Faulfenzair Scrolls

The knowledge of the Faulfenzair past is encoded on Scrolls, which come in these categories:

• Scrolls of Wisdom
• Scrolls of History
• Scrolls of Teaching
• Scrolls of Soul-Feeding

Sample History Scroll: This day of Second-Year-Division of Ten, Six bushels of grain, Four ingots of metal.

Sample Teaching Scroll: In order for the clay to harden, you must first purify it. To do this, take the clay and wet it until it is soft. Using a straining pan, push clay through the pan from six to eight times until the rocks and weeds have been caught in the mesh and the clay is soft.

Sample Soul-Feeding Scroll: What day is this that Faulza has made! And how beautiful you are, oh my daughter... How strong are you, oh my son! Let our family and our love never fade. See how the serdu of the forest....

The Wisdom Scrolls are religious in nature, and tell the history of the Faulfenza from creation to present day.

Wisdom Scroll Texts

Scroll of Creation

In the beginning before everything, there was Nothingness, and that Nothingness was everything and everywhere... and to that Nothingness came the FireDancer, the God, Faulza.

And it was that way for a long time that was a brief momentlessness, because Time had not yet been Born... but Faulza, seated in His Forge on the Shoulders was sad and lonely. Faulza was Love, and He had nothing to Love, and so He felt incomplete.... for the Love of Faulza is such that no matter how much he is given to Love, there is still twice as much Love left. This is the nature of Faulza, whom we love.

Faulza was lonely, in that Nothingness... and so, in a moment of inspiration, He decided to make the Universe. And He made Time first, blowing warm breath into His cupped palms and letting it out into the Nothingness. And as Time began, He told the Nothingness the Rules by which it must live.

And then, the God took a spark from His Forge and threw it into the center of the Nothingness, where already Time was swirling and the Rules were coalescing... and the Universe was born, flooding out of the center like the Earth sprouting with seed, and Faulza was the Midwife to its Birth, for Faulza is every kind of Love in the Universe.

And the worlds began to spin, and the suns kindled, and the FireDancer was, for a moment, content. But that moment was soon gone, for in this Universe, there was nothing that could Love Faulza as He loved it. And so Faulza knew that it was time for Him to create His Children, for He was longing for the faces of His sons and daughters, longing to Love them and be Loved by them.

The God took a handful of sod from His most beloved and the most beautiful of his worlds and set it on His Forge, and He began to shape it delicately, but sternly, for in Faulza there is the love of the Mother and the Father both. And soon, He had shaped the first of His Children, to be the model for all the others... but something was missing. The soul Faulza had made for His first child was quiescent. It had no spark.

And then Faulza knew what was missing. He reached with His hands into His own Soul, which is all made of the First Fires, the Everdancing Light so hot it cannot be looked upon, and extracted from Himself part of His own soul. This he put into His Child, and to His wonder and delight, the soul sparked.

With love, Faulza put His Child down on the most loved world and was content as His Children grew stronger and grew to love Him as He loved them.

And so the Universe was born, and Time Became, and we were Made, His Children.

The Choice of Qudii, First Mother

'And so I shall tell you of the Choice of Qudii, First-Mother, and the days before we were what we are, the Faulfenza, when the world was dark and we were black with birth.

The small tribe looked all around in fear, and that night huddled cold and miserable in the darkness. Finally, Liiwen said to Qudii, "Call on the gods for intervention, or surely we will die."

And Qudii agreed. She was afraid, but her people were helpless. So she walked into the forest and prayed and fasted for nine days. On the evening of the tenth day, her prayers were answered.

The God came upon her there, and He was so bright a white-orange she could not look upon Him.

'Child,' said He, 'I have heard your pleas for aid. What ails you?'

'Oh Holy One,' Qudii answered, shaking, a small figure in black, 'we will die... we have no claws to kill food or protect our young, and our teeth are not enough.'

The God looked upon her and slowly nodded. 'Little Mother,' He said, 'You will choose for your people their defense.'

And Qudii was frightened for that she might not choose well. Nevertheless, she answered with brave retort, 'if it is your bidding, oh Mightiest. Lay the choice before me.'

And the God said, 'Choose amongst these four of the five -- fire, water, earth, and air. Choose carefully and think cautiously, little mother, for you will make for your children ever after their defense.'

Qudii thought long and hard where she kneeled before the God. She considered carefully, and for many hours. Finally, she spoke.

'I choose fire, Holy One,' she said.

And the God smiled on her and asked, 'Why?'

Qudii answered bravely. 'The air that gives us to breathe is good, but you cannot touch it, nor barely feel it save when the wind blows. What good is a defense that cannot be felt?'

The God smiled. 'That is true, little one.'

Qudii continued, 'The ground beneath us gives us a place to walk and shelter in its caves... but it does not move. What good is a defense that cannot move to its attackers? For a defense can often be an offense, also.'

The God seemed to smile. 'You are wise beyond your years, little one. Pray continue.'

Qudii was nervous, but she went on. 'The water gives to drink and quenches our throats and eyes... but it has no rhythm... it does not dance. What good is a defense that does not dance? For the defender who walks or stands still is dead before the first engagement. The beasts give no quarter.'

The God said nothing.

Qudii finished. 'I choose fire, Holy One... that our defense might be hot with anger, swift with dancing, true with striking, fast with moving. I chose fire for that we may live.'

The God was quiet.

Qudii finally asked timidly, "Have I chosen well, oh Holy One?"

