The Light Sphere of the Ancestors   

 In the sixth age, the earth had a reflection or energy duplicate, a twin planet.  This twin was a copy of the earth in terms of structure, but not material.  It was the complement of the earth, a non-physical version.  The earth’s twin was called the asamondo.  Similar to the physical body and its auric field, earth had an auric planet. It was an ethereal planet, made entirely of energy.  Asamondo was the same size as earth and exactly the same distance from the sun.  It did not orbit about the sun or rotate on its axis however.  The inside of asamondo was not solid, but rather a great black void that suspended many worlds.  One of these worlds, the light sphere, was the home of the human ancestors.   

 In the interior of the asamondo was an egg shaped globe called the light sphere.  The light sphere was about the size of one of the oceans of the earth.  The light sphere was a great egg shaped globe with a skin like a cocoon or eggshell.  This skin was called the firmament.  Inside the firmament were three layers of energy substance.  The bottom layer was an ocean of liquid light.  From this the sphere got its name.  The top layer was a vapor like ether.  The thin middle layer was a crust.  The hard crust of the light sphere was like cream rising to the top of raw milk, and then freezing into place.  The glass like crust sat on top of the light ocean.  This crust appeared hard to the ancestor spirits.  The ancestor spirits lived on this crust.   In some places this crust was very deep and stable.   In other places this crust was not deep at all, and came apart.  This formed lakes and pools and crust islands.  Light came up through the crust from the light ocean below.  Where the crust was thin the light was bright, like the pre-dawn sky on earth just before the sun breaks over the horizon.  But where the crust was very thick the light which got through the crust was dim, like night on earth with a full moon.  

The Crust of the Light Sphere  

 Distance on the crust of the light sphere was measured in parsecs. 100,000 parsecs was the distance across the entire sphere at the longest point of the oval. The crust was divided into 15 quadrants. The average distance across one quadrant was about 18,000 to 20,000 parsecs. 

 At the winter solstice the earth and the light sphere (asamondo) were in the exact same spot in the solar system, one superimposed within the other.  At the summer solstice they were the maximum distance apart, and the sun was directly in between them. Like two faces on the same coin, there was a connection between them.  

The Human Ancestors 

 When a human died on earth the Angel of Death took the spirit of that person to the light sphere of the afterlife.  Once there the spirit became an energy body.  The way it worked was that when a human died on the earth, it was transferred into the afterlife and there the spirit lived the insperience in an energy body called a halo. And when a spirit died on the light sphere it was moved back to the earth again, and lived there it lived the experience in a cell body called a flesh body.  

 When life on earth ended the angel moved the spirit to the judgment stage for processing. They went through a very involved process during which his or her evolution was observed. When the soul was created it had a form, which was its perfection. Throughout all lifetimes the spirit in flesh or energy form was always seeking to attain this perfection that was the soul. There was a prescribed journey or blueprint for the development. Each spirit strayed from this blueprint or path to some degree. Thus after judgment, a program was instilled within the spirit to guide it back on track. This was called a judgment program. When the spirit was born into flesh this program was called an incarnation objective. 

Thus after judgment each spirit was given a code.  The code was stamped into the energy body itself.  And this Judgment Code was the culture and constitution of the afterlife.     

 The core body of the ancestor looked exactly like a flesh body. An auric field was generated by the core which was called a halo. When ancestors looked at each other they saw the halo, and the core was an outline inside. The halo extended out about six to ten inches. From the head of the ancestor came a plume or covering that resembled hair. The “hair plume” of the ancestor often matched their halo in color. The halo had seven chakras or cones embedded in it. There was one cone pointing up and another pointing down. But it was not easy to see these. There were five chakra cones in front that were on a line right down the center of the body.  These five cones connected to twin cones in the back. Thus the five cones in front were prominent, and the condition and appearance of these cones was very significant. The top cone of the five was the ‘brow chakra’ and it gave an indication of how well or how poorly the mental process of the ancestor was functioning. The third cone down was the heart chakra. If an ancestor was sad or distressed it shrank in and the halo there dimmed. If one ancestor saw this he might say “what troubles you this day” even if the facial expression was normal. 

 It was through these seven chakras that the ancestors took in the energy to sustain them. They breathed ether through their chakras, not the nose. They drank nectar through their chakras. The mouth produced no sounds, even though they opened and closed it as they spoke. The sound came from their throat chakra. From the front the cones made slight dimples or puckers as the ancestors breathed in and out. It was like the movement of the gills of a fish. In most haloes one could see these creases as symbols. Some were very dense and well formed. Most female spirits had a dimple on their lowest cone in the shape of a vase. It was called a ting. Males had a dimple on their second chakra, the throat chakra, which resembles a wide ‘V’ or chevron. 

 Ancestors glided forward more than walking. They walked only in crisis and not very fast. It was more an emotional act than transportation. They could step up with ease and thus there were no stairs or ladders. There were “step walls” with maybe one or two steps up. The only doors in the afterlife were the front doors of the tower and the seal doors on each floor. Because the material of this realm was beyond the speed of light, membranes were used to seal compartments. The operation of a door is difficult in the afterlife due to the physics. 

 The color of the halo was a prime concern. The color of the halo was determined to be a sign of the culture and breeding of the spirit. In most cases this was a false belief. The color of the halo had nothing to do with the race f the ancestor. There was however still halo color prejudice.  

 During the judgment process the spirit was assigned a judgment code, and this was stamped into the halo and became a living part of their being. It governed the life of the spirit in the afterlife.  The judgment code consisted of two large hieroglyphic symbols.  Written inside the font of each symbol was a long series of numbers. The series of numbers represents a map, a ranking and a code of conduct. The code symbol was stamped into the very being of the ancestor. One series or sequence within this number represented the punishments or limitations imposed on an ancestor. And in most cases, this particular sequence was the first thing one ancestor looked at when viewing another ancestor.  As each spirit completed the phases in the judgment program the code's numbers changed by magic.  Ancestors did not celebrate birthdays. They celebrated code changes.  One set of numerals indicated the colony's number or tower on the crust that this ancestor belonged to. The tower and the colony were the same thing.  It assigned a general category for occupation. From the numbers embedded in the symbols, one could even determine an ancestor's floor assignment in the tower. 

 The judgment code even had some influence on how the towers were constructed. Each tower in the afterlife had three common areas that all towers were required to have. But early in the age, prior to the onset of the “sentinel culture”, the ancestors did not know the real purpose of these spaces. The first three or four floors were reserved for utility purposes. Here were the light tube junctions, membrane calibrators and for some towers access to the conduit system underground. But ancestors did not know at first that they could manage the light tubes. Or that the conduit transportation system operated in all 15 quadrants. Likewise each tower had an observatory area on the top floors. Here were special screens, altars, pads and devices. The screens and pads could be used to contact the angels and people on earth. The devices could view beneath the light ocean and view worlds in the orb ring. But unless information reached the top floor of a tower, it was not “published”, in other worlds no one outside of that tower would ever hear of it. Until the sentinel period this was to be the fate of so much vital information. So 99% of ancestors had no idea what these things were for.    

 Typically the 9^th or 10^th floor was reserved entirely as a “scroll” floor. There were no longer any ‘scrolls’ in the scroll chamber. The ancestors were not sure if there had ever been any there. The “scrolls” were all presented in video now, displayed on the liquid light screens used so much in the afterlife. One section of “scrolls” explained what each change in the code numbers meant. There was a wealth of information here. But ancestors only knew how to access a tiny fraction of it in the early days. Some of this information was input into the system by angels. But this was not widely known. The ancestors were supposed to summon the angels there to update the records after certain events. But no ancestors had yet determined how to do this. 

 Ancestors in the afterlife lived the insperience. It must be understood that the ancestors thought it queer as hell to live on the outside surface of a planet. Flesh humans were exposed out there. They could just float away. The earth was spinning rapidly. This was a nightmare scenario. Even worse, the surface of earth was exposed to the bright hot sun. This thought sent chills up the core of an ancestor. But then they communed with their earth counterpart and saw that flesh humans got along just fine. It was amazing to them nevertheless. 

