Coera

Adam stared up at the new light in the sky. It was the corpse, the tomb, of his stilled wife, Lilith, just as the ground he stood on had been the beating heart of her wicked master. Lil's treachery would not soon be forgotten in his mind, but their children were of the world - their eyes turned down to their hands, not up to the sky - and Adam knew their memory for this war would not be long. It was well, then, that Patar-Ori had placed her so close - her disk was far larger than any star, nearly the size of Patar's own burning light, and her face turned to remind them of her many lies and appearances. It was well, thought Adam. Yet he felt so alone.

When the demigods or elves took Coera into their keeping, and shaped the emergence of life, they guided the evolution of plants and animals to create diversity and wonder, but also to create an animal in their image, both physically and mentally. This control over evolution extends far beyond the breeding practices used by people, and allowed for the creation of new species with features unlike those of their predecessors. After the creation of man and the barrier, when the majority of demis left Coera to create their own worlds, these secrets of evolution were hidden from man, so that he might live in a garden world or zoo world, instead of quickly pushing against the barrier and being overwhelmed by what was beyond. Of course, mankind develped mathematics and other technologies instead, so the handicapped forced an even more powerful adaptation.

Very few other worlds were given this restriction, so space travel, where it occurs outside of Coera, is accomplished in the innards of great beasts evolved for the purpose. Weaponry comes from "natural" sources. Libraries are as likely to be kept in an overdeveloped mind than on shelves, and radio and radar are replaced by telepathy.

The upside for humans is that it is very easy for them to adapt to and conquer the aliens, since their technology is far more adaptable than evolution, which at best typically takes several generations to produce replicable results. They have a great resource in math and science, and their services are in high demand on any world that does not consider their maths a heresy.

The Creation of Coera:

Once the war between Baod and the alliance of Zhen-Mehr and Sensihr and Chomar in high carnage, and many minds had been consumed or unminded to be re-created, Mehr devised a plan which Zhen-Mehr liked much. At this time Baod had begun using the dimension of energy to control the minds who were not as strong as he. Mehr sought more to calm the war than punish Baod, whom Mehr loved, and created the first matter – an explosion of stars that focused and bound the Energy in a tangible way. This surprised the minds at war, and for the most part, delighted them. (At this time, and forever after, neither Baod nor his followers were so selfish and self-obsessed that they had no good left in them, and could not delight in goodness.) But the war was not long forgotten, and Sensihr and Chomar surprised Baod’s general, Louen-Toosh, who was guarding Baod whilst he experimented for a way to use this new translation of energy against his enemies.

Baod was caught unprepared, and surprised by the gambit of Patar-Ori, who led a host of smaller, “negligible” minds in the siege of Baod. This siege drug on for a very long time, and seemed to come to an impass, where neither side could avance, and neither withdraw. It was at this time when Mehr acted again. He had never been completely out of conversation with Baod, even while Baod hid his designs from him, and even while Zhen-Mehr warred with Baod. Mehr and Baod had together explored matter more thoroughly, and it was Mehr’s turn to surprise Baod with what Mehr had been hiding. Mehr bound a great part of Baod, the part of his nature that was most selfless, but also the part most creative and productive, into the planet of Coera.

Baod was shocked and dismayed, and with this part of him so bound, he left it to the sieging army and fled in disgrace and defeat, Again Mehr acted, and re-minded the spirit of the planet into the mind of Coera, who is also called Ohida, Gohira, and other things. Baod has always been quite jealous of Coera, and feels she rightly belongs in him, or owes him obedience, as he thinks her his unintentional offspring. Patar-Ori, Zhen-Mehr, and others, though, know her to be a mind directly of Mehr, and as such a peer of Zhen-Mehr and the Pentiad, though the least among equals.

Couroth (Courothei), the Worm god:
Couroth is the god of death. Once a servant of Baod, Couroth was blinded in the battle surrounding the siege of Baod that produced Coera. He hovers around Coera in her shadow, devouring the souls of those who die and become lost. Courothei is his female form. Patar-Ori and his servants protect the souls of all those they can by escorting them past the maw of Couroth. He is somewhat satisfied by the meals offered him by the overflows of death during wars and plagues, and by the occasional soul who breaks the vow of Adam and Eva.

Consumption and Cannibalism: Baod’s first vicious act was the consumption of Indri-Ori, one of the progeny of Endatish, Chomar and Sensihr.

