Deoch Mass 8-17-2025 - Light, Darkness, and a Mother's Sacrifice

As Aislings we are a product of both the Light and the Darkness. In part created by Deoch, creature of the Darkness. And also by Danaan, the Goddess of the Light. Naturally, we often speak of Deoch in Deoch Temple, but today out here in Undine I wanted to talk to you about Danaan, our race’s mother, and her sacrifice that forever changed Temuair.

We, as Aislings, share a common lineage with the Tuatha de Danaan, those with an innate oneness in Magic. You would know these children of Danaan today as the Fae. It was the Tuatha that brought Magic to Temuair and helped guide those lost from Aosda to the rise of Hy-Brasyl.

We refer to Danaan as the Goddess of Light, but her power is not strictly of the ‘day’, per say. Danaan is the goddess of Life, Fertility, and Abundance. These are the powers that we colloquially refer to as the Light. When the Tuatha brought their power to Temuair, they helped form the great civilization of Hy-Brasyl and ushered in a great age of prosperity, discovery, and peace.

But it is said that every Light casts a Shadow.

Seeing the Tuatha’s natural aptitude with the force called ‘Magic’ drove the inhabitants of Hy-Brasyl to discover how to chain and command the elements, a much different but still very powerful form of magic. Continued desire for power ultimately led to experimenting with Darkness and unleashing it into the world. Foolish court magicians were tempted by the Dark into giving it a corporeal form: the Dubhaimid. They devoured the magicians that called them forth along with thousands of inhabitants of many towns.

Perhaps it could have been contained there, but the foolish reign of kings eager for power continued to use the Darkness in their wars. The power was too tempting to resist.

Those that met their death through an encounter with the unfathomable forms of the Dubhaimid died in abject terror. This was the death of a soul not fit to fade into Grinneal and so the Underworld manifested to harvest these scarred souls. Sealed for eternity in a land of terror, torture, and agony; so loud did the screams in this Underworld become that it birthed Chadul, ruler of the Underworld and the God of Terror.

Remembering the teachings of the Tuatha, many returned to the wise worship of Danaan. Answering these prayers, Danaan appeared to combat the growing threat. Danaan and the combined forces of all mortal races defeated Chadul in three days. The world was ravaged, but Chadul was defeated. Or so a simple man would have thought.

For you see, once the souls of the Underworld birthed Chadul, the fate of Temuair was sealed. Even as battles against the Dubhaimaid continued into the Shadows War and beyond, their numbers were endlessly replenished. Every year the Underworld grew louder with more tortured voices, screaming out as a horrendous choir. Through this ever growing well of suffering, Chadul would only return stronger and more powerful than before.

Danaan understood this implication. Perhaps Chadul could have been defeated a second or a third time, but the next war was always inevitable and there would be no standing against him at the apex of his power.

And so...

Danaan crafted an unthinkable gambit. She resolved to sacrifice herself to the Unknown in exchange for the power to seal away Chadul and end his reign of terror. This power used an ancient magic: the formation of an Octagram that bound the gods of Temuair into a seal of nearly unbreakable power.

But Danaan didn’t sacrifice herself to the unknown without a contingency plan. She needed two things to bring her plan to fruition. 

First, she did not have a suitable eighth god to balance the energies of the Octagram. Second, she intended to create a child race that, unlike the Fae, were native to Temuair and would carry on in her absence.

In Danaan’s most desperate time she needed somewhere to place her faith. It was then that Deoch found Danaan and forsook his servitude to Chadul.... Danaan had found the solution to both of her unsolved issues. She could not fully understand Deoch but she placed her faith in a creature that had until recently been an enemy.

It was then that Danaan left her creation, knowing somehow that Deoch would take up her unfinished project in her sted. She knew that whatever Deoch did to finish her work, part of what was created would be her child. 

And when Deoch did as Danaan had predicted, finishing the Aisling Spark... Deoch was transformed into the God of Inspiration. A God that walked the balance between the Light and the Darkness. A perfect fit for the final spot in her Octagram.

In an instant, Danaan’s plan had been realized. She sacrificed herself and sealed Chadul away with the completion of the Octagram while the age turned with the second coming of the Tuatha de Danaan… that is, we Aislings.

As Aislings we are the children of Danaan and Deoch. We we are unbound by fate; imbued with the gift of endless potential and the power of choice. This is where the real power of our race lies: in choice. Danaan is gone but she has left behind the Light’s final, and perhaps greatest, power... that of Hope. 

