- Pronouns
- They/Them
tomtomgags
Villager
The following is an anonymous letter nailed to various buildings around Storm's Landing, around the night of Godsend, 19th of Stormwind, 2330. It was secretly written by Glory Reeves.
Read these words and listen. Beware the Grey Lady. For ages, since our times began, she has lied to you. Only a few have seen past these lies, and have seen the truth. This is the matter of your immortal soul, perhaps the greatest of things in your life.
Since time began, the Grey Lady has overseen death. From the first time something expired, she was born. Death was essential to her existence, she would not exist without it. She fears life itself for it is the antithesis of her being. However, she has lied to you and claimed to hold it high among things- this is because she relies on life.
Without life, there is no death. Life must always exist for death to occur. And so, the Grey Lady has arranged that life must always end. Even when it was not meant to. The followers of the Grey Lady claim, perhaps convinced by the Lady’s cruel lies, that She holds no ill will toward the Allmother. Particularly in the Allmother’s desire to return the dead to life, to forgoe that final death.
In truth it is plain to see that the Grey Lady despises this, but knows she must yield to the Allmother’s will. Instead the Grey Lady claims that all life will meet its end at its intended point. Yes, she claims that all things are set in stone. She proposes that fate dictates our lives. Shalherana may raise the dead because it is not their time to die, she claims, it has not been their fated death yet.
So the Grey Lady waits until Shalherana has had her fill of a particular mortal. She is powerless to act before this, once again she cannot oppose the Allmother. Then she takes the mortal, and judges them. For what reason does she judge a soul? Who gave the Grey Lady the authority to do so, besides herself?
The Lady was never intended to be the master of the afterlife. She only took it upon herself to do so, because she already oversaw death. She did not want to see death be an end, because she recognized the inherent cruelty of that. She she created the afterlife, and began to judge souls by her own biased standards.
For ages she has done this. And mortals in her ministry have done her will to ensure nobody questions this. The ministry of the Grey Lady does nothing to help the living, they exist purely to ensure nobody questions the Lady’s authority. Nobody is allowed to question her rule.
The Exhalt, Ashna, herself, has lived for untold ages. Far longer than most mortals. Why is it her soul has never been claimed? Isn’t that strange to you that the leader of the Lady’s ministry should, herself, not be exposed to death? The answer is that she is the Lady’s most useful tool, for she is the most zealous and dogmatic among them. She is the reason the Lady’s authority is never questioned in our world. And what does Ashna do to preserve this? She tortures people, like she tortured Vowrawn during the Ashland Conflict. She tortured Vowrawn because he was turned against the Grey Lady and left the faith, as punishment.
Perhaps the Grey Lady has arranged a secret deal with Time, or with the Allmother, or both, to ensure Ashna lives forever. I know this because I found her work, from ages ago: Death, Life & Undeath; A Viewpoint.
Despite the Allmother’s apparent crimes against the Grey Lady, as I have said, she is powerless to oppose her. Instead, the Grey Lady turns her hate against another god, an outcast among the pantheon, Skraag. Just like the Allmother, Skraag seeks to return the souls of mortals to the world. Skraag is far less selective than the Allmother, and seeks to return everyone. Skraag opposes death, and rightfully so. Death is an evil thing, that must be avoided.
Consider why the Allmother returns the dead. It is said, in stories upon the ages, that the Allmother began to return the dead to life because the lands were threatened by great forces. Ever since, despite those wicked forces being defeated, the Allmother has seen the merit of returning the dead to life. Skraag has always seen this, and is like the Allmother in that respect. For Skraag has always respected life, and the Allmother. It was Her who convinced Skraag that death is evil.
But mankind has always found Skraag’s version of life repulsive. The smell and appearance of a corpse is unpleasant. People have twisted repulsiveness into evil, and been blinded. They were more willing to listen to the Grey Lady’s lies, and so she was able to turn the world against the concept of undeath.
Yes, undeath is inherently dangerous. Skraag’s undead have long attacked the living. Skraag has his reasons for this, that won’t be discussed here.
