Masons

When Brack was still young when creatures of all size, shape, and intellect roamed freely, legends were born.  It was during this time that when brave souls perish, their souls would continue to live on in Brack.  These spirits roamed Brack as observers but were not able to be seen or affect the land in any way – they were in the land but not of the land anymore.  They were tasked as judges of new souls.  When life is lost, they would evaluate and judge to see whether a new spirit would join them or be sent to the fires of Tophet.  They saw many innocents fall many of whom they had a chance to prevent if only they were able to touch the earth of Brack.  They became angry because they felt helpless and decided to approach the great Avon with a proposal. 

                They left Brack and ascended to Godholm and into the throne room of Avon.  They bowed before the throne and their representative, Armason, spoke on behalf of them.  He said: Great Avon, we, thy witnesses of Brack, hath seen many brethren fall – a great unnecessary slaughter of good souls and birth of new spirits. We knoweth that thou hath forbidden thy servants to intervene physically in the realm of Brack but only in the matter of the spirit. Now, great Avon, heareth our plea: Long hath we witnessed the death of innocents, and long hath we no means to intervene.  But we knoweth a tear forms in thy eye whenever an innocent is lost.  Avon, all we asketh of you is that thou wilt lift the barrier that prevents us from interfering.

                Avon’s eyes were unreadable.  He sat still on his towering throne as the spirits lay prostrated before him.  He knew that it was only a matter of time when the brave spirits would not be able to bare the injustice of Brack.  But he also knew that if the barrier between the tangible and the intangible was lifted, the spirits would have no mercy against any with a plot of any evil intention.  Avon had given the spirits the ability to read the thoughts of everyone and if they were allowed to intervene in the affairs of the tangible, no creature of Brack would be given a chance to change his mind.  Avon looked up and answered in a fearful and powerful voice.  He answered: I understand thy hurdles, and I giveth unto thee two choices. If thou wilt wish to once again touch the earth, thou must give up thy great knowledge which alloweth thee to see everything, but if thou wilt choose to remain as only witnesses, nothing of which will change. 

                Armason was an old spirit, one of the first thirty spirits, and was full of wisdom and understanding – his age allowed him to understand almost all of Brack.  He called forth the spirits to divide among themselves who shall go forth and touch the land again and who shall remain.  There were fifteen thousand seven hundred spirits in all and twelve thousand stood on the side to return to the tangible world.  Avon eyed each of them and said: Let this be mine warning to thee: the road back to Brack is a hard one and many wilt be lost.  You will no longer be witnesses, but wanderers until the age of Nightfall if thou wilt be lost in the journey.  With those words, three thousand left the group and stood on the other side – nine thousand remained.  Avon continued: Without the gift of thy great knowledge, many of you wilt fall by the swords of thy enemies.  Another three thousand left the group. Avon spoke once more: When you return, I hath no bodies for you to inhabit for thine bodies hath long rotted away.  Instead thou shalt inhabit the elements for they are spiritless.  Thou shall have no flesh but thy skin shall be the dust, the winds, the stones, and the seas.  With those words many became afraid and another three thousand left the group.  Three thousand remained steadfast in their decision. 

Avon was pleased with their courage and said: Armason, thou and thy spirits hath championed a valiant cause.  I shalt send you all forth unto Brack.  You would no longer have thy great knowledge of everything, but I shalt give unto you a great knowledge of each other so that if any of you shalt be in danger, your brethren can come forth to help you.  I sent you forth as judges, as the hammer, as Armason’s three thousand – as Masons!  Then Avon made a pass with his hand and a doorway opened.  Armason took his last look at Godholm, a place his eyes will never see again until Nightfall, and walked through the doorway followed by his masons.      

Fears, sorrow, happiness, anger, and pain flooded Armason and his three thousand as they made the way back into the tangible realm.  Emotions overwhelmed them as they once again felt what it was like to breathe the air of Brack.  After what seemed to them like decades, they emerged in the land of the living.  They looked at each other and then at themselves amazed – none of them were spirits, nor were they creatures of Bracks, neither learned ones nor dumb ones.  They were the elements of Brack – they were masons.