Sgrios Mass: The Eclipse

Sgrios mass by Paramour & Nimoko

 

Within which realm do we chose to exist? Zealots preach the abundance of light, yet those scholars who study the known world as they do a book know that darkness reigns. Yet as easily as we can seek shade on a sunny day or bathe ourselves in the warmth of a summer sun, we can exist in the worlds of dark and light as we carry ourselves through our waking moments.

 

There was a time -- not even too long ago, historically speaking -- in which the forces of the darkness sought dominance over that of the light. The two prevailing mother elements, both equally matched and co-dependant upon each other for survival, threw wave after wave of valuable lives into the black abyss of eternal sleep for a ruddy foolish endeavor. Even the Gods can be petty when it comes to control, and so it was, then, that the Goddess of Light and the Lord of Darkness drew lines across our world and nearly tore it asunder in their greedy conquest. Valiance demands a toll and for this our population was sacrificed.

 

Every day we see the exchange of darkness for light. Dawn begets the day and falls again to night. Here we see an eternal balance that cannot be tilted by any such divine decree or war of man. One cannot simply pluck the sun from the sky, nor can one make the moon feed the trees as does the day. We know this now, after the loss of so many. Brothers slew brothers; fathers killed sons in the pursuit of power. This was a golden age for our lord, but not for the reasons one may anticipate. Nay, it was not for power Sgrios fanned the flames of war, but for the needless chaos it left in it’s wake. Temuair was shattered and thus, in its ruin, rulers were uprooted, peasants ascended to nobility, the rich were cast into the barren fields of mud to toil under a new aristocracy.

 

Chadul, it is said, during those feverish days of fighting, conceived of a weapon so powerful that it’s inherent darkness would blot even the sun from the sky. Aptly named Eclipse, this sword was, for a time, foolishly reproduced by countless warriors seeking that overwhelming dominion over the wilds of this world. While these artifacts indeed look the part, none are quite as devastating as the one granted to Tenes. They do, however, echo the wonders of a natural phenomenon that deserves our consideration.

 

Today, all across the land, a chill fell silently across noon skies as the sun briefly lost faith in the presence of the nocturnal body of the moon. For a moment, darkness won the battle and, just as unceremoniously as it came, it ebbs to remind us, once more, that the day is a time for light. The eclipse is a grim reminder of the power of darkness, not so much over light, but over our lives. Here, in the height of the summer sun, we are blessed with a dark respite. Praise Sgrios for this momentary lapse of order, for we can worship here in darkness, even during the dominion of the light!