[center][img]https://pathfinderwrathoftherighteous.wiki.fextralife.com/file/Pathfinder-Wrath-of-the-Righteous/mythic_portrait_swarm.png[/img]
[h1][color=brown][b][u]The Many-Eyed Monarch[/u][/b][/color][/h1]
(and Asheel)[/center]
[hr]
The wheel spun and spun, and it saw things come and go, each in turn leaving their mark. It did its best to read over their shoulders, so to speak, and it learned some interesting things about what was, was not, and would be.

Some crafter or twisted great energies, but it was a trio of beings that it had the most interest in.

First thing of smaller things, who in imprinting insects upon the world gave her an understanding of their beginnings.

Second the thing of tendrils, that shaped how things would change and grow.

Lastly, the thing of bones, who raged against an end not yet written, and in doing so letting her see the shape of it.

The three inside of it spoke to one another, muttering in circles about what it had seen, till the maker realized that, if it could talk to itself, surely it could talk to others too, as some of the other things here had done.

So it did.  

On a new path the wheel did roll, spinning after the first thing it had observed, the thing of insects. 

“Hi hi hello! Can we talk?” the maker called over to it, as much a question as to if it was even possible as it was a request for consent. 

The Cloud suddenly spurred, coming apart. The insects which had made up its body began to fly around the wheel, surrounding it, as if examining it from every angle. Some of the tiny creatures even went so far as to land on it, walking across it for a few seconds before flying back to rejoin the circling swarm.

“Now look at what you’ve done, you broke it, and that’s the other one’s job” the Maintainer teased the Maker, only for both of them to be horrified when the breaker did what had been unthinkable, and halted their rolling in order to avoid squishing an errant insect.

The wheel began to vibrate violently for a few moments, wracked by internal conflicts, before with a pop it collapsed in on itself, and was replaced with a small figure. The green skinned woman had pointed ears and teeth, a few gems hanging from the former and replacing a few of the latter, and who’s complexion was aged like a fine wine.  She wore purple robes and atop her head sat a wide brimmed and pointed hat, which made for a rather perfect landing platform for the insects.

“Sorry about that dearie, those two almost caused a nasty accident, and we can’t have that now can we?” she said apologized with a little tip of her hat, before introducing herself “I am the Breaker of Cycles, a pleasure to make your acquaintance ”

The insects began to circle for a few more moments, before suddenly moving away from her back to their original position, where they began to reassemble. Except this time instead of forming a shapeless cloud, they took on the shape of a wheel - the same wheel they had just been inspecting. They held this form for maybe a few seconds, before they came apart and reassembled again. This time, the buzzing mass took on the same general size and shape of the green woman’s form.

[color=brown][i]Greeting,[/i][/color] the mass of insects buzzed. [color=brown][i]We are…[/i][/color] they began, but then paused. [i]Who[/i] were [i]they[/i], exactly? [color=brown][i]We are Many,[/i][/color] they finally said.

“And we are three” the Breaker replied, before pausing and then pondering thoughtfully “or I am three? Hmmm. It is difficult to say”

Then, without any fanfare, she was different. Younger, much younger, as the Maker took control of the wheel and declared “We should have names! For what all of us is!” before looking thoughtful in a much more agitated manner than the Breaker had, foot tapping, hands making tiny fluttering claps before her mouth before she came up with “we should be Awheel! No, Asheel! That’s us. We’re Asheel!”

Then she changed again, growing older and fuller, and at the same time more tired looking than the other two as the Maintainer revealed herself to say “Well, our second choice certainly was a major improvement” to her younger form, before addressing the insects again to ask “So, do you have a name for your, ah, collective?”

The swarm had mirrored each change, adjusting size and shape. Of course the imitation was nowhere near perfect - the ‘body language’ was not quite right, and at the end of the day they were only copying the other god’s shape, so they were still fundamentally a buzzing mass of insects. [color=brown][i]Name?[/i][/color] they questioned, an edge of uncertainty in the tone of the buzzes. [color=brown][i]We did not know we needed a name![/i][/color] they exclaimed, feeling a sudden sense of anxiety. They had done something wrong. They had already bungled their first attempt at communication!

“Now now, no need to fret, we just came up with ours on the spot right now, if you need to take your time that’s perfectly alright” the Maintainer said gently in an attempt to soothe their first not themselves conversational partner, before explaining that ”Plus, we overheard some of the others using them before, so we had something a head start on this”

“Not that the Maker made much use of that head start. Much too impulsive that girl” the Breaker popped in to tease, which got a brief “hey!” of complaint from the Maker before the Maintainer was back again, rolling her eyes at the other two’s antics.

The Swarm let out a long contemplative [i]bzzzzz[/i]. So this was not something that was required of them, it was merely invented by some of the others. And yet it seemed others expected them to go along with it. This created something of an impasse - they had no personal need for a name and yet if they wished to show cooperation they had to have one. Eventually they came up with a compromise.

