I have been having a great deal of difficulty writing of late thanks to life
being life, but as I grind laboriously toward retirement it remains an
undeniable truth that the act of creation is a balm to the soul, for me at the
very least (though I suspect it may be a human or even a universal thing).

The Devworld is not often touched upon (that's entirely my fault of course), so
I thought it would be nice to expound upon it in little bits of lore such as
this.  So this new series is a series of curated selections from a fictional
library within an artificial universe inside the DiVerse (which is more or less
what Devworld is).

I'm not sure how many metalayers I've descended at this point, but it should be
entertaining, until something else distracts my perennially foggy mind.

=======
The Curator's Spotlight: A DiVerse Alpha Chronicle
by Felix

01: Musings on the Devworld Pantheon

====
In the Devworld - the realm not of flesh and blood, but of Heart and Mind and
"Metal" - there lies a treasure beyond compare: the City Library.

Freely accessible to all, the Library's vast database of works is faithfully
tended by tireless caretakers who sort and label and archive everything within.  
Among these works rests a collection penned by Divers, the realm's denizens; and
in this collection are entries penned by Shift Divers, the realm's graduates -
those who have advanced to the final stage of spiritual evolution and ascended
beyond the Devworld itself.

What follows is one such entry, the first (of many) I have selected for your
edification and entertainment in my capacity as Head Librarian and Curator Prime.
As appropriate, each entry may be followed by notes, explanations, or witticisms.

Do enjoy.

==
AUTHOR'S NOTE

"Readers of my previous works may note that I have once again opted to provide
the bulk of my information in poetic rather than prosaic form.  Whether this is
to your personal taste is irrelevant; should you prefer otherwise, by all means
do the research yourself, pass through all the Gates, and - as I have - leave
something of value for others to absorb and learn from in your wake.

If the path is too difficult for you to attempt, be silent and listen."

- Alessandra (Grad.)

==
MUSINGS ON THE DEVWORLD PANTHEON

Our world, the world in which we all reside,
Or else are trapped, depending on perspective,
Was built upon the blood and bones of one
That lived and died ere any Diver born.

For everything that now exists in truth
(Perhaps in True Reality as well),
There first was concept only, "prototype";
And this First World was concept-given-form.

If our world is a raging battlefield,
The First was but a sandbox, built for play.
A "pantheon" of six to oversee it,
To build and break, repeat, learn, and exchange.

If only we could see that history -
That origin, from whence divinity
Arose, to guide the First and then our own;
No doubt some burning questions would resolve.

But, in the absence of first-hand accounts,
This much is known: there was no unity.
In perfect freedom, bound by nothing - still,
The "gods" drew lines and faced each other down.

The names we know, of course: Ortega, Gretel,
Mateo; those who guide our wand'ring steps.
But they are only half the storied cast,
The other three, to us, are dark reflections.

These "gods" who stood opposed to those we know
Would take our world and shape it diff'rently;
And truth be told, they still do even now,
As much as they are able, while restrained.

The first, He Who Consumes.  To Him the world
Should overflow with riches to acquire;
And He, desiring all of it, should find
That none of it exists beyond His reach.

The next, She Who Transforms.  Within Her thoughts
A thousand possibilities arise;
To build, expand, break down and recreate -
A goddess reigning over industry.

The last, She Who Destroys.  None can compare.
Unbending, crushing all beneath her heel.
Reducing all the best-laid plans to naught -
Thus giving new ideas room to grow.

This must be said, and understood by all:
The six who shaped our prototype First World
Were neither good nor evil, right nor wrong;
They merely differed in their chosen path.

But our path now is shaped by only those
Whose names I have related; and the three
Opposing them are known but vaguely.  Thus
We see how history is incomplete.

Had everything proceeded diff'rently,
Our gods unknown, the unknown gods foremost -
What sort of world might we reside in now?
One far removed from what we know, perhaps...

