Why Chaos is Necessary

Time Immemorial

"A'grappa," Marthukas began, his voice sounding like a thunderous clap and booming echo, "you are not like the rest of us. You do not share our ability to create as well as we can nor do you have such stores of mana as we do. But, you were chosen. Always remember that. In the vastness of this mana, you were given life." Marthukas always took the form of a withered old warrior, missing one eye and wearing a long flowing robe of the whitest white. His white hair flowed down to his shoulders and his beard to his knees. He always tried to portray himself as some wise old man.

A'grappa paced the main room of Heron's Gate's communal room. Like the rest of Heron's Gate, it was made from sandstone and filled with Romanesque furniture. "Yea, yea. I should feel so honored."

"Remember, all that lives must die. All that dies, must live." Marthukas responded to A'grappa's sarcasm. "You may not like the path you are given. But, I have given it to you for a reason. We all have our strengths. Our weaknesses. We all have a goal we must achieve before the plan is to be complete."

"You must really like talking about this plan." A'grappa argued. His pacing hadn't stopped. "I'm beginning to think you just like the sound of your voice, Marthukas." Suddenly, he stopped pacing. "What are we really collecting all this mana for anyway? It's not like we are going to use it."

"I know I have told you this before, A'grappa. That mana is for the end times. It has to be stockpiled for when all will be remade according to plan." Marthukas answered. "We cannot be greedy and take it for ourselves. Besides, you must go and sow chaos in the multiverse. If you do that, we can stockpile the mana faster. Our little mortal races can only generate so much mana on their own. But, they breed so fast that each little bit counts."

"Marthukas, what is so special about these mortals anyway?" Galadyn asked. His voice, unlike Marthukas' sounded more like gold waving in the wind. His form was very fair. His dark skin was a deep brown that glistened in the light and his face was very soft yet masculine at the same time. His red hair wavered in the slight breeze with each step he took. "Their ability to manipulate mana to their whim is so trivial and all the manage to do is argue with one another over resources. Besides the tidbits of mana they provide when they die, what is the point of them?" He took a seat on one of the many benches around the room.

"They may not be able to manipulate mana like us, but their use in storing mana in their bodies is a most wonderful thing. Their soul crystals provide some of the densest mana that can be stored. And, it is so plentiful." Marthukas replied with a large grin. A'grappa could tell he was planning something. He always was. His being the ruler of all of them was only because he had been blessed with unfathomable power even amongst all of them. They had no choice but to bow to his strength. For now.

"I understand why life and order is important. I understand why death is important." A'grappa stated. He finally took a seat also. "But, where does the concept of chaos play into our plan? Each one of us was given an aspect to embody. A moral, so to speak. Yet, it seems that my duty is to be a villain to everything that exists. To encourage destruction and death for no cause, only the sake of destruction and death. Where does that allow our plan to succeed?"

"Innovation, A'grappa." Marthukas chuckled. His laughter was even more resounding than his voice. "You will encourage species to evolve to something higher or be destroyed. Yes, death and destruction are a part of it. But, it also breeds creation. It allows for a species to adapt and overcome. And, in doing so, they also harness more mana in themselves. We need to extract all the mana we can before the end times. That is a must. Your goal is critical for it succeed."

A'grappa stood up abruptly. This was not the answer he had anticipated. It was how Marthukas understood the plan. Something didn't sit right with A'grappa. Why of all of his cohorts, did he alone have the one job of destroying all that had been built up. It was as if everyone else was against him. He took a shallow breath and walked out of the room. As he wandered the halls of the Heron's Gate, he came across Rhumer. She was just standing in the hall as if she had been waiting for him all this time.

What does she want?

"Good day, A'grappa." She greeted him, cordially. Yet, some undertone still felt lingering beneath it. "Still unsure about how to feel about your duty?" She always knew exactly what to say to him to make him feel even more on edge.

A'grappa laughed.

"I've come with a proposition for you. Something that may make you feel a little more at ease about what Marthukas is asking of you." She bartered. She knew just what kinds of buttons to press to make his intrigue available to her.

"I'm listening."

"What if we all created a warrior race that is bound by our tenets. Each one of us design a group of warriors that abide by our laws. And, whosoever creates the strongest one that can outlast all the others shall find victory in this contest." A'grappa watched as Rhumer tried to hide the edges of a smile. She was definitely enjoying the thought of playing with him.

"What's in it for the winner? Bragging rights?"

"How about whoever wins can decide which way our plan takes? What we are to accomplish and how we can achieve those goals."

"Marthukas will never agree to this. He is much too content with how things are now. He sees himself as the keeper of the plan. And, when his will is done, then he shall gain whatever fruits we have fraughtly sown into the multiverse. You know this well, Rhumer." A'grappa argued. "However, a little distraction never hurt. I'll play your game, if and only if, you are able to somehow cajole everyone else into playing. It'll be more fun that way." Perhaps, if I manage to win this little contest, my brethren will take me more seriously. A'grappa walked off. Smug. He felt even more envigored than before. One thing he could say about Rhumer was that she knew just how to get him going.

A'grappa immediately headed to his room. He wanted to get to his drafting table. He had many ideas for various species. Each one better than the last. He would try to create them all and bind them to his will. Only then, did he stand a chance at winning this little contest that Rhumer proposed. If he could win this, his mortals would be the most plentiful of all the multiverse. And, then he could finally impose some of his own will into the plan. Maybe.

Let's see. Naga. Draconids. Kobolds. Saurids. I have so many ideas. Each one will have some kind of benefit over the other. It's a good thing that I have an idea of what my brethren would create. I can try to make direct counters to their abilities and their tenets. Each of my species will be supreme warriors and with the right nudge will take to the stars before all else.

 I can even leave them hints as to what lay beyond their planet. Give them a goal to overcome. What kind of tenets should I instill in them? What kind of level of chaos should they embody?

A'grappa's mind reeled with all kinds of thoughts. He now had a clear path by which to define his purpose. If he was to bring chaos to the multiverse, then he would relish in his job bringing all of creation to bare. Perhaps that had truly been what Rhumer was after. No matter. He would play her games for now. He had some idea that it was a rouse to get him to comply. Even if it was only he and she who played this game, he was going to sow as much chaos as he could. Only then would he be acknowledged by his brethren.

"You said it yourself, Marthukas." A'grappa commented to himself aloud. "This is the task you have given me. This is my duty. Do not complain after I have carried out my duty. All that lives must die. All that dies must live. Even we immortals. Our time is finite. It is much longer than all the others, but it is still finite. When the end comes, we too shall return to the mana." A'grappa smiled.