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"In the beginning, there was only the Atrium, a realm of pure potential and chaos. From this chaos emerged the Architect, Aeon. It perceived the possibility of order, of a reality built upon stable pillars and in its glory he created 4 attendants to govern and bring forth its plans.
First, the Shaper called forth his eldest creation, the Witness who would become the Divinity of Time and Soul, and gave unto it the gift of sequence. Where there was only a single, chaotic moment, the Witness from the illumination of the Shaper wove the flow of time, allowing for past, present, and future to exist. The Witness in the vastness of its being created the aspect of Air, for time is as boundless and intangible as the sky, allowing all possibilities to breathe and unfold.
Next, the Architect summoned the Warden. The being that would be the Divinity of Space and Protection and gave it the gift of form. From the boundless and formless potential found in the Shaper's glory, the Warden established foundation and boundary, creating the stage upon which the Architect's design could play out. The Warden in its majesty created the aspect of the Earth, representing the resilience and permanence of the physical world.
Then, Aeon beckoned forth the Cupbearer. This primordial, the God of Vitality and Emotions, gave unto it the gift of essence. Upon the stage built by the Warden, the Cupbearer poured forth the Life-Flame from his cup, filling the void with the spark of life and essence of existance bringing all the matter into existance. In its passion the Cupbearer created the aspect of Fire, for life is a transformative, ever burning spark.
Finally, the Architect awakened the Keeper who would be the God of Secrets and the Unknown and gave unto it the gift of mystery. The Keeper governed all that was Unknown, he brought forth depth and truth and seperated the Atrium from the Seen Realm and hid it for all but the most enlightened, for some truth is better left unknown. In its contemplation the Keeper created the aspect of Water, for secrets are deep, fluid, and can both erode and shape all they touch.
Together, from the midst of the shifting illumination of the Shaper, the four attended to the greatness of the Architect and under its guidance they fashioned the Seen Reality from the flowing chaos of the Atrium's shores.
And in that moment the Infinite became the Finite and the Seen realm was born from the One's illumination and birthed all that is Known and Unknown.
They now dwell in the Halls of the Atrium, the source from which all existence flows, directing its affairs."
- Excerpt from Atrium Primarium Novum
The election held in the next two years was a mere formality. The machinery of the Order, now vast and deep, moved with silent precision. His political opponents found their campaigns faltering on strange scandals.
The economy, guided by unseen hands, swayed public sentiment. And from on high, the Olympians themselves, desperate for a stable hand, lent their subtle influence, their mortal worshippers greasing the wheels. The path was cleared. In 1933 at the age of a mere 32, Nicholas Aldridge was sworn in as President of the United States.
The immense tide of belief that followed was unlike anything he had ever experienced. The faith and expectations of tens of millions roared as they filled into his artifacts.
So much so that they couldn't contain all of that energy, so Nicholas had to execute a ritual in order to enable his sanctuary to act as a reservoir for the use of faith.
The duties of the president were a mere nuisance barely taking any effort now that all obstacles were removed and he held the support of the ultimate power of both the Seen and Unseen worlds.
He moved immediately. His cabinet was practically a pantheon in waiting. Julian Pierce was confirmed as Secretary of State, his network of spies now an official instrument of foreign policy.
Marcus remained as Speaker of the House, his potent magic and charm now used to ensure every piece of legislation that crossed his desk served the new order.
His father, Jonathan, was appointed Secretary of War, his scholarly mind and deep knowledge of the Order's workings now directing the nation's military might.
Every key agency, every critical post, was filled by a loyal member. He did not just lead the government; he was the government.
With his mortal position secure, he turned to the divine.
In his sanctuary, he first held a meeting to divide up the domains and authorities to the new pantheon and agree on a new mythology to govern it.
Immediately after which Nicholas then contacted his high priests across the globe.
He gave them new prayers, new liturgies, a new structure for the faith. He unveiled the true pantheon, the rulers who would now receive the directed belief of their followers and finally created the true doctrine of their new religion.