The 12 Seals of the Underworld 

 Obscured by the fragments of a broken orb, hidden inside a wormhole portal, was the dread realm of the underworld. Fashioned from dark matter it was, and thus nothing there acted in the manner that it should. Twelve huge orbs were gathered about a malignant mass in the core, and here in this dark core a renegade from the ancient world of chaos, before the time of light, was trapped.   

 The underworld was located in the interior of the planet Asamondo. The entity trapped in the core radiated a poisonous elemental field that created what was known as the rip current of the underworld. The dark core exerted a steady pull on the thoughts and feelings of everything in the underworld. It was a strange selective sort of gravity that tugged at the mind but left the body alone. In the interior of hell one could see what seemed like rivulets of dark energy streaming off of all beings and falling into some central core one could not see. But the surface and bodies of the structures there were immune to this current.  It was the dread rip current of the underworld, the bane of all beings there. Even many of the lower demons there were tormented and confused by the impact of the rip current.  

 It was not meant that the dread beings housed in the underworld should ever get out. Therefore, boundaries, seals and restraints were very important in the underworld. And for this reason the 12 houses or divisions of the underworld were called “seals.” Twelve powerful elementals were given charge of the seals and the task of governing the demons. About one third of the demon population was native to hell. The majority of the demons were brought there by the humans who came from the orb world of earth. And these imported demons were by far more exotic and dangerous than the native ones. For humans contained many abominable entities in their soul. And once the soul entered the precincts of hell the entities were released and took to them bodies. Woe then upon the human who brought them. And some of these became a nightmare to the seal keepers.   

 The underworld and the afterlife of ancestors worked hand in hand. The underworld was more or less an extension or branch of the afterlife. They both functioned as a type of soul compass. All souls strayed from the natural path in life. After transition the soul was gently redirected back toward the right path. This being the original path. The soul was given a judgment program. In the afterlife it could choose to follow the judgment program or not. Of course some souls intentionally and willfully went in the wrong direction in life. For them, the only way to get them back on track was forced measures. They were sent to hell before they were allowed to reach the regular afterlife. There was no standard of “right” and “wrong” in hell or the afterlife. There was good and there was evil. Both were absolute. Good was the original natal thing. All else was evil. Each living thing was endowed with an original design, a purpose and its attributes. Anything in alignment with that was good, all else was bad. Each living thing was not to interfere with any other living thing. To allow life to progress was good, all else was evil. The environment was designed to support life. It required a delicate balance. To leave the environment intact was good. To violate the environment was evil. Those were the simple rules.     

 Thus the underworld and the afterlife were very much concerned with alignment, false belief systems, authenticity, natural patterns, anything counterfeit, and anything unnatural.  lifestyles, and especially those people who interfered in a negative way, with the progress of the masses. Anything promoting scarcity or interference in the affairs of others was a big deal. 

 The higher entities designed the underworld, but as with most things, the elementals built it, and operated it. Thus each of the 12 seals had a theme relationship with one of the four prime elementals; earth, fire, water & air. In a way hell could be seen as the compliment to life experience on earth. Seals one through four responding to the sins of the juvenile estate. These corresponding to hexagrams 3,4,5,6 which all create a problem because of immaturity.  The inmate assigned to these seals failed to mature. They stopped evolving. They chose to remain in their comfort zone. They stayed on the fence, neither hot nor cold. They watched evil do bad things and did nothing. The people assigned to these for seals represented the largest percent of the underworld population. 

 Seal number 4 being the favorite of the Demon Set, because its demons were not so powerful and yet there were a large variety of them. However Set had to eventually go to Seal 5 to capture Soldier Demons. There were no soldier demons in the lower seals.   

 In a matter of speaking the underworld was a continuation of the human’s experience on earth, with a corrective forced change in life direction to prevent a lifestream from moving off the path of evolution for too long. 

 Seal number five was designed mainly on an earth theme. Seal six was a fire seal, and from this seal many of the folklore and myths about hell had their origin. Seal number seven was a water elemental seal for the most part. Now for the first time we see transfer demons, emotional demons and demons who address some of the deeper corruptions in society such as orphans, slavery and poverty. The interaction between demon and human becomes more complex and soul changing. In these four intermediate seals the demons are more sentient, express imagination and reflect negative human qualities in more vile and horrible scenarios.  

 Seal number eight is mentioned in the book more than any other. This of course is the seal in which Set was born and the original mistake of the elementals was made. It is an air elemental theme and thus home to some of the most maniacal and sinister demons in hell. Because of the seal’s connection to the Demon Set two major showdowns take place in this seal. One of them between the oracle champion and the keeper of the seal, the great Byzantine Seraphim. The 8^th seal is also noted for its strange array of flying demons. They represent man’s advanced intellect and higher inspirations when used for evil. The humans assigned here are more clever and resourceful, and thus their demons have attributes to counter this. We first start to see complex sexual demons in the seventh seal (water). But in the 8^th and 9^th seals sexual demons really evolve into the surreal. For example the “rape demons” of the 7^th seal rape and torture their human clients. But the rape demons of the 8^th seal add a psychological component of torture that is chilling to witness.  

 Seals 9 through 12 were special. The remedial action here was uniquely sinister. This experience would redefine the concept of regret in the inmate’s mind. Only really evil people were sent here. Kings, chiefs, and generals were among them. The architects of slavery, genocide and mass imprisonment were here. Lawyers, lawmakers and tax collectors were a significant portion of the population. Bankers and money brokers were the next largest group represented. A special place was reserved for religious leaders who misrepresented God.    

 The number of people going to hell mattered. If the percent of people dying and routed to hell rose above 50% it triggered the entities governing the natural forces. Weather patterns became more severe and natural disasters increased. Death from disease and illness increased. The rate of karma was increased.  

The Oracle of Khemsa Nu Series©.  All Rights Reserved. 

Yao N. Morris 

The Elemental Beings  

 After the events that ended most life on earth, much of the land would no longer support life. The absence of sunlight killed over half of the tropical vegetation. The tsunamis brought salt water over the land in many places. While this helped the ecology in the long term, it was toxic to plant life in the short term. After the deities decided to save the earth the tsunamis and eruption of volcanoes stopped. But the damage was so great already that the entire ecology was doomed without intervention. And so shortly after the submarines surfaced the elemental creatures were given physical bodies and sent to the physical earth. They came to clean up the toxic mess left from the apocalypse. 

 There are four divisions in the elemental kingdom. They are FIRE, AIR, EARTH and WATER. Each elemental creature belongs to one domain and each domain has vastly different duties and behavior. Among the elementals given physical bodies are: 

elves,   water sprites,  wood nymphs,  dwarfs, 

ifkans,  xenants  and trolls. 

Dwarves and wood nymphs belong to earth; water sprites belong to water; elves belong to air; and ifkans belong to fire. When the elementals entered the physical bodies their minds slowed down enough to engage humans. To elementals in spirit form humans seem to be moving in slow motion. 

Many folk tales and indigenous cultures speak of the elementals. Mermaids, river nymphs, sirens, fairies, dragons, and phoenixes  are all elemental creatures. There are hundreds of species. 

 Xenants are distant cousins to dragons it is said. However it is hard to see the resemblance. Their wings have become skirts used to glide. They cannot fly any longer. Their scales are hard as dragon scales. But the head of a xenant puts one more in mind of an insect than a reptile. They never breathed fire. But their digestive system could melt rock or metal. They are much larger than any dragon. Xenants are more than 150 feet in length. They live under the earth in tunnels, and only come up to feed. They eat the earth itself. 

 Trolls have been well described. There are mud trolls, cave trolls and mountain trolls. These are the common varieties. But there are also specialized trolls such as the magus trolls, which are elite and intelligent trolls. Trolls are part of the earth domain. They answer to the magus trolls. The magus trolls answer to the shallow dwarves, (called cavewrights). These answer to the regular dwarves. 

