flaw in upholding justice?"
"I was a mother of six. Each I treated with care and honesty, but one I favored unfairly. T'was wrong of me to give my firstborn undue privileges, and to heed his words above my other children, and to apportion him a greater lot of my attention during motherly matters. I regret this, and now I live in hell because of it."
"And do you believe that you deserved the pain inflicted upon you as a result of your sins?"
"No. My sins were small, benign– a little evil. I do not deserve to exist in suffering eternally because of this banality, I believe."
"And what suffering has been inflicted upon you by Az?"
"He has made me subject to cruel impalement and hung my flesh over a fire until all the physical matter that remained of my corpse was burned away. Then He took my soul and dropped it into boiling oil, of which I had endured for three centuries without breath or relent in anguish. But worst of my pain was the laughter of Az, who made a spectacle of my horrors and made a carnival of my fears! This I believe was not justified under any virtuous laws!"
Many in the heavenly court were moved to great rage at the words of Thea, and of Metaphor, and of many other witnesses and gods who all listed the crimes of Az– that were so long as to encompass more than a hundred scrolls.
Yet Az did not deny these victim's claims. Instead, He put forth his argument to THE ONE with supreme confidence.
"Behold LORD, for I show you now the children of Thea. Firstborn is Kӕloth, a gluttonous lord whose once noble bearing befouled with greed. Witness how he violates the servants, dishonors the priests– he even blasphemes the gods with his own mouth! See how his mothers works have made a cancer of his manhood."
Az did not cease, another He showed of Thea's children:
"This one is Hexioth– envy in the skin of a man. See all lives that he has ruined in his jealousy. For he has determined that which he cannot have shall not exist. And wherefore did this envy arise if not from his childhood neglect? Then Nëmenoth– the third son. He who is a slaver and has endeavored with will to break families apart. 'Tis not then that his own was broken and thus it became a matter of course he followed? I bid that you all witness the results of those faults and flaws which the lady Thea claims to be little evils. For 'tis not then that mothers bear a part in their children's failings, as children are born of their parent's sin as well?"
Even presented with this argument by Az, the gods rejected, "'tis not proof enough! We cannot determine that Thea is to blame for what her children did of their own wills! Yet that is beside the point. You did not endeavor such works of Thea's soul out of duty. T'was for pleasure that you acted!"
Az grinned to this, "For pleasure? Wherefore your suspicion of Me when I performed my duties without flaw? Yet how could she– a loving mother, not know of what twisted her sons as I do? Should we not judge her, who is flawed in her motherhood– rather than me, who is perfect in my execution of duty?"
Discord remained in Heaven, as the gods remained dissatisfied by the malevolence of Death.
But there came something then which the gods did not expect. A witness was called to the stand again, yet this time– t'was for the defense they spoke. There on the stand stood a person which the gods had not seen for nine days– the favored child of THE ONE, Alassochisma: Greater Goddess of Pain.
THE ONE perceived Her, and allowed Her testimony in defense of Az.
"What word do you come here to give, Alassochisma, daughter of EX'ÀOMË?"
"I have come here on behalf of Az, who has never failed in His duties nor in His power to uphold the virtues of Death."
"So it appears by all given evidence, yet many here have claimed that Az inflicts suffering that should not be deserved by the damned. What say you, has Az inflicted suffering onto you in these past nine days?"
"Yes, He has. In my time within the land of the dead, I was known by Az despite my wishes. He has taken me into pain and suffering. I had felt the lash of death and the sting of ice, and the violation of flame, and all the pains that can be inflicted upon a being were wrought to me by Az. And He made a spectacle of it, a great theater of cruelty and ill satisfaction."
"Yet still you will stand here in His defense?"
"I shall."
"And what is your defense of Az?"
"That He is not the one who should be made to suffer, for I have decided to endeavor such pain myself so as to preserve the domain of Death as required it be."
"You mean that you will bear the punishment for all crimes leveled against Az?"
"This, and more. For I will endeavor to take on the punishment for the weak and the guilty too, which Az would otherwise inflict on them with succor. I shall be the one to bear each sin of the mortal races. I vow to be the patron of the unworthy, the unvirtuous, and the meek. For each of their sins, I sacrifice. So long as they shall earnestly call to Me, I shall grant them forgiveness if they ask."
"You say that You shall suffer the consequences for the sins of those like Thea, as well as Az?"
"This is what I mean FATHER."
THE ONE nodded and spoke, "then so be it."
An uproar resounded in heaven.
Of the Lesser Gods was Philia, of Love. Who held EX'ÀOMË to be perfect.
In this, Philia was right. For THE ONE was perfect in HIS moral clarity, fair beyond reproach, and the maker of everything.
Philia so loved EX'ÀOMË that he held THE ONE exclusively– that no other could be worthy of Love besides HIM.
But t'was his folly, for his faith in EX'ÀOMË proved pitiful.
At the trial of Az, he proclaimed among the gods his rejection of the verdict.
"Why do you object," asked THE ONE.
"My lord EX'ÀOMË– the namesake of my love, 'tis not so that Az has committed great evil and malice?"
"'Tis so. For He is a sadist, who has become consumed by the purpose He was created for. Although an executioner of evil, His revelry in the Death He was born to sow, has made Him a bane among the gods."
"But why then should it be your daughter, Alassochisma, who should suffer the consequence He rightly earned Himself?
"Because, t'was Her will that this be so, and in this, I shall respect it. Did you not also hear Her speak?"
"That I did LORD, and moved I was by Her compassionate heart for one that has greatly harmed Her. But why should She suffer eternally for the iniquities and sloth of man– who would endeavor upon the earth to subvert you through Her noble spirit?"
"This too was Her will, that She would become a patron of the unworthy and save their souls into Heaven, at the cost of bearing their consequential sins."
But this, Philia could not accept.
In a rage he proclaimed,
"Even should you permit this, I would not!"
And THE ONE said,
"You would deny what I have allowed?"
"I shall," said Philia, "and this I swear: that all who would seek an imperfect love shall know the tragedy to lose it in death."
He turned to Az, "and to You who is Death, I vow here that You shall never know of Love; neither from others, nor shall You know it in Your own heart."
Thus sworn, Philia diminished from heaven.
He labored many works upon the earth to fulfill his vow.
But none of these labors reached THE ONE.
And in the absence where Love once stood, EX'ÀOMË spoke:
"You have cursed Death, and so doing, you have cursed yourself as well. In this, I lament for you Philia, my False Believer. For if only in me your Love is reserved, then 'tis I who must Love more those people you have excluded."