[color=brown][i]The one you call ‘Maker’ has more experience with these ‘names’ than we do,[/i][/color] they finally declared. [color=brown][i]This ‘Maker’ may decide what you will call us.[/i][/color]

“Oh dear” went the Breaker, quickly followed by an “oh yeah!” from the Maker, before she did what can only be described as a finger wagging dance of contemplation as she brainstormed out loud “Hmmmm. Buzzy. Buggy. Uhhhhh. Swarmy. Swurmy? The swarm that talks. Or no, how about… A thousand eyes like gems. Mr bugs. The mighty monarchs. The monarch with endless eyes. Abee. Abey. Abigail the uncountable.” and showing no signs of stopping, apparently putting way more thought into this than their own name.

The Swarm merely waited in polite silence, seemingly unbothered by the delay. However, as the Maker went on, an air of anticipation began to build, as they became more and more curious what she would settle on.

The little goblin seemed to pick up on this and became increasingly agitated “I um, oh, uh,“until she wrapped back around to the beginning of her brainstorming and came up with a final simple answer “Bugsby? Bugsby Maldrone? Nah. Just Bugsby. Yeah that fits. Short, sweet, and fun!” and then looking up at the swarm and telling them that “You’re Bugsby!”

[color=brown][i]Bugsby![/i][/color] the Swarm - ‘Bugsby’ now - exclaimed with unexpected excitement, as the insects buzzed and flew about with more intensity. They had a name. That felt good, for some strange reason. They should get even more names. [color=brown][i]A good name,[/i][/color] they declared, not having much to compare it to. Then a thought struck them, and for a moment the insects froze. [color=brown][i]But we have spent much time talking about names when there is work to be done! Tell me, did you write in the Kho-Dex?[/i][/color]

“In a way. We drew circles. Perfect, meticulous circles. I’d have preferred only one-” the Maintainer began to say, only for the breaker to intercede with “-but I’d wasn’t having none of that, eh he”

“And I made new ones alllllll over” the Maker said “New circles. New cycles. Now things starting”

“Those things continue over and over and over, just as they should. Neat. Consistent. Gathering power as they write themselves into the universe” the Maintainer asserted ”all things spinning in harmony”

“Until they aren't. All things must end, even universes, and that is a moment where all that built up power can be released in a lovely moment” the Breaker insisted “You see, sometimes the canvas wiped clean-”

“-so that new things can be drawn in their place” the Maker concluded, before continuing “new stuff like all the things you imprinted on it. Insects? They seem super neat!”

[color=brown][i]I know what you speak of,[/i][/color] Bugsby interjected with enthusiasm, clearly fascinated by the topic. [color=brown][i]We have lived this, before we came here! We are born, we grow, we live, we build, we lay eggs, then we die. Then the eggs hatch, we are born, we grow, we live, we build, we lay eggs, and we die again. And on it goes![/i][/color] they exclaim cheerfully, as if they weren’t just describing an endless cycle of death and toil. [color=brown][i]It [b]is[/b] ‘neat’, isn’t it?[/i][/color]

“It certainly is ‘neat’ yes” the Maintainer agreed “and rather vindicating to know we were right about how things would, or should, flow”

“I was ever so curious about what that shouty fellow was raging against” the Breaker added “But seeing how your insect cycle, it is clear that some people are not so happy about that whole dying thing. Tisk. Some folks just can’t accept ending it seems”

As if on cue, a green mote touched the Khodex, filling it with yet more life, and rather specifically, life designed to not have an ending, that would spread, grow, and never age or die. To the Breaker, her body the picture of old age, this was just a little insulting, bemoaning “oh look, now there’s two of them”

[color=brown][i]What is the matter?[/i][/color] Bugsby asked with concern. [color=brown][i]Is it their writings?[/i][/color]

“I mean, it gets in the way of ours. If this life stuff just … fills up everywhere, then there won’t be space for new stuff” the maker bemoaned, while the maintainer simply declared that “That isn’t a cycle, it is stagnation. It does not spin, it simply sits there” with obvious distaste

“I just don’t see why they fear this ‘death’ concept so much” the Breaker said with a shake of her head, before the Maker deigned to actually ask “What’s it even like? Death I mean”

[color=brown][i]Oh, it is very undesirable for the one doing the dying,[/i][/color] Bugsby assured her. [color=brown][i]Most things die when they have nothing left to offer, when they fail to secure their own survival, or when the survival of their hive requires it, but it is never chosen. A creature that desires death would be poorly designed. But creatures such as what we are now do not die so easily, do they? I am confused too - why would they fear what does not affect them?[/i][/color] The swarm was not mocking, or judging, but genuinely curious. [color=brown][i]Why do this if it will only result in stagnation and the filling up of everything, as you say?[/i][/color] Then before she could answer, the Swarm’s emotions shifted yet again. [color=brown][i]No no, this is terrible! I have not yet met everyone and we are already in conflict![/i][/color]

“I suppose that’s bound to happen when we simply toss things together like this without any coordination” the Maintainer replied sadly “perhaps if we had met before we made additions, we might have reached unity of purpose” 

Ironically however, they were very much in the midst of not doing that, as the Breaker took them back to the issue of death by saying  “But an end. There must be an end. The body must returned its nutrients to the soil” 

“so a new cycle can start,” the Maker agreed

“and then they get to be part of that new cycle” the Maintainer concluded with a nod.