 Of all the elemental creatures the water sprites resemble humans the most. They are very similar to wood nymphs. They appear as short females who are particularly well endowed. In nature they are spirits of fertility. To some they seemed erotic temptresses. To others they open a door into a dark world. There are no male sprites. The younger sprites have a strong desire and attraction for human males. For this reason they are strictly prohibited from contact with human males. Water sprites, like all elementals, envy humans. Most water sprites are content to observe humans from afar. But of course there are a few exceptions who actually wish to breed with a human male. But even in their physical bodies water sprites cannot normally mate with human men. Their reproductive organs do not function. In order for a sprite to mate she would first need to become permanently physical. This would shorten her life span considerably. She would then need to “grow” and activate her reproductive organs. This is a painful and complex process. In spite of this, a few sprites did undergo the transformation and did conceive.  But water sprites do not have much of a maternal instinct. Most who had a child abandoned the child at a young age and left it with the father. 

 The main occupation of the sprites has to do with plants, insects and lower animals. 

Nichem Nichem Nu 

Nichem Nichem  means sweet sweet. The name Nichem Nichem Nu means sweet sweet water. The true names of the elementals are secret. Nichem is repeated twice because of her rank. When the word Nu is used it refers to special water, the elemental water, the spiritual water. Nichem Nichem Nu is more than 3,000 years old. But like all the sprites, she appears as a young woman. Only when she speaks is there the hint of the deep wisdom there.  

The Nephilim 

 In the beginning of the sixth age the elemental beings were given flesh bodies so that they could restore the earth. From all four kingdoms, air, earth, fire and water, elemental beings were assigned to earth to restore it. It was rare, but there were incidents of cross breeding between the human species and the elemental creatures. The entities that emerged from the cross between human and an elemental were called the Nephilim. 

 The “High Nephilim” were beings that were intentionally created. Often they were created by beings in the higher aeons using magic. They were born as nephilim and no special coupling took place. The four original oracle vessels, Nia, Lorien, Ngozi and Shi Ming Tui were high nephilim. The offspring of the Avatar were high nephilim. When certain unions were blessed by the high elementals these became high nephilim. 

 The regular nephilim or low nephilim were the product of the union of regular elementals and common humans. The elementals were created, they did not normally reproduce through coupling. Even when an elemental was in the physical body their reproductive organs were immature and did not function. To activate their reproductive organs and elemental had to go through a complex and painful process. Thus actual mating with humans was extremely rare. Of the many species of the elementals only elves, water sprites, wood nymphs and dwarves could mate with humans. There was no recorded instance of a dwarf altering their organs in this way in the first two centuries. Dwarves typically found the human body repulsive in that way. 

 The product of a water sprite and human pairing were called the Fae. They were either very fair of face or somewhat deformed and ugly. In either case they exhibited great strength with tendencies toward violence. The product of a wood nymph and human pairing were called the druids. The presented just like humans in the physical sense. But they were not alike. Their appetites, behavior and attributes were quite bizarre. They tended to be night creatures who favored the woods and avoided urban life. Normally they were peaceful serene creatures. But under certain conditions they became unhinged and off balance. Then their unnatural attributes came to the surface, and they could become quite dangerous. The product of the mating of elf and human were called the eldar.  These tended to be noble creatures of good craft and skill. But again they were unstable. 

 The mating of demon and human were called the incubus. Technically they were of the category of nephilim, though there was some debate about this. Only under special circumstances could such a pairing take place. As the timeline unfolds the attributes of these horrid creatures will be detailed.  

And they envied humans. But if they did this, they lost their immortality and could no longer transition back into energy form. Thus it severely limited their life span. The first Nephilim were Ngozi, Lorien, Shi Ming Tui and Nia. They were created by the great princess of Sprites, Nichem Nichem Nu. For this act of mixing the races she was severely chastised by the deities in the Nnommo. Of course she changed them in the womb, they were intentionally created. They were superior beings of great power who were created to help mankind. Ngozi of course was the mother of the oracle. Ngozi had children by the avatar, and her children were even more powerful than her. Ngozi’s offspring, and the children of all of the four original vessels, were called collectively “The Blood”. These were the high Nephilim, superior beings. Their very existence was a closely guarded secret. For it was foretold that these high Nephilim would play a role in the paradise to come. 

 Mating with humans was of course forbidden. The higher Nephilim were revered. The lessor ones, the lower Nephilim were despised. In the early decades the world was strange and new. Sometimes an individual elemental creature was exiled from the general elemental society. These are the ones who typically sought solace with humans. The lower nephilim were outcasts and in time banned together in small groups. After a few generations some of them did not know they were Nephilim, as their parents in shame had neglected to tell them. As the timeline unfolded the race to complete the racial missions became more critical. And more and more the Nephilim found they were forced to play a bigger role in the affairs of humans. 

The Oracle of Khemsa Nu Series©.  All Rights Reserved. 

Yao N. Morris 

The Dragon Men 

 The first avatar Khemsa Nu advanced a concept called the superior man. The superior man was a system of society in which the importance of “we” was superior to the importance of “I”.  It was this system of social standards which the oracle required every alliance partner to sign on to when it joined the Oyoko Alliance.  But this national policy of we over I did not always translate into the individual conduct. It was Master Daamen’s father Resh Min Khan who started the sect within the royal guard which would later be called the Dragon Men. This was in the time of Azuogybe’s grandfather, the old time. He talked of a code of conduct that individual men and woman would pledge to live to by their own will. It was for many years a very tiny religious sect within the royal guard. The sect did not become popular until Aakhu made his famous journey to the Anu in 285 – 286 N.A., and returned with the Dragon Claw Form of martial arts. It proved to be very superior to the previous forms. The dragon claw was put to the test when Aakhu and Azuogybe faced a small dragon and the men could not penetrate its tough hide.  Aakhu wounded the beast with a powerful Qi blow from his fists, and this allowed Azuogybe to get his spear into the dragon’s softer underside. This incident elevated both Aakhu and Azuogybe to superstar status. No man had faced a dragon before and lived. From this famous incident the sect got the name “Dragon Men.”  By now every man in the royal guard had become a member and a few men outside the royal guard. The dream of Aakhu was for the sect to spread to the general population, at least the part of the religion dealing with the code of personal conduct. 

 The royal guard of the Oyoko were legendary warriors, unequaled in hand to hand combat.  They were nicknamed the “dragon men,” after large reptiles which roamed the tropical forests. There were one thousand men in this unit, until it was expanded during the river war. The claim to fame of the royal guard was proficiency in the marital arts.  Most fighting in those times was hand to hand. There were no rifles yet. The Soudan did import a very small amount of steel swords from some distance country unnamed.  It was said that far to the east over the sea men still forged crude steel by melting down scrap steels that survived from the past age. In each generation a fearless warrior was given the honor of attempting the pilgrimage to the land of the Anu, to be trained by them in the latest martial arts techniques.  About half of these warriors died on the pilgrimage and never returned. 

The Toxic Zones 

 After the great calamity the ecology of the earth was severely malignant. But many decades after the arrival of the new races, the elementals had reclaimed much of the land masses. Human civilization spread out rapidly to occupy the best farmlands. But some areas did not lend themselves to easy conversion due to the topography or the creatures which hid there. Some of these toxic zones became infamous. The mutant creatures flocked there. Rouge elementals hid there. Even some wild men, desperate to escape the forced rules of the new races, built their nomadic settlements on the outskirts of these haunted places. While the rest of the earth gradually returned to its natural state, the toxic zones came under the influence of wild and sinister spirits. 

The Painted Hills  (Asia) 

The Peregrine Forest  (Europe )

The Valley of Pondt  (Europe) 

Ubanjii Forest  (Soudan)

Adjwa Forest  (Soudan) 

The Velvet Swamp  (Soudan) 

The Ruins of Black Juju  (Brazil) 

The Iberian Pit  (Brazil) 

The Soudan and the Oyoko Territory (140 NA) 

 The Soudan Region in West Africa included the Niger River Basin and the Volta River Basin. Running west to east the Volta, Tano and Niger Rivers all drained to the ocean south. All other major rivers drained either to the Volta River in the west or the Niger River in the center. The Niger River was only half the length it had been in the previous age. A new mountain range had trust up in the lower portion of the Saharra, extending south to the Jos Plateau. This not only changed the course of the Niger River, but created an entirely new river, the Sota River, which became the second largest river in the Soudan after the Benue River.  By 140 NA the elementals had only reclaimed about half of the pasture lands in the southern portion of the Niger River Basin. 

