ERU, THE ONE

In the beginning was Eru, The One, with no beginning and no end. The first of his creations was the Timeless Halls, a timeless, dimensionless void. The Timeless Halls were divided into two courts: the Inner Halls and the Outer Halls; the Inner being the most holy of the two. The lesser halls encircle the central interior hub, full of passageways radiating out from the inner chambers like the spokes of a wheel. From there Eru alone fashioned all time, all scientific laws, all matter, all space and all universes by his hands.

Next The One created parallel spiritual plains to parallel the physical realm of each universe fashioned by his hands. He named these dimensions the Ethereal Planes. The Planes of each respective universe were knitted to the Outer Halls to a designated portal that he had fixed for each respective universe.

Above each of these plains, The One created and appointed one set of immortal Upper Echelons per universe—a hierarchy of three powers for the enforcement, upkeep, and continual maintenance of all of the laws that The One had fashioned. The highest in authority over each universe is the Control Character, a nearly incomprehensible being with authority just below The One. Below the Control Character is the Autoexec, and below the Autoexec is The Powers That Be.

The One also created an initial body of wise spiritual beings throughout each universe. From the Ethereal Planes, under the supervision of the Upper Echelons, these Implementors were given many powers: the ability to use the building blocks which Eru had already shaped to create and destroy, to forge history, even to build and regulate the planets, including the implementation of the terrain, plants and animals for each universe to which they were assigned.

The invisible Eru, with a form too holy to manifest before mortals lest they perish, gifted the Upper Echelons and the Implementors with the ability to take upon themselves a physical form to deliver the voice of his will unto all creation. While the Upper Echelons dwelt in the Inner Halls, the lesser Implementors were not permitted inside these deeper realms.

When the rudiments of a certain universe was manifested, Eru who rules the Timeless Halls, conceived from his own belly, the Great Brogmoids to hold up each of the planets created by the Implementors. One of these planets, stemming beneath the Ethereal Planes known as Atrii and Irina, was called Zork.[1] When the foundations of the world were laid down, Eru created seventeen small, plain white cubes, which were the physical manifestations of the elemental powers and forces that hold the universe in place. The cubes and the forces were merged in a way that our knowledge no longer comprehends. The cubes were further linked through some unknown mystical process to six legendary pools. The exact nature of these pools remains unclear even today; tradition has left only vague information concerning two of these magical bodies of water, the Pool of Stasis and the Pool of Radiance (also known as the Pool of Eternal Youth). When the making was done, the cubes were hidden away so that their powers could not be tampered with. Almost all of these were placed upon Zork.

Tradition also has it that Eru grew distrustful of his children, the Implementors, who had grown haughty, and kept certain things secret from them. The first was the knowledge of the Cubes of Foundation and their final locations; for The One knew that should one Implementor grow too powerful, the cubes could be used to undo all of Eru’s work. The same was apparently true of the Timeless Halls and the gateways into them. Eru was only known to grant the Implementors one-way tickets out of the Halls.

Thus summarizes the account as it is written in the sacred and infallible Scrolls of Kar’nai. Even unto the present, all attempts to disprove the credibility of these sacred writings have been met with humiliating failure. But one is not to forsake that other crude theories have been developed throughout history of Zork, and despite the lack of evidence for these claims, many cling to these deprivations of truth in opposition to the acceptance of Eru, the All-Mighty Creator.


THE SCROLLS OF FIZBIN
The Sacred Scrolls of Fizbin may be the only surviving element of the first ages. These scrolls, one of the primary sources for knowing the will and mind of Eru (the other being the Scrolls of Kar'nai) contain troves of knowledge which had been hidden from the Implementors, and instead imparted to the earliest humans, namely the prophet Fizbin. Unlike many falsely so-called prophets throughout the ages, every known prediction of this hermit has come to pass (unless its fulfillment is yet to come).

Legend states that the actual text of these writings were dictated to Fizbin, not by the Implementors, nor even the Upper Echelons, but straight from the mouth of Eru The One, himself. Working in his unknowable and unsearchable ways, Eru apparently saw it fit to grant everything he withheld from the Implementors to the race of men, to do with it as they saw fit. The hermit experienced a visitation from The Father of the Implementors, who imparted revelations to him in some kind of dream or vision over the course of several nights of deep sleep. Fizbin was granted extensive knowledge of spiritual forces, certain mysterious powers of life giving and immortality, the ability to foresee and describe certain events in the distant future, the knowledge of the original locations of the primary Cubes of Foundation, the six Pools, heavenly Timeless Halls and methods to open their secret gateways, mystic places, a remarkable thorough knowledge of geography that remains unequaled even today, and many more prophecies and mysterious far beyond our intellects. When Fizbin had finished and looked over his own words, he could not even understand much of what had been written.

