Grimoire Imperio
The Book of Empire
◀ Chapter 5 · Chapter 6 · Chapter 7 ▶

¹And Mortivar lifted up his eyes in the vision, and lo, he beheld the Empire stretch as the skies from east unto west.
²Its roads were as veins across the world, and upon them moved carts and beasts and men of many nations.
³They spake in divers tongues, yet all gave heed to one law, and wore the seal of the Empire upon their brow.
⁴And their coin bare the likeness of one man, whose name was exalted above all names.
⁵They bowed before him, and cried aloud: Our lord and god, giver of peace, maker of justice.
⁶And he sat upon a throne of onyx and gold, beneath a canopy of scarlet and purple.
⁷And his eyes were as burning coals, and his voice as the roaring of a lion.
⁸And he spake, saying: Let no god be above the Empire, nor no law higher than mine own.
⁹Then was shown unto Mortivar a great fire in the midst of the city, and books were cast therein.
¹⁰And the voice said: They burn the scrolls of remembrance, that none may recall the days aforetime.
¹¹They make a new memory, that all history shall serve them and none other.
¹²And he saw altars torn down, and temples raised in their stead, wherein none spake the names of the Brothers.
¹³And the names of ADONAI and SATANAS were forbidden from the lips of the multitude.
¹⁴Yet in secret, men whispered them in fear and in longing, hiding from the gaze of the priests of the Empire.
¹⁵And a child asked his father: Who made the stars? but the father answered not, for the truth was a danger unto them both.
¹⁶And Mortivar cried out: How shall righteousness flourish in a land that forgetteth the Makers?
¹⁷And the voice said: This is the judgement: that light came into the world, but men loved darkness more than light.
¹⁸The Empire shall be mighty, but not eternal. It shall rise as a mountain, and fall as dust.
¹⁹Its glory shall blind the eyes of many, but the wise shall see through the smoke and find the path of truth.
²⁰Woe unto him that trusteth in power, and unto him that maketh flesh his arm.
²¹For the Empire shall demand the soul of every man, and giveth nothing eternal in return.
²²Then Mortivar beheld a woman clothed in crimson and gold, seated upon many waters.
²³In her hand was a cup full of abominations, and upon her brow was written, Mystery, Empire of the Oærth.
²⁴And the peoples did drink of her cup, and were drunken with her riches and her pride.
²⁵Yet he saw her end: for the cup fell, and she was cast down, and the waters devoured her.
²⁶And the multitudes wailed and cast dust upon their heads, saying: Alas! our great city is no more.
²⁷But a voice from HÆVAN spake, saying: Rejoice, ye that serve truth! For her judgement is come.
²⁸And Mortivar fell upon his face, and cried: O Lord of the Deep, what is man, that he should exalt himself as a god?
²⁹And the voice said: He is dust, and unto dust shall he return; yet I have breathed into his nostrils the breath of choice.
³⁰Choose thou this day, Mortivar, whether thou wilt proclaim this vision unto the sons of men.
³¹And Mortivar answered: Lo, I am thine; send me, and I shall speak it, whether they will hear or whether they will forbear.
³²Then the vision ended, and the dawn brake upon the land, and Mortivar rose up to do as he was commanded.


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