4. four

**Compass** · 05-16-2011

There was once a great kingdom, and its great king had a beautiful daughter who passed her days in solitude, weaving garments for the pleasure of her father.

One day, while she was sitting beside the great river, peering across, she saw a handsome young shepherd boy leading his flock through the pasture. Immediately, she fell in love. Thereafter, she became terribly disheartened, knowing that, due to her duties at the loom, she would be unable to pursue that love.

The king, aware that by his bidding such despair had befallen her, felt great remorse, and arranged for her to marry the shepherd. There marriage was one of happiness from the start, and everyday thereafter they grew happier and happier. However, in immersing herself in her marriage, the princess had neglected her weaving and the great king became angry.

Unable to reconcile with that anger, the great king banished each of the lovers to opposite sides of the great river, allowing them only to meet once each year: on the seventh day of the seventh month. On that day, a ferryman would carry the shepherd boy across the river to the princess, and return him home at day's end.

However, if the princess has not fulfilled her obligations at the loom the king floods the river, and the two can not meet.

------------------------------------
Up, my lady, pack your things
This place is not your home, nor was it ever
Sever every tie
Tonight we ride, tonight we ride
Tonight we ride
And how we've trembled at the way that time assembles
Little fires of desire in the tundra of our skin
So, do yourself a little favor, savor every time you waver
For that shaking in my voice was only slightly feigned chagrin
Tonight we ride
Tonight we ride

Lover, uncover
I know it's warm beneath your sheets and there is ice along the streets but listen
Lover, we will recover
But we've no time to waste with meddling in affairs
We've locked so tightly in our dreams
We are not clean, we are not pure
We will not rest until we're sure
So rob your pretty little eyes of sleep's disguise
I'm at your bedside with a bucket full of lies
So clear your ears and listen
Up, my lady, pack your things
This place is not your home

And I know what is
And to the glorious past
You've opened my window but broken the glass
And I beseech thee, shed thy beauty
For as a child leaves the womb and learns the cold
You have taught us peril in the present
And you will bring us peril in our surely soon to be
Unless the river's not flooded this time

Oh, precious distance
Oh, precious pain, you've given me a name
And etched it in the stones of the river bank
Oh, precious distance
Oh, precious pain, you've given us a name
You've given us a name

Rise, said the king to the river
Never let up
No, bring us a flood and bring it hard
Breathe, said the Wind to the water
Never give in
No, build us a bridge
And build it strong and angry.
Let it still the king's decrees
You must contemplate the current, boy
And command that coward cease
The boy breathes for his love says, I wait
His love says, I wait
She's shouting out, I will come back
Yes, I will come back
And I will come
I have lived my life so uncomfortably
Darling, come for me, come for me

Rise, said the boy to his love
Darling, get up
I've brought you my love
And brought it far
Leave, said the girl to her lover
I've given in
If love is a bridge, we built it wrong
Curb your anger
Still your fists
She will never come back
She'll never come back
She'll never come
Never come back
She'll never come

**~~Xemnas~~** · 05-16-2011

5. nine thousand

Introduction

It was when I was young...I saw it. The howling of the gruesome looking giants...as they were setting everything afire. Many people were injured or killed, and those who barely survived begged for mercy or ran for their lives. However, there was no one foolish enough to challenge these monsters.

It's been a long time since. I wonder how many people still remember the giant today? Who still remembers the name...Glas Ghaibhleann...?

Even after I became adult, I couldn't find a way to escape from the fear of this monster, and the fear of my youth continued to haunt me. Only after a long time had passed, I finally came to the conclusion that I must prevent a monster like that from ever coming to Erinn again and destroy everything we've worked hard for.

Since then, I began traveling to discover the identity of the Glas Ghaibhleann. I went and spoke to people who claimed to have seen a Glas Ghaibhleann up close, looked through ancient writing, and even sought the wisdom of Druids. After more than a decade, I finally wrote down my research in this book.

I hope that through this book, we will once again remember the giant who set the human world on fire and brought upon chaos and destruction, so that this will never happen again. Also, I hope people will pay close attention to the signs that could predict the giant's arrival.

What is a Glas Ghaibhleann?

The first mention of a Glas Ghaibhleann in the ancient writings came before the Mag Tuireadh wars, during the war between Partholons and Fomors, at the plains of Sen Mag. There is a story that says several giants, larger than a house, came and destroyed and burned everything...which must've been the Glas Ghaibhleanns. Through the sacrifice of tens of thousands of men, they were able to defeat some of them, but the toxin and the darkness that spewed out of them as they were defeated turned Sen Mag into uninhabitable place. What is more, in the place where the Glas Ghaibhleann fell, hundreds of Fomors appeared and wiped out all the weary remaining Partholons.

There is another famous story about Cian, which involves around the Glas Ghaibhleann. Cian was the father of the king of light, Loucetios. It is said that he went to see a Glas Ghaibhleann and he was able to receive his son Loucetios, from that meeting. This Glas Ghaibhleann was given a craftsman named Gabhaidheachd Go from the Fomor king Balor, to burn and destroy the human world. However, because Gabhaidheachd Go was not a summoner, he eventually lost the Glas Ghaibhleann.

Besides these, there are other records of Glas Ghaibhleann. It has not been officially confirmed but there are records that Glas Ghaibhleanns were spotted during the Mag Tuireadh wars, and even in the story of the three missing Warriors, a Glas Ghaibhleann is mentioned there as well. However these stories have no way of being confirmed, so it has been excluded in this book.