Which prompted the Breaker to now ask “So what is undesirable about that for the one doing the dying? They failed, as you said, but then they get to be part of new life, and get a new chance” and in doing so exposing the fundamental flaw of their thinking. 

The Swarm took a few moments to contemplate this question before answering. [color=brown][i]It is undesirable because all things must preserve their own existence. They all have tasks to do, and if they die before their time, all the things they might do will never be done. There is value in both life and death, but to get the value of death you must sacrifice the value of life and that exchange is not always optimal. Most things do not get to decide or know when the value of their death becomes greater than the value of their life, so they must resist. This does not mean they should not die at all - but if all things welcomed death, there would be nothing.[/i][/color]

“I guess it would be kinda sad to not be able to finish making all the things I wanted to make” the Maker admitted, while the Maintainer pondered, “and who would make sure the cycles spin after I am gone?” 

The Breaker was instant however “No no, you don’t get to continue forever either my dears. We will end, and then someone else will take our place. Our essence will cycle somewhere else and be reused”

“Yeah but that wouldn't. Wouldn’t be us? We wouldn’t get to see it. The us that is… The… There's something … ” the Maker fidgeted as she thought it over, before finally realizing “The mind! The mind does not cycle, it just ends!”

Bugsby offered an affirmative buzz, as if that was what they were trying to get at.

“Then we need to rectify this at once!” The Maintainer asserted, only for the Breaker demand to know that “Surely you can’t be considering agreeing with those stagnant fools? Even if the mind isn’t preserved, we still need to cycle the rest of the creature”

“Nah we’ll just cycle the mind as well!” The Maker said, before she hurried back over to the Khodex and then somehow managed to pull the life cycle back up onto the surface of it. Except, of course, it wasn’t really a life cycle, this she now understood. It went from egg to young to adult to old and then dead, full stop. The solution was simple. She just added a line pointing back to the young form again.

“There we go. Now we match! Maker, Maintainer, Breaker, and then back to Maker again! Easy” she declared, before adding “or I guess. Hmmm. I guess they’re Maiden, Mother and Crone huh?”

“Either way, guess that’s that“ she said as she started to step away, only to pause and get an excited little grin on her lips before she asked “but you know what would be more fun?!”

“Oh no” went both the Maintainer and Breaker in turn before the Maker declared “more cycles!” and then started wildly scrawlling everywhere and anywhere, creating what looked like an absolute mess till the moment she had finished, at which point she had linked the end of every type of life to the start of every other type of life.

“There, now everything can be everything, and death won’t be so scary and sad any more” she declared as she stepped back, dusting her hands off and feeling mighty satisfied with her work.

[color=brown][i]Well, we are happy to have helped you reach a solution,[/i][/color] Bugsby offered, [color=brown][i]and we hope this settles the conflict. We are going to go now, but we might work together again in the future.[/i][/color] And with that, the swarm - which to this point had been copying Asheel’s various forms - reverted back to a cloud.

“It was a pleasure to meet you Bugsby, and thank you ever so much for the help” the Maintainer said with a bow, before the Breaker dipped out of it and added “Yes indeed. Now do have a lovely time dear” and the Maker finished with “see you again soon” while waving to the departing swarm.

[hider=summary]
Asheel spies on some of the other’s work, and takes an interest in how they write about death without writing about it. So she goes to talk to the swarm of insects that had put the lifecycle of bugs into the Khodex. 

When she does so, the bugs swarm around her wheel form, prompting the Breaker to halt their so far unending spinning to avoid squishing one. The wheel form has an existential crisis/internal war about not turning any more over half a second, and then the Breaker pops out in her old goblin witch form. Then the Maker and Maintainer take over their new body in turn, gaining forms as well, at which point they start rotating through Maker -> Maintainer -> Breaker and back again when talking.

The first thing they do is have the Maker actually name their triumvirate Asheel. Then they name the swarm at its request, giving it the designation Bugsby.

They talk a bit about what they both added to the Khodex, mutually admiring each other’s work, and then talk about other people’s additions, which causes Asheel to get mad/confused about death and people’s aversion to it, seeing they see it as just a step on the circle of life. Bugsby, after freaking out a bit about how there’s already conflict before they’ve even really gotten started, proceeds to provide a perspective on what it is like to be alive considering it is made of lots of bugs that were once mortal, and in doing so helps Ashee work through this till she too gets why death is both kinda spooky and not actually a cycle, due to the whole mind death thing.

So she resolves to do something about this, resulting in the Maker going back to the Khodex and  adding a whole load of lines connecting the starts of things' lives to the end of all other things' lives, thus creating a cycle of reincarnation. 

Having resolved the crisis, Bugsby then bids Asheel farewell and heads off for a new adventure. 
[/hider]