Page 28 - World of Darkness

1471481- When I was 12, my father beat me after hearing what I had done with another boy. It was as I lay on the cellar 275775
4389419‘937191 7572“7‘
3171301937 floor, feeling the blood on my back become sticky and cold, that the angel first spoke to me. She filled the air 8‘262‘826262
1049 with the scent of metal and surrounded me with a circle of blue flame, and I was frightened. 42‘71330310
71“70 30
73047119102173000‘7039071010371030170 0137371
‘0‘0‘073 “Don’t be afraid,” she told me. “I have come to speak to you, and through you. At the command of the god- 1“203704
0‘70330731764461001 machine you shall hear my words and know them to be true.” Her voice was like the notes of a flute and their 011047010
016400100‘0171361 110104645691—
210“3‘90‘033030370— vibrations calmed my fear. And that was how I learned the secret history of the world. 994-0‘74-‘-
371006‘0030047‘0302402- 47-‘—37‘3-
‘3370‘3‘-‘- The god-machine built our world as a resting place for its First Children, whom men called angels or Ancient 38‘47-‘—74-
‘30492961919921‘374291037628919‘- 7-“1=‘1-
‘730‘09‘127130170‘0‘19743651811‘272- Ones. After a time, the ancients desired servants to dwell with them, servants who walked upright and had 43748046564-
‘7362‘- pleasing shapes, and who could speak. They sent the proper prayer-signals to the god-machine and were 65756575675666610-
1023378290364024- ‘38‘6-
“‘64-4‘- granted leave to do so. First the Ancient Ones took the beasts of the field and granted them the knowledge to ‘740‘28123‘494-
0492742—1- speak and walk. But these animals retained their wildness and did not make good servants. They grew wicked ‘74‘-
17‘- 10‘12282‘01292‘294794-
4890402472— and violent, and were cast into the wilderness. They were the Second Children, whom men called demons. ‘74-
372-2‘-2737— ‘39“=4844291-
‘844560‘3470- So the Ancients called new servants into being and commanded them to spread across the face of the Earth. ‘-92=‘22—
274384746831- 920208‘0810“48=‘0‘-
‘-38‘-3883- And these were the Third Children, called mankind. And mankind served the ancients in peace and content- ‘48474-‘=-
7465‘-‘- ment. Mankind knew not death then. Those whose bodies became worn and aged were sent to sleep in the 19-2-‘9‘-
4570-479272- 0‘9‘03‘84477‘0-
‘-392790-‘- shadow of the Earth and returned after a time restored to health and youth. 029‘-9‘-9‘-
37- 0‘—9‘9‘-
2‘=45‘790940 The Ancients commanded their servants to build a great city, a city so vast that a child setting out to walk its 8‘9‘-‘9‘-
‘1464090‘640‘- “911‘929‘043‘18‘448‘47‘7‘22‘-
‘4-137464‘9- length would be an old man before reaching the other side. Calling on the power of the god-machine, the Ancient 82-‘2-
746‘0‘-‘- Ones raised their city into the dome of the sky, fixing it at the place where the orbit of the moon crossed the orbit 4‘74‘24-
44‘292729— 0‘404‘71-
‘17‘- of the sun. And in the city they placed a third of mankind to serve them as vassals and slaves. ‘122-
8409‘7‘70‘9- 2383027‘=03823-
3-710-49471- In the city of the Ancients, man lived closer to the First Children than ever before. And some of the men began to ‘4‘-4-‘347-
‘7491‘937190‘- ‘34-473-
47‘9-‘34‘- wonder, “Why do the Ancients spend their days in rest while we must toil without relief? Why do the Ancients enjoy 270-‘2-‘12-
‘7‘=‘749‘7 the pleasures of this city when it is our labor that built it?” And so resentment rose among the Third Children. They 01-9292-0‘—
3“0‘040‘6 94-038‘373-
4‘0460‘— made the proper calculations and sent the prayer-signals to the coordinates of the god-machine, saying, “We are 08447‘-
‘1746‘4-1-1- your children, too. It is not right that we be enslaved. Will you not look on us with favor?” 0310-
275775 ‘730‘09‘127130170‘0‘19743651811‘272-