 After the Volta Territory War in 032 NA., the Asuo Clan split apart. In the years following the death of the sage the Asuo civilization fell. The clans continued to split into ever smaller groups. At one point there were as many as thirteen different clans. In the period from 032 NA., to 110 NA., there was almost continuous fighting. In 110 NA., the Oyoko Clan absorbed several smaller clans and became the largest Asuo Clan. In 111 NA. the Oyoko Clan negotiated a peace treaty with the other major clans. This ushered in a 30 year period of relative peace. By 140 NA. the Oyoko Clan was by far the dominant military force in the region. In 143 NA., the Oyoko army drove the Maar rebels out of the Sota River Basin. They had driven the Attibi Clan west of Lake Khepera.  Oyoko controlled the most fertile farmland on the south side of the Sota River. Oyoko lands extended south from the Sota River for 125 kilometers at the widest point measuring north to south. Their territory extended for 320 kilometers measured east to west at the widest point. The Oyoko Territory was divided into four districts. 

The Calendar of the Sixth Age 

 In the sixth age the calendar used was a lunar calendar. Each lunar month consists of 28 days.  There were 13 months. Sometimes an extra day was added to the last month to make 365 days. The new age officially began on the day the first child of the new races was born.  The sequence of the lunar months is as follows: 

In the sixth age there was no celebration of the new year until well into the second century. Some marked the start of the year at the end of the winter solstice. Winter did not occur in the same month in all lands. In Europe winter was thought to begin in the lunar month of Ketu. For by then snow covered the ground in the northern plains. In Brazil winter did not really manifest as such, since they were below the equator in a tropical clime.  

The City of Yola 

 The Nation of Yolanda was founded by outlaws and traders. Indeed it can be traced back to the Nameless One and the settlement of Mecca. After Ngozi saved his life the Nameless One became a supporter of the oracle. Mecca was home to some of the worst outlaws and most notorious mercenaries in the Soudan. But the style of government in the settlement was based on the Oracle Congress system of living. This remained a secret for some time. 

 Later one of the descendants of the Zanobia Family of Abbai founded the city of Morie in Yolanda. She had strong ties to the elemental world. The entire city was devoted to spices, herbs, flowers, medicines and scent oils. The architecture was supreme for the time. People compared this city to Eden. It was the inspiration for the future city of Yola.  

 It was an oracle vessel that gave a king the idea of building the city of Yola on the Benue River.  She wrote the general design of the city on a piece of parchment paper. It was in response to a question the king asked.  The oracle showed them improved means of mining, refining and working copper.  And it taught the merchants in Yolanda about other metals, and the creation of new metals through alloys.  It was a merchant from Yolanda who first discovered paper.  It came about by accident, from a simple question he asked the oracle one day.  

 Aakhu 

 Aakhu left Azuogybe for the pilgrimage to the Anu.  And when he returned Aakhu had changed, he was not the same man.  He was much less dry and serious.  Aakhu began to take an interest in the arts.  He started to spent more time with the ladies, and was well liked by the ladies.  He stopped being so dogged about training and discipline.  Aakhu had developed his martial arts to a higher level, but he no longer spent much time training, instead he devoted a little time each day to meditation.  His departure on the pilgrimage was almost one year after the death of Aakhu’s wife. Aakhu did not wish to face this anniversary.  

Azuogybe 

 In his young adult life Azuogybe did not rely on the reputation of his family but forged ahead to make a name for himself.  He was a remarkable soldier.  Later he transferred to the border patrol and earned great praise there.  He had even been part of an expedition into the rainforest.  It turned into a bloody two month ordeal during which one half of the regiment was killed.  The Captain of that regiment died in the fighting, and when it looked like the other half of the regiment might also be killed, Azuogybe took command and lead the men out of the rain forest with a minimum of casualties. He was already a hero from the Dragon incident. This increased his fame. 

Oyoko Army 

 The army of the Oyoko Empire counted more than 24,000 men.  Most of these men were part time soldiers, and not highly trained. Many of these men were simple farmers or craftsmen. They spent four months each year on active duty and the rest on a farm or in a mill.  In the old days soldiers were required to make their own weapons.  If a man did not have the skill to make a weapon, he was required to pay another man to do so. In later times the army purchased the weapons. These part time soldiers made up less than half of the force. There was a core of permanent soldiers who were more highly trained. The majority of the force consisted of full time soldiers, who considered fighting as their main occupation.  Men who made this level of commitment received a rank in the animal totem system that placed them above common merchants and craftsmen.  

 All men who joined the army first served in the regular army, where they received basic training.  The regular army did not see much action.  Those who showed courage and loyalty were then promoted to the border guard, the roughest branch of the service.  The border patrol was extreme service, and the death rate was high.  These men saw constant conflict of one sort or the other.  For the Maar, the men of the rain forest, rogues from the Yolanda province, and outlaws from within Oyoko province were always fighting.  The border patrols were often outside the fort for a month with no help.  They had to rely on their own wits to survive and stay alive.  Those men who showed exceptional abilities and devotion were promoted to the elite royal guard.  

The River War 

 In the year 264 N.A. there was a great war in the Soudan between the Oyoko Empire in Kumbi, and the Yolanda Empire, centered in the city of Yola.  Kumbi was in fact the largest importer of products from the various markets in Yola.  Kumbi depended on Yola for its supply of salt and of many metals.  Yola depended on its trade with Kumbi for its supply of gold, the major currency of the Soudan.  Most products were transported via caravan or on small wooden barges on the rivers.  The Oyoko Alliance won this war, and seized a small section of land east of the river, formally claimed by Yolanda.  Prior to this, the Niger River was considered neutral, with all peoples having an equal right to use the river.   But after the war, the Oyoko Empire pronounced that they were masters of the river, and anyone wishing to use it to ship cargo, could only do so with their permission. The Oyoko set up three toll stations; one on the north branch of the Niger River below the cateracts, one on the Benue River near the point where it empties into the Niger.  And a third station on the Sota River, where it empties into the Niger River. Thus the Oyoko Clan began to charge a toll on all canoes and barges carrying regular freight.  The Yolanda Trade Empire was forced to pay a tribute twice each year as penalty for the Attibi incident, and for the shipping rights on the river.  But their caravans and barges could not continue their lucrative trade without access to the river, and they were forced to pay it.  The pact of tribute specified that passengers were not to be tolled, but sometimes unscrupulous troop leaders would demand bribes to allow passage.  Some refused to pay this extortion, and on some occasions the Oyoko Border Patrol had allowed some of the common women of Yolanda to be kidnapped and sold as slaves to the Outcast men up north.  In this way they encouraged the payment of bribes.

The Culture of the Oracle Congress 

 It was the Avatar Khemsa Nu who designed and built the Citadel. By 300 NA the Citadel was bigger than half of the cities in Oyoko. The Citadel became the home of the oracle congress and its international headquarters. It was the most ornate and prestigious city in all of Africa. Only the city of Bhutan in Burma could perhaps rival the Citadel. The harbor at the Citadel could berth 42 large sailing ships. Its inns could house 2,000 guests. The 28 oracle vessels and the senior staff lived in an opulent complex of buildings called the inner campus. The city was surrounded with 30 foot walls. Outside the great walls farms, plantations and mills supplied every need of the Citadel from food to shoes to weapons.    

