Part 30: Does not Ryudo tire of this?

Time to read the hell out of some books. First up, the town library.





Librarian: Here you may read "The Holy Light" and "The Light of Lord Granas."

Librarian: Each is divided into several volumes, so if you wish to read them in order, start from the left side of the shelf.

First, however, let's talk to her.

Librarian: Welcome to the library. I will briefly explain the rules for using this facility.

Librarian: Basically, you are free to read any of the books in this building. However, no books can be checked out.



Sure, that makes sense.

Librarian: In addition, there shall be no sunbathing or napping, since books may get drooled on. Also, no foot races, hide-and-seek, or...

... Huh? What in blazes is this woman talking about?

Librarian: No eating, drinking, cooking, banqueting, trade talks, marriage proposals, career counseling, fortune-telling or mushy stuff...

Um, uhh... Ma'am... Ma'am, am I hearing you right?

Librarian: And, finally, no violence! That includes punches, kicks, tackles, shoulder-throws, and don't even THINK of using weapons. OK?

Enough already! Sheesh!

Alright. Let's get to reading.



Know that long ago, all lived in the Light; all knew the love of Granas. The earth was bountiful and the people's hearts were glad.
And so did Valmar find the world. The taint of Darkness spread across the land, and the heart of man was despoiled of its innocence.
Light and Darkness moved to battle, by fate ordained. Men too prepared for war, their numbers divided between Light and Darkness.
And so began the battle of Good and Evil, fought without ceasing upon the fields of eternity, day yielding not to night.
The dead had long ceased to be counted when at length, Granas and Valmar fixed their eyes upon each other, better to make an end.

What, did Mareg write this?

Man, that's just mean.

Its formal title is "The Holy Light."

Quite an inflated title for a dumbed-down version of the original scripture. This was meant to be read by us common folk, right?

Yes, that is right. Have you read it before?

Why the hell would I do that? Anyway, I've heard it all before, though not exactly in this form.



Darkness fell before the Light. The earth was split asunder; land sunk to sea, and sea vomited land as Valmar's spirit was sealed.
A new moon was hung in the heavens. It is written that when the moon burns in remembrance, so misfortune will soon follow.
Thus, it portends judgment of the righteous and is called "Valmar's Moon," for the shadow of the Dark One lies long and heavy.

There is much to meditate on within these pages.

I'll have to sleep on it. Which shouldn't be a problem, given the reading material.

You should at least be familiar with everything you find boring or difficult to read. Chances are, they're all important.

He speaks truly.

You guys have been hanging out with Roan too much.



The Darkness stirred even as the seals were set, anxious again to work upon the hearts of men; so strong is its hatred of Light.
And Granas set a part of his spirit aside, fashioning the sun to restore the ruined land. And then, wounded, the Light slept.
Does not the light of the sun shine even now? Does not the land await the return of its True God? May the Light come quickly.

Does not Ryudo tire of this? Does not he want to put his fist through this book? May his suffering end quickly.

Which part of it bothers you?

The part that says, "Whoopee for Granas. Let's run about happily, trailing brightly-colored ribbons from our hands."

I guess that cannot be helped. It is that kind of book. But... it is sort of one-sided.

So, why don't we listen to the other side? I'm interested in what the followers of Darkness have to say. Have to be fair.

...

I dunno, the dumbed-down bible is still too much for me. Where's the children's section?



Once upon a time, people were in trouble. There was nothing in the world, and the people kept fighting all the time.
One day, a huge light appeared in the sky and began to shine on the earth.
The light blessed the earth and told the people to stop fighting. The light was Lord Granas.
The people listened to Lord Granas and stopped fighting. Then the world became beautiful.
Trees grew everywhere, birds sang sweetly, and fish played in the blue seas. Seeds rode the winds, and flowers bloomed all over.
The land became a true paradise. The people all praised Lord Granas and lived happily.

This is painful. How many young minds have been totally warped by this bogus story?

You have to admit, this is quite a major work.

I have never heard it...

Which explains why your eyes aren't glazed over like everyone else's. What stories do they tell kids where you're from, Mareg?

The sun also rises and the sun also sets. The rivers run into the sea, and the sea is not full; the rain returns unto the heavens.

Such is the manner in which our cycles begin. The legends are taught to the young, even as I was instructed while yet a youth.

Tree grows, beaver eats tree, tree falls, beaver builds dam. More trees grow. I get it.



But one day, the sky suddenly grew cloudy. The daytime became as dark as night, and a heavy rain began to fall.
A scary monster came to make traps to catch people who didn't take care of their hearts. These people became monsters.
One after another, the monsters began to attack the people who were living happily.
Lord Granas saw what the bad people were doing and lifted a giant sword to protect the good people from the monsters.
Some people had run away when they saw the monsters, but when they saw Lord Granas fighting, they came back to help.
The battle lasted for a long time, and the people who had become monsters did not live through it.
To keep any more people from dying, Lord Granas decided to fight the king of the monsters, whose name was Valmar.

