- Introduction and Disclaimer In anticipation of returning to the world of Osgog, I’m writing to all of you with some updates to the story. And jog some memories. I want to do this with enough time that I can answer questions, and everyone can start on the same page. Not sure about the timing. When is too early, when is too late. (I’ve decided to send it now - we’re guessing we’re about a month or two out - and then I can re-send it when we’re closer, with updates as needed.). I apologize that some of what I’ve said in the past was potentially misleading, but every writer needs to edit. You are all, of course, guinea pigs.
First, please note the one email immediately prior to this one (below, dated 12/15/24), having to do with the fountains in Trenewydh and Caerosgog:
OK, I need to correct a couple of things in terms of what’s happened so far. I’m not entirely clear that this is super important, but I’m trying to line some things back up, and I’d rather do this now, then suddenly realize that something doesn’t work, and then have you know that the change is important, and specific to what you’re currently doing.
Changes to two fountains:
I stole the fountain in Trenewydh from Caerosgog. I didn’t really think that you’d make it to Caerosgog at the time, and it was the image that I had. So: in the center of Trenewydh, you see The Abbot enter a space. It is surrounded by a stone curb, probably two feet high, with a diameter of forty or so feet, so maybe think of it as a small park, rather than just a fountain. Soil is mounded up inside the curb, making a small hillock. At the top of the hillock, is a pool of water, probably ten feet or so across. On one side grows a very old gnarled tree, which you would subsequently have realized is a derwen. On the other side of the pool is a small stone pillar, about four feet tall, and two feet across. Into the top of the pillar is carved/placed a circular bowl, which looks like it is made of gold. Water flows up from the bowl, and spills down into the pool, which has purple irises growing around its edges. You watch as the Abbott walks up to the tree, and reaches into a hollow in its trunk, and takes out a horn cup, which he dips into the pool, and drinks from. He then sits down leaning against the tree, closes his eyes, and seems to die peacefully. No one approaches him or enters the space until his eyes are closed and he is still. Then they proceed to take his body, and carry him to the temple as you witnessed at that time. When the Red Blade washed his face in the fountain during the fight, he did so in the golden bowl, making sure that the water fell onto the ground or pool, not into the bowl itself.
The fountain in Caerosgog is the one that I described in Trenewydh: intricate carvings, and yet as you watch the water spurting from what looks like the branches of short, squat tree trunk, you have the distinct impression that there are raven shapes in the water, or that the water pulls itself into the shapes of birds, flapping their wings, which then come apart as the water falls into the pool below. The rest of what you witnessed in Caerosgog around the fountain stands.
- The Church of Mons In terms of the religion of Mons, this is what Balthazar and Krambler (and, historically, Cricket and Mannix) are able to tell you:
The Church of Mons is largely in charge of what happens around Monsoth, they are the government. In the old world (according to Balthazar) while there are temples to Mons, worship is more distributed, and there are more options. For further details, see Mannix’ backstory, as well as the story *Foamflower. *The belief system of the Church says basically this: chaos is bad, order is good, and this life is (hopefully) all you get. They see Mons as a well tanned Young King of the Gods, with flowing blonde hair, riding around in a chariot. Much of the church and its adherents are mercantile - and when they are successful in business, they see it as Mons’ favor. They like to keep their ledgers clean, and they like going out and finding ways to bring order (via trade) to the natural world. They create wealth (which the Church taxes around Monsoth). The coast north and south of Monsoth being “un-inhabited” has meant that there are always opportunities to go clear some forest and start a farm, and to build a boat and start bringing those farm products back to the City. This is sometimes called “searching for Mons”, though some people believe that they are looking for a physical location (which you would know was part of what brought people to the coast in the first places, supposing that Mons - after his battle with the God of Death - took a boat off into the west), while others think of it as a state of being. On the one hand, when you die you can be “released from the world” - i.e., you go elsewhere into a great unknown; or you can be captured by the forces of the God of Death / Moon King / Mother Night / Osgog and the wild chaos of the natural world as he builds an army of Dead to eventually wipe out human beings, and reduce them to animals. Everyone must be especially aware of Osgog the Betrayer, who comes in the guise of wisdom, but who will let wildness into your life, if you are not careful. You do not want to get stuck here on Earth (if you follow the religion). There is a hope that, perhaps, Mons is living somewhere, either in a Deathless Realm, or perhaps preparing for a triumphant return where he will create a deathless realm here on earth. Regardless, your goal is to live well while you’re here, and try to think not too much about those that came before you: they have either left the world entirely, or are stuck in anonymity with the Moon King. When someone following Mons sees someone who is destitute, they feel somewhat badly that that person has fallen into the clutches of chaos and the Moon King, but that they’ll soon die, and become anonymous, and that that might satisfy the Moon King so that he doesn’t come looking for them (there is a hint of sacrificing to appease Death). The Abbot and Tawesek - as Krambler is able to tell you - do not directly contradict any of this. But they do, also, seem to put more emphasis on balance, and the elements, and don’t seem to see nature as nearly so evil-in-need-of-fixing. Were you to try to pin The Abbot down on his precise beliefs, you would find yourself artfully deflected, and only realize later that he did not, in fact, answer any of your questions.
