Alone at an Altar By Elena Murphy

Instruments: 1d6, Deck of Cards

Game Description 

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Game Playthrough

Word Count: 1,537     Played: Nov 12, 2020

Notes on the Divine Nature of Prophecy and the Connection Between Our World and Theirs by the Divine Messenger, Emerate Blows-Between-The North-Trees, 10th rank of the Order of Divine Light

Vision 1 

Roll: 4

Card: 8 of Diamonds Civilization, an Image burned into your mind

Roll: 2, Harsh and Cold

Some visions come to one just as such, for they are the divine being giving one the true insight into all matters. For example, in your humble writer’s experience, he saw such a vision in his 30th year in the heat of summer. This vision was as follows: The City of Neahr, a vast and sprawling metropolis, covered deep in ash and ice, for as we know Neahr is in the desert this is an impossible vision. One might see it as literal but it is important to note that visions, and other such prophecies, need not be taken literal, but often are metaphorical in nature.

Card: Queen of Diamonds, Civilization, a static shock.

Roll: 4, Soft and Gentle

Continuing on with our vision of Naehr, this brings us to the next sense, the one of touch. As previously stated in the introduction, not all “visions” are ones you see in your mind's eye. For your author next had the sensation of lightning on his skin, that is to say not that he was struck, but that the hairs on his body stood on end. As I dreaded the fate of Naehr, the Divine being reached out to me again, as if to say that it’s fate could be avoided, for I felt at ease as my skin prickled. This sense of divine grace is to show that there are things that may not come to pass and that hereunto when receiving a prophecy that one must realize that they may come as a warning and not an absolute of things to come.

Card: 9 of Diamonds, Civilization, the creaking of floorboards

Roll: 5, harsh and sharp, 

It is important to note that not all imaginings of daily life may be interpreted as part of prophecy, however, when one is being touched by the divine it is of utmost import that one does not dismiss any sign for it could be vital to understanding your vision. As Naehr is our focus I will continue to describe what happened to me next. For after I was overcome with sensations I fell to the floor overcome with the divine presence. It was as I was recovering I heard through the floor the creaks and cracks of those boards. I counted, twenty-seven, in all, and this number was significant for it is ten paces from the back of the room to the altar. Each noise echoed through my bones like a sharp hot knife. As we know now, it took twenty-seven years for me to establish our holy religion in Naehr and save it thusly from its destruction. 

Card: King of Diamonds, the smell of the sky

Roll: 1 Cold, 

The last sense we will explore in my Naehr proficy will be the sense of smell. Imagine me, dear reader, upon the floor, visions of a cold Naehr, in my mind, my body’s hair erect, and the sound of the floor in my bones, for what was next was the most challenging upon my body. I breathed deep as I lay on the floor and my senses turned icy, for it was the smell of a harsh winter morning entering my body. If one hasn’t lived in the mountains then you will not know the dry cracking air as one looks to the sky. My nose began to drip blood, as is common in winter-times, and I knew that the lord was once again reminding me of the fate of Naehr should I fail to receive his warnings. 

Thus we can draw the conclusion from my vision: I will travel to Naehr to save them from the cold isolation of the world by bringing our divine light unto the city. 

Vision 2

Roll: 3

Card: 10 Spades, Unnatural Liquid, 

Roll: 5 hot

On the subject of dreams, it is tempting to see all visions in the night as significant insights granted by the divine, but one must always look at it with a sceptical eye, for the divine will only speak with the chosen prophets. Now, having received a previous vision, I knew that I must take the utmost care in determining which of my dreams had significance. One such way a prophet might tell is if they have received the same dream many times within a short span of their life. Of this topic I will give an example of my own. For when I arrived in Naehr I dreamed of going to the well outside my home each night, drawing from it, and upon taking into my home, spilling it across the floor. When I went to clean it, the water hand  turned into dark pitch. I would awake each time on the floor of my room, shaking with sweat. 

Card: 4 Clubs, Sent in the air, relationships

Roll: 6 heat, dry

The divine will always take care of their followers, and will guide and protect those who it holds most dear. We know this for there are always signs of deceit amongst those who would do us harm. While in Naehr, I grew my following and reached out to those who would help us in our divine glory, but I was almost deceived. If it was not for the divine sending me a warning, I would have accepted a traitor into our midst. The warning was thus: when the person approached me, I could feel the air stiffen and the temperature rise. They had upon their person no particular sent, but my nostrils burned in their presence. Knowing I was a true prophet, I believed the signs of the divine and cast them out from the presence of my people and myself. I had saved my new followers from those who would do us harm and earned new trust in the people. 

Card: 4 Heart, Sent in the Air, Person

Roll: 5 Heat

One must be aware that they can receive a divine message at any moment in their life. This means that one must always be ready to receive such a message no matter how personal the moment may be. For one such as myself a vision came when I was performing the most mundane of tasks, fetching groceries for myself. I was in the market and sampling the local spices when the scent changed. Before me had been a sweet flower, but instead I smelled the harsh and acrid scent of blood. I looked upon the sign which bore the flower’s name and upon it name it: The Queen’s Lilly. In this moment I knew that I was in danger, for, although not banned entirely, our religion was not the most welcome in Naehr. 

Summary: Our divine knew that there were many enemies in Naehr and would try to kill me. I had to be careful with their task and grow my following safely. 

Vision 3

Roll: 2

Card: 5 of Diamonds, Civilization random words

Roll: 6, Harsh Heat, 

Do not think that the divine cannot also work through people, for in my time, many messages have been received through the words of others. You may hear them through your friends, through enemies, or even strangers. One such instance happened to me when I was back in Cricenal, far after my time in Naehr. A young woman was praying in the temple. She was silent but I could see her lips moving, they said “write or fall, write or fall.” As I am sure you are aware, dear reader, having read my introduction, you will know what this prophecy is about.

Card: 5 of clubs, Relationships

Roll: 4

The nature of how you receive a vision should be accounted for in it’s interpretation. As noted in the introduction, I write this very book because of the prophecy I recieved. It was two-fold, the former being the praying women, and the latter being thus: a scattering of papers, of which the titles gave unto me my message. I was enjoying some time to myself in a lovely park when a scholar tripped and dropped his papers not far from where I sat. I helped the scholar and received the words from the scattering of titles from his person. They were as follows: “Book, relationship, prophecy, help.” I inquired upon the scholar as to his research. He stated that there was a divide amongst the scholars at the university as there had been no true research into visions such as mine. He claimed that the relationship between science and religion was falling apart and that no one believed the messages from the divine. Our meeting had been divine fate.

Summary: I knew it was my destiny to write the contents of this book to better describe the nature of the divine visions. As I know civilization would fall apart without the guidance of our divine it was of utmost import that I pen this book.

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