 But the two chief wonders of the oracle remained a secret. These being of course the location and nature of the portal itself, and the location of the grand treasury of the oracle. There was much debate about these two things in bars and coffee shops. There was no doubt that the oracle masters wielded some magic force outside themselves. But what the source of it was and where this source was none knew. And there was certainly a queer energy about the place. The enchanted rain forest being not the least of the strange manifestations on campus. But curiosity of the portal was nothing compared to the obsession some folks displayed over the location of the main oracle treasury. There were regular shipments of gold to the oracle from its mines, operations and the payment of tribute. There was a private freight company of wagons, barges and couriers devoted just to the gold shipments. The oracle congress spent vast sums of gold, and shipped gold to the Yellow Star Society, Atlantic Society and the Cave Order. But each year it took in a vastly greater sum than it expended. There was a very huge stockpile of gold somewhere, rumor said a mountain of gold, but there was no vault, safe-house, counting exchange or storage building for gold within the walls of the Citadel. No one knew where the gold was stored.  There was an exchange building. The vessels brought their fees here after a reading. But there were only four guards posted here. And no one knew where the gold went from here. The secret was a portal inside a closet, inside a small office. This portal opened into a large underground chamber. But no humans could pass through this portal, except vessels. On the other side the elementals operated the counting house.  

History of the Four Empires 

Empire of Oyoko 

 It was the vessel Lorien who planned the Oyoko Empire. It was the Avatar Khemsa Nu who executed Lorien’s vision. He began by starting construction on the capitol city, Kumbi. The Oyoko society was intended to be a model for the rest of the world to follow. In the beginning, either the Avatar or one of the oracle vessels were personally involved in every aspect of the culture. The government commissioned schools for education and hospitals for healing. Academies were established to teach architecture, garment construction, fashion, textiles, agriculture, furniture design, printing and so much more. There were military academies and trade guilds. In five years shipyards came into existence. People had been transporting goods via tiny canoes. Now companies transported goods on the rivers in long sleek sailing ships. Long flat bottom barges piled the shallow creeks. 

 The Khemist Sect was the core of the rebellion. The five leading families involved became the five “royal” families. Of course the family of Adena was paramount among the royal families, and for a time the only family considered worthy of the title. After the death of Ngozi the oracle congress was seen as separate from the throne of Oyoko. Until 240 NA the throne of Oyoko was little more than an extension of the oracle. People considered that the oracle master was divine. And prior to 240 NA the people wanted this connection to ‘divine rule’. After 240 NA the nobles of Kumbi wanted a sovereign state.    

 A great demand was created for entertainment and the arts. The beauty industry was a major component of the economy, driving the demand for textiles, cosmetics, hair products, seamstresses, and beauty technicians. No community was complete without several upscale salons. Even poor women allocated funds for beauty. The center of fashion was the city of Abbai. By 260 NA the fashion houses of Abbai determined the styles and patterns for the entire world.  

 The industry of mining played a very important part in the history of Oyoko.  Gold, copper, tin, silver and iron were mined. Most of the ore was exported. From 200 NA only a small percentage of the metals were refined into ingots. By 300 NA all metals were refined 100%. But by 300 NA there was still no production of steel except in small craft shops which made weapons. The great foundry at Nivannah did not come on line until 271 NA. It is from this point that Oyoko begin to build ships for other countries. At this time electricity was wired for this port only. The source was a great boiler driven turbine, one of two in the world. The Anu built it, but it was a challenge even for them. They had to scavenge for the parts from all around the world. 

 There was very little war or conflict with external forces during this period. Small city states outside of the Soudan did not dare to attack Oyoko because the oracle was there. And Oyoko was too big and powerful.  The wild men from the tropical regions in the south attacked from time to time out of desperation. A drought or flood destroyed their infrastructure and they were starving. A shipment of food and supplies down the Niger was normally enough to stem the conflict. Oyoko and Yolanda were major trading partners. The two economies were connected. There was one war, the River War, and Oyoko provoked this. The Oracle arbitrated the war and forbid either party from further hostilities. 

 By 280 NA the nobles who ruled in Kumbi had obtained some autonomy from the Oracle Congress.  In the early days of the empire the royal families sought ever to serve the public. Afua set the example. She became exceedingly wealthy. But that was not her intent. She distributed money to so many through loans and grants. She funded thousands of businesses. She gave gold to the poor. But the people paid the loans back. The poor often prospered and returned her donations. She kept giving gold away but it kept coming back with addition. For the kindness and noble heart of Afua became legend. And the common people were loath to slight her in any way. Once a bag of gold coins was dropped on the ground on the side of her bank. Many people saw it and went there, but on the bag was written “The Royal Bank, Afua Olatungi”. And seeing the name Afua on the bag, no one would pick it up. And the clerks and counters were disturbed at the end of the day because the tally did not balance. But more than a hundred people sat on the ground outside waiting. And when the auditor supreme came outside hoping to discover the meaning of the missing gold, the people pointed him around the corner. There was the bag of gold intact. The count was exact to the coin. The man cried. For had he not recovered this gold surely he would have been fired. But the royal familes became corrupt and mean in the generations to follow. And the people lamented that the icons of their great nation had fallen so low.       

The Nation of Euro  300 NA 

Failed Mission  

 The Nation of Euro consisted of the several smaller clans who were united by the oracle. There were three main branches; the Slavs, the Saxons and the Baptists. The Slavs were the larger group and put up the most resistance to the oracle. Most of the Slavs refused to join the nation of Euro. They fled East and formed a new nation, the union of all Slavs. Of course more than half of the Slavs stayed behind and joined the Nation of Euro. Prior to the rebellion the Slavic Warlords operated a prison and labor camp in the district of Chennault. It was infamous. Baptists and Saxons by the thousands were tortured there. Durin closed the facility and shut down the entire settlement of Chennault. But the memory remained for some time.  

1

In 145 NA Lorien, an oracle vessel, had founded the Atlantic Society and the College of Scientists in Europe. The College of Scientists, under the supervision of the Atlantic Society, was given the privilege of serving as the conduit through which the Anu could introduce advanced technology into Nordic Civilization. The government started schools. The college funded a few basic research facilities for wire, circuits and basic electric supply. Germany was selected as the test city. The Anu released a steady drip of knowledge to the college of scientist. The members of the college studied diligently and gained knowledge. Slowly the skeleton of an electrical industry began to emerge. An “Electric Society” grew in and around the city of Germany. Electricity became the theme of the city. 

 Euro had to import copper, iron ore and paper from Africa. The Anu released papers on metal refining and micro circuits and these reveals sparked a technology revolution. And what a revolution it was. 

The College of Scientists expanded greatly. It did not take long before there was a constant stream of patents, inventions, innovations and industries created. 

 The highest level of school, the eleventh degree of the school, imparted to the student the degree of Master of Electricity or Master Engineer and the Professional License. Only 3 out of 10,000 students made it this high. These elite men and women were then admitted to become members of the College of Scientists. With the influx of these highly trained people the entire attitude of the college changed. They finally understood the documents of the Anu and saw the full potential. They believed then that they could do it. The mission to master electricity then advanced forward at a very rapid pace. In fact the progress was astounding.    

 Before 200 NA Euro saw the invention of the first clock, the first automobile, the first microscope and the first canning and smoking facility for meats.  But no solar energy.  The first successful test of solar power generation was achieved in 206 NA. But this was not a commercial application. Large scale production of solar electricity was still very far off.  This was an electrical model that produced radiation. The organic model recommended by the Anu was modeled on the process plants used for photosynthesis. This required a carbon transmutation process. It was not until 236 NA  that production of high efficiency solar voltic cells was perfected. And there were still issues.  A true infrastructure for a practical electrical production industry was finally in sight. But then everything fell apart. The very success of the industry created the vehicle of obstruction. It was greed.               

 By 225 NA. there were more than 8,300 scientists registered by the college at the professional level.  Most of them were very wealthy. Some became opulently rich. They were the new barons of society, the “Wire Lords” as they were called. The gold and power brought with it corruption on a grand scale. Human nature is a funny thing. Soon the motivation of the College of Scientists and the Tech Barons it spawned shifted from the racial mission to the accumulation of profit and political power.  The political situation in Euro became untenable. 