Will you choose to carry the Light of Hope forward? 

Together we can assure the continued existence of Temuair and the wellbeing of all who make this dream their home just as Danaan intended.

Deoch Mass 8-10-2025 - First Impressions

I want to thank Carnaugh for standing in for me last double-moon while I was away on my travels. Or should I say... ‘standing in as me’.

Throughout my time in Temuair, I have been inspired by a great many Aislings. One of the very first and most influential people I encountered in my early days was indeed this man, Carnaugh.

So essential those first impressions can be. I think it is accurate to say that without him, there is a significant chance that I would not have taken to Deoch Temple so full-heartedly or perhaps even at all.

My memories from back then are a bit fuzzy these days, but I do remember many late nights sitting in the temple talking with Carnaugh and Araefel. I will forever be grateful for their kindness and patience toward the clueless new spark I was back then.

It is a bit of serendipity that we are both here now over two centuries later and I am fortunate to be able to thank him personally. Thank you Carnaugh, my friend and mentor.

It goes without saying that the people we encounter in Temuair contribute greatly to the life we lead here. The right people can inspire great passion, strengthen our resolve in hard times, and lend a sympathetic ear when we need it. Never underestimate what a kind demeanor and some friendly advice can blossom into when absorbed by someone in need of it.

If there is a goal we must have as older, experienced Aislings, it should be to prepare this dream for those who come after. In mentoring and encouraging new growths whenever they come calling, we allow them carry forward the things we have learned and eventually teach them to the next generation. Another link forged in the enduring legacy of Aisling kind.

It is an unfortunate thing when one of us works against that goal by meeting new Aislings with derision and antagonism, it drags us all down and it damages Temuair as a whole. This dream persists on the basis of us alone, so let us work together both old and young to carry the torch forward.

Once we are gone, our spirit remains in the things we have taught others. Be that small part of someone’s legacy that inspires them to go on and do great things. Teach kindness, teach acceptance, and teach humbleness. Do this and you will never be forgotten.

Deoch Mass 7-27-2025 - Cursed Legacy

We reveled in the taverns and danced under the moonlight… we were so carefree back then and our lives were so simple. The blissful ignorance of youth. We gave little thought to the world we inhabited. Certainly, it was naivety; we could not fathom that there could be anything different. The world was the world, how could it ever change?

I don’t remember when we started to notice. It was little things at first… so easy to overlook at the time. Then our idyllic lives started to change, and we began to realize that the cultivators of the world had disappeared. Something wasn’t right and we knew that, but still we persisted. Even though the spirits that tended to this dream had vanished we said things like “We still have each other!” because we thought that’s all it would take. We believed it so intensely.

A number of decades passed, the stagnation of the world took its toll on all of us. Slowly those that had persisted no longer could and so they too disappeared. I remember feeling the type of depression that comes from realizing I didn’t appreciate my youth while I still had it. Everywhere I looked I saw the ghosts of the past. I, like many others, longed to return to those old days.

Those of us that remained of the old times, we became so desperate to find our way back. “Let us bring back the world of our youth!” we said as we eagerly accepted roles that put us over other Aislings, authority that never before existed. Empty authority given by the new spirits that now watched over this world.

These new spirits knew nothing of the way things were before. I don’t have judgements for those that choose to follow them, but it was starkly apparent that these spirits couldn’t even fathom the world we wanted to bring back.

It was around then that I came to realize something those older and much wiser than me had understood a long time ago…the days of my youth were gone. No matter how many rewards that were dangled to feign interest, no matter how many Aislings both in front of and behind the curtain gained titles and influenced the direction of Temuair, no matter how badly any of us wanted it. It didn’t matter. Time inevitably marches forward.

During the darkest days I looked to the Stars of Hy-Brasyl and thought that if this all disappeared under the waves once more it would be a mercy. This is not the Temuair I first fell in love with, and it will never be that again. Only a fool could look at the world now and think that it could.

There is, however, a level of perspective I have come to embrace in old age. Despite my misgivings about the direction of Temuair, I do know that there is still good to be found here.

There are times when I will speak to a bright spark, listen to someone present a heartfelt sermon, or read the wise writings of someone hoping to make their mark on this world… these are the candles in the darkness that push back my darkest and most cynical tendencies. It is a remembrance of my youth, seen through the eyes of eager and gifted Aislings that exist today. I am in awe of you all who continue to shine brightly here in Temuair.

