Excerpts From Nonexistent Books

While Jexliv defines order in terms of society, and Yut in terms of individuals, Khajal defines order as the unshaking devotion to a set of principles. They need not be societal, they need not be personal, and Khajal cares not one whit which principles are chosen or where they come from. But be they personal principles, the rule of law, or something else entirely, once they are sworn to, Khajal sees them as inviolate oaths to be kept to the dying breath. To hold to something–anything–is to be virtuous, and to break that hold is to invite disaster. It does not matter what the reasons are; if you had problems, you should have thought of that before swearing an oath. Consistency is Kajal’s watchword, and woe to the hypocrite who sees or says otherwise.

The personal bonds that link one sapient to another – this is where Yut finds its purpose and joy. Whether forged by family, friendship, or even love, it is no matter–they are all important and beloved of Yut. This makes it perhaps the most intimate of the Three, but it also means that the dysfunctional relationship, the toxic partner, the narcissist gleefully feeding on others–all of these are celebrated equally by Yut. Loyalty to one’s family and friends is paramount and overriding, regardless of what they have done. In this manner it is at odds with both Jexliv, which favors a strong social hierarchy, and Khajal, which thinks in absolutes.

Strong societal bonds in a defined social hierarchy, each subordinate to its greater and master over its lesser. This is the bread and butter of Jexliv, the Overlord, and the most powerful of the Three Powers of Exergy. Many find a sort of familiar comfort in the order that Jexliv promises, but it is also an order that is rigid, inflexible, and often at odds with reality. There are no exceptions; no changes can be made; no mistakes will be tolerated. If Jexliv smiles warmly on a society that is ordered, it does not care how that order is maintained; if Jexliv scowls at a malcontent, it does not care what its reasons are.

Joy and sadness themselves are the playthings of Inurkxoi, one of the Four Powers of Entropy, as it manipulates the neurotransmitters and emotions of others as it pleases. This leads to boundless, unhinged hedonism, but also its opposite in the form of the ascetic darkness and despair of deep depression. Anything that leads to a strong emotion is favored, regardless of its cause and regardless of its outcome. In this way, Inurkxoi is both ally and enemy to its siblings as it seeks to cultivate strong positive or negative feelings purely for their own sakes.

Inurkxoi’s followers often war against those of the other Powers or are warred upon in turn. The former includes the Dopamine Reavers, whose pleasure centers light up with acts of depravity and destruction, while the later includes the Order of Deprivation, which runs a series of ascetic monasteries designed to strip sensation out of living beings.

Long-simmering plans brought to fruition, infections of body and brain taking their course, and the long, slow road to recovery. These are the domains of Muhaochy, God of Phlegm, one of the Four Powers of Entropy, who revels in the subtle spread of sickness, the gentle constricting of valves and veins, but who also relishes the long and agonizing recovery from illness. It is popular among the secretive for this reason, and it is not uncommon to find devotees of Muhaochy in espionage fields. But as much as it enjoys the infection, it enjoys the cure, which means it is no mere gurgle in the throat of the dying. Of the Four, it is the most cautious but also perhaps the most hands-on, as it has been known to respond personally to requests to heal and to harm.

It is an open question as to whether the Hospitaliers of the outer rim or the Holistics of the inner core are the larger sect devoted to Muhaochy. There can be no doubt that the enmity between them is great, often breaking into open warfare. The Hospitaliers believe in a sacred charge to heal the wounded and the sick, while the Holistics believe in an equally sacred charge to disdain all medicine and cures and to instead welcome illness as a path to a stronger people and gene pool. Muhaochy, for its part, does not seem to care, granting such boons as it will to both in equal measure.

Grudges nursed and complaints aired are the domains of the God of Bile, one of the Four Powers of Entropy, who has a long memory and an even longer reach. As much as its “sibling” Umtivk savors spur-of-the-moment hotheaded action, Dvzsua disdains any such thing in favor of passive-aggressiveness. A slight that curdles into a lifelong distaste that manifests itself as a thousand tiny insults laid against the offender is sweet music to Dvzsua. Then again, so is a secret and unrequited love, a thousand tiny kindnesses bestowed on the unaware. The God of Bile welcomes its adherents to vent their spleen and air their grievances, and disdains any gauche actions that might imperil the status quo. Anyone who sees Dvzsua as a sympathetic ear is correct, but the subtlety of its action may fail to satisfy.

The so-called God of Bile is venerated by, most notably, the Knights of the Spleen. Smaller groups that are devoted to Dvzsua to some extent or another include the Almighty Kvetch, the Most Noble Order of Bellyachers, and the Stilettos.

