Brief Essay on Djnosa Antjom - by Gabron Lyeshield at the Gnomish University of Ephemeral and Supernatural Studies

Discovered by Octevio Mescus Cresius during the archaeological rush early in Chor Kolav's history, the Djnosa Antjom is a seven foot obelisk with intricate carvings on each face. Unique among artifacts from the site, each of the faces appears to be written in a different language. Of the four languages, the only one known to scholars is unfortunately the most damaged with only the very top preserved.

The small surviving text was translated by Rinivor Swiftquill, the royal scribe of Chor Kolav at the time. Based on the translation, which according to later translators cut out much of the flowery language for a more simplified format, Scribe Swiftquill stated that the complete text was in part, if not entirely, a religious prophecy. Specifically, a prophecy about the end of the world.

The final battle at the end of days will not be between the light and the shadow. The Hells and the Heavens shall watch as the dead crest at the beck of the Elder’s Spawn. Conquest and Death shall fall before the wave, while War and Darkness stand defiant. Light will fall, the Sun shall die, the living shall drown in oceans of blood. 

The first sign will be the rise of the Empire of Blood and Iron. What was Green will turn Black, as the chains of Tyranny will make way for the

While no scholar today gives the prophecy any credibility, many find attempting to interpret the prophecy an engaging intellectual exercise. Some professors of philosophy use the prophecy as an assignment to their students, requiring them to interpret the prophecy and justify their interpretation. More than one student has lost points for stating that where the text cuts off is the sort of thing that would appear in a play only to be dramatically revealed in the final act.

The first line is fairly simple: at the end of days there will be one last battle, but not between "light" and "shadow" with the wording suggesting a polar belief in the culture that wrote the prophecy. "The Hells" and "the Heavens" appear to be distinct planes of existence, perhaps multiple each, while the Elder's Spawn possesses some measure of control over the dead. Most likely the Elder's Spawn were some guild or group of necromancers or powerful undead. Curiously, there has been no mention of the Elder beyond its spawn.

The commonly held belief is that Conquest, Death, War, Darkness, Light, Sun, Green, Black, and Tyranny are all gods, based on the status as proper nouns. The differentiation between War and Conquest implies a culturally perceived difference between the two concepts. A quote from a hobgoblin general comes to mind, "You do not conquer by destroying armies. Until your culture is their culture, your beliefs their beliefs, all remnants of them is replaced with us you have conquered nothing."

The implication of the third line is that the gods of conquest and death will both be defeated at the onset while the gods of war and darkness will remain for much longer. The last line of the first paragraph is fairly self-evident, the gods of light and the sun will both be defeated though the question remains if light will simply be defeated or corrupted.

The empire mentioned seems to be a fairly generic descriptor. No empire can arise without bloodshed and war, thus all empires could be called an Empire of Blood and Iron. What exactly the Green is no one knows for sure, though my personal belief is that it is some sort of plant-based nature god(dess). The phrase "Green will turn Black" seems to imply rot, with the plant life dying and decomposing. The chains likely refer to slavery of the previously mentioned empire.

By the winds of Orlag, more sites from the culture as the creators of the Djnosa Antjom will contain more complete forms of the prophecy inscribed upon it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you like my work and want to support me, check out my homebrew race book here.