《Femalekind》3.027 Epilogue
Advertisement
---Cathedral of the Frontier 3rd Person POV
The crowds, predominantly human, yet a good portion of Beast Kin, lined the cobbled streets. They all strived to peer over each other to witness the passing of the Prophet of Aphrodite. Four of Aphrodite’s spawn, Lammasu, male human heads on majestic lion bodies, with large wings tucked back, used means magical to hold the open coffin of the Prophet in the air at hip height. This permitted worshippers to gaze upon a legend of their faith.
A magic beyond common understanding set the Prophet’s face in a permanent, kind smile. Her eyes seemed able to track and look at everyone in the eye who had laid their eyes on her. A simple white linen cloth adorned her body, and equally simple open sandals covered her feet. Lying beside her body, in the crook of her arm, her walking stick of natural wood. One of many over the years, yet this was the last. Many fell to their knees as she drifted by. Others shed tears as well, especially those who, having heard her words, journeyed to the village, town, or city on the Frontier on pilgrimage. The size of the settlement growing over the years.
The tale goes the Prophet convinced a King to set aside a marshland as a jest and a challenge to make use of useless land. The marshland kept the peace between his Kingdom and two other Kingdoms and even touched a remote corner of the Empire. Consecrating a Shrine on the only island high enough to avoid spring rain flooding, she preached to all who would listen. A year later, the congregation grew large enough to maintain the site, so the Prophet left to preach further afield.
Over the years, pilgrims journeyed to the Shrine on the Frontier. They assisted those already there to toil away at excavating a canal leading away from the marshland and towards the coast straddling, much to the delight of the neighbouring Kingdoms, the exact centre of the border separating them, protecting each other’s border from assault with a ditch. The initial work produced a deep, narrow trench to begin the slow draining of the marsh. Once completed, they widened the drain, although not as deep.
Advertisement
After ten years of toil, the excavation of the final sods of soil released the marshland water to the broader grand ditch. Over the next five years, the land transformed from a marsh to a fertile plain, regularly benefiting from spring rains falling into remote mountain and valley catchments, supplying a sophisticated irrigation system constructed around the settlement. The abundance and variety of foods drew more people. A simple Shrine rose to become a Temple; the Temple became a Great Temple, and then after a time, to the surprise of no one, a Cathedral, the first on the human continent.
Unknown to the first King, the Prophet had made a similar request for ownership over the marshland to all the Kings and the Emperor who claimed a portion. If a King disagreed, the Prophet waited for their heir, who, more exposed to the teachings of the Goddess, agreed to gift the useless land to the Goddess of Aphrodite to receive a blessing from the Goddess’ Adepts and Priests. This all occurred during a time of trouble, where weakened nobility led to Kingdoms being broken apart and having one border region secured by a Goddess, viewed as a boon.
They built the village up around the Shrine. They built the town around the Temple and the city around the Cathedral. A synergy of growth committed to the ever-lasting glory of the Goddess Aphrodite.
They imported the basalt for the Cathedral from the Isles. Some say at great expense, others say as a donation. Whatever the truth, the Cathedral of the Frontier matched the design of the Beast Kin continent Cathedral, the Temple, and the Great Temple, the deliberate beginnings at the insistence of the Prophet.
The procession marched up the wide arc of steps into the Cathedral proper. The High Priestess performed the funeral rites despite the attendance of a Priestess of Dilia. Once done, they took the coffin to an alcove and stood up. The display would remain there until worshippers no longer paid their respects. In other words, forever because the magic that made her appear so lifelike in death when renewed would keep her corpse whole.
Advertisement
---Future Briefings
The contest of wills across Neoedafos continued over the years. However, the Goddess Aphrodite and her pantheon dominated as the years passed, securing most Beast Kins and converting enough humans to ensure those remaining weren’t a direct threat. Enclaves of Beast Kin establish themselves in the major human cities of the Empire and various Kingdoms. The collapse of noble lineages facilitated this mixing, the first blow when the great fleets floundered, many ships breaking up and drowning the then-current heads of the noble families and, sometimes, their direct heirs. Another blow came when the Beast Kin continent lured the thinned numbers to seek fame, fortune, or personal power in a unique construct called a Dungeon.
The Greek and Roman pantheons were powerless to intrude and establish any presence. Such was the strength of the Goddess Aphrodite; they, like the System Hive, needed to remain content with occasional spying and not much else. Magus Drexel Marner destroyed half the Mage Guilds of the Empire and the Kingdoms before the survivors gathered to unite. With help from several of Aphrodite’s Adepts, they captured him and obliterated his spirit using Death Realm Divine magic. Hrut, taking inspiration from Ottar, the Oaf discovered his calling and, after many years, joined Aphrodite’s pantheon as a God.
Based on her previous forms, Aphrodite’s children spread from the Beast Kin continent to the human continent as captured pairs escaped. Sometimes, with encouragement, their captors, imagining huge profits, bred them so they could sell them. The combination of Aphrodite’s Realms enhanced birth rates and honed their killing methods while being influenced by the Disorder Realm and enhanced by the Truth Realm proved deadly. The creatures spawned much danger and adventure for Beast Kin and Human alike.
The rampaging brood of Aphrodite led more of the population to worship Aphrodite. Her spawn ignored worshippers if they didn’t hunt them or venture into their lairs. The Empire and the Kingdoms tried extermination, which, coupled with the weakening of the noble houses, led to the wholesale breakup of human civilisation, each city protecting itself, each city determining their form of rulership. The Beast Kin civilisation followed a similar path. However, there were many uninhabited places on their continent to maintain separation or strong enough inhabitants, such as the Fire Giants, to maintain their lands.
