TEMPORAL - 109 CE
Part 1:
In the verdant expanse of the Irish highlands, we find Aedan living a serene pastoral life. One fateful evening in 109 CE, under the spectacle of a meteor shower that paints the sky with fiery trails, he feels a profound shift in his destiny.
Compelled by this celestial portent, he ventures far from his home toward Western craggy cliffs, sheer drops into the Atlantic. There he finds a cave said to be frequented by the Tuatha Dé Danann—figures of Irish myth as mystical as any gods. Aedan steps into this revered place, the air growing heavy, imbued with the essence of age-old legends. Zephyr winds carry tales of the legendary Niamh and Oisín, Irish lovers whose exploits spread throughout these lands.
Amidst the towering stalagmites, Aedan uncovers relics and carvings that echo these timeless stories. His exploration leads him deep below the caverns, to a brilliant lake the color of fresh milk. Above the alabaster waters hangs a shimmering rift in reality, a portal resonating with the voices of ancient heroes. Curiosity aflame he feels compelled to traverse the boundaries of known worlds, much like the epic sagas of heroes fighting the draconic Oilliphéist.
Part 2:
Drawn by the allure of time’s hidden secrets and the enigmatic rift, Aedan wades through the sparkling lake and crosses the threshold of his known reality as the waters rise to follow. He finds himself adrift in streams of ivory, currents of time, and watches eras converge in a dizzying vortex. Here, the very temporal nature he is familiar with unfurls, transforming from a linear path to a swirling river, enveloping him in its relentless flow.
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In this maelstrom he encounters a group of Fomorians. These are subterranean creatures of which he had nary seen before and had heard of only in distant murmurs of Irish legend. These beings are devoted to Nodens, "Lord of the Great Abyss," shrouded in the remnants of twilight and secrets. These adherents worship with intense zeal, believing in their deity’s boundless power. Aedan’s mind opens with the realization that these entities strive to alter the threads of destiny, drawing on forbidden knowledge bestowed by their dark god.
Under a twisted sky filled with dark stars, the Fomorians begin to chant, a process both entrancing and fearsome. Symbols etched into the dark earth radiate a supernatural sickly glow, a result of their elder magic. Aedan bears silent witness, realizing he has entered a domain beyond his ken, where arcane forces intricately weave sinister webs.
Part 3:
The choir of Fomori beseeches Nodens, the power of their voices shaking Aedan to his core. He is forced to confront a harsh reality. That far from transcending the limits of time, he has become ensnared in a relentless cycle. He fights against the current, but each portal he crosses drives him further into a blend of wonder and desperation, entangling him ever deeper.
Trapped in a loop that brings him incessantly back to his starting point, Aedan falls to his knees. The universe, in its infinite complexity and unfathomable mysteries, taunts him with the patterns of the stars. The chants, once mysterious and alluring, now echo a lament for his trapped spirit. A somber parable of the dangers lurking for those who dare tamper with time, it serves as a poignant reminder of the frailty of human nature.