Though Fizbin faithfully recorded the words of The One, unfortunately for humanity, he wrote in an ancient archaic script, barely understandable beyond his time. For centuries scholars would attempt to decipher the words and would fail, leaving only partially translated passages (theoretically translated) even until the Entharion Dynasty. And even the new translation methods that arose during the reign of Zylon that Aged, only partially translated the scrolls, but still failed to decipher much of the text, as it referred to objects and places no longer known, or no longer called by their ancient names. For example, there were very specific instructions about how to find the Pools, but every detail related to geographical locations that are no longer known, and even if they were, it was likely that many of the locations of the cubes had changed over the generations as they had been discovered. However, it was said that he who completely understood the contents of the Scrolls would have power over all existence and would know the eventual fate of the world.


THE FALL OF BELEGUR
High amongst the powers of the universe, Belegur was the Chief Implementer. All the other mighty creators of the many worlds once respected and loved him. As the years passed, the pride of Belegur grew strong, and he sought to overthrow the One true power. In the process, the Implementors were faced with much temptation, as their chief began to incite them into beholding the beautiful daughters of men and elves that had begun to populate the surface of Zork. Finding them to be comely and pleasing in their sight, many of the Implementors abandoned themselves to their lusts, departing their heavenly homes and having intercourse with any of the females whom they wished to take for themselves.

Within several months, these impious women gave birth to hideous half-human, half-implementor monstrosities. As these aliens grew to full stature, the races of Zork were forced to ally against the deformations in order to protect their very lives. So much chaos and blight did the bastard offspring of the rebel Implementors instill upon Zork that the Control Character was ordered by Eru to cover all of Zork with a worldwide calamity in order to destroy not only all of these aliens, but to eliminate all of the wicked mortals which had been infected by the whims of Belegur and the fallen Implementors. But a couple of each race was to be preserved from the destruction.

Satisfied with the grievous affliction that had already been caused by the outstretching of a single finger, Belegur rose up in challenge against Eru directly, shaking the foundations of the mighty Timeless Halls. Simultaneously, everything within the Ethereal Planes and the surface of Zork were judged. All the unrighteous, both in the Ethereal Planes and on Zork, were cast forth from their dwellings. Belegur was banished from the company of the divine spirits, thrown down to Zork as a flash of lightning from the sky and into lowly physical flesh. All of his godlike abilities had been stripped away. He lost the power of life and death over the human world and was forced to work his way in the body of a mortal—a very powerful mortal known as the Devil. But Belegur would not be granted the simple honor of a mortal death. He would live in that body, immortal, free to wander the face of the earth for all eternity.

BELEGUR AND THE SUPERNATURAL & FANTASTIC WAYFARERS ASSOCIATION
The host of fallen Implementors (with an exception of Belegur) who dared to rebel against the original laws and commands of righteousness as handed down by The One through the spiritual hierarchy were thrown into chains and bound up until the Final Conflagration. Their bastard offspring had been punished in a most extraordinary way. In the Zork-wide calamity, their bodies had been destroyed, yet their disembodied spirits were free to roam. They bore extreme hatred for the One who had condemned them.

Wandering as a vagabond from his rightful abode, Belegur’s hatred fomented, desperately seeking revenge upon Eru and his righteous Implementors. The current inability to return to the Timeless Halls and do battle with the entire host of his enemies aggravated him; he sought to discover the gateway back home. Temporarily, his abode was made in the subterranean underworld, an entire vast kingdom of fire and sulfur and hell, which he would later name Hades after one of the disembodied spirits.

Unable to use mortal form to reenter the Timeless Halls and confront Eru unassisted, Belegur hoped to pierce him with agony by spearing the One’s creation. The Devil had retained the knowledge of magic and telepathy, and his powers of mind control were nearly incomparable. Anyone who was not on guard, careful, or innocent and pure according to the commandments of Eru, is very susceptible to being magically controlled by Belegur, even from a great distance. Thus he sought the minds of those who would accept him, of those who were weak and willing to subject themselves to him. Many less powerful mortals were forced to succumb to his unique psychic powers of persuasion, aiding him in his ongoing struggle against The One Father of the Implementors. Belegur’s presence is revealed even today through the deeds of angry, spiteful men. But as the populations of the races which Eru had chosen to survive the calamity procreated, the Devil did not have the strength to attend to each one concurrently.

Sensing the outrage of the disembodied spirits, the Devil amassed them together as one to rally them against the races. This horde of evil vastly spread across Zork, deceiving the replenishing population by proclaiming themselves ‘Gods’ and professing to have supreme power. Thus many of the mortal minds in Zork were enslaved to do Belegur’s will through these demons.

