Fash'lo'nae

Fash'lo'nae Domain Magic, Forbidden Knowledge, Libraries Symbol a yellow, slit-pupiled eye on a field of grey Pantheon Pantheon of Lornon Smite/Bane Smite Critical Slash

Fash'lo'nae is the master of magic and arcane knowledge for its own sake.

He regards the pursuit of esoteric knowledge as an end in itself, and the societal or other impacts of that pursuit are of no consequence. Even the gaining of knowledge for personal gain is not a goal, other than as it may make further inquiries, investigations, and experiments possible. Theft, dishonesty, and even murder are acceptable if they further the acquiring of knowledge, particularly arcane or mystical knowledge. While Fash'lo'nae is certainly frowned upon by many, most do not consider him strictly "evil." In fact, he is credited in several legends with spreading beneficial knowledge that others (such as the Drakes and the other Arkati) would have suppressed. It is generally agreed that Fash'lo'nae brought fire to the mortal races, suffering the wrath of the Great Drakes, although there is dispute as to his motive in doing so. Many call Fash'lo'nae "The Grandfather," and his followers contend that he is the eldest of the Arkati, even older than Koar himself.

Followers of Fash'lo'nae are a hazard to all about them, since they consider the risks of demon summoning as a paltry price to pay for the potential of increased knowledge.

Fash'lo'nae's preferred humanoid manifestation is that of an ancient man or woman of scholarly bent. In manner, he is cool and calculating. His symbol is yellow, slit-pupiled eye on a field of grey.

Shrines, Statuary, and Holy Places

Cleric Guilds

In a Prayer Room inside each Cleric Guild is a statue of Fash'lo'nae. The Prayer Rooms are considered holy shrines to multiple deities.

An elderly man sits on a severe, straight-backed chair.  In his lap he holds a thick tome, his place marked by a long, bony finger.  The man's face is a mask of cool, scholarly detachment.  His slit-pupiled eyes are focused at some spot in the distance.

>touch Fash
You reach out and touch the statue of Fash'lo'nae.

A chill runs down your spine, as if you had briefly caught Fash'lo'nae's dread attentions.

Wehnimer's Landing Cleric Guild

At the entrance of the Wehnimer's Landing Cleric Guild are a pair of painted wooden statues depicting Lumnis and Fash'lo'nae. In the center of the room stand two statues, one male and one female, backs turned but still looking over their shoulders, each watching the other. They stand upon a wooden base with words carved into the surface. This area is not a holy shrine.

Lumnis and Fash'lo'nae stand, back to back, watching each other warily.  Each holds a book, open as if they were reading.  While the Queen of Enlightenment holds a book on benevolent knowledge, the Grandfather holds a tome full of destructive learning.

In the Common language, it reads:
"Through knowledge, we bring ourselves closer to the Gods."

One of the Halls of Lessons in the Wehnimer's Landing Cleric Guild is dedicated to Fash'lo'nae. The statue is identical to that in the other Cleric Guilds. It is considered a holy shrine.

[Cleric Guild, Hall of Lessons]
The high walls of this room are completely covered with the carved renditions of many rows of bookspines, making the surroundings resemble the shelves of some vast library. Situated in one corner is a life-sized statue of a man sitting upon a high-backed chair, looking as if the thousands of stone books were but a paltry collection to him. A grey altar sits before the man, looking very out of place amidst the scholarly surroundings.
Obvious exits: northwest

>look altar
Crafted of imflass dulled to a mute shade of grey, the altar's surface is dotted with many subtle whorls.  Upon its face is a hammered golden eye, an incised slit running the length of it.  An open book lies upon the altar, its pages yellowed and cracked.

>read book
In the Common language, it reads:
"This will be but one of many your eyes shall gaze upon should you follow the Grandfather's path."

Located in the Antechamber of Lornon is a table inset with fist-sized seals depicting all of the Lornon arkati, including one for Fash'lo'nae. This area is not considered a holy shrine.

A yellow slit-pupiled eye on a field of gray is painted on the golden seal of Fash'lo'nae.