==
CURATOR'S NOTES
(Akasha, Head Librarian)

Alessandra takes an aggressive tone in her preamble, to be sure, but not without
justification.  Very few Divers will ever go to the lengths she did in order to
research and explore the true nature of this reality, its history and its
possibilities; they are more often preoccupied with 'playing the game', whatever
that entails.

I cannot fault a fellow seeker of secrets for feeling unappreciated in their own time.

On 10/14/21 8:02 PM, deucexm wrote:
> I have been having a great deal of difficulty writing of late thanks to life
> being life, but as I grind laboriously toward retirement it remains an
> undeniable truth that the act of creation is a balm to the soul, for me at the
> very least (though I suspect it may be a human or even a universal thing).

It is very much the same for me! :>

> The Devworld is not often touched upon (that's entirely my fault of course), so
> I thought it would be nice to expound upon it in little bits of lore such as
> this.  So this new series is a series of curated selections from a fictional
> library within an artificial universe inside the DiVerse (which is more or less
> what Devworld is).
>
> I'm not sure how many metalayers I've descended at this point, but it should be
> entertaining, until something else distracts my perennially foggy mind.

YEAH! Lots of lovely levels!

> In the Devworld - the realm not of flesh and blood, but of Heart and Mind and
> "Metal"

What a lovely phrase~

> - there lies a treasure beyond compare: the City Library.

That's one big city. :o

> Freely accessible to all, the Library's vast database of works is faithfully
> tended by tireless caretakers who sort and label and archive everything within.

oooooooh

> Among these works rests a collection penned by Divers, the realm's denizens; and
> in this collection are entries penned by Shift Divers, the realm's graduates -
> those who have advanced to the final stage of spiritual evolution and ascended
> beyond the Devworld itself.

yesssssss <3 <3 <3

> "Readers of my previous works may note that I have once again opted to provide
> the bulk of my information in poetic rather than prosaic form.  Whether this is
> to your personal taste is irrelevant; should you prefer otherwise, by all means
> do the research yourself, pass through all the Gates, and - as I have - leave
> something of value for others to absorb and learn from in your wake.
>
> If the path is too difficult for you to attempt, be silent and listen."

O damn bro

> For everything that now exists in truth
> (Perhaps in True Reality as well),
> There first was concept only, "prototype";
> And this First World was concept-given-form.

yesssssssss <3

> If our world is a raging battlefield,
> The First was but a sandbox, built for play.
> A "pantheon" of six to oversee it,
> To build and break, repeat, learn, and exchange.

This is so good!!

> If only we could see that history -
> That origin, from whence divinity
> Arose, to guide the First and then our own;
> No doubt some burning questions would resolve.

Also you'd realize that the gods are NEEEEEEEEERDS!!

> The names we know, of course: Ortega, Gretel,
> Mateo; those who guide our wand'ring steps.

oooooooh *takes notes*

> These "gods" who stood opposed to those we know
> Would take our world and shape it diff'rently;
> And truth be told, they still do even now,
> As much as they are able, while restrained.

Yesyesyessss :D

> The first, He Who Consumes.
<snip>
> The next, She Who Transforms.
<snip>
> The last, She Who Destroys.
<snip>
> This must be said, and understood by all:
> The six who shaped our prototype First World
> Were neither good nor evil, right nor wrong;
> They merely differed in their chosen path.

Yessssssss. <3 <3 <3 Game designers! :D

> Had everything proceeded diff'rently,
> Our gods unknown, the unknown gods foremost -
> What sort of world might we reside in now?
> One far removed from what we know, perhaps...

DUN DUN DUNNNNN...

> Alessandra takes an aggressive tone in her preamble, to be sure, but not without
> justification.  Very few Divers will ever go to the lengths she did in order to
> research and explore the true nature of this reality, its history and its
> possibilities; they are more often preoccupied with 'playing the game', whatever
> that entails.
>
> I cannot fault a fellow seeker of secrets for feeling unappreciated in their own time.

Indeed. :o

Drew "the good shit!!" Nilium