Lex
This is the second book in the Sapientia Mysteriorum, detailing the fundamental Law of Draconia. This book, while received through Ptah's prophet, was largely dictated by Ra as he established the Order of the World.
Lex
Lex
Chapter 1
1 And it came to pass, in the beginning of all things, after Ra and Thoth had risen from the Sea of Chaos, that Ptah spake unto Ra.
2 And Ptah asked him, saying, "O, Ra, for thou art the God of Order, what is the Law that shall govern all things in Draconia?"
3 And Ra, whose face shone with the light of the sun, spake in a voice that was as a great obelisk standing alone in a vast desert, and he said, "The Law is my own. And I have given the Law that all things in this world, which is Draconia, shall be governed by the Law of Order, which is the will of the gods.
4 And I have given the Law that all things shall have a place in the cosmic scheme. And when a thing is in its proper place, there is harmony and peace, and all things work for a common purpose, which is the fulfillment of my perfect law.
5 And I have given the Law that all things are made with a purpose, and a purpose that is good. For it is not my will that anything in this world should be without purpose, nor that any purpose should be evil.
6 And I have given the Law that all things are made for the service of the gods, that all people may live in the Law and not in the chaos of Apothis."
7 Then Ptah, having heard these things, spake again to Ra, saying, "I have heard thy words, and thy words are good. But how shall the people of Draconia know thy Law, for their lives are short, and the world is wide."
8 And Ra spake, saying, "I shall give unto thee, Ptah, and unto thy prophets, the authority to give forth my Law, that it may be a light unto the world. And Apothis is not of my will, and he is a thing of chaos. And his will is against the will of the gods, and his purpose is against the purpose of my Law.
9 And so, Ptah, give forth this Law that all people of Draconia should strive to follow the Law of Order, and to reject the chaos of Apothis, that they may find a place in the glorious kingdoms of my brethren."
10 And Ptah, having heard these things, did command his servants to gather them into a book, that all people should know the will of Ra.
Chapter 2
1 And it came to pass that Ra, the Lawgiver, did turn His gaze upon the world that had been wrought, and He saw the power of the Æther, which was a wild and terrible thing.
2 And Ra spake unto Ptah, saying, "Behold, the children of Draconia are as children playing with fire. For the Æther, which is the fountain of all power, is a thing of chaos, and it shall bring to the world not order, but destruction."
3 "I have seen the hearts of mortals in the deep parts of their souls, and I know that they will seek to control this power for their own purposes, and in their seeking, they shall bring about a great calamity."
4 "Therefore, I command thee, speak unto my brother Thoth, the Lord of Intelligence, and he shall know my will, for his mind is keen. And he shall give forth the Law of Magic, so that the power of the Æther may be a blessing and not a curse."
5 And so, Ptah did go unto Thoth, and found him in the great library of his mind. And Ptah spake unto him, saying, "O, Thoth, Ra, thy brother, hath commanded me to come unto thee, that thou mayest give forth the Law of Magic. For the children of Draconia are not yet ready to handle the power of the Æther, which is a wild and terrible thing."
6 And Thoth, whose mind was a library of all things, did search his heart, and he said, "I have seen the end from the beginning, and I know the will of Ra, my brother. And the Law of Magic is this: No person, by law or custom, shall keep another from learning the Art of Magic. For the Law of the universe is that all people should be free to develop the skills I have given unto them."
7 "For this is a Law which I have given to the heart of every mortal, that they may seek knowledge and grow in power. To hinder this is to oppose the Law of the universe."
8 "And the second part of the Law of Magic is that a person's mastery of magic shall not give them a right to govern over another. For that is a Law that is contrary to the Law of the heart, which sayeth that all people are equal."
9 "For it is an abomination in my sight that one who is skilled in the arts of the Æther should believe themself to be a ruler over those who are not so skilled. All people are equal in the sight of the gods, and in the sight of the Law, and their gifts are but a part of the greater whole."
10 "And the final part of the Law of Magic is that the practice of magic should not be so regulated as to become a tool of oppression. For law that is used to oppress a people is an unjust law and is a thing of chaos."
11 "For a law that limits the power of the magician, is a law of order. But a law that is made to destroy a person's life is a law of chaos. The Law of Magic, therefore, is a law of freedom."
