Chapter 746: Children of the All-Maker
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Things took an interesting turn on Solstheim. While distrust and fear were prevalent among the involved parties, the end of Miraak's control over the minds of the innocent sparked a widespread purge of anything that may relate to Hermaeus Mora and the Cult of Miraak. This happened both in Raven Rock and the Skaal's villages.
The Nords and the Dunmer of the two sides were fairly some of the most headstrong xenophobes on Tamriel but years of commerce and negotiations taught them to be lenient with each other in times like these.
As for Jon Dare, he was seen in the Skaal village and in Raven Rock to meet with the headmen of the settlements and offer the last bit of help he could. He needed to make sure that there were no remnants of Miraak's cult and that there was no problem that may arise from the fact that he spared Miraak in order to dodge Mora's curse.
In a way, Miraak was the most critical danger Jon would have faced and now that he is done with it, Jon felt less attached to the place but still did his duty to preserve the peace and maintain the partnership between Solstheim and Winterhold. Soon, House Redoran would contact the Dare Dragon Company to make things clear and clear the debt they have with Jon for this situation. Jon had yet to learn what to expect from them and he didn't bother either way.
The other man he met was the Elder Shaman of the Skaal, Storn Crag-Strider, the man who was supposed to be sacrificed to Hermaeus Mora in order to break the Alliance between him and Miraak.
Hermaeus Mora wanted something from Storn Crag-Strider, a secret of the All-Maker, and Jon almost had some idea what that was.
"The Children of the All-Maker." Jon said as he put down the herbal tea offered by the Shaman, "What are they?"
Jon's question was direct but there was no need to shy out from asking, especially with Nefertiti by his side, as she shares a lot of similarities with those so-called children.
"There is no need to keep it a secret from you, Bloodskal." The shaman took out another brew from the cauldron and sat on the floor of his shack facing Jon.
"Entertain me!" Jon sipped the bitter brew and carefully listened.
"Long ago, before the age of mer and men, the world belonged to the Old Ones, the Dragons of Time, the Giants of Frost, the Great Beasts, and the Ancient Roots. The old wanderers were always fearful and resisted the temptations of falling under the authority of the old ones. Their way was the Old Ways.
The All-Maker was revered by all back then, all of existence recognized him as the hand of creation, he wasn't given any names or seen by any other attributes other than what we Skaal recognize him by in the present. The One, the Origin, the Everything, or simply the World."
"Interesting!"
"Quite put, he wasn't called the All-Maker until he became less popular among the old wanderers, but we Skaal remained true.
Either way, the Spirits of old were always interchanging and took many forms, some Animalistic while others Humanoid, but there was a time when there wasn't much difference between all creation, what was human-like can have some attributes of animals and what was beast-like had human features.
It is impossible to argue that we were always the way we were and we shall remain what we are. Look at the Dunmer, their skin was brass when they were Chimer and then Gray when they turned.
But some of us can still be closer to the earliest stages of creation than others, those who remember the Dawn, as we call them in ancient stories. Some spirits that started with lesser strength and intellect managed to beat the odds and develop their ancient blood to become stronger, smarter, and more human-like.
We call those kinds of beings Children of the All-Maker.
In reality, as all spirits grow, they gain power and intelligence just like us mortalkind. What they need is a breakthrough of their own limitations and once they achieve it, they become Greater Spirits. The All-Maker blesses these Spirits with the form of a man more often than not and they become his emissaries in the world.
While some accept that role and show intellect and rationality, others succumb to the temptations of the Adversary. Outsiders would call them Demons or Demon Spirits, but we know them simply as other forms of the Greedy Man."
"Not as the Children of the Adversary?" Jon asked.
"It would be redundant to call them that since the Adversary is the opposite of the All-Maker. He is in a way the All-Taker, he doesn't give life of his own to have his own children, but he accepts servants from the Children of the All-Maker. That's another reason why the All-Maker is also known as the All-Father."
Jon smiled and nodded without saying anything back.
This view of the world suited him more than anything. God gives life and guides to goodness, the Devil tempts God's creation to sin, and between the two forces of Good and Sin, Man is free to choose which to take.
People would usually say words such as "The Devil's temptation", "The Devil made me do it", or "It is part of God's plan" without reflecting on the path they walk.
