Amazons: Saedron and the All-Father

Amazons: Saedron and the All-Father

Viscerri’s Post:

I am not going to break this down and innumerate the sections of my response based on other's posts, as I don't think I can. It all tends to flow together in my mind, so I shall let it flow outward in free-form, as well:

Firstly, let me briefly mention Phaedra, as my thoughts on her are easiest to articulate. I agree that Phaedra is most likely dead, as she would have been approximately 1000 years old at The Turning, which is improbable. It is possible in the realm of fantasy, and given some arcane circumstance, such as a spell of the Furies or the intervention of Saedron or Vashteera or the influence of some unknown artifact, but based on simple fact, one must consider her as having passed on. Who knows, though?

Most of what I have to say on this will end up being a diatribe on Saedron, but if I am to offer anything even vaguely new, it must be so, so please bear with me...

Let us think carefully on Saedron for a few moments. What do we know of her?

1. We know that many believe that she used her divine influence and energy to seal the curse of Sillesteree that caused half-blooded children of Elves and Humans to be born as Aelfborn and to be wrought with madness...but madness brings a strange form of power, and that the Aelfborn who follow the Goddesses oppose the All-Father, who, in this story, is their father. Without Saedron, it can be argued, the Aelfborn would not exist in the form that they do.

2. We know that it is believed she sent visions to Phaedra that spurred her to spread her doctrine and raise up the newborn Amazon tribe and set them on the path to meeting up with the Furies in the Valley, where they "found the Furies waiting for them," (who told them? Saedron, of course) and that the Amazons oppose the All-Father. Without Saedron, it can be argued, the Amazons would not exist.

3. We know she was the Patroness of the Furies of old, and that she infused them with their magical power and strength, and that the Furies oppose the All-Father. Without Saedron, it can be argued, the Furies would not exist.

4. We know she taught the ancient Elves their magic, as well, and that those Elves following her ways and the ways of her Sister Braialla oppose the All-Father. Without Saedron, it can be argued, the Elven Magi would not exist in the form they now do.

5. As Kestra reminds us, the All-Father dwelt for a time on the Shining Moon, the realm of Saedron. From what we know of him, and the ways of myth, it seems likely they had some type of relationship. It is not too much of a stretch of the imagination to see the Furies as a result of this...hmm, more of the All-Father's children, although they would be even more so Saedron's children, of course.

6. Saedron is Goddess of Prophecy, amongst other things. This means, of course, that she sees things before they happen and that she often knows the outcome of a thing before it has even begun. Keep this in mind...

7. Saedron went mad when the Dragon killed Volliandra. However, as Meridian has stated, she is not completely mad, but "bi-polar," and sways from sensible to maniacal at intervals. One can assume that when "sane," she is more than a bit concerned at how her "insane" side might affect her "children." Meridian also states that during this time, the Amazons begin to revere Vashteera more strongly, as Saedron is an inconstant mistress now.

8. A mere two years prior to The Turning, the Council of the Furies, quite likely guided by Saedron in one of her better moments, spur the Amazons to leave the Valley and launch campaigns in the north that will occupy them for some time. ...(We can assume they were accompanied by some Furies, as well, or else we Furies would not now be here...although, as it is stated that we are rare and strange, we can assume most Furies stayed behind.)

Why did they choose this moment? Because as it is stated in the World History, "Prophecies warning of the end of the World worry the warrior women." In other words, the Furies knew The Turning was coming, due to visions. And who brings prophecies and visions? Saedron, of course

9. The Turning befalls the world, and the Amazons are stranded in the north when the Valley becomes "lost." We must presume the bulk of the Furies are "lost" with it.

10. What happens to the Amazons so stranded as a result of being sent forth from the Valley on a mission by the Furies? They are now immortal. Like everyone else in the world, they can never completely die, but return to flesh again and again. Thus, the Amazon way can never die. If the Valley, and anyone dwelling inside it, was "lost" to the rest of the world, it can be speculated that the Valley is outside the influence of that world and therefore outside the influence of the Turning's immortality clause. If one accepts this logic, one must also see that had the Amazons not been sent forth from the Valley, they would not be immortal. When they died, the Amazon way would die with them, and with it, the hopes of Phaedra and THE PLANS OF SAEDRON.

11. When the World tree is struck through with Shadowbane and blood, the Furies of Earth and Fire go insane, much like their goddess. Of course, Saedron would have had to have known this would happen to, as the Goddess of Prophecy can't miss much. What do you think was the atmosphere in the Valley when this occurred? Chaos, of course...Fury against Fury, the still sane trying to calm, stop, control the insane, mass magical destruction...perhaps enough of a magical cataclysm to cause the Valley to be ripped from the fabric of the world and be "lost," eh? Eventually, the maddened Furies must have been stopped and caught, as they were "chained deep within caves."

Golly, it sure is a lucky thing the Amazons weren't home when all this occurred, eh? Not only would they not become immortal, they would have probably perished in great volcanic upheavals, earthquakes, and other unpleasant events. Luckily, someone had the forethought to send them to safer climes in the north...

*

Personally, I think Saedron is a much bigger player than many realize, especially those outside the ranks of the Amazons and others who revere Her. It seems to me she has a major vendetta against the All-Father, for a number of reasons. It appears they dwelt together for a time, and my gut says things didn't turn out well. Also, he's directly responsible for the death of her Sister, and therefore for driving her mad. It can also be said he is indirectly responsible for the madness and necessary imprisonment of half her Furies; It can further be said he's indirectly responsible for the injury of her remaining Sister.

If you were a Goddess, and all these things happened, and you knew what was going to happen in the future, and you knew who caused all your problems, and you knew the world was going to hell in a hand basket very shortly, and you knew how the peoples of the world would be affected and how they would react, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Would you raise up armies ahead of time? Would you engage in a cosmic chess game and ready your pieces in formations before the enemy even knew you were in the game? The Aelfborn, the Furies, the Amazons, the Goddess-following Elves...what an army.
Poor All-Father.

*

Just conjecture, of course...but that's my theory.

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Meridian's response:

I will say right now that upwards of 75% of this is RIGHT on the money. There's one "fact" that the author doesn't cover (I may not have technically revealed it yet, or at least blatantly revealed it, but i will now) - after the War of the Scourge, the All-Father took the surviving Titans who were tired of the bad stuff on Aerynth and led them to His new Fortress of Solitude that he built... on the MOON. Saedron's moon. That's why one of the symbols of the Holy Church is the Moon (look at the Crusader's tunic in the concept art, and you'll see it there. The All-Father is worshipped in three major aspects by Humans: as a Provider, a Creator, and a Warrior. Over the course of the Age of Kings, the Holy Church has broadened His roles to usurp the roles and symbols of beings like Saedron, Braialla, and many of the Titans, much as medieval Christianity overlaid itself over Paganism. So you see, in a very real way, the All-Father stole the Moon from Saedron. Is she happy about that? What do you think?

She IS a much bigger player than people realize. There are several critical things she did that aren't even known yet, but go to show that she's been scheming for a very long time. She's a crafty spider, spinning tangled skeins - the problem is that her mental imbalances can create situations where she crafts a pawn or tool, then sets it down on the board and promptly forgets about it. Has she forgotten about the Amazons? Maybe... As far as deities go, Vashteera is much more reliable.

I don't have much time to get to the boards these days, so feel free to get this word out however you like.

I hope this helps!

M