But consider the Vyre. The Vyre is the perfect form of undead, for they are controlled, intelligent. They continue the living’s life, as though they had never been turned. All they must do is feed on blood. And yes, this fact turns many against the idea of a vyre. Vyre’s must be dangerous because they feed on blood. But some vyres can feed on animals, and we have no opposition against killing and eating animals. And other vyres who cannot, can find willing friends to feed them. Vyres cause no harm. Yet the ministry of the Lady would convince you they are evil, purely because they are undead. More lies of the Grey Lady.
Vyres are people like anyone else, just trying to live their lives. They are a minority, yet are often hunted for sport. Witness the cruelty of such.
So why does the Grey Lady do all this? It is because she wants to control our souls, and fears that if people realize death itself is evil that they will abandon her. But consider this, the Grey Lady does in fact provide a paradise for people after their death. Albiet it is only those she, in her biased judgement, deems fitting. But that is kind of her to do, even still. There is nothing wrong for wanting to seek out such an afterlife.
But why seek an afterlife at all? For Altera has been under such threat, that even the Allmother has realized death is not helpful to us. Consider then, what is it that Skraag wants to do? Skraag wants to return all to life. And if we are all returned, we can fight those threats that endanger our realm, forever. We can forever preserve our world.
For what will happen if the realm should fall, and Altera be destroyed, because the Grey Lady was so opposed to the living. There will be no living left, and she might die for there is none left for her. Death would itself, die. Then what happens to all those in the realms of afterlife the Grey Lady has created? If those afterlives are not, themselves, destroyed by the Grey Lady’s absence, then they might in turn be invaded next by the same threat that destroyed our world. Likely this would be hell. Hell wants souls, and where is there the greatest amount of undefended souls? The afterlife.
I am not trying to convince you anything about Skraag. But there are alternatives to death. Alternatives that are more helpful to the realm than pointless death. It my hope you will see the truth about the Grey Lady’s lies. That she is not truly as benevolent as she seems. But rather she is scared, scared of becoming obsolete, and willing to do anything to preserve herself. Consider these words carefully, you are smart enough to hear the truth.
Do not be intimidated.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Read these words and listen. Beware the Grey Lady. For ages, since our times began, she has lied to you. Only a few have seen past these lies, and have seen the truth. This is the matter of your immortal soul, perhaps the greatest of things in your life.
Since time began, the Grey Lady has overseen death. From the first time something expired, she was born. Death was essential to her existence, she would not exist without it. She fears life itself for it is the antithesis of her being. However, she has lied to you and claimed to hold it high among things- this is because she relies on life.
Without life, there is no death. Life must always exist for death to occur. And so, the Grey Lady has arranged that life must always end. Even when it was not meant to. The followers of the Grey Lady claim, perhaps convinced by the Lady’s cruel lies, that She holds no ill will toward the Allmother. Particularly in the Allmother’s desire to return the dead to life, to forgoe that final death.
In truth it is plain to see that the Grey Lady despises this, but knows she must yield to the Allmother’s will. Instead the Grey Lady claims that all life will meet its end at its intended point. Yes, she claims that all things are set in stone. She proposes that fate dictates our lives. Shalherana may raise the dead because it is not their time to die, she claims, it has not been their fated death yet.
So the Grey Lady waits until Shalherana has had her fill of a particular mortal. She is powerless to act before this, once again she cannot oppose the Allmother. Then she takes the mortal, and judges them. For what reason does she judge a soul? Who gave the Grey Lady the authority to do so, besides herself?
The Lady was never intended to be the master of the afterlife. She only took it upon herself to do so, because she already oversaw death. She did not want to see death be an end, because she recognized the inherent cruelty of that. She she created the afterlife, and began to judge souls by her own biased standards.
For ages she has done this. And mortals in her ministry have done her will to ensure nobody questions this. The ministry of the Grey Lady does nothing to help the living, they exist purely to ensure nobody questions the Lady’s authority. Nobody is allowed to question her rule.