The End.
P.S. If you have read this chapter on any website except Royal Road, the website has copied my story without my permission.
Advertisement
- In Serial1018 Chapters
First Contact
Eight Thousand Years after the Glassing of Earth, Terran Descent Humanity has largely become a post-scarcity society based on consent and enjoying life. With the discovery of another ancient race beyond the "Great Gulf", events and history collide to draw the Terran Confederacy into war against an hundred million year old empire that has always won and believes it always will. With allies and enemies of multiple species, the Orion Galactic Arm Spur will be wracked by warfare the likes of which have not been seen. Cracked, harried, wounded, and damaged, Terran Descent Humanity willfully throws itself against the universe itself. "The universe hates you and will take away everything you love, laughing while it does so." - Terran belief. Told largely from the viewpoint of other species, the story is currently ongoing. It involves graphic depictions of violence, war, adult language and situations, drug use, and other mature topics. The story will be updated on weekdays, so keep an eye on this page for more chapters. The story is 400+ chapters, and repeating characters do not start appearing until the Vuxten chapters. If you're in a hurry for repeating characters then this story will not be enjoyable to you. The interwoven plot is not based on a single person but the entire war, with its effects upon multiple people. [participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge]
8 275 - In Serial261 Chapters
Lineage Saga (Kingdom Building Fantasy)
[participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge] The continent of Erdenia is in flux, nations large and small move to swallow their neighbors. Roving bands of marauders pillage the countryside, and the seas are choked with piracy. Against this backdrop upon the central island of Syroneika exists the Mercan League, an alliance of city states ruled by the Archon from his seat in the Capital, Merlabria. Yet all is not well beneath the surface. The Archon’s health is waning, while the House of Mercan appears on the verge of conflict. Both princes vie for the Archonship, with the aristocracy close behind looking to settle old scores. In the immediate west the Althai Federation is in a state of civil war, the conflict spilling over the border into the League, while nobles’ squabble over petty slights. In this time of growing conflict, the Archon has summoned the warlord of the southern frontier, bulwark against the horrors of the dark forest, and former Grand Scholar of the court. Behind the scenes pieces are in play, and the Scholar possesses numerous enemies, many still envious of his meteoric rise to power. A simple trip to the capital may be more than it appears. However, the branches of fate are fickle things, a single encounter could change the course of history. Or perhaps that is simply the will of fate, and nothing has changed at all, who could know? Could the meeting between a simple slave and a warlord truly be fate’s bough? And if so, where could that lead? Read this if you like: Army Building Rational Combat War and Strategy Gritty Violence in a Dark unforgiving world Realistic and engaging characters Medieval/Classical Economics and R&D Do not read if: Looking for OP MC (power gain is gradual) Last minute Deus Ex Machina moments Want Evil enemies who are evil just to be villains Can't stand Slow Development and extensive world building You can join the Discord here: Lineage Discord Channel Cover Art created by: Illusstation Check out their work: Illusstation's page Updates Monday-Thursday (Guaranteed) [more chapter releases per week are possible depending on buffer and as rewards for events I announce]
8 289 - In Serial40 Chapters
PK
Unbeknownst to the peoples of the Nine Realms, Ragnarok is approaching. Relationships between the rulers of the Realms have been deteriorating for millennia and are nearing their breaking point. A last ditch effort to suppress hostilities has resulted in the formation of a grand contest between champions of the respective Realms. The Wild Hunt. Can the champions of Midgard triumph and avoid Ragnarok, or will the world end in war? PK is a LitRPG lightly based on Norse mythology, with a small amount of inspiration coming from the lost RPG series Too Human as well.I’ll be uploading a chapter every Monday. I hope you enjoy, and don’t hold back telling me how much you hate it. (Please don’t hate it.)
8 213 - In Serial9 Chapters
Isekai Survival Game: A Death Games litRPG
Vince finds his commute home interrupted by an unexpected stop to another world! A world of high stake games. Where even a single mistake could mean his life. But for the winner....The prize is beyond imagining. But the way forward will be hard. Trapped in this other world by a gate with 13 token sized seals.He'll need to make friends, form a team, and work to learn the origins of this mysterious 'game'. And he will have to embrace the power of the other world if he's to survive
8 181 - In Serial15 Chapters
NameLess
A young man sets out to build the strongest guild in existence, crimson blade held close to hip. Scars littered his body, each one telling it's own story as he walked forward alone, rejecting companionship, desiring only strength. Weighed down by his past and unable to move on, this is the story of how a single man lead a wave that toppled the very world. //The schedule will be unstable at first, but once we get more peeps then I'll update 2 to 3 chaps every day.
8 117 - In Serial30 Chapters
ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ᴍʏ ᴍᴜꜱᴇ ➳ ᴠᴏʟᴛᴜʀɪ ᴋɪɴɢꜱ
"𝘼𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙖 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢𝙏𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙪𝙥 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧,𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤"• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • In which a human girl had her heart torn in two, not wanting to face her ex boyfriend and his new 'girlfriend' Estelle Campbell leaves the small town of Forks only to find herself in Italy. Volterra where she becomes a student at the school of arts.Little did she know three mysterious men were about to change her life forever....
8 80