Part 1

First read by Cralt in Is1e5.

The author is trying to diagnose the steady decline of religion and magic in Iparra over the last several hundred years. It begins with details of the four gods of Iparra and their domains:

• Titan (it): nature and tempest.
• Pandemona (she): war and trickery.
• Heimdal (he): light and knowledge.
• Morana / Moranen (she/he, depending on the context): life and death. Each of these gods is represented by one of the Four Bishops in Iparra, who are the ruling elite. For example, the Bishop of the South, who resides in Iladence, claims to represent Pandemona.

The book then outlines the most popular theory of religious and magic power. The gods are said to reside in domains (i.e. dimensions) connected to the world. When religious power is requested, it flows from these domains into the world. Magical power is said to be similar, in that it flows into the world from various domains. Although magic would flow from domains filled with raw energy, as opposed to domains occupied by a deity.

Part 2

First read by Cralt in Is1e8.

The book explains that some magical / religious domains could be entered and traversed. Whereas others are filled with raw energy, and are totally uninhabitable.

Proposes a theory which holds that there is no significant difference in kind between magic and religious power. Under this theory, there is a neat division in common thought between religion and magic only because the powers flowing from “religious” domains lend themselves more easily to personification. This non-mainstream theory holds that there are no gods or religious entities – just various impersonal domains whose energies can be drawn out by magic users.

Part 3

First read by Cralt in Is1e9.

Discusses the decline of magic and religion over many hundreds of years. Fewer and fewer people practice magic and religion. And there’s been a negative shift in attitudes, with more people thinking that religion is a waste of time, and magic something to be feared. Some think the declining use of magic and religion is what sparked the negative shift in attitudes. Whereas others think the negative shift in attitudes prompted the decline in use.

Part 4

First read by Cralt in Is1e10.

Explains that tens of thousands of years ago, the various domains were supposedly created in a moment called the “Great Division”. At this point, the domains were very “close”, and most beings were able to use magic. But the Great Division was quite explosive, and the author thinks that the same power which divided the domains has also begun to drive a wedge between them.

The author thinks the increasingly tenuous connection between the domains explains the decline of magic and religion: it’s harder to access the domains from which magical and religious powers flow. This would also explain why many feel the gods “aren’t listening”: the gods are growing increasingly distant. The author also fears that in time, the world will become fully cut off from the other domains. After this point, it will be impossible to wield magic and religious power – the world will be “adrift in a magicless void”. The author calls this the “Great Isolation”.

Part 5

First read by Cralt in Is1e11.

The author proposes several solutions for repairing the connection between the world and the various domains. Although the writing here is difficult to follow: the author spends most of his time describing complicated magical and religious rituals in agonising detail. These “solutions” seem either overly hopeful or borderline crazy.