You place the tome on the dais. The runes once again glow with the same shadowy light, and the runes on the pages coalesce into a language you
can read.
Dark Gaia's body, blocks the light, casting shadow on the world. Her children, giving form to the creatures and lands. However, it is Dark Gaia's
will alone that causes things to change. Her laws grant a restlessness to the creatures of shadow and shade, forcing them to move, change, eat, toil, or
grow. When her focus wanes, the shadows become more ethereal, and as it returns, they once again solidify. This marks the passage of days, the fading and
reforming of the laws and shadow binding creatures to form and the people to awareness.
While these phases of attention and boredom come regularly, she does not stay disinterested for long. Her desire to see the shadows grow renews much faster
than it flags. Those of shadow that feel the disruption of form usually will simply become catatonic where they are. Entering a trance, awaiting the return of
the focus of her dark majesty to return them to full form. There are those, however, who can maintain enough of their self that they continue to move and function
despite the loss of their full being. The free thoughts, as they are referred, toil through these dissipated times and maintain that which cannot be maintained while
in use. They work fast, for the time that the rest of the world remains phased from their minds is only one third as long as the time they are in focus.
While little disturbs this pattern, once for every 20 cycles of focus and disinterest, there is a cycle known as the vigor. Dark Gaia's curiosity will affix itself to
a facet of the world, usually on the fringe of the shadows. The intent focus, is so strong that all creatures are fully formed, even if her interest is elsewhere. And
beyond that, the focus solidifies thought so thoroghly that it is known as the dark focus. A time of great discovery, of great works, of powerful feats.
These dark foci, are not without cost. After what would normally be 3 cycles, her interest is reduced considerably, having sated her curiosity with her own design or
examination. For what would be 3 cycles again, only the free thoughts can continue to move and think, but even they are not fully able to realize their own selves in
this state. The weakest amongst the creatures are, regrettably, lost back to the shadow of the universe, so unable to maintain themselves, that they unravel and return
to whence they came.
Rarely, after thousands of cycles, there is an upheval. Much like the dark foci, Dark Gaia focuses so intently on the world, that all creatures are greatly energized. However,
during an upheval, the laws of shadow are unravelled and respun. Dark Gaia grows bored of the creatures and their toiling and will rebuild the very laws they are so bound to.
The people prepare a festival and sacrafice to the Darkness. Praying to the Dark Gaia that she might renew the laws favored by the creatures, but rewrite those that are found
to be wanting.