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You know, of course, of the conditions by which each was entrusted to the Paladins. Each was to be wielded by the scions of the original Paladin only, thus preventing the folly of endless challenges by the Knights of the Three (or Four now, I suppose) Kingdoms. Thus the Paladins were all members of old families, even though they themselves were not all nobles. Of Nordren's family and their connection to Chesterton much is known, and likewise Royston's rank in the nobility of Southern Pendleton. Lambier is actually descended from the cadet branch of a very old Devonshire family. Alberak was the exception, for although many of his family have been knighted, they were never raised to peerage. Perhaps that is because of the political difficulties in his home, being contested lands between the Kings of Pendleton and Chesterton, for surely he was the greathearted son of a greathearted family, just as Ohramin himself is. If greatness of spirit were always rewarded by rank, surely the lands would be more peaceful than they are today!
The swords differed somewhat in specific powers, and I know little about the Golden and Silver swords, nor do I know much about the Bronze. But the Copper sword had unique powers, which is why Alberak always remained near to Ohramin. The Paladins are always aware of each other's location and know when one of their number is in peril, but the Copper sword was able to communicate with its fellows when the need was sufficient. The Sword of Huereu, as it is known, also could provide a view of far distant areas if Alberak knew them well enough. There are many other stories, of course, but these are the only ones I am certain to be fact. Thus when the servants of Tiamat killed Alberak and his immediate family, they deprived the High Priest of the best means he had of coordinating the Four Paladins, as well as the fourth Claw of Bahamut. In the more fanciful sense, Alberak was the left hindclaw only in terms of power and not utility.
You know of the First Prophecy of Goldeneyes, which deals with the fate of the Paladins. Ohramin has shown it to very few people, and has sworn us to secrecy about its details. We can only confirm that this reduction in the power of the Paladins is accounted for in Great Bahamut's plans. The Copper Paladin is not lost forever. But it was the Second Prophecy which led Ohramin to disperse the Paladins after taking his personal leave of them in a private ceremony. There are some parts of Bahamut's revelations known only to the Golden Court, Ohramin, and the Paladins. Ohramin has spoken of the Second Prophecy only to them. All I know is that it is less certain than the first, and dangerous. Ohramin has said that both will be revealed at the right time.
When we spoke of this, I expressed eagerness and the desire to know the secrets hidden therein, and the High Priest only smiled a very tired smile. He told me that those who hold such knowledge are rarely thankful for it. And since he has revealed the First Prophecy, I have no doubt of the truth of this statement; for the First Prophecy is one of hope, but those mentioned within it will face great trials. They may choose to undergo those trials gladly in obedience to Bahamut's plan, but no man of wisdom is thankful for having been put to the test.
At the hearing of this rede did Ohramin nearly despair, and he threw himself to his knees and spread wide his arms in supplication and spake "O! Lord Bahamut, the weight of this war still burdens mine own heart, and threatens yet to shake the will of thy children, for many have seen things beyond their power or comprehension, and struggle to understand how such things were raised against them, and why so many of thine enemies had such power while so few of thine servants could withstand it, for if thine is the greatest power and lordship, should not thine servants also have power greater than the servants of thine enemies? This is a hard thing to teach, and I fear that great ill will come from it, and the knowledge of greater trials to come may break the resolve of thy children to follow in your Path."
The Lord of the Earth spake sadly unto his Priest, in kindness, understanding the extremes of resolve and despair which animate the souls of his children. "My son, my friend, if the power of the Lord of the Earth could unmake this path, it would do so for the sake of thy love and the love of those closest to my heart. But the Path is built not by my desire but in accordance with the Creation that we strive to sustain. Only through Wisdom can one understand that the greatest victories are sometimes gained through death and seeming defeat. Thou and thine are created to encompass the total meaning of Creation within thine own selves, in all of its beauty and splendor, its dangers and ugliness, its good and ills. Thine own hearts will tell the tale of the future, as it was intended in the beginning, and only thus will the tale of Creation be brought unto completion, in fruition or despair."
Yet the Man did persist, saying "But the Creator hath blazoned the Path in the mind of the Lord he did appoint for his creation, and given the Lord of the Earth the power to do that which is required. How then can the Lord of the Earth turn his face away from the pleas of his people who wander in wilderness of temptation and ignorance, saying only that they must seek truth and choose weal or woe?"
And then did the face of Bahamut grow stern and he revealed his power unto the Man his Servant and spake sternly unto him "Child, thou art mine own servant, yet thou hast learnt only the merest fraction of the wisdom of Creation; how then dost thou dare to question not only mine own wisdom but the path of Creation itself? Thou wert brought here not for debate, but for this purpose: to be instructed in the Path more clearly than any of thy people will be for many years, the life span of a dragon mayhaps, and to be given that knowledge which thou requirest to sow the seeds of wisdom for those who will follow, that their feet will not falter when thine life has passed beyond their reach. Mistake not my forbearance, for my love for thee is great but less than my love for thine entire race and all of Creation."