 The common people had seen this scenario before. A class of Slavic nobles had come up under the past Slavic Warlords and oppressed the masses. Old fears and hatreds were rekindled. The Baptists had suffered the most in the pre-oracle period. They were a religious people and the oracle forbade any practice of religion in any form. The Slavs tormented them for daring to openly support a religion other than the oracle. Now they rose up to oppose the technology and corruption. They joined with other organizations to form a political party. Soon they were infiltrated by the Cult of Set and became the Apocalyptics, a radical cult. 

 It was in the year 228 NA. that three prominent and wealthy scientists were assassinated. They were murdered in daylight, while sitting to tea at a sidewalk café in the market district. The street was crowded with people at the time. The killing was meant to send a message. The killers were professionals, hired by the the Apocalyptics. 

More and more scientists were found dead. It was determined that the Apocalyptics were responsible.  The Apocalyptic Faith was the new religion spreading rapidly over southeastern Europe. The theme of the Apocalyptic Faith was that all technology, all machines, any artificial device was evil. Moreover they preached that the coming of solar power would spell the end of the world. The Apocalyptics declared war on the College of Scientists. They deemed it a holy war. Things went downhill from there. 

 The new faith spread. Resentment toward the college grew. Ministers were quietly replaced. One of the clerics of the new faith rose to prominence.  In 252 NA there was a vote of “no confidence” in the king. The ministers voted to replace the king. To the shock of the nation Martin Iraneus was appointed King. He was an apocalyptic!  

 King Martin Iraneus began a campaign to undermine the college and shut down all electric work. Euro teetered on civil war. The City of Germany became a war zone. After three years of bloody violence King Iraneus was killed and the government seized by the military. A new king loyal to the oracle was installed instead. 

 In a few years the new king began building a railroad between Germany, and the new industrial city of Lyon to the east.  The purpose was to punish the Apocalyptics. The tracks were routed right through the center of Rockingham, the capitol of the Apocalyptics region. The train enraged the Apocalyptics. The Atlantic Society made it clear that if the Apocalyptics ever tried to shut down the mission project again they would be severely dealt with. And so the mission of the Nordic Race was not completed. It was sabotage and corruption which prevented the finish line from being reached. 

The Ming Tui Dynasty 

300 NA 

In Asia major civilizations sprang up in the river basins of the Indus River, the Ganges River, and the Mekong River. These were very great population centers. A unique form of government was established, with a regent in each of the three provinces. A time of great peace descended on Asia. Trade and innovation blossomed. The College of Sages created a system of printing and publication. And in Asia they took the printing industry higher than anywhere else. Even most cities had working newspapers of large circulation. The people were informed and well educated. And for many decades the sages held corruption and decadence in check. A great middle class came into being and they were fiercely devoted to the arts and to culture. The medical system was the finest in the world and many diseases were virtually wiped out. The Seven Star Society established a college of sages. And the Ching peoples empowered the sages to appoint its rulers. 

 But even in beautiful Asia the Golden Age could not last forever. The Cult of the Demon Set grew here as it did in all four societies. The nobles and elite class lusted for greater power and saw the sages as the main obstacle. Even so, the sages worked hard to complete the racial mission. One of the sages, Fu Shi, finally solved the code, and wrote the great book of changes, the I Ching. The Ching race completed its mission. This was a great achievement. Fu Shi became the most popular man in all of Asia. He was revered. But his fame earned him the ire of the provincial leader.  In their jealousy they accused Fu Shi of being a traitor and branded him an outlaw. 

The Empire of Recife 

 In Brazil the Salvador River Basin dominated the central region. Hundreds of tributaries branched off the Salvador making Recife a “river state”. The entire river basin was a tropical habitat, rich in wildlife, plants and exotic animals. The culture here was equally rich and varied. Roads were difficult to maintain in the jungles. And communication systems in Recife did not equal the advanced systems in Oyoko or Asia. The Order combined three small cities along the Comet River into a confederacy. From this humble beginning spring the great Recife Empire that would grow to dominant the Salvador River Basin and 50% of Brazil. Thus began the first Dynasty of Recife. The central government here did not have the presence it did in Asia or Europe. Even so a time of justice, peace and prosperity came to Brazil. The design and building of ships became a major industry. The Mucaw excelled at agriculture. They developed species of coffee, tobacco, chocolate and rice which were exceptional. A brisk export trade in these crops developed. Even the Anu prized their tobacco for their herb cigars. Their advancement of agri-business, and the innovation of plant based compounds for industrial use was unparalleled. They developed an herb based pharmacy that set the world standard. They exported more medicines than any other nation. 

 By 246 NA the first dynasty of the great Recife Empire fell victim to its own corruption and internal conflict. The people revolted against the emperor of Recife and he was overthrown. The Voodoo Underground was a sect of Juju priests. This sect played a small role in the rebellion against the first dynasty. At that time it was a small sect on the fringes of society. But about that time the Voodoo Underground was infiltrated by the Cult of Set. And from this point forward the sect grew in numbers and in influence. The Voodoo Underground engaged in occult terror, drug trafficing, black market enterprises and slavery. The second dynasty came to power and ruled by military force. In a short time they became more corrupt than the first dynasty. The College of Saints was discredited, and forced into hiding by the government. Thus the racial mission of the Mucaw was not completed.    

The Oracle of Khemsa Nu Series©.  All Rights Reserved. 

Yao N. Morris 

The Four Sages & Their Migrations 

 Francis Germaine called the new European race the Nordic Peoples. And the place he took them to he called Euro. Then the sage began to reveal the secrets to the new peoples. He informed them of the sacred special mission assigned to them. Their mission in this new age was to harness the power of the sun. They were charged to recover some of the old technology. In essence it was to learn how to generate electric energy through solar power. They were to use this electric power to recreate mass communication systems. Specifically they had to create broadcast media. The Anu would help them. The Anu had saved the technology in giant archives. 

 Shantan Shivinanda called the new Asian race the Ching Peoples. The place he lead them to he named Burma. He informed them of the sacred special mission assigned to the Ching. Their mission in this new age was to commune with original wisdom, and from it write the great Book of Changes. The Book of Changes referred to the science of the I Ching and Bagua. Nature is in constant motion. It is to know the environment and how its constant changes impact on our lives. They did not understand this mission. But he told them that the work had already been done. In attempting to do the mission the answers would come. For all of the missions would involve more than what they seemed at first.

 Titu Tainte called the new American race the Mucaw Peoples. He named the place he lead them to Recife. The sage revealed to the new Mucaw Peoples their destiny. He informed them of the sacred special mission assigned to them. Their mission in this new age was to discover the true  Tree of Life. They were to learn the real secret of it. This was the hardest of all the missions. Hints to the wisdom of the Tree of Life were contained in some of ancient holy books. It was a metaphor to a deep dark secret. 

 Mendavina called the new African race the Asuo Peoples. It meant the people of the water. It was a mystical name. The sage gathered the new race to him and shared with them many secrets. He took under his wing a small group of the new Asuo Peoples and gave them special training. He called this sect the Khemists. It was a name derived from the old nation of Khemit and the ancient tales of the alchemists. He informed them of the sacred special mission assigned to the Asuo. Their mission in this new age was to bring forth the great oracle. The original oracle portal referred to an occult means via which man might commune with the spirit world. Through the oracle man could commune with the ancestors, deities, and nature spirits. It was a portal into infinite wisdom. The key to the oracle was the creation of a special portal. It was an esoteric bridge that connected the physical world to other realms. And this mission was the first mission. It was the key to all the others. Once the oracle came, the Asuo were charged to share its wisdom with the other three races.  

 The sages went on to describe the differences that made the four races distinct. The affinity to an elemental energy gives each race a central strength or attribute.  But the presence of this attribute also exposes each race to corruption from a particular vice.  

The fire elemental imparts to the Nordic race the attribute of industry, a hive consciousness, and a love of logic.  This gives them the propensity for trade, commerce, a love of money, an inventive nature, contests, and games of sport.  

The water elemental imparts to the Asuo race a propensity for socialization, religion and creativity.  This gives them an especial propensity for the arts, community building, urban planning, psychotherapy, singing, spiritual practice, ritual, social group events, romance and sexuality.   