Baod had considered the consumption of another mind for some time, and his example was none but Mehr. Mehr had, on very few occasions in the past, re-absorbed the spirit from a mindling that was not correct – an accidental progeny created by the long communion and hasty separation of minds. When such progeny was well-shapen and was not greatly handicapped by the manner of its creation, it was accepted and cherished. But in no more than a handful of cases, the accidental mind was twisted and confused beyond any viability, so Mehr re-absorbed the spirit, peacefully dissolving the individuality of the mind.

Baod was well aware of this – one of the ended minds was his direct progeny, and not as accidental as he pretended. Now Baod had become very displeased with the state of things. He had once held a very special place – second to Mehr, and first of the Pentiad. There were still none like him in power, but he had gone from one of seven to one of millions. And those millions would become billions and trillions – spirit was inexhaustible, and with that many minds, enrichment was continuous and inevitable. That is not to say that Baod did not create his own share of minds. But unlike the others of the Pentiad and their progeny, the majority of his children were created exclusively from his own spirit. Or, like Zhen-mehr, he would cultivate spirit directly from Mehr, and supplement it with himself.

So it was a rare thing when Baod approached Indri-Ori and offered to create a new Mind with him. Baod had, by this time, begun the art of Energy, and he told Indri-Ori that their progeny was to be an integral steward of this art. That Indri-Ori had been chosen for this filled him with great pride, and he did not look deeply into Baod’s motivations. But when Indri-Ori exposed his spirit to Baod, Baod quickly encompassed him into himself, both mind and spirit. Once the idea was conceived, the execution was passing easy. Baod was quite pleased, especially by the greater power and enrichment he gained from Indri-Ori. For some time, he could feel the shapes of the mind and the flavors of the spirit distinctly within him, and the immediacy and vitality of this experience did not leave him, even after Indri-Ori was assimilated into Baod’s vast landscape of flavor. This experience could not be compared to cultivating the subtley variated spirit from Mehr, or mingling with other minds.

Some time later, Sensihr and Chomar had not spoken with Indri-Ori, and they were sad about it. They came to Baod, as they had heard about Baod’s offer to Indri-Ori, and thought Baod might have news of him. Baod showed them his progeny, Patar-Ori, whom Sensihr and Chomar could see shared many qualities with Indri-Ori. This was, in fact, because Baod had placed many of those qualities within him. Sensihr and Chomar convinced Baod to allow them to take Patar-Ori with them, as he reminded them of Indri-Ori, whom they missed dearly. At last Baod consented, largely because he feared Sensihr and Chomar would discover the truth. At this time Patar-Ori did not know of his origins, but when he later discovered them, it was he that unminded Baod’s Ubiqueli and tended to the progeny of Adam and Eva while they slept. So it is said that Baod was successful in combining the best of Indri-Ori with himself, but he did not succeed in turning this new mind to his purposes, and in fact, this new mind was nearly his downfall.

Mehr had vaguely noticed this disturbance within Baod, but because of the quick creation of Patar-Ori and the frequent creative disturbances within Baod, Mehr was uncertain of the nature of the disturbance. Zhen-Mehr came to Baod to question him about Indri-Ori, but at that time none but Baod had considered consuming another mind, and Zhen-Mehr could not discover the truth.

Baod waited for a long time before consuming again, and for long afterward, he preyed only upon his own direct progeny, as this was not likely to draw the attention of Mehr or the others of the Pentiad.

Baod’s intention, of course, was to reduce the number of minds, while at the same time increasing his own power and flavor. He was patient, for he knew he could make significant changes if he consumed in the same fashion as others multiplied. If he consumed two, who had each first consumed two, who had previously each consumed two, and so on, he could possibly bring all but Mehr within himself. And unlike creation, which weakened a mind and drained it of flavor, consumption only made Baod stronger.

But Baod could not rely upon other minds to begin consuming each other simply because he had developed an appetite for it, though some of his progeny and followers did follow suit, after witnessing the effects on Baod. Baod learned that even among his own progeny, he could better manipulate them by drawing a fully developed mind into himself, nearly consuming it as he mingled its spirit with his own, finally regurgitating most of the original spirit, distilled and mingled with his own essence, back into the original mind. These minds largely resembled their former selves, but some of the flavor of Baod was forevermore within them, guiding them. Even more than his own progeny, spirits thus reborn bore clear signs of Baod, and of the corruption of his mind. It was not until many of these minds began appearing among the following of Baod that any but Mehr had any idea of Baod’s intentions. For, as Baod said, who can hide their inner selves from Mehr, who is within us all? And in this, he did not speak the complete truth, though he did not mean it as a lie.