The Exhalt, Ashna, herself, has lived for untold ages. Far longer than most mortals. Why is it her soul has never been claimed? Isn’t that strange to you that the leader of the Lady’s ministry should, herself, not be exposed to death? The answer is that she is the Lady’s most useful tool, for she is the most zealous and dogmatic among them. She is the reason the Lady’s authority is never questioned in our world. And what does Ashna do to preserve this? She tortures people, like she tortured Vowrawn during the Ashland Conflict. She tortured Vowrawn because he was turned against the Grey Lady and left the faith, as punishment.
Perhaps the Grey Lady has arranged a secret deal with Time, or with the Allmother, or both, to ensure Ashna lives forever. I know this because I found her work, from ages ago: Death, Life & Undeath; A Viewpoint.
Despite the Allmother’s apparent crimes against the Grey Lady, as I have said, she is powerless to oppose her. Instead, the Grey Lady turns her hate against another god, an outcast among the pantheon, Skraag. Just like the Allmother, Skraag seeks to return the souls of mortals to the world. Skraag is far less selective than the Allmother, and seeks to return everyone. Skraag opposes death, and rightfully so. Death is an evil thing, that must be avoided.
Consider why the Allmother returns the dead. It is said, in stories upon the ages, that the Allmother began to return the dead to life because the lands were threatened by great forces. Ever since, despite those wicked forces being defeated, the Allmother has seen the merit of returning the dead to life. Skraag has always seen this, and is like the Allmother in that respect. For Skraag has always respected life, and the Allmother. It was Her who convinced Skraag that death is evil.
But mankind has always found Skraag’s version of life repulsive. The smell and appearance of a corpse is unpleasant. People have twisted repulsiveness into evil, and been blinded. They were more willing to listen to the Grey Lady’s lies, and so she was able to turn the world against the concept of undeath.
Yes, undeath is inherently dangerous. Skraag’s undead have long attacked the living. Skraag has his reasons for this, that won’t be discussed here.
But consider the Vyre. The Vyre is the perfect form of undead, for they are controlled, intelligent. They continue the living’s life, as though they had never been turned. All they must do is feed on blood. And yes, this fact turns many against the idea of a vyre. Vyre’s must be dangerous because they feed on blood. But some vyres can feed on animals, and we have no opposition against killing and eating animals. And other vyres who cannot, can find willing friends to feed them. Vyres cause no harm. Yet the ministry of the Lady would convince you they are evil, purely because they are undead. More lies of the Grey Lady.
Vyres are people like anyone else, just trying to live their lives. They are a minority, yet are often hunted for sport. Witness the cruelty of such.
So why does the Grey Lady do all this? It is because she wants to control our souls, and fears that if people realize death itself is evil that they will abandon her. But consider this, the Grey Lady does in fact provide a paradise for people after their death. Albiet it is only those she, in her biased judgement, deems fitting. But that is kind of her to do, even still. There is nothing wrong for wanting to seek out such an afterlife.
But why seek an afterlife at all? For Altera has been under such threat, that even the Allmother has realized death is not helpful to us. Consider then, what is it that Skraag wants to do? Skraag wants to return all to life. And if we are all returned, we can fight those threats that endanger our realm, forever. We can forever preserve our world.
For what will happen if the realm should fall, and Altera be destroyed, because the Grey Lady was so opposed to the living. There will be no living left, and she might die for there is none left for her. Death would itself, die. Then what happens to all those in the realms of afterlife the Grey Lady has created? If those afterlives are not, themselves, destroyed by the Grey Lady’s absence, then they might in turn be invaded next by the same threat that destroyed our world. Likely this would be hell. Hell wants souls, and where is there the greatest amount of undefended souls? The afterlife.
I am not trying to convince you anything about Skraag. But there are alternatives to death. Alternatives that are more helpful to the realm than pointless death. It my hope you will see the truth about the Grey Lady’s lies. That she is not truly as benevolent as she seems. But rather she is scared, scared of becoming obsolete, and willing to do anything to preserve herself. Consider these words carefully, you are smart enough to hear the truth.
Do not be intimidated.
