The Holder of Reason

This Object is one of many which have been lost in time. Seeking such a thing is not relative to "WHERE can I find this" but more "WHEN can I find this". Be prepared for one of the most maddening journeys you have ventured upon. In any rural city or town, find a large wooded area and begin to explore. Do not bring a watch or time-telling device, your concept of time will be altered from henceforth. In your travels aim to become truly lost, throw away your sense of direction and walk until nightfall. Upon the sunsetting, proclaimed the phrase: "I have come to the reason of being!"

Don't worry too much if you rephrased it a bit, this does not matter to them in the long run. They have probably waited centuries to finally have a true Seeker in their midst. Close your eyes and lay down where you are. Sleep will swiftly follow, whether you like it or not. You will be plagued with vivid and lucid nightmares for what seems to be an eternity. You will snap awake on a floating landmass in an empty abyss. Remain confident and firm, wavering faith will cause the creatures in the shadows to sense weakness and move in for the kill. Unlike other trials, your death will be swift as if you were attacked by a normal carnivorous animal in your dimension. The ultimate price though, for dying at any point in this task, is the destruction of your immortal soul. No afterlife, no heaven or hell, just the end of your very existence. Walk forward on your floating path, taking care not to fall. Walk straight, do not venture to your left or right, you know the price you will pay. Look at your dominant hand, left or right. Whichever it is, put more effort into using the opposite leg, as the dominant leg will slowly overpower your weaker one over long-distance walking.

If you have heeded these instructions, then you will notice a glow in the distance. This glow will eventually grow and illuminate the entire landmass you have been walking upon. You should also notice that you have almost reached the end of the path you have walked, there being just a small trapdoor on a thinner section of the floating rock, seeming impossible to lead anywhere but the endless darkness below, but you should know by now, all is not as it seems. Enter and descend down the spiral marble staircase. As you move deeper into this lair the light which illuminated the entrance will soon be but a fond memory. At which point you feel your feet touch loose soil, stop and shout in the most demanding tone possible: "I wish to see what has already begun!"

Your path should appear in front of you as a long strip of tattered carpet with numerous hovering candles. At the end of this path, there will be two doors. The first is an escape from the seeking nightmare, you will awaken in a hospital bed with your family surrounding you; they start telling you about an accident that had occurred and how you had fallen into a coma. All of the Objects you have found up to this point, all the burdens and knowledge gained from the trials, will be forgotten and you will be free. The second door is far more sinister.

To open this, you must have endured all the previous Holder trials and obtained all the knowledge and Objects from each. Behind this door will be a deserted wasteland as far as the eye can see. No matter which direction you dare wander, there will be nothing, leaving you to die of thirst or hunger. If you look directly ahead of where you entered, you will see a lone figure on the dull landscape. This figure does not appear human; ignore it, as it is an illusion created to discourage the weak, forcing them to leave and take the other door.

As you get closer to the humanoid being, you will notice that not only is it completely naked but his body is different in certain aspects. His limbs will seem smooth as if there are no joints, muscles, or bones. His face will lack a nose and his eyes will appear as two sunken black holes above a mouth of jagged teeth, which is covered by a thin layer of fleshy skin. Though your trials have had you face off against more terrifying beings, his very existence will shake you to your core. You will instantly know he is not like the others, he is somehow a creature that transcends them all. He will turn to face you, smiling beneath his fleshy face, and stare deeply into your eyes. It is your choice to look at him directly or not, there are no punishments for either. But looking at him will make you feel somehow empty, like every Seeker quest was just delaying the inevitable feeling that there is no purpose to life other than its end. At this point, unlike the other Holders, you may ask him anything you wish. He will answer any question he has knowledge about, be it about his life or yours. The only way to end this conversation is to ask the one ultimate question: "Why?"

The being will sigh, that being his only interaction with another creature in several eternities. He will not describe all the wrongs of the world nor will he tell you of every sorry ever felt. He will simply reply thusly, "Because every living thing has evil in them." With that single sentence, you will understand his feelings. The Objects have always existed in some shape or form, merely shifting appearance to coincide with the reality they are in. His world had such Objects too, and he chose to use them to eradicate all evil from his dimension of existence, thus ending all life. With this, everyone's souls were free from the eternal cycle of living and suffering. After many millennia, he glimpsed at our world, full of chaos and evil intentions. He placed the Objects with Holders of his creation into our world to be obtained by one worthy, you.

With this, he will touch your hand, holding it gently, and lay one finger on your palm. You will slowly lose consciousness. You will awaken in a hospital bed surrounded by family. They will tell you about an accident which occurred and how you have been in a coma ever since. You will have lost all the Objects, but you will retain the knowledge which was passed down to you by the "Holder of Reason". Look at your palm, you will see a mark shaped like a circle with six spines spiking out of the center. This is the "Mark of the Shattered". With this, you have the choice of protecting or destroying.

You are Object 660 of 2538. Will you choose to protect all life in your plane of existence, flawed or not? Or do you choose to end the cycle of evil and suffering, just as I did before you? Heed my words, whether you choose to end it or not, I will destroy the evil that plagues your world, just as I purified mine.