The earth elemental imparts to Mucaw race grounding to the earth, commerce with all nature, the insects, animals and plants.  They have a propensity to be in balance with the ecology and to have an expansive and inclusive social structure. 

The Sage Shantan Sivananda 

And the Migration of the Ching People 

 The air elemental imparts to the Ching race a martial nature and a propensity for political struggles, class systems and social architecture.  These are expressed as both a love of refinement and an especial love for power.  

 Shantan Sivananda was known as the handsome sage, as many women thought he was too good looking to be a holy man. He was so old that he did not remember being young. And yet he presented as a robust man in his late forties perhaps. The mission of the Ching People, the yellow race, was to commune with original wisdom. From this communion they were to write the great Book of Changes. 

 The Ching Race gathered on the coast from the mouth of the Ganges River to the mouth of the Mekong River. Both rivers had shifted many kilometers to the west. The geography of the previous nation of India was severely altered. Now the Mekong terminated into the gulf of India, and not in the southern portion of the Pacific. The Ching were the largest population and spread out over the widest area. The sage guided them to Mount Hiroshito in central Burma. The journey would take some 6 years. 

 In the sixth age the land of Asia was vastly changed. Parts of old Korea, Vietnam and Cambodia from the fifth age had fallen into the Ocean during the cataclysm. The mountains have moved. The courses of the rivers have changed.  In the sixth age, the populated region of Asia was concentrated in three great river basins. The rest of Asia would not be settled for several centuries. The three major rivers of Asia were the Indus River, the Ganges River and the Mekong River. The Yangtze River or Yellow River was another major river. But few people lived near this area. The land to the east of the Yangtze was a desert. From the Yangtze east to the Pacific Ocean was a wasteland. Trolls and Xenants roamed there in abundance, cleaning up the wastes and restoring the natural order there.  The Mekong River Basin started at the foot of the Himalaya Mountains, and ran south some 700 miles to the Sea of Laos.  The Ganges River Basin was the longest, with many branches feeding the main tributary. The Ganges River snaked west to east through a dense forest, lush valley and ended in a tropical band before it finally terminated as a delta on the Indian Ocean. The Indus River ran along the east of the Iranian Mountains for hundreds of miles before it turned east, and curved and twisted through forests, hills and lush valleys on its way to the Persian Sea. The Iranian Mountains ran the coast northeast and turned to run due east. There was a long gap, and the tip of the Himalayas reached over to almost meet them. 

 In the north near the mountains the weather and the terrain was sometimes harsh. Temperatures got down well below zero in the winters, and two or three feet of snow falling in a day was common. There were still many active volcanoes. In the southern portions of these river basins it was more like a tropical climate. But this had its hazards too. Cyclones and rain storms rocked the coastal areas. Undergrowth and trees grew so fast in some areas that it was hard to clear and farm. Swamps, rain forests and irregular terrain made travel by foot a chore.  

 Shantan Sivananda led the Ching People north from the coast along the western shore of the Mekong River. Some 400 miles in they turned west and made for the triple mount. In the first year, the Ching became stuck on a mountain in the dead of a very cold winter. A severe storm dumped hail and snow on them. Twice the main camp lost its fire. It was a time of extreme cold in a very severe storm. Several thousand people died before they got down off the mountain. 

 On the journey they encountered mutant beasts, trolls, xenants, volcano eruptions and massive sink holes. Rain storms caused quiet modest rivers to swell into raging torrents overnight. For six years the Ching remained on this difficult journey. Finally they reached the plain in what had once been Burma, and came within sight of Mount Hiroshito. 

 The Ching were camped out at the foot of a huge hill.  There were two smaller mountains between. Scouts had been sent ahead to chart the way. The scouts located a large cave, just on the other side of the hill. And when a great storm threatened, hundreds of people sought refuge in the cave. At the back of the cave they discovered what appeared to be a man made tunnel. They followed this smooth passage down into the earth and it opened onto an underground structure.  It was a large warehouse or mill, that somehow got buried intact two hundred feet under a mountain. Inside this building, neatly stacked they found a very large stock pile of iron metal and various alloys. It was not ore, but refined iron. The knowledge of refining metal from ore was only known by a few remaining people of the old race.  This was finished metal, iron. The iron was in many forms including rods, ingots, beams and sheets. The supply of iron was great, but almost all of it was in pieces too big and too heavy to move.  Some equipment also survived, but there was no electricity to run it. 

 The next spring a good group of men and women returned to this mountain to work the iron. They dug a huge hole next to a pile of iron, and set up a furnace right in the ground. They began a crude foundry and forge operation right there in the cave, melting the metal, and forming some of it into new shapes. This was the first metal works of the new age, and the production was very small and crude at first.  They produced axes, hammers, plows and tools in the beginning. In a few years they added a special earth kiln, and added the manufacture of a limited amount of carbon steel. And from the steel they produced weapons, mainly swords. This was the source of steel swords and blades for many years. The trade brought swords to Europe, Brazil and Africa. But only in small quantities. The Ching did not wish for other races to have weapons equal to theirs. The other races worked mainly bronze and copper for many decades. This would shape the course of history for the Ching People. 

 And many decades later the clan of the mountain founded two more foundries in the Ganges Province and the Indus Province. The blacksmiths became a sacred clan, a secret order that answered only to the greatest warlords. The secrets of their forges were passed from father to son and held in trust. And each of the three mountains were protected by their own armies. They had grown fabulously rich. 

 The sages told all four new races the themes and rules of the sixth age. All the new races were to speak the same language. All the missions had already been done before. The Anu had the knowledge in their archives. There was a finite amount of time to complete the missions. The terms for the Sixth Age were simple. If all four races completed their missions within the time allowed, then mankind would be rewarded with 1,000 years of paradise on earth. They were warned not to repeat the mistakes of the past age. This was the mantra of the sages. All four missions had to be completed. If three races completed their mission and the fourth did not, mankind would fail. 

 The sages described this paradise. It would be a paradise better than any dream or fantasy of man. He would not have to die and go to heaven to obtain it. Nor would he forfeit any rewards in the afterlife. He could enjoy it with his physical vehicle. Here for 1,000 years man would live a life of bliss. The earth would bring forth an abundance of things to delight the senses. Plants would grow in paradise with very little fertilizer or tending. There would be food there such as man had not known. The strength of the body would be so great, that diseases and ill conditions would be rare. All people would be born beautiful. Sexual pleasure would be guaranteed to all, and it would be an experience beyond description. There would be a host of opportunities to achieve prosperity. Man would have an abundance of things to trade and add value to his existence. There would be contests and shows where one could achieve honor and fame. And these competitions would replace war. Kings and leaders would fight in the arena to settle disputes. There would be no need for soldiers. There would be new frontiers to explore. There would be no lack of adventure. The communion of man with the deity and the spirit world would excel his hopes. For many do not yearn for food or riches but desire more so to love God. 

 There would of course be the need for small amounts of pain and discord. But such would not be a tenth of the measure of joy and harmony. There had to be some risk and some danger. People could work one third of the week, and devote the other two thirds to the past time of their choosing. Thus people could go after the longing in their life. Men and women would have time to be present in the moment and present with each other. And much of what would come in paradise was left without words. For man had not enough familiarity with the concepts even to understand what was being said. But he would achieve states of consciousness, and commune with the entities of the galaxy, and have commerce with bliss in ways he could not know. He would look forward to sleep and dreams and wake up with new joy for the adventures to come. And there would be peace and order enough for men and women to enjoy this life. This was the promise.  

 The sages told them the down side. There were two important considerations. Before any race could access the wisdom and documents of the Anu there had to be a viable oracle system in the land. Thus until the first mission was completed, the creation of the great oracle, the other three races would be hampered in their progress. 

 There was a second consideration, a very important one. Humanity needed to avoid a convergence. Until ALL four missions were completed the races should remain apart. There could be trade and travel between the lands, but mass migrations were forbidden. When all four missions were successfully completed there would be a grand REUNION of the races. It would be a happy time. But, if the deadline came and even one race had not finished its appointed mission, then all hell would be unleashed. The four races would be forced back together again. And this was called the convergence. Convergence was not good, not good at all! 