In order to govern and prevent this tremendous population of reprobate pseudo-gods from corrupting all of creation, the Autoexec and The Powers That Be planned to delete the entire horde. Belegur petitioned the Control Character not to destroy the full number of the spirits, saying, “Let some of them remain under my control, and let them attend to my voice. For if some of them are not left to me, I shall not be able to execute the power of my will over those wicked men that have given themselves over to iniquity. Let these be for corruption and leading astray.”

And the Control Character, acting in accordance with the will of Eru, granted a tenth of these spirits to Belegur, and sent the other nine parts into the place of condemnation. In order to prevent the remaining spirits from destroying Zork prematurely, the Autoexec and The Powers That Be formed for them the Supernatural and Fantastic Wayfarers Association.

The Association was fashioned in such a shrewd and crafty manner that it was not necessary to force the congregation of disembodied spirits to join; the entire horde voluntarily enrolled, save a few (see below). The Association’s mutual non-aggression pact restricted members from fighting one another or from killing a mortal being outright. They were only permitted to influence the decisions of mortals, or by indirectly aiding or impeding them. Secondly, these spirits, each having already been imbued with a limited range of supernatural powers, were able to lend measures of these powers to mortals who placed their faith in their name. Any spillage of these unholy powers that was utilized by any mortal being would later be called “magic.”[1] Thirdly, if these pseudo-gods wished to battle one another, they could only do so by poising mortals against one another. Hoping to manipulate these renegade spirits into obedience to the organization’s laws (of which were the precepts of righteousness in guise), the Autoexec and The Powers That Be formed an annual award ceremony, in which the most duteous and respectful supernatural being could receive the Joseph Campbell Award for Best Semi-Actual Persona.

Coming to ravenously desiring to have this award, almost all of the supernatural beings eagerly committed themselves to these rules, except for a handful of renegades. While a fraction of these renegades are mysteriously allowed to roam Zork even today without chastisement, many were made an example of by instant discorperation. One of the most infamous of these beings that was forsaken punishment at this time was Morgrom the Essence of Evil, who would instill his evil upon the land until the tenth century when the Control Character finally deleted him.

While the Award was beneficial at controlling these beings for some time, the democratic circle of pseudo-gods that held the entire organization in check began to alter the rules by vote and thus corrupted members were soon winning Awards. It is suspected that this activity was introduced discreetly by the secretly corrupt Autoexec. Regardless, it seems that the Upper Echelons restricted Implementor advancement to the righteous alone and occasionally deleted others from existence.

In the ages to come, Belegur would continue to assemble both spirits and mortals to his wicked causes, either through deception or by guiding the cords of already charred hearts into his schemes. Evidence of how quickly the Devil’s influence spread throughout the land is found within all the civilizations of antiquity, usually as part of the prayers to the ancients.


THE WORLDWIDE CALAMITY
According to the Scrolls of Kar’nai, the Frobeolithic Glacier Epozz was the aftermath of the Zork-wide judgment. For The One Eru, seeing that the ways of all men were wicked upon the face of the earth, destroyed everything that had been created save a family of each race. These survivors multiplied, spreading abroad as the glaciers gradually receded. As the glaciers shrank, new land was made available for the expansion of civilization. Remnants of the passing age were deposited in many valleys and depressions as lakes and seas. (see Frobozzolithic Lake Epozz and Brogmolithic Volcano Epozz for more information)

The only tribe of humans to survive Eru’s judgment was the rudiment of what would become the Mithicans, whose seed continued to multiply throughout the entirety of the three former Epozzs. Frequently these men were visited by spirits of the Supernatural and Fantastic Wayfarers Association, who tried to convince them that they were holy gods (rarely these spirits did reveal their true evil persona), sharing their names with them and demanding their adoration in exchange for favorable season of crops, or promised victory in war. These pseudo-gods perused those who were most devoted, teaching them how to call upon them by name and how to utilize their supernatural powers. This event was the foundation of evil magic among mortals.

While several of the residual families broke off to different regions, a majority of the humans had congregated in primitive huts along the outskirts of the Miznia Jungle, wore vulgar loincloths, and derived entertainment from sitting around bonfires, yelling and hollering at the sky. While many of the developing families after the disaster were duped into following these so-called gods, a remnant who still followed the ways of The One handed down through his messengers, broke away from these deceived tribes. They gradually migrated northward to pitch the rudiments of what would become known as Borphee and Pheebor. It would be many centuries before these two cities would ascend beyond incessant grunting and form the first semblance of society.


COLLAPSE OF THE EASTERN EMPIRE
Historians have put forth the idea that, for several hundred years before the birth of Entharion, the larger part of the Eastlands was dominated by a previously forgotten power, referred to here as the Eastern Empire. Archaeologists who have examined the ruined castle grounds in Fenshire have put forth the idea that the collapse of this Eastern Empire was due in some way to the neglect or betrayal to The One Eru, instead erecting peculiar idols to abominable pseudo-gods to which this culture paid homage.

