Manifestation

The Manifestations were released in the Idoaclesian City through unknown actions on Mt. Illapse. A week before the Manifestation "Crae'tor Talis" was ever seen, a large "Body" of darkness was seen escaping Illapse Stronghold.

Not long after, Crae'tor Talis appeared. A "manifestation" of the darkness in the element of Insight. He claimed his purpose, and that of the Manifestations, was to balance the Dream between Light and Darkness, and that the Dream had fallen into favor with Light instead of Dark. He alluded to the actions of a past group of Dreamers called the "Lightbringers." These Dreamers, according to Crae'tor, worked with the Manifestations and later betrayed them, locking up each of the four Manifestations and then the larger body of darkness.

Crae'tor made claims that the Manifestations were eternal, that they always had been in the City, and always would be, though how much of this claim is true is not known. Through circumstances unknown to me (though it seems evident that Dreamers helped the manifestations) the second Manifestation was released from her prison, Nysis Awara. This Manifestation followed the element of Lucidity, and spoke very little. She sniffed dreamers, and seemed to follow Crae'tor directives.

Crae'tor advertised the idea that the Manifestations were all one entity -- what one thought, the other thought, and that they simply had separate bodies, not separate minds. But again I would stress that what is known of them comes only from their words; little of this ability was demonstrated.

The beginnings of the faction known as The Dream Walkers seem to be involved with the Manifestations, making some sort of deal in the release of the third manifestation, Glut'ton Plox, in the element of Will. This Manifestation was an orator for the now trio of free beings, the most frequently seen, and most frequently available to speak about the mission of the Manifestations.

Throughout this time, areas of the Dream were growing dark. The Manifestations were spreading a blackness across the Idoaclesian City in various areas, what they called "unbalanced shadows" of their true power; when they were fully awakened, they claimed that they could balance those shadows to create a balance between light and dark, an intermediate shade instead of the absolute blackness they spread at that time.

The Emergence Academy fought against these shadows, believing them to be harming the Dream. Notably, Shae and Angele worked together against the Manifestations -- And Angele went as far as to design and create the Tower of Light, with help from her Emergent allies, inside the Basin Stronghold, in order to destroy the Shadows, and perhaps destroy the Manifestations themselves.

There were many battles between Dreamers and Manifestations, though no clear victor ever emerged. Most of the time, it was the Emergence Academy against the Manifestations, though occasionally other parties involved themselves.

After some time, the Manifestations worked with Dreamers again (probably the Dream Walkers, but this is speculation on my part; history is unclear) to release the fourth and final Manifestation, Ser'en Ires, the embodyment of Resilience. After this one was released, the Manifestations had acquired enough of their old strength to balance what darkness they had placed, and did so all across Mt. Illapse. Small, white circles of energy -- appearing as if white halos -- could be found in shadowy areas on the Mt, showing where the pure Darkness used to be.

The Dream Walkers, having released each of the Manifestations, then placed each Manifestation inside one of the four main power conduits of their generator room. There is some controversy over whether or not the Manifestations volunteered this service -- the Dream Walkers claimed that they went willingly, and the Guardians of the Flame claimed that the Manifestations were betrayed, and imprisoned against their will.

When the Manifestations went into the generator, their old home -- Illapse Stronghold -- exploded. The entire Stronghold was ruined, inaccessible. Not even the facade survived.

After some time, and attempts to speak to the Manifestations, Eros (ruler of the Guardians of the Flame) and a few others managed to enter the void to speak to the Manifestations. Eros' account of this describes Crae'tor giving him secret instructions, codes for their release from the generator room. A week or so after this incident, the Guardians came in force to the Dream Walkers house, and attempted to free the Manifestations -- in Bortami's haste to get things done before interruption, he poured a bucket of lava over the control panel.

This caused the Temple of the Dream Walkers to literally fly, and it founded itself atop Mt. Illapse, where Illapse Stronghold once stood. It also released (or killed?) the manifestations. We are not certain of their true fate, but their implements seem to have been dropped -- Crae'tor's staff, in particular, which he used to cause Darkness throughout the Dream, was recovered as an artifact of the move. Nysis' Book of Darkness was also recovered, and two unknown artifacts of the other two manifestations.

It also became clear that when the house lifted and moved, it's connection to the Palisades was damaged. Vagabond, former Ruler of the Dream Walkers, was on a mission in the Palisades at the time. His Soul essence was recovered, demonstrating one of two things: He had died in the Palisade with the lift off of the Temple, OR while in the Palisade he had learned DreamStrike and thus had his Soul Essence removed to house the art.

That second option becomes less and less likely, as time passes. He has not been seen since then, and it is widely believed that he is deceased.

My personal belief about the Manifestations is that they were released and crippled. Perhaps the "larger body of darkness" exists out there still, but the Manifestations who represented it are destroyed. That seems most likely; the body is probably hiding itself, having been betrayed by Dreamers after trusting them twice -- first with the Lightbringers, and then again with the dreamers of Idoaclese.

~~Em'et Etormkim, on Idoaclesian Histories