Church Of The Holy Sacred Grove/The New Temple/Retarte

Retarte - Avatar of Desire, Goddess of the Earth and Physical Love

Mistress of Massacre

Under the Jaqundir' Halls and over Emolris' Furnaces the Retarte's reigns spreads along the roots of Iniarbel. Feeding the earth and being nourished by the blood of great massacres. Avatar of Desires, She commands the Lust. The Scythe and the Serpent are Her symbols of power. Ravens and Stormcrows as Her eyes. Impressive mountains rising over Her breasts. A fertile womb to sow with Izula at the Summer. The Morning Star. A signal of Her presence and inviting warnings. A challenge that dares to shine even beyond the Sacred Veil. Claiming souls at the Winter of Xeph'Eul. Fields and souls to be reaped in Her glory. The Eternal Return. To be given and to be taken. The fire that burn the lovers. Her scent is the sweat of sacred rites burning at the moonlit fields. Snaking deeply into the Sacred Roots. The bridge beyond mankind. The last bond between flesh, spirit and damnation. She has Her bloody oath:

With the same severity you judge You will be punished

The River of Fate

Exiles by Vehestia, hordes of spirits await their last delight before being thrown into the Abyss. They eat and fight in the upper halls, the Jaqundir' Halls. Still chained in their mundane lives, the victims of the massacre celebrate their last short lived glory with the sword, old friends and barrels of wine. The best of a life in a last breath. They already been judged. After their last illusion they are alone on the banks of a river deviously dark. By the first time they realize their terrible mistake.

Now they are alone and going down. They will have to face their last trial at the River of Fate. Few will be worthy of a blessed return. Many will feed the Burning Abyss. This is the eternal circle.

Retarte's Descend to the Netherworld

A recent discovery in the Temple of Avamar revealed to the world a collection of ancient murals and fragments containing the Ode of Retarte's Descend of the Netherworld. With the determined study a group of religious scholars began to translate these ancient poems to spread the Word. This is the first fragment currently on display to the public.

[This is a text adapted to the game's context. You may be impressed with the original one ]

Elmoris' Gate

Goddess of the Earth

To the netherworld, land of no return,

Retarte, daughter of Sin, set her mind.

The daughter of Sin did set her mind

to the gloomy house, the seat of the netherworld

to the house that none leaves who enters,

to the road whose journey has no return,

to the house whose entrants are bereft of light,

where dust is their sustenance, and clay their food.

They see no light and dwell in darkness,

they are clothed like birds in wings for garments,

and dust has gathered on the door and the bolt.

When Retarte reached the gate of the netherworld,

the said (these) words to the gatekeeper:

"O gatekeeper! Open your gate for me,

open your gate, that I may enter!"

"If you do not open the gate, that I may enter,

I will break down the door, I will smash the bolt,

I will break down the frame, I will topple the doors.

I will break the ..., I will tear off the knob."

"I will raise up the dead so that they devour the living,

and the dead will outnumber the living."

The gatekeeper made ready to speak,

saying to Retarte the great:

"Stay, my lady, do not knock it down.

let me go and repeat what you said to Queen Elmoris."

References

• School of Oriental and African Studies. University of London.