It is remarkable that the conclusions made by the discovery of these ruins match what is expressly stated in the Scrolls of Kar’nai:
 

Know this now. The lord, chief among the Implementors and creator of them all, weaves an unfathomable future. His hand is an intangible force guiding our lives, moving them in inconceivable patterns, by rules beyond our understanding. Witness the fall of the mighty Nezgeth Empire as proof of His majesty. In glory and pride the dark-skinned warriors built mighty castles, souring high to challenge even the Gray Mountains themselves. The entirety of the lands to the east were theirs, across the Great Sea. Giant temples built they, carving into walls of rock, profaning the sacred earth that is Eru’s with false idols of rodents and serpents, the hollow beasts that crawl in the dust.

The lord conferred with his elders and among them there was much argument. Rebellious Implementors cried out in anger, hesitant to see their creations destroyed. Eru in his mercy heard the elders cry and His holy answer will stand the test of the ages. Witness the providence of the One. The Nezgeth in their hubris likened themselves unto the gods. He smiled and understood. Nezgeth pride is merely part of That Which Is.

Causing the golden sword of the sun to fall upon the Nezgeth, He bade them to leave their mighty castles and wander the face of the earth in loneliness. Crossing the sea, the mountains, and the desert, they left their empire behind and now live to serve Him. Understand this. Rather than destroy His own children, He sees the future and finds a place for them in His web of truths. He sees a day when they will arise to their former splendor and destroy His greatest of enemies.

-The First Scroll of Kar’nai, Book Three

The Nezgeth forefathers in the Eastlands had sinned against the One. Giving homage to worship of false idols, rodents and evil serpents, they had fallen prey to pride and aggressiveness. As their true god watched in disappointed silence, the early Nezgeth empire took hold of vast stretches of foreign land, pushing ever onward in one military conflict after another. When finally Eru sought to destroy them, he was begged by the Implementors to have mercy upon them. Heeding their cries, Eru broke their empire to pieces, but banished the Nezgeth from their homes.

SCROLLS OF KAR'NAI (c. 300 BE)
The chief body of religious literature comes from several centuries before the birth of the Kingdom of Quendor, in the form of the Scrolls of Kar’nai. Penned by a handful of anonymous believers living a hermetic life far in the frigid Northlands, nearly a thousand bloits to the north of Galepath, near the ancient and mystic religious site of Kar’nai, these divinely-inspired works, have been organized into books that scholars believe to have been written by different unknown hands. Like the Sacred Scrolls of Fizbin, these documents are said to have been uttered by the lips of Eru and united in both spirit and theme with the former work, thus becoming its complementary.

Even today these prophetic scrolls have been found inerrant, surpassing even the most eager and diligent attempts to disprove them, much to the dismay of their opponents. According to Litbo Mumblehum, “no single document has contributed more to our understanding of the religious world than the Scrolls of Kar’nai.”


ASCENSION OF ZYLON THE AGED
In 398 GUE, the forces of Belegur inflicted Zylon the Aged with a terrible sickness. Hoping to retain his life, his court sought out the Scrolls of Fizbin, which contained the location of the legendary Pool of Stasis. This pool was never found, but the Scrolls were recovered. Although it was not until  Belegur's defeat that the illness departed. But shortly after, having read much in the Scrolls of Fizbin, it is told that he constructed the gateway to the Timeless Halls and ascended where he still dwells with the divine.

ELDERS OF ERU
The Elders of Eru, presumably a religious group, frequently sought the historical archives at Galepath University during the fourth century, a time where skeptics of the existence of The One grew large; even until this day, their arguements designed to denounce the reality of The One are believed by a large portion of the Zorkian populaion.


AFTER
After this period, it seems that the name of Eru gradually departed from the minds of most, being instead replaced by worship of the host of Pseudo-Gods, and then eventually by the denial of gods entirely. The only other direct instance of Eru's intercession is when the Control Character was sent to delete Morgrom after the Autoexec had rebelled against his authorities (c. 966 GUE).

Despite the sparing references to divine revelation and encounters, small alcoves continued to worship Eru throughout the ages, and even today (1699 GUE), many of them have gathered at the Bel Naire Temple where they commune and observe righteousness and purity, and refuse to practice magic, and refuse the worship of any other divine power apart from Eru, The One.


THE DAY OF HIS WRATH
According to the ancient holy writings, there is a day reserved when Eru will come to visit his creation to judge each inhabitant according to their works. This day is known as The Final Conflagration, or 'The Day of His Wrath'.

SOURCE(S): A History of Quendor, Zylon the Aged