12 And Ptah, having heard these things, did say, "O, Thoth, Ra's will is with thee. For thou hast given unto the children of Draconia a way to learn magic that is not oppressive. Thy law is the law of Ra, and it shall be made known to all people."
Chapter 3
1 And it came to pass that Ra, the Lawgiver, did look upon the world, and He saw the gods whom He had brought forth and their labors in the land.
2 And He saw that each of the gods was working in his own way, and that they had not yet received the dominion that He had created for them.
3 And Ra said unto Ptah, "Behold, I see my brethren, and they are like unto a people who are given a purpose, but are not given a name. For they have not yet received the offices that I have created for them."
4 "Therefore, I will now give unto them their dominion, and they shall be made to be the rulers of the world that I have made, each in his own way."
5 And Ra spake again unto Ptah, saying, "Go, command thy Prophet to write down the words which I shall now give thee, and thou shalt make them known to all my children, even unto the gods themselves. For this is my Law of the Gods."
6 And Ptah did share these words, as Ra spake them, saying:
7 "Osiris, my son, thou art the god of life and of death. Thou shalt hold the keys of the Offering Fields, and thou shalt sit in judgment upon the souls of all people, and thou shalt be the one that gives unto them a life eternal.
8 "For even as the world is given a law that is not to be broken, so is the heart of every mortal. And so, when the days of a man are finished, and his breath is gone from him, he shall appear before my son Osiris, that he might be judged.
9 "And the soul of a man shall be weighed upon the scales against the Feather of Ma'at. For the Law of Ma'at is a law that is pure and is a law of truth.
10 "And if the heart of a man be true, and he has walked in the Law of my will, he shall be given his reward in the Offering Fields, which are beyond the Mountains of the West. But if his heart be not true, his soul shall be consumed by the monster Am-mit, and he shall cease to be.
11 "And Anubis, my son, thou art the god of justice. Thou shalt be my eyes and my ears in the world of the dead, and thou shalt lead the souls of all people to the judgment of my son Osiris.
12 "Thou shalt also have dominion over the mortuary rites and the sacred ceremonies that are performed for the dead, that they may be made worthy to enter the judgment of my son Osiris, who holds the keys of the Offering Fields.
13 "And Isis, my daughter, thou art the goddess of magic and of mercy. Thou shalt be as a mother to all the people, and thou shalt protect them from the powers of chaos and from all things that are evil. Thou shalt also have dominion over fertility and the power of love to bring new life into the world.
14 "And Thoth, my brother, thou art the god of knowledge and of intelligence. Thou shalt be as a master to all my people, and thou shalt bring unto them the knowledge of the universe, and thy law shall be a law of freedom.
15 "And Set, my son, thou art the god of the desert and of strength. Thou art a strong sword in my hand, and thou shalt be the one that defends the world from the forces of chaos, and from all that is a threat to the Law of Order.
16 "And Hathor, my daughter, thou art the goddess of love and of motherhood. Thou shalt be as a guiding light to my people, and thou shalt show them the way to the joy of love and of family."
17 "Thou art also the one who shall have dominion over music and dance, and the things that are beautiful, so that my people may find joy and pleasure in the world that I have made.
18 "And Bast, my daughter, thou art the goddess of protection and of vengeance. Thou shalt be as a shield to my people, and thou shalt protect them from all harm. Thou shalt also be the one that punishes all things that are evil.
19 "And I declare unto thee, Ptah, that I have given each of my children dominion over the world that I have made, and their Law is the law of my will. And they shall be the ones that hold the keys to all the world."
20 And the Prophet, having heard these things, did say, "And many other things did Ptah show unto me, but He also gave unto me a commandment that I shall write no more concerning this part of the Law, but that certain things may be revealed by other gods pertaining to matters over which Ra has given them dominion."
Chapter 4
1 And it came to pass that Ra spake unto Ptah, saying, "Behold, I see my children of Draconia are given in marriage, but their hearts are troubled. For they do not know the Law of my will, and they are confounded by the laws of their own making."
2 And Ra, whose heart was filled with love, spake unto Ptah, saying, "I have given unto them the Law of Order, but I have not given them the Law of the heart, which is a Law that is difficult for them to know."
3 And Ptah, having heard these things, did say that Ra should give forth this Law.
4 And Ra said unto Ptah, "Go, speak unto my daughter Isis, for she is the goddess of marriage and love, and her heart is pure. She knows the Law of the heart, and she can teach them my will."
