Taikon

Microstory 600: The Oncoming Taikon (Introduction)

This series needs no introduction. Just kidding, I know you have no idea what to expect from something like this. You’re thinking, taikon? What the hell is that? I started working on this part of my canon several years ago, so give me a second to consult my trusty online etymology dictionary. No, it’s not on there? Well, obviously it derives from the word icon but I’m not sure exactly how that fits in. It’ll make sense later, and if not, we’ll fix it in post. If you read my last series in its entirety, then you might have started to notice that a few of these fictional “news” stories occasionally referenced each other. Sometimes these references were so small that you couldn’t possibly notice unless you studied it like a crazy person. I can explain why it was like that, and why I couldn’t just flat out point to each connection. The concept in that series was that I didn’t actually write them, but simply copied and pasted them from other stories. Real journalists, across time and space, supposedly wrote them instead, and I’m just releasing them to the world you and I live in. So when one writer vaguely references something spoken of in greater detail in another story, it’s because that writer’s target audience actually already knows this stuff, so rehashing those details each time wouldn’t make sense. I would like to let you know that I took a semester of journalism my freshman year of high school, and did not realize until beginning this new project that that was not enough to know how to write news articles. I did the best I could, but they don’t read like something you would find on a news page, because that’s a completely different medium that I don’t personally believes translates well to this format. Of course, this next series is going to be different, but it does take place in the same franchise. I bring up Headlines because I sometimes referenced events that will turn out to be adjacent to the following ones. A group of people—who felt disillusioned with the state of affairs—broke away from their originating society, and formed their own in another galaxy. But before they found this galaxy, they sort of had to hang out on Earth, hiding themselves from the primitive humans living there at the time. While on our planet, they got their hands on a few copies of that bible thing you people are always going on about. Instead of adopting your faith, though, they corrupted and reworked the story to better fit their preexisting political beliefs. Over time, this corruption became so comfortable that this part of their history was effectively erased, leading most modern believers with the impression that their religion formed organically. The following relates a prophecy that operates as their version of the Book of Revelation. The Oncoming Taikon, in 121 parts.

Belief of the Atheist Kill the Cat of Komere Find the Sacred Savior Derail Hydra The Return of Peter Fireblood A Virgin’s Child by Sacred Savior Trap the Dam of Cerelune Replace Eido Andrea Destruction of an Infidel Place of Worship Body of Water Turns Red Proper Burial of the Sacred Savior Tame the Bairaz of Treiph Replace Eido Seamus Annihilation of Pagan Statues Amphibious Infestation Feast of the Fruit of Love Everlasting Sacred Light Revive the Vector Tournament Eido Ivanka Silence of the Blasphemers Parasitic Infestation Feast of Zest Ascension of the Humble Appointment of the Loctener Eradication of the Narvalian Gardbirds Replace Eido Feivel A Day of No Business Scourge of the Carriers Fruit of Peace New Home of the Mourners A Child Made Wise Beginning of the Conquest Steal the Bow and Crown of Bertok Sores Upon the Disloyal Justice of the Free Capture the Wandering Bellcone Replace Eido Bertok Celebration of Guardian Appreciation Day Consumption of the Spoiled Indulge a Summit for Patience Return of the Meek A Fool Made Intelligent Confirmation of War

Reclaim the Sword of Assimilation Death of an Ocean Tidal Lock a Planet Substantiation of the Cleansing Light Peninsula Removed from the Mainland Eido Mateo’s Homecoming An Escaped Murderer Kills No More Boils on Slavedrivers Feeding Starving Thralls Forgiveness of the Sinners A Blind Man Made Guide Beginning of the Famine Steal the Scales of Tamsin the Judge Water of Death See the Sky for the First and Last Time Find the First Ring Gathering of the Highlightseers Return the Belt of Andrea Replace Eido Tamsin Slaughter of the Unfaithful Hailstorm of Love Acceptance of the Enemies Dawning of the Merciful Warriors A Weak Man Made Strong The Arkeizen Culling Remake the Club of Death Unpredicted Devastating Solar Flare A Continent Rises From the Ocean Find the Ring of Migration Book of Mateo Forgiveness for Traitors Hide the Bar Catel Replace Eido Giacomo Punishment for Thieves? Conflux Swarm Fruit of Dedication

Clean of Heart A Lost Man Made to Remember Remember the Sufferers Part I Remember the Sufferers Part II The Quantum Darkness Begins Salvation From the Quantum Darkness Find the Ring of Law Book of Marsali Force of Faith Recognition of the Resurrection Sneak Into Atlantis Replace Eido Kimena Discover Perjury Quantum Darkness Survives and Spreads Creating the Fruit of Gentleness Peace in the Galaxy for War in the Void An Irreverent Man Commits The Great Earthquake Quantum Darkness Declines The Light Wars Destroy a World A World Reseeded With Life Find the Ring of Expansion Open the Book of Anseluka Force of Hope Retire the Book of Light Avail Immortality Abduct the Three Dogs of Death Replace Eido Tadija Satisfaction With Little Death of the Firstborn Fruit of Restraint New Faction Martyred A Jaded Man Made Curious Seven Heroes Appear Seven Signals Sound Closing Earthquake Life at Full Glory Find the Ring of Culture Burn the Book of Ivanka Force of Love Celebrate the Book of Darkness The Outcome