7572“7‘ And they received this answer: ‘7362‘-
8‘262‘826262 1023378290364024-
42‘71330310 “What rises must fall. What has fallen may rise again.” “‘64-4‘-
30 0492742—1-
0137371 The men of the city debated for seven years. Finally, they decided that it was the will of the god-machine that 17‘-
1“203704 4890402472—
011047010 they raise themselves from slavery. Determined to kill the Ancients and take their place as the favored of the 372-2‘-
110104645691— god-machine, the men of the city plotted carefully. When the time came, they fell upon the Ancient Ones in 2737—
994-0‘74-‘- ‘844560‘3470-
47-‘—37‘3- their sleep, murdering them with their own weapons and devices in a single night of betrayal. 274384746831-
38‘47-‘—74- ‘-38‘-3883-
7-“1=‘1- The streets of the celestial city ran red with blood. A great cry rose up from the Earth, and the mountains 7465‘-‘-
43748046564- 4570-
65756575675666610- shook and the skies were filled with storms. The Ancients struck back at their servants, but too late. Just eight 479272-‘-
‘38‘6- of the Ancient Ones survived. As they fled, they cried out, “We are undone, our time is over, but while our time 392790-‘-
‘740‘28123‘494- 37-
‘74‘- was long and joyous, yours shall be short and painful.” And they became known as the Furies. 2‘=45‘790940
10‘12282‘01292‘294794- ‘1464090‘640‘-
‘74- The first Fury was named Silence, and fled to the center of the Sun. It cursed mankind to forget the art of ‘4-
‘39“=4844291- 137464‘9-
‘-92=‘22— speaking to and receiving the signals of the god-machine. 746‘0‘-‘-
920208‘0810“48=‘0‘- 44‘292729—
‘48474-‘=- The second Fury was named Death, and fled to the hidden side of the moon. It cursed mankind to forget the ‘17‘-
19-2-‘9‘- 8409‘7‘70‘9-
0‘9‘03‘84477‘0- way back from the shadow of the Earth. 3-710-
029‘-9‘-9‘- 49471-
0‘—9‘9‘- The third Fury was named Torment, and fled to the star Venus. It cursed mankind to be split into two beings, ‘7491‘937190‘-
8‘9‘-‘9‘- 47‘9-‘34‘-
“911‘929‘043‘18‘448‘47‘7‘22‘- wyff-man and wo-man, each imperfect and forever seeking its opposite. ‘7‘=‘749‘7
82-‘2- 3“0‘040‘6
4‘74‘24- The fourth Fury was named Fear, and fled beneath the highest mountain on the Earth. It cursed mankind to be 4‘0460‘—
0‘404‘71- hated and dreaded by all the beasts and birds and fish and all creatures everywhere. ‘64090‘640‘-
‘122- ‘4-
2383027‘=03823- 137464‘9-
‘4‘-4-‘347- Of the other four surviving Ancient Ones nothing here can be said, for they chose to withhold their curses until 746‘0‘-‘-
‘34-473-270- such time as they saw fit. 44‘292729—
‘2-‘12-01- ‘17‘-
9292-0‘—94- 8409‘7‘70‘9-
038‘373- And then the city of the Ancients shook to its foundations. The men marveled at what happened but could not 3-710-
08447‘28123‘494- stop it. The city was loosened from the moorings that held it to the firmament. The men cried out in horror, 49471-
‘74‘- ‘7491‘937190‘-
10‘12282‘01292‘294794- rushing to flee the city before it crashed to earth. Some set upon the roads of light that the Ancients had built, 47‘9-‘34‘-
‘74- and became lost among the stars. Some reached the silver-sailed boats and descended safely. But many were ‘7‘=‘749‘7
‘39“=4844291- 3“0‘040‘6
‘-92=‘22— trapped within the city, and screamed their last as it fell. And when the city crashed and sank beneath the 4‘0460‘—
920208‘0810“48=‘0‘- waves, the world shook, the sun hid its face and everywhere people were afraid. ‘1746‘4-1-
‘48474-‘=- 1-275775
19-2-‘9‘- 7572“7‘
0‘9‘03‘84477‘0- And here the angel paused, regarding me with a hundred eyes. “Fear not these words I speak to you. For the 8‘262‘826262
029‘-9‘-9‘- news I bear is this: The god-machine has not turned its eye from your home. What has fallen may rise again.
0‘—9‘9‘-
27
UNRECORDED HISTORY-VOICE OF THE ANGEL