Then did the Man understand more fully the heart of his Lord and his own folly, and abase himself, and beg forgiveness, and Great Bahamut forgave him, leaving anger behind and feeling only sorrow for the pain of his child. For did not Bahamut understand fully the nature of his own children, the desire to protect them even those threats that spring from within thine own selves? Did he not understand when the pain of his servant wast only the merest echo of the great sorrow and joy that was the Path of Creation, which he alone shared at that time with the Creator? And the Court wept for the restrained pain of their Lord, since he could not, and the Man wept with them, understanding that the isolation of Bahamut's servants was only a fraction of the isolation of Lord Bahamut himself.
At last the Platinum One did end the audience and direct that the Man leave his presence to go with Goldtalon and Goldeneyes to learn the two great visions. And Goldtalon did light a brazier and fill it with sweet herbs, and the Man slipped into a light sleep wherein Goldeneyes could reveal the vision to him. And Lo! the man saw the visions and was filled with awe and fear. And Goldeneyes did tell him to take parchment and write each vision down separately, that each might be revealed at the proper time.
In the first vision, the man did see a mighty dragon of many colors. Iron was his body; Gold, his mighty right foreclaw; the left foreclaw was Silver; the right hindclaw was Bronze; the left hindclaw was burnished Copper. And a mighty voice did fill his mind with words of flame: "this is the body of Man, built of the earth, purified by fire, and resting as it does now upon the power of Bahamut and his servants." And the Man perceived that each claw had but a single talon, each of burnished metal the same color as the limb itself. But the picture did change even as he watched, and the talon of the left hindclaw was removed, and the left hindlimb withered unto the point where it could no longer hold the weight of the body. And so the body did shift its weight forward, and many changes did result: for the right forelimb did sink into the ground under the weight, and the left forelimb grasped a mighty tree and was diminished by the strain, and the right hindlimb stretched out for purchase, so far that the Man could no longer see its claw, and the pressure of that great body wast so great that the ground did turn to mud, and the body became mired, yet the head wast still free. And the Man perceived that hidden as it might be, still it was the right forelimb that supported the main burden of that heaving frame. And Lo! the Man saw that the left hindclaw, prostrate and withered, yet pulsed with a vein of life, now revealed unto his sight by the withering of the remainder of the limb. And the body did bloat in the mud, and suppurating wounds did appear on its lower extremities, but the dragon was no longer able to lift itself far enough to keep the wounds clean, and many creatures of carrion did gather, fantastic and horrible, to feed upon the mortifying flesh. And the Man did quake beneath the import of this vision, and the voice spake again unto him, saying "See! Thy faith, like that of the dragon, wast too greatly upon the talons. For is the true power of the dragon not revealed in its strength, in its breath, in its wisdom, in its mere presence? But See! The Path of Creation is not so easily undone, and the Lord of the Earth dost not abandon his creatures." And a ray of light reached down and revealed the talon where it lay, concealed by the withered limb, and the reflection did touch the limb, and the pulsing did quicken. And Lo! the limb did inch across the ground, and uncover the talon. And the man did see the limb swell, at first barely enough to shake off the carrion, but slowly regaining strength and supporting again the left hindquarter. And the weight thus removed from the right forelimb allowed the dragon to extract the mighty claw and smite at the carrion about its body, but the vile creatures were many, and the wounds were great, and the dragon was yet weak. And the voice did speak, saying "And now that the talon is recovered seest thou that the dragon is still not as mighty as it was? Its faith hast been shaken, and it lacks the determination to gather all of its strength; for it does not understand that a talon is naught without the full weight of limb, and that both are naught unless the eye sees and the mind knows the nature of the true enemy." And the man did perceive that whilst the vile creatures did assail the dragon and attract its attention and its mighty exertions, howsoever the dragon did struggle, the mud did continue to fester in the wounds upon the body and drain the strength and spirit of the mighty dragon.
When the first vision had ended and been written, the Man did turn towards Goldtalon and his heart was heavy. And the teacher of Man did lay his hand upon his student and say "Were that it was not so: thy Paladin is doomed, and the strength of the others will not suffice to protect thy people in the times to come. There is much that is hidden or unclear in this vision, but this I may say to you: thy Paladin has issue of which you know not, and the Light of Bahamut will bring this issue back unto itself ere the great struggle is rejoined. For it will take much time for the Four Claws to regain their strength, and the time of their reunion will mark the start of the next conflict; their strength will be needed upon that battlefield, yet it alone will not prevail. The Light of Bahamut will reveal the Talon unto a Guide, who will seek the last Issue and bring the two together. And yet this will be but the start, and the Talon will be of little help until the time of the Second Prophecy."
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