The Convergence 

 If man failed, and fell back into his old ways, there was a definite down side. The convergence would be a time of disease, war, natural disaster, and treachery, the likes of which man has not seen on the earth before.  Once the cycle of convergence was set into motion man would have to scramble to try and complete the remaining missions as soon as possible. But by then there would be many obstructions. After a time of pain and sorrow, the sixth age of man would come to an end! The sages did not know exactly how long mankind would be given to complete the four missions. Only after the coming of the oracle would the deadline become known. But the time allowed would be more than ample to do the missions.   

Rescue Mission into The Painted Hills  

 The wind picked up a bit sending a chilly blast across the vale. A deep darkness was descending, as if some giant was pouring a bucket of blackness on the land. No moon or stars lighted the sky, just a purple gleam in the clouds now and then.

 “Shall we start a fire?” Kuai Po offered desperately. 

 Kamupatti sighed, “Will the wood in this cursed place even burn? It is an evil choice. With no fire they will be on us before we even see them. But surely the mutant beasts will smell the burning.” He said, wrapping his blanket about his shoulders for warmth.  

 “Make your fire.” Dravah instructed them. “In fact make three fires around us. There is little hope in arrows at night. It is like a black fog this air. We will have to shoot from sound. Flaming brands will ward off most mutant beasts, but I doubt we shall see any tonight. The mutant beasts fear the xenoriods more than we do.” He looked at Kuai Po, but even just two paces away he could only see the outline of his face.  

 “Is there any hope?” Kuai Po asked, looking for anything to help manage the panic seeking to overtake him. 

 “It is doubtful we will survive the night.” Dravah admitted in his frank honest way. “The trolls already know we are here. I doubt they will kill us. If we only face mutant beasts we have a chance. But they know we are looking for her. And if they reached this place before us they have probably moved the xenoroids into the swamp. If so they are right over that hill.”  

 Kuai Po let out a low moan of desolation. He lighted his torch and walked off to find firewood. 

 Segui came closer so he could see their faces. “He is not a coward, but this is more than a simple farmer can bear. This cold is unnatural. Only in this valley does the breeze chill the bones this way. This darkness, your eyes don’t adjust to it. The stench! It is awful. Even the troll droppings smell better. But no matter what one of us must make it through that swamp tomorrow. We must save her, we just have to.” 

 The toxic earth seemed to sweat or expel her poisons at night.

It was so dark that sounds seemed to be heavy and low. Words seemed to drop to the ground with an echo as if they lost power upon leaving the mouth. There was no proper shelter to be found. They camped in a shallow depression pressed against a short mound of earth and brush behind. The reports of the Painted Hills were bad. But nothing could have prepared them for what they encountered on the journey in. They got the first fire going with no trouble. And then Kamupatti came stumbling back into camp. He was out of breath from fear. 

 “The swamp I think …. the swamp I think it is moving.” He murmured, forcing the words out. Even in the dark they could see his face, locked in astonishment. “The whole hill there is covered in mud and slime. It is sliding down toward us.” He gasped.   

 “Its coming?” Segui asked. 

 Dravah picked up his bow. 

 “Oh no.” Kuai Po groaned. 

The Wall at the Valley of Pondt 

 The Wall of Pondt stood some eighty cubits tall and spanned almost a kilometer. It was built between the knees of two mountains to keep the dreaded creatures inside Pondt from ever getting out. The bottom courses of the wall were not stone but huge clay bricks. The largest were eight cubits tall. Higher up the courses were built with limestone blocks in a random ashlar pattern. A great bastion projected from the wall near the center, with buttress piers to either side of small stones. A top the bastion was a watchtower. At ground level in the center of the bastion was a heavy double door, made of wood.  

 Forty men and one brave woman finally reached the wall after a harsh journey through the outlands of Xerg. They stood in a row looking up at the indomitable structure for a full minute before anyone spoke. 

 “Shit!” Drake exclaimed, expressing out loud what the others were no doubt silently thinking. 

 “How did they get the stones up there?” A young marine asked. 

 It is said that the Anu assisted in the construction. But it seems a tall task even for them.” Another marine answered. They had arrived at the entrance to the one place in Euro no sane man wanted to go.    

 Greystone produced a key and with it unlocked the door. He opened the door and passed into the bastion. The others hesitated, and then one by one slowly entered. Inside the bastion they climbed the flights of stairs up to the tower and stepped out onto a stone allure atop the rampart. They walked out on the top of the wall and looked with wonder down into the Valley of Pondt. The landscape adjacent to the wall looked fairly normal. But beyond the portion adjacent to the wall the landscape was a patchwork of different terrains. Some patches out in the valley seemed decidedly unwholesome from a distance. Whole plots of land were barren and bereft of green plant life. A strange smoke or vapor rose up in places, as if the earth was burning. In other places there seemed to be an abundance of green grass and trees. One hill in the distance seemed to be covered in a jungle. Although the more they looked at it the more some of the growth seemed abnormal. Beneath these trees and growth there was definitely movement. Something was out there. On the edge of their vision was a long swath of black terrain. This area seemed particularly foreboding. A heavy blue mist flowed slowly down the sides of the mountain on the north side. In thick waves the mist hurdled the tall rocks and trees at the bottom and fell silently into the haunted valley.  As it passed over the hills covered in abnormal growth it sent up spirals of fog in ghastly shapes. In the distance they heard a strange noise of grinding.  And from time to time a creature of the wild called out. But it was no animal they were familiar with.  

 “What is that? What is that moving way out there?” Drake asked, pointing with his knife. Greystone turned his spy glass in the direction Drake was pointing. 

 “Hex Azeem” Greystone cursed. “That was not here before.” 

 Grover produced his spyglass and looked where Drake was pointing. “Look at the size of it. Never seen that before. What in hex is it?”  

 Greystone took a long look and sighed. “Well it ain’t human, whatever it is.” He passed the glasses to Drake for a look. 

 “Hex azeem!” Drake cursed, “What the hex! It does not look like any troll.” 

 “It is trolls! Must be.” Grover insisted. “Nothing else is that big.” 

 “Nothing else you know.” Beverly interjected. “There is some new menace in these parts. We have heard its cries for many weeks now. There was talk of a creature, they say krill. But they say the krill do not make much noise. Four men coming to spend the night. They approached the pass at Kandahar and turned back. What they saw spooked them terrible. They are not men easy to make afraid. The man at the house was troubled by their talk. Then we heard the strange cries again. He ask me, if not the krill then what is it? I say I don’t know. But in my mind I thinking maybe some of the mutant things from Soudan follow us here. There is no telling what is in there. We must prepare.” She warned them.    

 Gokstad grabbed the glass and took a look. “Looks like trees moving. I can’t make it out. Whatever it is we need to stay hex clear of them!” 

 Drake, a marine soldier, “Aren’t you going to say you fear no man or beast.” He provoked Gokstad. 

 Gokstad of Slavia frowned. “The last time I boasted that I was made to eat those words. A demon almost made me pee on myself. And a dragon nearly clawed my skin off. I saw a reptile so big and mean I thought what the hell was God thinking!” he flashed a brief smile. “You been nice and safe in your warm fort there young man. Things in the world th’aint normally there. Let us see how big that smile is when you face em.” Greystone cracked a brief smile at Gokstad’s words. 

 “I saw something up in Kandahar Pass. It won’t no troll and it won’t no krill. But that don’t mean I am not going back up there one day.” Greystone declared. “So what is the verdict Gokstad, it’s your call.” 

 “Of course we are going in. We are going to be sorry at some point. And some of us probably won’t come out. But we knew the place was haunted and queer when we signed on. That is what we do.” Gokstad said.

 Greystone, “Down then, and in we go. Any man wants out goes through the wooden doors at the bottom of the steps. Once you pass through the metal doors there is no turning back."  The company descended. Some descended slower than others.

The Oracle of Khemsa Nu Series©.  All Rights Reserved. 

Yao N. Morris