The Unfated Wanderers Canto 15
The four spheres were found, two in Shatterbone, recovered by ritual, another revealed by natural magic in Lake Slowmelt and the final sphere found in the Inverted Tower.
Ten days of walking, skirting the Craftlin Plateau, brought the Unfated Wanderers back to their home in Shatterbone. Only once was a giant sighted, just barely cresting the horizon. Vilerend and Billet thanked the Children that their journey was unimpeded by foes, monstrous or otherwise.
Tong welcomed them into his hall wherein they recounted their deeds and gave the earth sphere to him. With every item in hand, the ritual could proceed.1
The Pristine Table was set and adorned with the Elemental Spheres. The Runes of Path were laid upon the table and traced with the Servant’s Crop. The Gate of Sunrise was to open but the People in the room saw nothing. Yet suddenly their number increased by one. A stranger stood among them.
He spoke, “My name is The Quaking Ground Gnashes Its Teeth to Consume the Wretched. But you may call me Quake. I am an Equerry. Why have you summoned me?”
Tong Shatterbone and the Unfated Wanderers produced their questions and they were duly answered.
"Why are these monstrosities terrorizing our land?"
“The giants were sent by the gods as a precursor to the Apocalypse.”
“Apocalypse? Is our world dying”
“There are subtle processes that make the world work. Life, death, love, hate, air, rocks, building, destruction, magic, war, rivers, mountains are all various parts of the World Machinery. Fern Quickstream broke one of those machines. When she ended death, she caused mayhem and upset the natural order of things. Fortunately, you set things aright. Unfortunately, she taught her Stormcraft Cult how to end death. This piece of knowledge is now loose in the world. This lore should not be known to any person.”
Quake continued, “The gods have a component of the World Machinery that they use in situations like this: Apocalypse. Every time the World Machinery is damaged, the gods use Apocalypse to reset the world. The purpose of Apocalypse is to diminish the power of humanity through disaster so that they are no longer able to hurt themselves or the world. The lofty heights of superiority that humanity attains to are nought but the remnants of past dreams, when survival itself becomes the greatest challenge.”
“Apocalypse was agreed upon in the Primordial Accord. In the days before time, the first people swore an oath to defend and preserve the world and each other. Every time that oath is broken, the gods mete out justice. But it is a bitter punishment. None of them wish to harm you. But you are harming yourselves, what else are they to do?”
“The last Apocalypse occurred when the Elder People, as you name them, Rent the Confines and allowed Darkling Fomenters into the Living World.”
“I have no suggestions to prevent the approaching Apocalypse. It cannot be stopped. The gods enact it and their will cannot be subverted.”
See Unfated Wanderers Cantos 9 and 11↩