Spell messaging

Major Sanctuary (220)	The scene before you is turned aside as if it were merely drawn upon a cracked page in an old tome. The world around you shifts... [Library Sanctuary] Cramped shelves rise on all sides, their dusty expanses riddled with books of all sizes and shapes. Carefully shielded lanterns offer dim illumination for a space crowded with antique scrolls, tomes, and leather rolls. Dusty tables covered with maps, odd trinkets, and yellowed diagrams leave little floor space. A topaz eye with a deep ebon slit is painted into the ceiling, which houses hundreds of cobwebs. The shelves around you buckle, causing dozens of scrolls to fall upon you as the world around you shifts...
Well of Life (308)	As you sense your souls have linked together, the smell of dry, ancient parchment drifts past.
Blind (311)	Caster sees: As your faith overcomes (TARGET)'s weakened defenses, you sense the knowledge and intellectual interest of the Grandfather flowing through you. Target sees: This section has not been added yet; please add to it now!
Prayer (313)	Caster sees: Turning your thoughts inward, you ask for the knowledge of your deity to protect you. The smell of dusty parchment tickles your nose, and you sense that your prayer has been granted. Others see: Pale yellow light flashes in (CASTER)'s eyes.
Censure (316)	Target sees: For your transgressions, text will blur before your eyes, and words will shift upon reaching your ear. You will never understand anything of value, and you will never be able to communicate that which you already know.
Raise Dead (318)	Caster sees: As you begin to chant you notice the scent of dry, dusty parchment and feel a cool mist cling to your skin somewhere near your feet. You sense the ethereal tendrils of the mist as they coil about your body and notice that the world turns to a yellowish hue as the mist settles about your head. Focusing on (TARGET), you feel the transfer of energy pass between you as you return him to life. Target sees: This section has not been added yet; please add to it now! Others see: As (CASTER) begins to chant the scent of dry, dusty parchment fills the air and a topaz mist wreathes her body. The coiling, ethereal tendrils circle about her and slowly rise from her feet to her head where they form a slit-eye. The eye opens, its focus upon (TARGET) and a surge of energy passes between the two.
Intercession	A line of yellow light flows outward from your feet, tracing a pattern of growing intricacy on the air just above the ground. The light branches a multitude of times, each strand writhing in place as though barely held in check by some unseen power. The threads of glowing amber loop back upon themselves, throwing silver sparks as their ends merge. The image of a stylized slit-pupiled eye completes itself and burns, sourceless, on the air about you for the space of a breath before vanishing into nothing.
Divine Wrath (335)	Caster sees: This section has not been added yet; please add to it now! Others see: This section has not been added yet; please add to it now!
Symbol of the Proselyte (340)	Cast: This section has not been added yet; please add to it now! Chant: This section has not been added yet; please add to it now!
Miracle (350)	Caster sees: Spidery and incomprehensible words reach you, and are given life by an aged, bodiless voice that carries with it the scent of dusty tomes and candle tallow. A point of dark light appears high over your body and expands to form a yellowed eye with a slit pupil. With each uttered syllable the eye's iris contracts and the meaning of the words that wrap you become clear. "You still have much more to learn," they say, and before you the eye explodes in a blinding, fiery light.
Divine Strike (1615)	Caster sees: A pillar of grey light manifests around (TARGET). Target sees: This section has not been added yet; please add to it now! Others see: This section has not been added yet; please add to it now!
Judgment (1630)	Caster sees: You briefly close your eyes, and a large, slit-pupiled eye flashes into existence for but a moment behind you. A faint yellow light builds up and emanates from your hand before it takes the shape of an ethereal tome! A flurry of parchment flies out from the inside of the ethereal tome, striking (TARGET)! The ethereal tome slams shut on its own accord and disappears.

See also

• History of Fash'lo'nae
• Puzzlebox

External Link

• The Gods of Elanthia - Fash’lo’nae, the Grandfather (official documentation)

Behind The Scenes

Fash'lo'nae contains the word-parts "lo'nae" which is Iruaric for "spirit of the past." His I.C.E. Age name Kesh'ta'kai may have been a play on words, at least for the purposes of GemStone III, referring to the Luor'ka'tai ("Pillar of the Gods") which was from the origin of magic in Shadow World. An obscure point regarding Kesh'ta'kai is that his "natural" form was strikingly similar to an "other standard" extra-planar entity race of Rolemaster called the Xaastyl from an interdimensional realm who had the most vast library of arcane knowledge in known existence. This category of entities includes the bases for most of the creatures in The Broken Lands, which is implicitly about forging such entities using vast trans-planar information. "Luor" and "tai" were the only words not included in our own Iruaric glossary. One plausible interpretation of The Broken Lands is that the Empress Kadaena acquired Xaastyl knowledge of ascension. Kesh'ta'kai would be older than the other gods, which is the modern theology. The caveat is that his bestial avatar may have been insufficiently defined in the Shadow World lore of the time to posit this relationship. It was originally described only as a hideous tentacled mass.