It was suggested to me that I do some sort of summary in terms of where I think you are, in terms of your understanding. Please know that I’m going to write this in such a way that it is not accurate in terms of my point of view, but what I think you (as your characters) think. Also note that I’m almost certainly wrong in terms of your thought process in places - which is good. Argue with me (and each other) so that you remember your own state of mind.
- Synopsis You have lived your lives in a world without magic. You were, by various means, brought together in the City of Monsoth at the Inn of the Twelve Spoked Wheel, and while most of you are most familiar with the Church of Mons, your actual beliefs vary. You know that upon arrival in the Monastery of Tawesek, The Abbot and his daughter (who just died having given birth; see chapter one of the book for details) strike you as odd and other wordly. You have come to suspect that The Abbot is one of Mons’ sons (Kevnis), who has somehow escaped from mythology into your real world. He goes to a Market town with seven (note the change) entrances, and dies in a small park in the center (see previous email). You believe him to be called the Foundling - though he also seems to have a name (Bryok) - and that he was destined to return, though where this town actually is in space is unclear. (See discussion note.)
You’re sent on a mission following a black stream trying to find the kidnapped child into the hinterlands, and find that The Abbot had a hut on an island with two poles - whom you suspect to be some version of Gorgomog (one of the God Kings you’ve heard of) and his sometimes Queen, who you believe to be names Mother Night / Mabnos / Morianoth / Gwenethen. There were also three beings who named themselves “Sea, Storm, and Stone”, whom you’ve associated with three enchantresses from a story or two. They sit around a well.
The Abbot said something about the Lake being an Ancient Evil, and you’ve witnessed The Black Water having problematic effects when living creatures are exposed to it. You continued travelling up river, where you met various “elementals” who all wanted to fight (and through whom runic messages - which you associate one with each of your characters - arrived, possibly sent by Silas’ sister. Or maybe a tree.), as well as a stone circle that seemed “defensive” in structure, though it seemed to be more about keeping things in, rather than keeping things out. You came to a “bear village” where they spoke of an ancient blackness coming out of the north, and they took you to a haunted tower where you think another of Mons’ sons - Osgog - was possessed, and whom you liberated from some darkness. The tower had statues on the first floor that you think are possibly Mons’ children. There were also a series of poems (written in books) that have received mixed interpretations, but you think might be Osgog’s notes on finding something evil. There’s also a poem that you finish with charcoal that allows you up into the top floor of the tower. You’ve posited that the evil might have been held in Gwrydh, a “prison” that held some freaky stones, which you travelled to by going under Cricket’s funeral pyre.
You ended up in a city on a waterfall called Caerosgog, led by a badger, which was in the midst of a festival, where the colors of choice seemed to be black and purple. You and the natives do not end up getting along. You go to the Black Lake, meet a guy named The Boatman, and hear that you have three choices from an oracle in the middle of the lake:
- Shall you continue this search and travel towards the mountains amongst the stars,
- Shall you find the one eyed man who waits by the grave of his mother,
- Or will you travel through darkness at the hand of the boatman and give and receive your gifts. You choose Option 1, and head for a stone circle on an island attached to the city by bridge, and fight a pair of wintery beings. Cricket dies, Branwen is born, and you head off to … Nyth?