5 And Ptah did go unto Isis, and found her in her temple, and he spake unto her, saying, "O, Isis, Ra, thy Father, hath commanded me to come unto thee, that thou mayest give forth the Law of the heart to the children of Draconia, for they are troubled."
6 And Isis said, "I have heard the words of Ra, and I shall give forth this Law. And the first Law of the heart is that the man and the woman shall cleave unto each other, and they shall be as one in their love.
7 And the second Law of the heart is that the love of a man and a woman shall be a holy thing, and it shall be a blessing upon them.
8 And the third Law of the heart is that the man and the woman shall be of one heart and one mind, and they shall not speak falsehood to each other. For a house divided against itself cannot stand, and a heart divided against itself cannot have love.
9 And the fourth Law of the heart is that the love of a man and a woman shall endure throughout all their lives, even unto death, and beyond.
10 And the fifth Law of the heart is that no person shall take the love of another by force, nor by deceit. For love that is not given freely is not love, and it is a thing of chaos.
11 And Ra, having heard these things, did say, "This is my Law of the heart, which I give unto all people. And Ptah, my brother, shall command his prophet to make it known to all people."
12 And Ptah spake again to Ra, saying, "O, Ra, for thou art the God of Order, what is the Law of those whose hearts are not of a man and a woman?"
13 And Ra spake, saying, "The Law of the heart is the same for all. For love is the only thing that matters, and love is of the will of the gods. I have given the Law that all people shall be of one heart and one mind, and shall be given to the love of another in accordance with my Law of the heart. For there is no male nor female in love, but only two souls that have found each other. And no one shall be made to feel shame, for I have created them as they are, and my creation is good. And it is a thing of chaos to say that my creation is not good."
14 And so, Ptah, give forth this Law, that all people may find love, and find a place in the glorious kingdoms of my brethren.
Chapter 5
1 And it came to pass that Ra, the Lawgiver, did look upon the world, and He saw the people in their wanderings, and He knew that they required a law.
2 And Ra said unto Ptah, "Behold, the people of the world, and they seek for a law by which to guide their lives, and a way by which to find my favor."
3 "And I will give them my Law, but I will not give it in a single book, but it shall be given to the people in many ways, that they may find a path to me."
4 "Therefore, I shall give unto my children, even the gods themselves, the authority to establish the Law in the world, each in their own way, and each to serve a purpose that is holy."
5 And Ra spake again unto Ptah, saying, "Go, and command thy Prophet to write down the words which I shall now give thee, and thou shalt make them known to all my children, even unto the gods themselves. For this is my Law of the Holy Orders."
6 And Ptah did share these words, as Ra spake them, saying:
7 "I declare unto thee that I have given unto each of my children a sacred trust: to govern the people that do cleave unto them, and to give unto them a way by which to find their peace and their prosperity."
8 "And each of the gods shall establish a Holy Order in the world, by which their followers may be known. And this order shall be a city of refuge for them that are in need, and a school for those who would learn a truth that is beyond the understanding of mortals."
9 "And there shall be a High Priest to govern each of the Holy Orders, and this High Priest shall be a voice for the god that he serves, and a leader for all the people who do cleave unto him."
10 "And each of the gods shall establish a council to assist the High Priest in the administration of the Holy Order. And this council shall also act as a governing body in the absence of the High Priest, and it shall have the duty to find and appoint a new leader when the office is vacant."
11 "And the governing council of each Holy Order shall choose a new High Priest and shall anoint and ordain them in their office."
12 "And I declare unto thee that this is my Law of the Holy Orders, and it is a law that is not to be broken, but that is to be upheld by all of the gods, even unto the end of the world."
13 And the Prophet, having heard these things, did say, "And many other things did Ptah show unto me, but He also gave unto me a commandment that I shall write no more concerning this part of the Law, but that certain things may be revealed by other gods pertaining to matters over which Ra has given them dominion."
Chapter 6
1 And it came to pass that Ra, the Lawgiver, did look upon the mortal world that He had made, and He saw that the life of the children of Draconia was short, and that they feared death, for they knew not what came after.
2 And Ra's heart was moved to have pity on them, and to give them a law by which to guide them in the final moments of their mortal lives.