The life of a Glas Ghaibhleann

Generally, a Glas Ghaibhleann is a creature shrouded by mystery. It is known to eat gold. One has to wonder how much it need to eat to manage its enormous size. There are also differing opinions and descriptions regarding the Glas Ghaibhleann's ability to reason and think. However, none of the testimonies seem credible due to the fact that all the accounts are quite old.

There have been rare discoveries of large dense bones that seem to be from another world. Scholars presume that it belongs to Glas Ghaibhleann. However, strangely, these bones have never been found in one place but scattered all throughout Erinn, discovered piece by piece.

Therefore, finding out the life and death, and the life span of the Glas Ghaibhleann is extremely difficult. It is not even known if there is a distinction of male and female. However, there is no evidence that Glas Ghaibhleanns reproduce, which can only mean one thing: They are summoned into this world through powerful magic.

In order to liberate ourselves from the disaster of Glas Ghaibhleanns, we have to be aware of how the Glas Ghaibhleann is summoned.

Summon Method: Forming the Skeletal Frame

According to the ancient records I looked up, summoning a Glas Ghaibhleann requires several procedures. The most important step that seems to be common in all the records is forming the skeletal frame. In order to summon the Glas Ghaibhleann, it is said one needs to collect all the bones of the ancient giant after it has deceased. If even one of the bones are missing, the summon doesn't work.

In the case where bones are missing, it is said that they can be created artificially using metals. Using the artificial bones, the Glas Ghaibhleann's skeletal frame can still be formed. However, not just any metal will do the trick. This is because the summoned Glas Ghaibhleann's weight and power cannot be withstood by ordinary metal. There is only one type of metal that can endure the powerful yet swift movements of the Glas Ghaibhleann: Adamantium, the strongest metal known in Erinn.

Adamantium is a dark blue colored metal and it is extremely durable. It is also very rare, so much that, there is probably not enough in all of Erinn to make a whole skeletal frame of one Glas Ghaibhleann.

Summon Method: Using the Magic Sample

Because of its rarity and durability, Adamantium is highly desirable metal, but its true worth is the fact that it nullifies all magic. In other words, swords made of Adamantium can break through any magical defense, as well as shields made of Adamantium can block any magic attack. Even when Adamantium is used partially, mixed with other regular steel, these effects are still shown.

However, this attribute of Adamantium actually serves as an obstacle when summoning Glas Ghaibhleann. Because the Adamantium nullifies magic, the magic to summon the Glas Ghaibhleann doesn't work as well. In order to overcome this, a sample that contains the knowledge of ancient magic is needed. Once you put the sample on the skeletal frame made of Adamantium, the ancient magic power seeps into the bones and amazingly, that Adamantiums natural attribute disappears and works as part of the summoning process. (This shows you what kind of creature Glas Ghaibhleann is).

The sample's exact formula is unknown, but considering the fact that summoning Glas Ghaibhleann can mean the destruction of the entire world, it's probably better that it is unknown.

Completing the Summon

Once the sample is rubbed on the skeletal frame and the summon magic used, the power and limbs from the other world begin growing on the skeletal frame and forms the body. During this entire process, a steady and secure supply of Mana is required and this is too difficult for a regular Wizard.

If the Mana's supply is successfully supplied, the Glas Ghaibhleann slowly grows and forms as it begins listening to the summoner. Once the summon is finished, the used up Mana is blackened and dissolves into the environment as it darkens the sky.

Once the summon is complete, the Glas Ghaibhleann needs a significant amount of food...which is gold. If it does not eat, it will become even more ferocious and go wild, eventually dissolving back to bones.

According to one theory this is why monsters always carry around gold. Therefore, if there is an increase in monsters spotted carrying gold, it could be that they are preparing to summon the Glas Ghaibhleann.

Split Summon

Glas Ghaibhleann is a creature with enormous strength and magic power. However, imagine this. What would happen if the summoned Glas Ghaibhleann doesn't listen to the summoner and begins acting on its own volition, fighting against the summoner?

This implies that a powerful summoned-being's will can conflict with the summoner and become uncontrollable. So when dealing with a powerful summoned.being such as the Glas Ghaibhleann, how the summoner will control it becomes an interesting question.

One of the solutions to this problem is using a summon method that excludes the summoned-being's will. When this happens, even the smallest of instincts of the summoned-being is determined by the summoner; therefore, the summoner can completely control the summoned-being.

Added Soul Phenomenon

This method of course requires a high level of magic skill, but anyone who is fairly familiar with summoning can do it with some preparation and caution.

One interesting thing happens during this type of summon. The summoned-being's will that has been separated from the being appears in the form of a spirit, which is known as the Added Soul.

The separated will has nowhere to go and either attaches onto a nearby creature or it becomes its own entity. Sometimes it becomes an unidentifiable creature like the Wisp. It can even become a bird or a four legged creature and there have also been reports that they have taken the form of a human.

The Added Soul has a completely different exterior from the summoned.being and shows no reaction towards the summoned-being. However, subconsciously, it roams around near the summoned-being to become unified with the being as they are drawn to one another. Sometimes, this can cause a side effect to your summon and cause an entirely different outcome than what you had intended. Therefore when using the method of eliminating the summoned-being's will, you need to watch out for this.

The Added Soul phenomenon not only occurs between the relationship of the mind and body in one entity, but it can happen between two different entities that have a very intimate relationship such as husband and wife, friends, and couples. Some scholars use this phenomenon to explain the Soul Stream.

Conclusion

With that, I have explained all that I know about the Glas Ghaibhleann. Please remember all that is in this book so that the tragedy of the past will never occur again...

Now I entrust the future of Erinn to you.