On Coera, and throughout all of material creation, consumption of spirit is very commonplace. Baod’s influence is felt strongly in material creation, in this way, and in many others. But humans, and some other sentient minds, are peculiar in that they consume life, but allow the mind to pass first. No other life prepares their prey so as to ensure that all aspects of spirit and mind have been cleansed from the flesh, providing food only for the body, and not the mind. This was the bond of first Adam and Lillit (the oathbreaker), then Adam and Eva, to Patar-Ori.

Prhua: Prhua saw both the fraternity of Chomar and Sensihr and the mentoring relationship between Epid Mehr and Zhen Mehr, and created a pair of minds, both female, and the first male. She could not create another like Mehr for her female, nor would she desire it, but she desired complimentary differences which Chomar and Sensihr did not display as strongly. The minds she created (which were neither her first nor her last), were Vaeli and Don. Vaeli was much like Zhen Mehr and Don much like Baod, which is why Baod is often referred to as “he”. Though it is not the case with all gendered spirits, Vaeli and Don cleave together indefinitely, and are often considered the prototype for marriage, though this should be more accurately attributed to Adam and Eva (not Adam and Lil, though they were created together), who are descendants of Vaeli and Don.

Baod (also Baod the Jealous): Baod is the greatest of the Pentiad, especially after consuming Endatish (who was later resumed, but not after losing much self to Baod).

Baod, most of all, desired to please Mehr and emulate Mehr. And Mehr was very pleased by Baod, but Baod desired more and more of Mehr’s attention, and did not receive all of it. Baod’s desire to emulate Mehr was corrupted into a desire to be Mehr, and eventually to consume Mehr, and thus replace Mehr. Mehr also desired to have a partner who was equal and outside of Mehr, and would gladly have granted this Baod, if there was any possible way to do it. Perhaps someday this will happen, and the rift between Baod and Mehr may in that way be mended.

It was Baod who created energy, though at that time it was fleeting and temporary, and not a complete mapping of spirit. It was only meant to represent Mehr, and later Baod – renderings of them in a surprising and delighting way. Energy was not mapped completely until Baod turned it as a weapon against Mehr and the other Minds. By this time, Baod desired the completeness and finality of Mehr (Mehr had displayed by this time the un-minding of some projects of the progeny). Baod extended Energy to all spirit in and effort to control all spirit, and the minds that bound the spirit. Zhen Mehr was often a companion of Baod (as Baod emulated Mehr, and Mehr was not a jealous mind), and she related to Mehr Baod’s intentions. Mehr did not stop Baod, but went further with energy to create matter. Matter was an elevation of the art of Baod, but also its stabilizer. Baod could not easily use his own energy to manipulate the energies of other Minds, as matter created a framework and system in which energy must comply.

At this time, matter consisted almost exclusively of stars, which greatly delighted all minds, including Baod, who was not given entirely to corruption and hunger at this time. Stars were the bridge between matter and energy, and were reflections of some of the greatest features of the Minds, including many of Baod’s. It can’t be said that any star represents any one quality or mind, yet the minds saw themselves in these stars, and often identified with the features of one star or another, and cherished it, and made it theirs.

Adam and Lil were the children of Zehn Mehr, and were great allies of Patar-Ori during Epid Mehr's Great Stroke against Baod.

Adam was a warrior-poet, created specifically for the war against Baod, but created to have a conscience. He was a champion of the smaller gods, and a favorite of the greater. He led the army of lesser gods into the heart of Baod's ranks and commanded the siege of Baod.

Lil was a trickster and impersonator, her innards and motivations were not easily perceived by the other gods. It was she that penetrated the ranks of Baod and opened the gates behind her. She had long managed to conceal her desire from Adam (even from Adam), judging that she would first find a way to impress him and gain his attention.

After the siege, Adam and Lil and their army of lesser gods remained about Coera. Lil had her way, and had Adam. Adam became Patar-Ori's number one on Coera, and was his emissary to the lesser gods, and was one of the few able to speak with Coera directly. When two gods were needed to give minds to the people of Coera, Adam volunteered, and Lil agreed to go with him.