3 And Ra called unto Ptah, saying, "Go, and speak these words to thy Prophet, so that they may be written down. For I shall give unto my children a law concerning death and the life that is to come."
4 And Ptah did share the words of Ra, saying:
5 "Behold, I declare unto thee, O people of Draconia, that there is no death, but only a change in the state of being. And the life of a mortal is but a journey from the world of the living to the world of the dead, a passage from one plane to another."
6 "And I declare unto thee that I have prepared for thee a world to come. And this world shall be called the Duat, and it shall be a place of both peace and peril, a reflection of the cosmic duality of Order and Chaos which is the very fabric of existence."
7 "And I declare unto thee that I am the King of the living and the dead, and my dominion over both realms is everlasting. For I am the beginning and the end. But as a man appoints a steward to care for his house, so I shall appoint a god to be my steward over the realm of the dead."
8 "And I have chosen Osiris to be this god, for he is the most just and merciful of all the gods, and his heart is filled with compassion for the mortals that have departed. He alone can judge the souls with perfect understanding."
9 "And I declare unto thee that Osiris shall be the final Judge of all the dead, and his word shall be Law in the Hall of Truth, and there is no one, neither god nor mortal, who may appeal from his judgment, for his decree is the highest authority in the realms of the dead."
10 "And I give unto Osiris the sacred duty to judge every soul, whether they be righteous or wicked, and to mete out to them a reward that is just, and a decree that is merciful, for his judgment is a mirror of my own perfect balance."
11 "And I declare unto thee the three stages of the Judgment of the Dead, as it shall be done in the Hall of Truth in the Offering Fields, where Osiris shall sit upon his throne. For around him shall be the twelve wise judges of the dead: Anubis the Just, Thoth the Wise, Isis the Merciful, and Nephthys the Protector; and with them shall sit Shu, the Ancient Wind, and seven other judges chosen from the most righteous souls of the Offering Fields."
12 "The first judgment shall be a judgment of justice, and it shall be given to the soul by Anubis, my son, and the god of justice. For he shall weigh the heart of every person against the Feather of Truth, and he shall pronounce a judgment that is true and without partiality, for his is a justice that sees only the truth of a person's deeds."
13 "The second judgment shall be a judgment of mercy, and it shall be given to the soul by Osiris, my son, and the god of mercy. For he shall look into the heart of every person, and he shall know the hidden sorrows and the pains that have afflicted them in their lives, and he shall find compassion in his heart, for he is a judge who knows both pain and love."
14 "The third judgment shall be a final judgment, and it shall be given by Osiris, who shall bring together the judgments of justice and mercy, and he shall make a final decree that is both just and compassionate, for his word is the ultimate synthesis of all things."
15 "And I declare unto thee that this is my Law of the Afterlife, and it shall be a comfort to the living, and a hope for the dead, until the end of the world."
Chapter 12
1 It came to pass, in the dawning of the world, that Ptah looked upon the dragons, which are the most ancient of all the children of the elements.
2 And he saw that their will was their own, and that they had not been fashioned to be servants to the gods, nor to any mortal nation upon the face of Draconia.
3 And Ptah spake unto Ra, saying, What is thy will concerning this mighty people, for their power is great, and if they be not governed, they shall surely bring forth chaos in the land.
4 And Ra spake, saying, The dragons shall not be governed by the laws of mortals, for their souls are of a different fire, nor shall they be governed by the will of the gods.
5 For it is my will that the dragons shall govern themselves, for in their self-governance shall they learn the true nature of order.
6 Ra spake again, and gave them a new law, that the dragons shall be autonomous in all things, save when they enter into the service of a mortal nation.
7 And Ptah said, These are the laws of the Order of Dragons, which Ra hath decreed for the governance of all dragons in Draconia.
8 The order shall be governed by a vote of all dragons, and that vote shall be the law. In all matters, the will of the dragons shall be known and that shall be the law.
9 And Ptah said, There shall be one chosen from among them, who shall be called the Chairman of the Order of Dragons. His word shall be the final word in the daily enforcement of the law, and he shall be a protector to all dragons.
10 And when a dragon has transgressed against the laws, he shall be judged by a jury of dragons, who shall hear the matter and make their judgment. For judgment shall be held only among equals.
11 In this way, shall the dragons have their own kingdom, and they shall be a people unto themselves, and their law shall be a law of their own.
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