Your people burden themselves with dread at a tender age. Your fear of demons and Darkness must indeed be great.

I wouldn't know. I've never seen a demon.

... What are you saying?

You misspeak.

What're you talking about?

Miss Millenia.

Ahh... Right. But even if she is the Wings of Valmar - which doesn't make much sense - she's not like the chumps in this story.

While your dedication to atheism is admirable, Ryudo, I'm pretty sure it actually makes a whole bunch of sense.



At the end of the long battle, Lord Granas killed Valmar, but was very badly hurt. The peole gathered in worry around Lord Granas.
Suddenly, a huge moon appeared in the sky, frightening the people. The sight of this scary moon made the people fear that Valmar was not dead.
Seeing this, Lord Granas threw a part of himself into the sky and made the sun.
Lord Granas said, "I will watch over you. If you keep your heart pure, Valmar will never appear again." Then, he went to sleep.
Since then, Valmar has stayed hidden away from the bright sun.
Even while sleeping, Lord Granas even now still watches over people so that they will never again be tempted by Valmar.

Makes me think about how we were taught that the moon was unlucky when we were kids.

Yes. As in the book, that moon is called Valmar's Moon. No wonder people have the feeling that it is a bad omen.

I was not aware...

Heh. Hey, Roan, remember how scared you'd be when you'd mess around and your parents would throw you out of the house at night?

That never happened to me, so I am not quite sure.

You keep forgetting that you were the only kid destructive enough that his own parents had no choice but to toss him to the wolves.

So I suggest you shut your damn beak, bird.

Okay, no, children's books are still too thick for me. Can I just have something I can mindlessly chant?



Looks like the words to the Song of Light. Let's see...


With the morning light the word abounds.
A miracle is brought to pass - pure water.
A teardrop, peace, light, love, sounds.

The fruit of the fields breathes ripeness.
The wind of blessing blows across the world.
All is filled with thanksgiving.

Storm and stress and Darkness at last
Turn to the light and joy of a warm day
O Lord, thank you for your wondrous works.

... It doesn't have much of a beat.

Mmm. Perhaps if Elena were to bring it to song.

The thread was nice enough to remind me that these are (sort of) the lyrics to the song A Deus, which we actually did hear Elena sing at the very beginning of the game. In Portuguese, it goes something like this:

Nascer do sol, palavras, milagre,
Água pura, uma lágrima,
Paz, luz, amor...

Fruto agreste, respiração, liberdade,
Harmonia, vento da benção,
Agradecimento...

Tempestade inquietação, escuridão,
Luz do sol, alegria,
Graças a Deus...

Literally translated, it's basically a list of all the nouns in the text Roan read:

Birth of the sun (sunrise), words, miracle,
Pure water, a tear,
Peace, light, love...

Wild fruit, breath, freedom,
Harmony, a blessèd wind,
Our gratitude...

An unquiet storm, darkness,
Light of the sun (sunlight), happiness,
Thanks to God...

Still too long for my tastes. Can I have something that fits in a tweet?



How unusual. Strange that such a book would be here.

Let's see... "Raising Squeak-Baas".

"Basically, the squeak-baa needs no care. If it cries, just shear its wool and milk it, and you'll be fine."

You're kidding me. That's all that's in there?

Yes... I guess so.

It's the kind of book you'd use for a report in school.

Finally, there's the other librarian.



Librarian: Hmmm... Well, we have a book called "Runaway Love" that has been very popular lately.

Librarian: It's a story about a princess who passionately pursues an adventure-minded knight who rides a white horse.

Yeah... that sounds RIGHT up my alley... Do I LOOK like the type of person who would read such trash?

If we ask her about Skill Books, she just tells us to visit that eldritch monstrosity known as the Tutorial Guy, so that's all for the town library. Having had a look at how children and commoners are taught scripture, let's see what the Cathedral library has to offer.





Know ye that long before the present age, man dwelled amidst the Light, and that Light was love, and man called the Light Granas.
The earth was filled with exceeding bounty; honey and milk issued from its secret founts. Then Darkness also issued its seed.
The souls of men were as vessels for the bane of Light, and man called the Darkness Valmar; the Tempter, Devourer of Souls.
And there were those who named the Darkness god, and glutted in desire and lust, thence blotting the Light from their eyes.
And they were not satisfied that the Light should anoint the earth, so that those who sided with Light moved to oppose them.
Their war was a fire consuming the earth, and the skies hung thick with fat and bone. This man called the Battle of Good and Evil.

Fat and bone!?

A little different than what I'm used to hearing.

This is the version that Elena and the other followers of Granas read, so it is not the same as the simplified account.

There's a little more detail in this one...