In the midst of so much disappointment, corruption, and self-importance… if Temuair can still continue to ignite these sparks of light then it is worth enduring. And I am glad for it.

If your candle is new and burning for the first time or has been reignited recently, then I encourage you wholeheartedly to carry the torch forward. Build the Temuair that you wish to see; this dream is only what you make of it. Embrace the time you have now and live life to its fullest for one day everything you know will be gone. If you have lived that life properly then you too shall be cursed with the beautiful legacy of a youth you can’t return to.

Deoch Mass 7-20-2025 - The Rapture of Coupling

 

Everyone knows Glioca is the goddess of compassion and love. How often I have attended gladings and weddings where Glioca is thanked for bringing together a couple. 

“Oh how special this coupling is to have been so blessed by the goddess!” they exclaim.

Glioca… always getting the credit.

That’s not to say she doesn't have a hand to play in the proceedings so her thanks are not without a modicum of merit. But is it Glioca that's responsible for that mischievous look from across the table in the middle of a guild meeting? Maybe the yearning that swims in the head when your lips touch for the first time? What about the craving that grips the heart when you taste their skin?

I would think such a suggestion would make the demure, proper priests and priestesses of Glioca blush. No, in these moments you ride the current of Rapture that so often sparks a new coupling. Before there is Love, there is overwhelming passion and transcendent intimacy discovered through the pursuit of Rapture. And Rapture, in its many forms, is the domain of Deoch.

Some say that Deoch’s dominion over Rapture is a remnant from his time as a Dubhaimid God, when he was known as the God of Debauchery. Debauchery, for those that aren’t aware, is the excessive indulgence in sensual pleasure. For Deoch, he who stands on the precipice of Light and Darkness… he who embodies both his dark origins and his newfound light, what better line can be drawn between his dual natures than through Rapture?

Slavishly pursuing Rapture by all means is the path to Debauchery, but it is an undeniable aspect of what makes life worth living. For what is more creative… what is more inspiring… than losing control on your way to the bedroom as clothes are strewn to every corner of the cottage? It is a drunkenness, not of wine nor of Love but of unbridled eagerness.

Without this, what becomes of this high form of Love that we so often find at the fairy glade? Would I still have the same devotion for her fiery red hair, her quick-witted intellect, or her playful nature if we were not so possessed early on to be inseparable? It is our pursuit of rapture that attaches us indelibly to our lovers at a level that goes beyond friendship and beyond family.

It is when we are in the throes of rapturous passion that our true selves emerge and where we become the most vulnerable. And it is this openness, this defenselessness, that we share with another person that opens us to Love; finally, the credit to which Glioca receives so much praise.

We here at Deoch temple believe our moments of Rapture can lead to new Inspirations and so we seek pleasure in every aspect of this life. We embrace rapture wherever it can be found. Oftentimes you will find us in revelry at the Suomi Tavern, or contemplating the serene beauty of Undine Lake, and it's been known to happen that we entwine with someone that catches our eye. 

I encourage this of you all, as well. In your pursuits of knowledge, power, or recognition here in Temauir… take moments to derive pleasure from the world and the people around you.

Embrace Rapture and become Inspired.



Today, instead of a prayer, let us toast together to the ability to lose control from time to time. Be it in the arms of another or in a tavern gathering with friends over way, way, way too much rum. 

To Deoch, the god of Rapture.

Deoch Mass 7-13-2025 - Fresh Perspectives

 

It pleases me when Aislings take an interest in the past; in our race’s shared culture and history. We are, after all, in the twenty-sixth cycle since the dawn of Aisling kind. A lot of time has passed and countless Aislings have walked these lands during that time. I can imagine that coming to Temuair at this late age can be quite overwhelming with the weight of everything that has come before.

Oftentimes I hear advice given to new, inquisitive Aislings. They are told they must bury themselves in the libraries and read the works of those that have come before. It is only then that these new Sparks will be properly equipped to contribute their perspective to Temuair.

I can certainly agree that you should read the works of the most enlightened. Even us old Aislings have a deep respect for the wisest of those we walked alongside. So, by all means, read the treatises of the great Philosophers. Study the chronicles of the eminent Historians. And be enthralled by the imagination of our most skilled Storytellers. These Aislings have helped set the basis for continued debates and the stories we still tell to this day.

