SKULLFLOWERS

JAZONDIONFLETCHER

BACKWOODSPRESS

Dedicatedtomyfamily

Withouttheirloveandsupport

Thisbookwouldn’texist

Thankyou

THEJEWELOFWISDOM

Beyondthefartheststarknowntoman,outamongstthedarknessthatknowsno

end, it is written in the Legends of the Old Wizard Bones that upon the

completion of the Magnum Opus, the Great Architect of the Universe, an

immortalandrogyneofinfinitecosmicpower,craftedtheJewelofWisdomwith

theaidoftheancientelectronicarts.Forhehadlearnedtoharnessthepowerof

thePrimaMateria,theveryessenceofexistenceasitwasthenknown.Withthe

JewelofWisdom,hecreatedthecosmosandplaceditinaperfectorderknown

astheGreatWorkoftheGreatArchitectoftheUniverse.

evil.Nouncleanthoughtnorwickedthingdweltamongstthem.Thisactdidnot

pleasethoseontheDivineCounciloftheGreatArchitectoftheUniverse,none

moresothanOblivion,theLordoftheVoid.ItwasOblivionthatmurderedthe

Elder Gods, the Old Ones, that had existed since before the dawning of time,

who in some tongues shall forever remain nameless. From them, he freed the

Sintari,araceofhumanoid-reptilianhybridswhocouldshape-shiftandresemble

whomevertheysochose.

timeofits creationthat,Mystre, his mostloyal disciple, broughtbefore him a

servant girl named Psydonia, plucked from amongst one of his many faithful

intoxicatedandsleep,thatitmightgiveyoutimetodescendintotheGardensof

youasagod.”

petalsfromaskullflower,andthebloodfromablackwidowspider,anddidcast

aspelloverthemsothatPsydoniacouldplacetheminthechaliceoftheGreat

ArchitectoftheUniversewhilehefeasted.Witheachnewsipofwine,theGreat

Architectof theUniverse became more and more intoxicated untilhe excused

himself from the presence of his Divine Council, and left for his chambers to

slumber.AstheGreatArchitectoftheUniversefellto sleep,Oblivionandhis

disciplescamebeforetheDivineCouncil,andhesaiduntothem,“Ifthoudost

followmeintotheGardensofEternitybelowtoobtaintheJewelofWisdomand

became destitute. So together, they descended from the heavens above, and

down into the beautiful meadows of the Flower Children in the Gardens of

Eternitybelow,wheretheysoughtaftertheJewelof Wisdomuntilatlonglast

theycameuponit,andtheJewelofWisdomwasinthepossessionofOblivion

andhisdisciples.

untaintedbeforeOblivionwalkedamongstthem.Theylivedinharmonywiththe

wholeoftheGreatArchitect’screation,inaferal,naturalstate,withtheanimals,

the birds, and the plants around them. Civilization was unknown to them nor

whichwas covered by the sea. It was in their meadows, innocent to the plight

beforehim,andmeditateuponallthesecretsoftheancientelectronicartsthat

the Great Architect of the Universe had hidden therein. All he learned was

writtenintheScrollsofSkeletonBonesbytheDisciplesofOblivion,themost

secretofthatancientwisdombeingrecordedintheCodexMagickaandguarded

byMystre.

Universe,Oblivion dividedtheGardensofEternity andthereintheytooktheir

pickof slavesfrom amongst the Flower Children. Withtheuseofwickedand

ancientforgottensorceriesandsciences,theydividedtheFlowerChildrenfrom

their natural state into man and woman and bred with them. The Immortals

him, bathed in the light of the Jewel of Wisdom. After being baptized in the

blackwaterspulledfromtheriversthatrunthroughtheVoid,Mystrebestowed

uponherthetitleofPriestessofOblivionsothatshecouldbecomehisbrideand

sharewithhimthegiftofimmortality.Theirunholyunionbroughtforthmany

offspring.Butjustasherbeautyknewnoend,neitherdidhercruelty,foruntoan

open lover’s ear, she whispered unto Oblivion, “If thou dost exalt my beauty

above all things and do love me, have those that once sat upon the Divine

Council of the Great Architect of the Universe, that swore an eternal and

unbreakable oath unto thee, have them cast forth their offspring into the fire

yourimage.Havethemliftupthynameinpraisewhiletheykneelbeforeyouas

theUniversebeforcedtokneelbeforetheThroneofOblivionandworshiphim

as the Emperor of the Universe. In screams of pain and demonic agony, the

Disciples of Oblivion grabbed the offspring of the Flower Children and the

ImmortalsoftheDivineCounciloftheGreatArchitectoftheUniverse,oneby

one, and offered them up as burnt sacrifices unto idols baring the image of

Oblivionandhislover,to celebratetheirdominionovertheGreatWork ofthe

GreatArchitectoftheUniverse.Fromthosethatdidnotfleefromthewrathof

Oblivion, they sacrificed all therein, except for those that the Immortals that

oncesatupontheDivineCounciloftheGreatArchitectoftheUniversekeptas

wives,concubines,mistresses,andeverytypeofpervertedsexslaveimaginable

spellovertheGreatArchitectoftheUniverse,causinghimtoawakenfromwhat

feltlikeasleepdeeperthandeathitself.Astheirpunishment,theGreatArchitect

of the Universe stripped the Immortals of his Divine Council of their

immortality,andthetempletheFlowerChildrenwereforcedtobuildOblivion,

hedestroyedasthetwoofthembattledtherein.