Microstory 615: Amphibious Infestation

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Like most taikon listed in the scripture, the fifteenth was written without too many details. What has been largely interpreted to refer to some kind of minimal population boom for one particular species of amphibians has turned into something greater. Much, much greater. Amphibians of all shapes and sizes, and of all species, began crawling out of the waters at the exact moment the storm in the last taikon ended. This did not happen from only one body of water, and to only one city. It didn’t even happen on only one planet. All major cities on all central worlds began experiencing an infestation of these creatures simultaneously. Streets were soon overrun by them, halting all land transportation. Some species appeared on planets on which they did not naturally live. Experts immediately began studying the phenomenon, and running some numbers. They came to the understanding that there were more amphibians present during the infestation than there should have been in existence across the galaxy. How this was possible was not something that anyone, from any field of study, could explain. What was strange about this event—as if that wasn’t enough—was that the animals left as quickly as they had come. Less than a quarter standard hour later, they began receding into their waters, and disappeared. After these moments, the number of observed individuals of their respective species returned to expected quantities. Things were back to normal, and after the shock had worn off of every resident and visitor to these cities, people started realizing that the animals didn’t actually do anything. They didn’t destroy any equipment of infrastructure. They didn’t hurt anyone, or cause any freak accidents. They came, they went, and that was it. Unfortunately, for as inexplicable as the incident was, the Lightseed faith did not significantly increase its own numbers. Obviously this was undeniable proof that Lightseers were true and righteous, but perhaps it also scared any potential doubters. Still, as the ol’ song goes, the taikon..must go on. This was still only the beginning. The majority of prophesied events were yet to come to pass, starting with the Feast of the Fruit of Love.

Microstory 614: Annihilation of Pagan Statues

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Eido Seamus’ first order of business was to kick the rest of the taikon into high gear. Any and all that could be achieved arbitrarily were to be planned and executed as fast as possible. As mentioned before, there are other religions in this galaxy that contradict Lightseed teachings. And though no law prevents these faiths from existing, much of the text in the Book of Light warns Lightseers of the possible threat. Every belief that goes against ours has the potential to become a menace to our way of life. Most of them are rooted in the old beliefs, which means they could theoretically lead us down a path of returning to our tainted history. One dangerous religion is known as honshin. It is an unremarkable faith, noted for its plethora of gods. The problem with it is that it preaches community over individuality, under certain conditions. In the last half-century, honshin has risen in popularity by seven percent, and has even taken believers from Lightseed. The fourteenth taikon states that following the annihilation of pagan statues, an entire world will experience an infestation of amphibious animals. In order to arrive at the fifteenth taikon, Eido Seamus ordered a group of his followers to destroy a garden built by the motherhouse of the honshin movement. He could have chosen any other pagan religion, but honshin has proven itself to be a formidable enough of an enemy to warrant attack. Unfortunately, the fifteenth taikon did not arrive as predicted, leading some to lose trust in the words of the Book of Light. But as it has turned out, the faithful cannot be rewarded if they take action that does not belong to them. The wording of the taikon said nothing about how the pagan statues were to be destroyed, but it has become clear now that this could only happen through natural causes. While those closest to the taikon events were awaiting the fifteenth taikon to arrive, growing less and less confident by the minute, their patience was rewarded. A lightning storm on an entirely different planet established itself over an entirely different garden for an entirely different pagan religion. Just as the last lightning bolt flew from the sky and struck one final statue, the first amphibian climbed out of the swamp, marking the beginning of the fifteenth taikon. We were now assured that all taikon would play out in unexpected ways, and whether anyone had anything to say about it, or not. Most traitors returned to the light after realizing their mistake, and remembering that there is only one true God.

Microstory 67: The Typhon Lie

The Typhons were a fabricated race of aliens from another galaxy. They were imagined by a task force as part of the Ceresian-Eridani Interstellar Unity Initiative. They are said to resemble giant snakes with the head in the shape of a large skull. The Eridani claimed that the Typhons invaded and warred with them for almost a thousand years (which is equivalent to about 1,019 Earthan years). In that time they supposedly inadvertently taught the Eridani all they needed to know about military strategy and execution. In truth, with help from Ceresian refugees, the Eridani procured historical documents and other literature regarding the wars on other planets to gain their military knowledge. The Eridani used the Typhon lie and what they had learned, not to fight, but to assert themselves as the dominant military race, discouraging others from fighting each other. This elaborate and convoluted plan ultimately proved successful. There was a modern movement to uncover the truth about the Typhons. Several skeptics came together and started to question whether they ever existed. The movement, however, was quashed following the 25th Century Typhon Infestation. It was only a recent development that the Core revealed that the Typhons were, in fact, originally not real. All evidence points to a rogue group of scientists from Fostea that genetically engineered these new Typhons in retaliation for the Light Wars.