But I impress upon you not to allow appreciation to give way to worship and idolatry. Realize that just as you have, even the most enlightened Aislings were once stumbling around Mileth in peasant clothes, picking through the molds of the crypt. Understand that nobody is beyond reproach and not a single work in the library is unassailable. Just because something has been written in the past does not necessitate that it must determine the future.

Such rigidness is the domain of Gramail or perhaps Luathas. The creative spark shines brightest when possibilities are unshackled.

I tell you this: Do read the works of the past; allow them to enrich you, but do not slavishly attach yourself to every word that crosses your eyes. Even better, challenge accepted thinking. Shake the foundations of ‘accepted’ knowledge with the fresh perspective that you have coming into Temuair for the first time. Allow your fresh ideas and your fresh voice to rise above dusty tomes written centuries ago.

It is new ideas and novel perspectives that keeps Temuair from stagnation. This is why I still dream of Temuair, to see this very thing. I will look forward to the fresh thinking this generation here today brings to Temuair.

Deoch Mass 7-6-2025 - Learning from Failure

I count myself fortunate to have been blessed with both the inspiration and opportunity to make an impact on Temuair. It is important to remember that success in such things does not come easy or without hardship. Although we might try our best, we must accept that not every endeavor we embark on is going to be a triumph. Yes, there will be failures. And if you are lucky, spectacular failures. If you are wise, you will heed well the lessons that failure can teach you.

When something I worked hard to bring to life didn’t turn out how I hoped, I was naturally quite disappointed… not always at myself. My younger self was often misguided, prideful, and even arrogant at times. If I failed at something, I didn’t always look at myself first. Instead, I blamed outside factors and then continued on, forgoing the lessons that failure was so eager to teach. The recklessness of youth, perhaps.

Each time I encountered failure it became harder to blame others. Mistakes, lack of foresight, misunderstanding the people around me… I started to see my follies clearer every time they were repeated.

I remember perhaps my biggest failure...

I attempted to bring back the worship of Danaan and I wanted it to be a spectacle. My head was so full of lofty ideas that I completely lost sight of what mattered. To the casual observer, the gathering may have seemed a success. However, the reality was that I had badly misjudged so many factors and disappointed many people with the way I had approached everything. It was a devastating blow to the ego… perhaps one that I badly needed at the time.

After that it might have been easier to leave Temuair behind… and I did hesitate with that thought for a moment. But I did not. Instead, I opened myself to the lessons that such a debacle had earned me and I made myself better by confronting them. I persevered and I moved forward with a better understanding of myself.

In this journey to old age, I have tempered the brazen aspects of myself through much self-reflection on the mistakes of my past. My failures have made me humble and measured; they have given me a better understanding of my limitations and helped me refine what I truly want to accomplish in this dream.

If you continue to dream as long as I have, you will have many opportunities to leave your mark on this place. If there is any single piece of advice I could give, it is thus: Do well to accept your failures, learn from them. Take your newfound knowledge and grow yourself with it. For it is only when you are willing to accept change within yourself that you are able to bring change to Temuair in the way that only you can.

Deoch Mass 6-29-2025 - Far Away Times

 

Frequently I sit near the Undine Lake and think about far away times. The other day I was remembering when friends from the first guild I ever joined in Temuiar, Vaillaire Cura, held a gathering on the newly discovered Lynith Beach. My memory is of a picnic where we sat on the sand and celebrated our growing friendship over various fruits and plenty of spirits. Mieri, CoriLynn, Kamshisha, Jherek, Gido, and Lybrae; how fortunate I was to have so many cherished friends.

For those of us that are quite long in our days, the temptation to dwell in one’s mind can be especially pronounced. It can be comforting to live inside a moment in time recalled as ‘better’. One of the gifts of age is having a large amount of treasured memories to look back upon: memories of youth, adventure, and of course romance.

Perhaps having many positive memories can be a curse if one is struggling to find meaning in the present, but that is not to say that the past is something to be avoided. There can be many comforts drawn from a look backwards.

I like to think back during moments of reflection, when I’m struggling for inspiration, or when I need a reminder about the worth of life. Those far away times are reminders of happiness, friendship, and love. When I need them most, these old feelings support me still.