It is easy to understand how a trickster goddess may quickly bore when stuck in a single, physical body. It is easy to see how she may become jealous when her mate spends more time on their children and wards than on her. It is easy to see how she may be susceptible to the temptings of Baod, who promises her greater power again, who promises her that she can have Adam all to herself (eat him!). Lil started small - she ate a cat.

The fallout from Lil's betrayal is detailed elsewhere.

Eva was the daughter of Chomar and Sensihr. Though the brothers had very little action in the war, Eva was created to solve the problem of Lil. Without her, Adam was alone in a hostile world, a world in which Lil prowled, meaning to eat him.
Adam was laid down, and his spirit was lifted from him. A piece of the spirit of Adam was grafted to Eve; this gave them the bond needed to keep them true to eachother.

Spirit encompasses and permeates all. It is not homogenous, but neither is it discrete. It is inexhaustible in supply, but not in variation. Spirit has flavor and emotion, feelings and impressions, as well as some character.

Mind can contain spirit and give it ethereal dimension, shape, and momentum. Mind is also exclusive – spirit that is contained in one mind can not be contained in another mind at the same time – and crowding – one flavor of spirit can blend and wash through other flavors, but minds have boundaries that can rub and repel. Though spirit is inexhaustible, what flavor is caught up in mind is contained there, and the spirit which remains is more bland and featureless. Mind, however, can enrich both the spirit it contains and the spirit it interacts with. Mind is a permeable barrier – it can draw in and release spirit as it desires or is compelled.

Energy is the Art of mind, and another manifestation of spirit. It is a mapping of spirit into a dimension, and so the flavor and variation of spirit is reflected in energy. Even the spirit that is caught up in mind is reflected in energy, meaning that spirit is both an artful recreation of minds, but also shapeable by minds that wish to control it. The more spirit a mind controls, the greater the energy it can wield.

Matter is the completion of energy, and the binding of art into product. Matter allows the bridge back to mind. Where spirit-based mind must willfully and laboriously create another mind, and often with the assistance of another mind or minds, matter, in the form of life, will create mind as an automatic reaction in the energy that is not mapped to spirit bound in mind (that is, the sea of spirit that is Mehr). As this spirit is largely bland and featureless, so the mind that life creates is not greatly varied, and achieves very little besides procreation. It slowly enriches the spirit caught up in it, however.

Mehr (or Epid Mehr): the vast, inexhaustible sea of spirit. Also, the first mind, which encompassed all of spirit. Once Mehr was mind, Mehr desired communion, and created the Pentiad – Baod, Endatish, Prhua, Chomar, and Sensihr. These five were made of Mehr’s mind, and encompassed much of the variety and character in Mehr, and thus diminished Mehr greatly. But within Mehr was infinite spirit, and that could slowly be enriched by the Pentiad, and by Mehr the self. Though the minds of the Pentiad discretely contained spirit, that spirit was still Mehr, and so the Pentiad was never completely separate from Mehr. Yet Mehr’s mind and theirs were distinct, and Mehr could never know entirely what was in their minds, but only feel impressions of it.
The Pentiad were neither equal nor like in power, but nor were they aspects of any particular concept we would recognize. What could be best said was that Baod was the most self-possessed and driven, and the most creative. Endatish was the most withdrawn and introspective. Prhua, like Baod, was creative, but more thoughtful. Chomar and Sensihr were like brothers, and pleased Mehr most in their constant and self-affirming communion. Mehr’s intention was for the Pentiad to commune with Mehr, but also with each other, and thus work together to create much else that was no longer in Mehr’s mind. But five was too many to ever agree on any detail, and the Pentiad eventually began to work on projects mostly on their own, or with one or two others. Mehr saw this, and was saddened but not displeased. Mehr created another mind, Zhen Mehr (the companion of Mehr), as a reflection of the common love of Chomar and Sensihr. Zhen Mehr is rightly said to be the first feminine mind, though she was made as a compliment to Mehr, who is not rightly masculine. They are partners, but cannot share the same bond that Chomar and Sensihr share, as Zhen Mehr is of Mehr, but not Mehr of Zhen Mehr.

Zhen Mehr is the last mind Mehr created as independent, and so Mehr is called Epid Mehr (Still Mehr), though Mehr has been neither still nor silent. Also seven is considered a fortuitous number in creation as Mehr created seven minds – Mehr’s own, the Pentiad, and Zhen Mehr.