Man was given freedom by the force that created him, he then puts objectives in his life and goals he needs to fulfill, thus limiting that freedom for the sake of his own goals. A man whose aim is money will limit the time he spends with his family and the time he uses for entertainment to make time for making more money. By that, he becomes limited in his actions by the rules that dictate money-making, and as his obsession grows, he becomes bound by it, eventually becoming a slave for money.
But even a man cannot be limited to just one desire since fair in the eyes of men is the love of things they covet: Women and children; gold and silver; horses, cattle, and fertile lands. Such are the possessions of mortal life; a limited and finite possession that will eventually be inherited and sold around.
Even the so-called immortal beings tend to put aside most of these desires. As for mortals, no matter how long they live, be it sixty or a thousand years, they still desire more.
Jon looked at the palm of his own hand and turned to Solstheim who was fading in the sea behind his ship. He knew he had to depart from this world as well eventually and despite the strong Vitality and Magicka he accumulated in order for him to live as long as Elves do, he realized that it is all futile and he was just buying time that he doesn't even need.
Even the et'Ada are finite in that regard too. He can either throw away his desires and live a stoic life void of joy just for the sake of one goal he can slave himself towards, or he can just live a normal life of a man with many desires, slave to many things, and eventually meet his own fate.
While the latter seemed normal, the former seemed impossible to achieve.
Just one goal, a single thing to aim at and give your life to.
That must be the grandest goal of them all.
Something that defines the end of the great Jon Dare.
So he can either aim for Greatness or aim for a Mortal Life.
Either CHIM or Mortal.
Miraak chose to be a stoic, to aim for one goal. A goal that proved not worthy at the very end. He found no CHIM or reward at the end of his endeavor, just a junior Dragonborn with a fist of steel and a heart of gold putting an end to his useless endeavor. It was a risk and he eventually got the reward for walking the wrong path.
Jon looked away and turned to the people who were on the ship with him.
"Hooman!"
A small child was calling and waving for him to come join the rest of the group. Of them was his first wife who smiled as her hair fluttered with her beautiful red dress, then his second wife who stood on the rail of the hull as she held a rope with all the dare in the world, then his brother who sat on a ship barrel while cleaning his weapons from the blood on them, then the rest of his gang from the time when he was outside Skyrim.
Jon walked over to Nefertiti and patted her head affectionately.
He learned a few interesting things about Hermaeus Mora's agenda from the Head Shaman of the Skaal.
The Spirits of Mundus form when creatures ascend from a lesser state to a greater one. Just like mortals who ascend to CHIM, beings with lesser kinds of souls ascend to spirits. What differentiates between mortals and other lesser creatures is the type of soul they have. A Black Soul is the standard of all mortals with some exceptions when it comes to Argonians but as for Beasts, they have white souls which can range from Minor to Lesser to Medium to Greater to Grand as the common categorization goes.
A Cat like Nefertiti should have had a soul of the Minor or Lesser grade even though Jon would disagree and go all the way for Grand. As she grew from a normal cat to a Fey or a Spirit, she underwent a lot of transformation thanks to her link with Jon and the blessing of Hircine lay upon her.
Eventually, Jon's growth was enough for her to become what she is today, and even in the Shadow World, she has a greater image where she is one of the largest Shadow Fey.
As for other beasts, namely the Caenlorn Beasts from Solstheim, they have developed in different ways according to the secret shamanic practices of the Skaal. The Elder Shaman of the Skaal revealed to Jon that each Shaman adopts one animal (preferably wolves) and raises it as a Caenlorn beast. The methodology is different from what made Nefertiti a Spirit but it is certainly an effective one albeit succeeding in very rare cases.
Hermaeus Mora was very interested in that method. The reason is unknown to the Skaal but they can guess it is just the neverending greed of the Old Man of the Wood, Herma Mora.
As for Jon, he sensed that it was something else, something much different than what the Head Shaman said. It may not relate to Jon or his Fate but what Hermaeus Mora had in mind for the method that creates such Fey must be very enticing for the Daedric Prince to simply offer to give up on his rebellious champion.
What could it be?
Was he ever going to find out?
Should he even try to find out?
Jon's mind was jammed with such questions but he knew he should focus on something else right now.
Miraak, one of the Three Main Antagonists, is defeated.
With the third of his Fate fulfilled, Jon was ready to march on the other two antagonists as soon as he landed in Winterhold.
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