Misery joined in equal ruin for six days and seven nights, and on the seventh day Darkness and Light sought a reckoning.
The hand of Light gripped its blade, great and terrible; and the cloak of Darkness was as its shield. Thus were they armed for war.
True struck the blade of Light, and the Darkness was cleaved and was not. Then did the blade pierce even the earth.
The seas boiled and were scabrous, and long the land wept. Even so was the earth riven, and its wound man named the Granacliffs.
Then did the Light move to seal those parts of Darkness that yet remained, for in its fall it did not remain whole.
Those who had named the Darkness god were in like fashion named The People of Darkness, and they did hide their faces from heaven.
Content in its work, the Light blessed the earth, and all was made well. And then, wounded, the Light fell in a heavy slumber.
"The Light will burn in our hearts and will not expire." This men swore, for the God of Light shall return to claim the earth.
And the sword of Light, called The Divine Sword, came to rest with the Legion of Darkness in remembrance of their betrayal. And there was peace.

The People of Darkness...

Something wrong, kid? You're pale.

Uh, nothing. Nothing at all...

You sure about that?



Yet after this, a new moon was hung in the heavens, its face gazing balefully downward upon the earth.
It was an ill omen, swollen heavy with foreboding and dread, and it was said that Darkness yet had power.
And again the souls of men were sifted and tried by the Darkness as it sought to bring about the day of its return.
This man called The Day of Darkness, for the Light will depart and the dead shall rise to the throne of judgment.
Know ye that this is the Last Judgment, when all will be weighed and found lacking, and all brought to ruin.
The works of man will be brought low; the Darkness will set at naught all man's labors in preparation for its terrible rebirth.
Know, my brethren, that Valmar is yet at the door. Gird yourselves with Light, for our purpose is one: this must not come to pass.

Hmm. The moon's creation in particular interests me, for I have not before heard the tale told as such.

What do your people say about it?

We do not ponder the making of each grain of sand. They have ever been so, as the setting of the sun... and the rising of the moon.

What about Granas and Valmar - you think they had something to do with it?

My eyes did not see them do so. Let others believe as they wish to, but I know not the truth behind this.



Neither Darkness nor Light split the heavens, but suffering, pain. The groaning of the earth,
The wailing of men, huddled and fearing the storm's wrath, the violence of nature;
Living in blindness. Tooth and steel gnashing the air; lives spent in desperation.
Turning in the gyre; an endless throb of misery. And then an uneasy sleep.
Life slipping, passing without note, the names of the dead unused, unremembered.

Great. Now I'm depressed AND bored. Maybe it gets better.



The Light descended then, and the chaos was bound; the rivers of blood were dammed.
Their eyes were opened; this the Light did. No longer did man war with his brother.
This was paradise. The Light of peace is Granas, the god whose praises we sing.
Yet there were those who hated the Light, who turned their eyes from its measureless love;
The Light fell upon their backs, casting long shadows on the earth. Darkness was birthed.

Valmar, apparently.

Yes, these are the Holy Annals of the Ages of the Gods. They describe the battle between Granas and Valmar.

In an annoyingly roundabout fashion.

The Holy Book of Granas is said to have been based on this text. There is more... let us keep reading.



Those who followed Light warred against those called Demons, who likewise named them Gaolers.
For six days and nights the earth was torn and turned to coals. Then came the seventh day:
The Light drew its sword, great and terrible; Darkness drew its cloak about its face.
And a day and night were fire and lightning, until each had run the other through.
The sword of Light pierced the earth, raising the boiling sea, sinking the bursting land.
Thus did the Darkness fall in seven pieces, sealed by the followers of Light -
- Into the depths of earth. Then did a new moon rise. Fear struck those who followed Light;
Still they await the return of Darkness, still the People of Darkness conceal themselves in the earth,
And still the Divine Sword rests with the Legion of Darkness.

I can't read this anymore. It's boring, it's stupid, and it's badly written. And what the hell is a "Gaoler?"

One who would imprison another. An interesting choice of words to describe those who followed Granas...

I don't understand how you can read this stuff, kid.

Well, I have liked reading these books ever since I was little.



The time of judgment has come. Sins once forgotten return to sink the soul, for the Day of Darkness has come at last;
The Light is swallowed by growing shadow, and demons boil up from the earth. Those who remain moan in dread with their last breaths,
For the dead rise from the grave, bringing judgment to the world with brimstone and flame.
Now is the time to beg for deliverance; do not allow Darkness in your soul. Darkness is ruin and destruction, and the judgment of the wicked eternal.

And there's our Day of Darkness.

It is so.

This what everyone's afraid of? Dead people?

Yes...

Look, even if the dead came back somehow, how hard could it be to kill them again? They didn't do so well the last time around.

But if that really did happen, it would be terrible.

Not going to happen.


There you have it, like a million different retellings of the story of the Battle of Good and Evil. There's nothing this game loves more than telling that particular tale over and over again - I promise you're in for at least a few more before the end.