Book

One

Mehr alone was in the beginning.

I use the name Mehr for your sake. The true name of Mehr is behond your comprehension, nor in fact is there a name which can be properly used. I use that name because Mehr is a sea of spirit, and this name may serve to recall this for you.

Mehr is inexhaustible, and infinite in every dimension, so far as there is dimension. Mehr is infinite in faculty, so far as there is faculty. There is nothing which Mehr does not permeate. Mehr is neither homogenous nor discrete. Within Mehr there are dimensions of variety, and variations of qualities which can be described broadly as intersections of the blended, loving opposites.

Two

Mehr perceived a desire for companionship.

We may assume that the variations of qualities were brooded upon, and that Mehr came to understand that there may be divisions and seperations, that there may be one thing which is not another.

Mehr conceived of boundaries between the varieties - distinctions between this quality and that. These boundaries could be extended to enclose a discrete quantity within Mehr. The space within - this thought of Mehr, yet a mind in its own right - was of Mehr, though Mehr was not of it. Mehr did not separate from this space, but the spirit inside would perceive that Mehr was without, and within was itself. With distinction, thought became mind, and so it is we sing, "Spirit begat Mind".

Three

Thus were the first broodings of Mehr: Baod, Endatish, Prhua, Chomar, and Sensihr. They are the Pentiad.

The Pentiad were neither equal nor like in qualities, nor did any contain unique features. The Pentiad did, however, comprise the best part of the character of Mehr, as Mehr purposefully redistributed to grant these offspring such qualities. After their creation, Mehr was much diminished, though no less infinite. Crudely can their birth be compared to the ladling of soup from a very large pot, in which the meat is sought and served, and what remains is a larger part of broth. So was Mehr diminished, though the Pentiad remained a part of him. Yet in return, the companionship of Mehr and the Pentiad, and the Pentiad among each other, enriched the character of them all. Mehr was, in time, replenished, and Mehr and the Pentiad within continued to grow in variety, complexity, and character.

Baod, known also as The First Masculine, the Great Friend of Mehr, and The Jealous, was the greatest of the Pentiad. He was the most self-possessed, the most driven, and the most creative. He was the first after Mehr to create a child of himself, and first to form a child from the stuff of Mehr.

Endatish was the most introspective and self-examining, and is sometimes called The Historian.

Prhua, like Baod, was a creative Mind, but more cautious and thoughtful. Prhua was best able to understand the thoughts of the others in the Pentiad. She is often considered to have been the apt counterpart of Baod, yet they were least able to reach consensus among the five.

Last were Chomar and Sensihr, the Brothers. Their constant self-re-affirming communion pleased Mehr greatly. By collecting and sharing their intentions, they were able to match Prhua or Baod in creativity, and were wont to love all else through the context of their love for each other.

Four

While the Brothers spent their attentions on each other and Prhua and Endatish were turned inward, Baod was the friend of Mehr. Baod was the most powerful of the Pentiad, and when he saw his greater share of power, he considered himself elevated above them. Through communion, Mehr came to realize that Baod desired to be the equal of Mehr.

It is known that while Mehr remained infinite, and permeated each of the Pentiad entirely, the boundaries that created the minds of the Pentiad also created the Mind of Mehr, and thus by choice was Mehr unknowledgeable of the thoughts of the Pentiad. Only the impression of the form of their thoughts was Mehr aware.

Mehr did not begrudge Baod his desire, but Baod was unwilling to discuss the matter, and this became a rift between their intentions. Thus did Baod begin to keep some of his thoughts from Mehr, and though he always remained the great friend of Mehr, also did he become jealous and a conspirator.

Five

The pure love of the Brothers and the compliment of Prhua and Baod prompted Mehr to create again, and give mind to Zhen-Mehr.

She is considered The First Feminine, and though Mehr is not masculine, she is the consort of Mehr. Alone was Zhen-Mehr created, not one of many, that Mehr may grant her the best qualities available, and her power rivals that of Baod. She does not, however, exercise her power in creativity, but remains a constant companion of Mehr.

Zhen Mehr is the last of the great minds created directly of Mehr, and thus Mehr is known as Epid Mehr (Still Mehr), though in fact Mehr is neither still nor silent. Also, these seven minds (Mehr, The Pentiad, and Zehn Mehr) are the reason seven is a number considered fortuitous for beginnings.