Aeon was the God-King. The Shaper of the Unseen Threads. His domain was fate, magic and the eternal conflict between all things. Aeon was the Shaper and architect of reality, the creator of the four pillars of existence that were governed by his 4 attendants.
His attendants were given their titles and domains, their mortal names shed for their eternal functions. They were described as the primordial deities that created the world and helped Aeon rule from the halls of the Atrium, an unseen realm from which all of reality flows.
Jonathan agreed to attempt the ritual to become God, it was then decided that he was to become "The Timeless Witness of the Soul" God of Time and the Soul. His elemental aspect was Air, representing the intellect, strategy, and the boundless realm of possibility which time allows.
His soon to be created Symbol of Power was designated to be a prism controlling all Soul and allowing for insight through the eyes of every soul in existence.
Julian became the "Keeper of the Book of Hidden Truths", God of Secrets and the Unknown. His domain was knowledge of all things that are hidden and unknowable.
He was given the elemental aspect of "Water", representing the infinite depth of the Unknown and Unseen. His artifact was designated to be a book containing all things Secret and not yet Known.
Marcus became the "Bearer of the Ever-flowing Cup of the Life-Flame", God of Emotions and Vitality. His domain was passion, inspiration, healing, and the raw, driving force of life itself.
Nicholas gave him the elemental aspect "Fire", for the transformative power of emotion, the spark of creation, and the burning fervor of devotion.
His main artifact was designated as a Cup containing a life-giving flame that can give the spark of life driving all things and grant immortality.
Hercules was granted the title "Warden of the Foundation of the World", God of Space and Protection.
His domain was defense, sanctuary, and the unyielding structure of the physical world. His elemental aspect was "Earth", representing resilience, permanence, and the steadfast strength upon which all else is built. He was the shield and the immovable anchor.
As he already had a main artifact it was impossible to create another one for him, but Nicholas was designing a ritual in order for them to be able to reforge it into something more appropriate.
Nicholas had chosen these specific elemental aspects with a further, grander plan in mind. Air, Water, Fire, and Earth. The four classical elements. They were not just symbolic domains; they were fundamental components of reality itself.
Nicholas did this in the hope that this would grant him some degree of omnipotence and versatility for his upcoming plans.
Creating the mythology to be as thus would allow him to obtain a portion of the authority of all of his attendants and boost his power even without him needing to endure the ravages of faith directly.
It was in hopes of accomplishing an even greater work, an ultimate ritual he had not yet revealed, that would require unified authority over all creation.
The one central book detailing the new mythology of their pantheon described 4 primordial deities. Nicholas named it the Atrium Novum.
The prayers included therein instructed the faithful that these gods did not dwell on a distant, indifferent mountain.
They resided in the amidst the illumination of Atrium from which reality was birthed, a divine realm of shifting chaos from which they directed the world's affairs.
The Atrium was to be his new sanctuary, its name now sanctified, its location a holy mystery to be felt in the heart, not found on any map.
Across the nation and in the growing communities of South America and the Philippines, the faithful began to chant the new liturgies.
They prayed not to deities atop the Atrium. They prayed for guidance in confusion, for protection in danger, for truth in deception.
The faith, once a scattered stream of hope, now became a directed, powerful river, flowing into his resevoir, stored within by a ritual for time for which it needs to be used.
In Washington, President Aldridge executed his duties with a flawless, commanding grace. In the Halls of the Atrium, Nicholas felt the new power flow into him, a constant, swelling tide.
He had done it. He had built his mortal empire, seizing the most powerful office in the mortal world.
And now, he had birthed his divine one, creating a new focus for human belief that was entirely under his control. The pieces were all in place, on both sides of the veil. The stage was set for the final act.
He held the throne of man, and with his nascent pantheon, he was forging the power to challenge the very foundations of heaven.
The old gods, squabbling and paranoid, had no idea what was being built in the quiet spaces of the world, directed by the man they had just helped crown.
Now it was time to handle the final challenge before their ascension.
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