The God shook his head and laughed, like joy made into sound. 'Call me not that, nor any other made-name. Know now my true call-name, child. I am Faulza, the FireDancer, and the FireDance itself, and I say you have chosen well!'

With that he touched her cheek, her ears, her hands, her chest, tail, feet... painted her black fur in red, the color of fire, and white, the color of smoke.

'I name you the First-Mother, the Mother of all your people. You will be a race of Dancers,' Faulza said, 'And though fire will be your first defense, water and earth and air will move to you as well in smaller ways. For the truest defender is the one in balance with the All... and that is the fifth essence. Never forget, nor use what I give you unwisely.'

Qudii was amazed when the God brought her hands to his mouth.

'Go forth,' said Faulza, 'and worship me. Love each other, and be swift. Be strong. Be Dancers... like the fire you have chosen.'

Qudii exclaimed, and then the God was gone.

	From that day forth, we were the Faulfenza, children of Faulza, 

Dancers, fire-makers, swift, strong, and sure.'

Qufal's Dream

'It was nearing the time of Decision. Qufal, the Painted FireBorn of Faulza, was at a loss. He had been a FireBorn all his life, been Painted since the day his dark mother had given him life, but in all the time he had lived his life, no clue had Faulza given him as to what would be the work, the Will of Faulza that he was required to fulfill.

Qufal was in despair. The people of Quzen wanted to know what it was Faulza wished, that He had sent unto them a FireBorn Painted. Each day, they asked him, 'What does the God wish of us? What must we do? Guide us, FireBorn!'

But Qufal did not know. Each day when he came home, he said to Faulza in anguish, 'Faulza! What do You wish of me! Tell me what it is You wish, tell me what Your plans for me are!'

Finally, he could wait no longer. Qufal went into the mountains, and there he fasted and did not sleep for nine days. On the tenth day, he could no longer stay awake. Exhausted, he slept.

Qufal, the Painted FireBorn of Faulza, dreamt. He dreamt that he walked upon a plain, littered with bodies. Death and darkness were everywhere. The rivers were swollen with waste, so that the fish in them sickened and died. The skies were thick with dirt and things that made him choke to breathe, clogged with a smell that made him fall to his knees and retch. He began to cry, for he could see that this was Quzen, and that all those who had died were people he knew.

But in the distance, through eyes choked with tears and burning with acid, Qufal could see a shining. Slowly, the shining grew and grew, until before the FireBorn was a figure who was both white and orange, so bright He burned, but somehow Qufal's eyes were not struck blind.

Faulza said unto Qufal, 'These are My children's fears for the future. Fear destroys the soul. Teach them not to fear, so that they may go forward to the destiny which is theirs.'

Qufal gasped, 'But what if they are right, FireDancer? What if this death, this ending happens because of what I do?'

'If such occurs,' the God answered, 'Then I will again take care of My people. You have heard My Will. Go forth, and make it as I will.'

'As You say, so shall it be done!' Qufal cried, and he awoke. And He came down the mountain, and cried to all the Faulfenza, 'Do not let fear blind you! The God has spoken to me... it is time to go forward!'

And so did the Dream of Qufal take us past the Fear of Machines, and the Faulfenza of Quzen went forward unto the Destiny determined for them by Faulza.'

The Promise Scroll

'Across the ages do I speak to you. Across the years do I speak to you. Across the ageless universe, and the long years between stars, these words come to you.

In the name of Faulza, I tell you this tale. In the voice of Faulza, I bring you these words. With the authority of Faulza, with His will etched indelibly into my mind with words of flame, do these words come to you.

I am Faullaizaf, Painted FireBorn of the God. Since the day I was born with his Paint on my fur, I have served the will of Faulza. Through the Time of Ashes, as Quzen beneath our feet fell to the first Nothingness from which He created everything, I have been for the Faulfenza the Messiah of the God.

Past the Time of Ashes have I commanded the Faulfenza in His name. Through the stars have I sent the Faulfenza in His name. To Qufiil, a new world filled with new life, I have brought the Faulfenza in His name.

And my work is almost done.

But there were those who went their way. Those who went on Faulza's errand, and continued on. Those who, shrouded in cloth and decorated with jewelry, gave grave farewell to their sisters and brothers, mothers and fathers, and moved on.

I had words for them as well. They had a mission that was different from yours, Children of Qufiil.

The Severed Ones, the Lost Kin, went in search of Others. Others who were made by Faulza, wearing a different face, giving a different name. Others to make with the Faulfenza, Lost Kin and Children of Qufiil a partnership of such strength, such steel, such fire, that you will know an age like no other. A Golden Age of Fire.

Beyond the stars. Beyond your doubled world. Beyond your sun that glows like Faulza Himself... there are those who would become unto you as sisters and brothers.

With the mouth of Faulza, I bring these words to you. With His voice on my tongue, I speak to you. With His fire, and His will, I bring this news to you... I bring this prophecy to you... I bring this Promise to you.

The Promise of Faulza, to his Children on Qufiil: In a day when you have reached what you believe to be the best age of your world, once again, you will find the Lost Kin. In a day when you have reached what you believe to be the most you can be, you will find the Others who will be unto you like brother and sister. And with one hand in the hand of your Lost Kin sister, and the other hand in the hand of the Other brother, the Faulfenza will go into a golden age that will never end, a time so perfect, and so true that only Faulza can know the words with which to describe it.

This is Promised to you. Never forget. Never stop seeking. When least you expect Faulza's oath to you to be fulfilled, it will be. And then you will see that what you have now will be as unto nothing before what shall be.

So do I say to you, in His Name.'