The people from the memory I imparted to you no longer dream of Temuair, most of them a very long time now. You might think that looking back makes me sad or wistful… and certainly it can…but precious memories like these have allowed me to endure here in Temuair for as long as I have. Without these people and the time we spent together, I would never have formed the ties to Temuair that I did. It is from these memories of far away times that I draw strength and that has allowed me to be with you here today.

For those of you here that are aged Dreamers, think back on your past here in Temuair. About the people you have met and the friendships you have made. Think about the very real feelings you have felt while dreaming in this place. This is the proper role of the past; as a teacher and a companion that reminds you to savor every moment.

For those of you new here to Temuair, I encourage you to live well. There may be a time far in the future that you’ll look back on today for the inspiration to continue on. Be sure that the memories you make now are up to that task of inspiring a future you.

Deoch Mass 6-22-2025 - The Legend of the Aisling Spark (redux)

Greetings to you all and especially the new Sparks that have awoken in our little dreamland of Temuair these past handful of moons. It is a delight to see so many new faces here in this Temple today.

For those that do not know me… my name is Landon, a minister of Deoch. I have held this regular mass at different points over the past 200 years. First as assistant to one of my cherished mentors Carnaugh and then to our Temple’s earliest High Priestess Morrigan. Now I hold regular mass whenever Deoch’s inspiration finds me. For a time, I will be holding this mass at this time every double moon; I would be glad to see all of you here in the future if you can make it.

Now…

Here in Deoch Temple, we have a sort of oral tradition passed down from the first dawning. Deoch, as you may be aware, helped create the Spark… that is, the catalyst that attaches to our former mundane selves and births us Aislings into this dream. Whenever I come back to hold a series of masses, I tell this part of our shared history in hopes that you, too, will carry forward this legend and impart it to others. It is with your help that we can keep this old tradition alive here in Deoch’s fellowship.

This is the Legend of the Aisling Spark.


~~~~


Deoch was a shifting, shapeless being born of the Darkness. He held incredible power, much more than that of a normal Dubhaimid creature that crawled the lands at the time. He was one of the favored of Chadul and was deployed not to decimate the enemy but to tempt them -- to lure them to the side of Darkness. If Deoch at the time was a mindless drone like his lesser brethren or not, we do not know for certain… but nevertheless, during his mission he happened upon something unexpected that would change his very nature forever.

For you see, one day Deoch encountered Danaan seemingly by chance. She was cloistered away; no allies tending Her. She was alone, vulnerable, and looked to be calmly working on something that was taking Her full attention. Being the powerful force of Darkness that he was, this would have made a tempting target for Deoch but he did not take the opportunity to attack his vulnerable foe. Something instead compelled him to watch in secret.

What he saw was Danaan pulling threads of Light out of thin air and weaving them into something which Deoch could not see from his vantage point, but still he remained motionless. Transfixed by the Goddess engrossed in Her task.

For days... months... years... time passed. This time changed Deoch; Chadul called to him many times. But he did not answer. He chose to forsake his servitude to his Dark Lord instead of pulling his gaze away from Danaan and the mysterious work She had occupied Herself with.

Over a century had passed since Deoch ignored the call of Chadul until one day Danaan disappeared, mysteriously and without warning. In the years leading up to this, Her work had started to become frantic as if She was working against a deadline. Deoch, either through habit or cautiousness, continued to wait. But Danaan did not return. He slowly emerged from his hiding place and stood before the creation Danaan had left behind. It was a Spark of Light. Delicate in its weaving yet strong but… it was incomplete. If something wasn’t done, it would soon wink out of existence. The work Danaan had done would unravel and be lost forever.

Deoch knew he couldn’t let this happen; for he had come to love Danaan and this Spark was all that remained of Her. Filled with sorrow at the disappearance of the Goddess he started to work, inspired by the dedication he had been witness to for so long. Although he wasn’t able to see the full picture of how She had been weaving this creation, the decades he had been watching her outside motions… he was certain he could at least approximate Her design.

For us, it would seem not much but a blink of an eye. But in that moment Deoch spent lifetimes completing Her work. A delicate blending of style and form – two very different creators with very different energies – an impossible union of Light and Darkness. When he stepped away, satisfied with what he had done, Deoch thought back on his time watching Danaan and felt contentment for the first time. A brilliant flash enveloped him, rebirthing Deoch as the God of Inspiration for his role in giving life to Danaan’s final work: The Aisling Spark.