Passionate, fiery, and apt to act before thinking, Umtivk prizes action above all else and prefers a decisive wrong act to an indecisive right one. “Strong and wrong” is, to Umtivk, a great compliment. It is quickest to anger of the Four Powers of Entropy, quickest to pass judgment, and quickest to violence…but also just as quick to forget, as quick to forgive, and as quick to give gifts. The God of Blood welcomes gifts of bloodshed, but equally smiles upon those who impulsively make peace. Two mortal enemies spontaneously engaging in a drinking contest would bring just as much joy to Umtivk as would a murder. Those who see Umtivk as a god of war are among its strongest followers, but they are often disappointed when they learn of its fickleness.

A number of devotees to Umtivik exist, many organized into groups of societies. The Clot is probably the most numerous and well-organized, though the Bloodletters and the Transfusionists might object. As with most of the so-called “gods” that make up the Powers of Entropy and Exergy, veneration of and belief in Umtivk crosses all known peoples, empires, and factions.

The Powers of Entropy and Exergy are created and sustained by belief, and the beliefs of trillions of sapients in the Cassandra Galaxy have led to the Four major powers of Entropy and the Three of Exergy emerging amid a host of minor ones. As opposed to their great foes, the Powers of Exergy, the Powers of Entropy tend to favor chaos, individuality, idiosyncrasy, and disorder. As opposed to their great foes, the Powers of Entropy, the Powers of Exergy tend to favor order, collectivism, rigid moral codes, and sacred vows.

Though often called gods, including by themselves, the Four and the Three, as well as their minor brethren, are a purely natural phenomenon, a quirk of the existence of intelligent minds perceiving the universe. Those who manifest a particularly strong belief in one of the Four can allow for them to act upon the believer and even the believer’s environment with a number of local quantum effects that can appear miraculous or even impossible. It’s important to note that the strongest weapon against interference by an adherent of the Four or the Three–the Seven, as they are sometimes called–is disbelief. A strong and sincere enough disbelief will blunt any power these beings seem to possess, and an avowed and committed atheist will have nothing to fear so long as they do not waver.

The true nature of the Powers has led to some sapients wondering if it is possible to birth a new one through intense and directed belief–or to kill one through targeted skepticism. Thus far, all such efforts have failed because the belief must be sincere, and to birth a Power or to attempt to elevate oneself to that level requires a certain level of insincerity, and even a sliver of belief will rescue an imperiled Power from death. Many a cult has risen and fallen dedicated to wither propositon, and for their part the Powers seem indifferent, regarding the birth or death of one of their own with little sentimentality.

The Archive Incident Report #0305250507
Type: Physiology
Category: RL 793 (skin disorder, entropy, “Gregor Samsa” onset)
Subject: AC-1992-EU-23, “Mister Rust”
Location: [REDACTED]
Reporting Archivist: A333 “Claude”

A bricklayer and laborer in Occitania in the south of France took ill in mid-1992, complaining of lethargy, a high fever, unsettling dreams, and a strongly red and itchy rash. Diagnosed with severe eczema, he convalesced for a week before returning for a checkup. To his surprise, and that of his doctor, the stethoscope and sphygmomanometer promptly rusted and fell to pieces.

It was soon discovered that the laborer’s touch was enough to induce a strong oxidizing reaction in a variety of substances, most notably iron and steel. Despite extensive testing, the mechanism of action remains unknown, but tests confirmed that lithium, calcium, magnesium, aluminum, zinc, chromium, iron, cobalt, nickel, lead, copper, mercury, silver, platinum, and gold were affected; it is guessed that potassium and sodium would also be affected but tests were ruled out due to danger.

Unfortunately, due to the amount of metal tools involved in his work, the laborer lost his job and pension, and was saddled with a very high cost of living due to the need to either remove metals that could oxidize from his proximity or to have others do work (such as cooking) he could no longer do himself. The Archive was able to step in and secure him a job in a materials testing lab, where his unique physical properties were highly useful.

Note from Head Archivist:
Unsubstantiated reports indicate that, at or around the same time in 1992, an unidentified fisherman living in Waitangi on the island of Rēkohu developed a similar affliction, only rather than oxidization his touch would cause wood and other natural fibers to rot. This is particularly noteworthy as Rēkohu is an antipodal point from southern France, on the exact opposite side of the globe. An Archival field team was dispatched to investigate, with the result that [REDACTED] but only after he [REDACTED] in the midst of [REDACTED] helplessly.

Abby-Marie did a scream
When she saw the postal truck gleam
It’s a good thing she’s pretty
’cause she’s not very witty
When she gets on a mailman theme