You battle your dark selves in Gwrydh, find some weird partial humans who say something about being sentries, and end up in a place where seasons and topography seem intertwined. You end up finding Musk (from Tawasek), and think that he got his niece (the kidnapped child) and then gave her away - you think she’s maybe at this other tower.
You end up taking a boat controlled by the Sun King’s minions (is the Sun King Mons?), but escape to an Island with a tree that changes seasons. Run into some weird birds, play music on rocks, and then head for The City - whatever that is. You skip it (it’s besieged by the Sun King), and head into a very autumny woods. You end up at a Tower - where there’s a guy who spends a lot of time looking at the stars - in the mountains, where there is not one, but four little girls. Who school you (in more ways than one). Hopps is broken by the fact that “Glasses Girl” - whom you associate with Mons, because she’s doing math, and seems to be attempting to make a telescope, and suspect is therefore the “evil” of the story - is the ONE. You dump her off with Silas’ sister - who happens to be at a farm at the bottom of the hill, having gotten there by quoting poems from The Haunted Tower - and head for the big waterfall-into-space. You find a weird forest, and a weird Weathertop. Silas gets Arthen filthy with goose fat (not thundergoose fat), while Balthazar gets laid in a village that worships Gorgomog - who has historically been understood to be a rather darker character, and not someone you’d generally be in favor or worshipping (The God of Death?).
You end up being chased by more Sun King minions, find twin towers guarding the waterfall, run into Thom Yorke and Fiona Apple, and then Jack (oh, I’m a little teary eyed. I do seriously miss that dog) leads you off into the night sky.
- Big Beats You get that there’s some sort of dichotomy between Mabnos (Cricket, Mannix, Branwen) and Mons (Sun King). While she is freaky, you all seem to prefer her. Though Silas really prefers a Big Bear; Krambler prefers the Abbot’s daughter (and the four elements), and Storr has some connection to fire. You all mostly suspect that the Sun King is a bad guy (Balthazar was “tortured” by him), though you’ve waffled with some unclear evidence. This despite the fact that she’s always been the bad guy in the stories you’ve heard.
You are really into the Virgin/Mother/Crone trio as chaotic enchantresses. You think the three girls in the Twrseren have something to do with them. And have spent a lot of time putting various objects in front of them (or into water associated with them).
You think that just about every woman you meet is Mabnos (see discussion note). And then discard the idea. (And then un-discard the idea.)
You have various ideas about who “The Seven Faced Man” is. The Abbot? Mog? Osgog? Bremphyr?
Lots of ideas about the Smith/Weyland/Bremphyr.
Lots of ideas about Rhianon and her sword.
You posit that of Mons’ four gifts, you may have several:
- The [[Crown of Water]] -> [[Mannix]] Helmet
- The [[Cloak of Wind]] -> [[Branwen]]/[[Cricket]]'s cloak
- The [[Scepter of Stone]] -> [[Krambler]]'s hammer
- The Sword of Darkness, Edged in Light -> [[Rhiannon]]'s Gale
You believe that there was an EVENT at The Haunted Tower.
Big symbols are: The Bear, an Ancient Tree, Black and Purple things, a Dragon, things/people with horns, things/people with wings, circles with twelve things in them.
Beyond that, check out Cricket’s Conspiracy Corner; Branwen’s Branches; Silas’ Conspiracy Corner.
- A New Story Finally, here’s another story that Balthazar has heard (and I apologize that this did not come sooner, but my guess is that Balthazar was not so much of a scholar that he remembers it word for word, but he knows something of the shape of the story. Maybe Bardh told it to you in this form. Most everything in here is detail that you’ve had somewhere, but I didn’t know how to consolidate it.).
- The End***
That’s all I’ve got for now.
Nathaniel