There’s an island floating off the coast of Bloomcester, near the harbor town of Sacred Falls. It’s been there since a few weeks past and the townspeople say it’s full of magic and mystery and that only the most noble and honorable have access to its divine splendor. Almost like a shapely cloud the island in the sky stood motionless high enough above the ocean that only the bottom rock of the mass was visible from underneath. Large canvas balloons were employed to reach the floating island. The noblemen and shamans who traveled there returned changed. To the local residents they appeared to have been transformed into half-animal, half-human. They left as knights, lords, and ladies and returned as gods and goddesses.

Across the land news spread. More and more people arrived to take in the wonderful sight. Some came to beg the aristocrats to take them with them, but were often refused. All of the inhabitants in the Sacred Falls and the surrounding hillocks became enamored at the island’s presence. They claimed secrets were being withheld from the public and that the knowledge contained above should be shared with the populace below.

Sir Brunon, baron of the south, his face proudly displayed as a half-lion, returned with his shaman dignitaries, appearing as raccoon-men, landed on the balloon platform that was erected, almost like foreigners from a foreign land and announced to the people to not be afraid. The human natives clamored in the growing crowd. They begged to be taken to the island in the sky but he gave quite a reassuring speech saying, “We, the enlightened, have sacrificed our form to the greater good of mankind,” and that mankind wouldn’t be able to cope with the wisdom of the “Island of Esoterica.” He argued that evil deeds would be committed if evil men gained its knowledge. But it seemed evil men would stop at nothing to gain its admittance.

Several groups from the surrounding villages banded together a fortnight later and stormed the balloon platform in an attempt to smuggle themselves to Esoterica. The attempt failed and several of the men and women lost their lives to the elite guard stationed in Sacred Falls. Bandit gangs formed almost in a day’s time and swarmed the meager harbor town. The tumult was so severe that King Seagol had to march an army to squelch the rebellion. Captured bandit leader Krayton declared that the King was treasonous for barring citizen’s admittance to Esoterica and claimed that it was the right of every person to receive the sacrament of holy knowledge. He also suggested that there were other rebels who would take up the cause and eventually gain access, one way or another.

It seemed Krayton was right in his rantings. Several nights later another band, this time twenty scores larger, broke through the elite ranks and made their way apart a balloon vessel and headed to the island. It is said that they were met with strange beings at the Esoterica gates and welcomed without conflict. The beings were birdlike, having wings of gold, and directed them to the great hall where the esoteric knowledge was held. There in the great hall of Esoterica, a creature came from the catwalks above and descended on the scurrying bandits. They say the sight of it drew the four men and three women to tears, for it was radiant and divine but hideous and malevolent. The Beast of Eternity, as it was called, contained along its spines several scores of arms like a centipede with twenty bird wings on its back. On its base sat its plump and swelling body. On its spindly neck sat a head with a crown that to most could’ve even be looked upon. The brightest of its face was too magnificent, glowing the light of the sun, and too unearthly to describe.

“Who comes to the House of God without a gift? Is it you, morsels?” Boomed the powerful and dreadful voice. “Or are you the gifts?”

The villagers tried to retreat but it was too late for them. They wailed and begged this almighty being to forgive their trespass. The Beast glowed brighter and spoke, “Mere mortals, you do not belong here. You came here seeking knowledge.” The being gave them what they sought and explained that he came from the stars and that he was the creator of life on this planet. He chastised mankind for seeking enlightenment through unjustifiable violence. That their ignorance was a plague that needed to be snuffed out. The Beast had given life and human freewill was an illusion. Esoterica itself was an illusion. For in reality the island was a craft from the greater depths of another realm. The purpose of humanity was to serve as vessels for beings of the Esoteric realm. Humans were cattle to be stripped of their minds, replaced by Esoterians.

The bandit villagers cowered once more at this and were about to flee when the owl-men guards approached with golden spears. The Beast, with a great and yawning sound, opened its belly and welcomed the visitors into its nether regions to accept their fate and have their minds ripped from their bodies. This was a great gift for the humans, to become sacrifices for the Esoterians but the bandits never truly wanted this. They never knew what they really wanted, they merely acted with selfish egotism that blinded them to their own purpose. They never really wanted the truth, they only acted on what they thought was ambition and righteous freedom but were oblivious to their true motivation: greed.

Each of the villagers became something new, something magnificent. When they arrived back on the platform they appeared to the populace as insect-men and couldn’t speak through their twisted mandibles. They never wanted the truth but they received it regardless and were made to suffer the consequences of their eager righteousness: eternal oblivion.