The Spindles: Origin Story III

Art by Juan Ochoa

The psychic scrolls in the archives of the Imperial Sibyls of the Red Moon record that the first Spindle appeared shortly after the death of Glorious First, the Imperial Sovereign who founded the Empire. In accordance with her wishes, Glorious First was buried within the vast Krellic machine labyrinth under the surface of Altair IV.

The whispering Anapa prepared her body for its final rest. They then awakened the Stasis Vault Apparatus, which would extend and preserve her remains throughout all time (eternal now, past, and present). Next, the Anapa cast the charms required to summon and bind the Horrors who would stand watch, hungry and aware, at the tomb of Glorious First throughout eternity. Once the spells were cast, the Horrors were always-already there.

Their tasks completed, each member of the Anapa delegation departed through one of the hundreds of Gates beneath the surface of the Eagle King's world. Each one returned to its own private sanctuary realm. There was once again silence on Altair IV.

But less than a day later, a psychic alarm reached the sibyls' monastery on Red Moon in orbit far above. The Imperial Sibyls, charged with maintaining a watch on that ancient fourth planet, learned of movement from within the tomb of Glorious First.

Her Stasis Vault Apparatus had yielded to something. The tomb's great Time Portal irised open. Something glided out of the tomb. It moved past the Horrors, and made its slow, gliding ascent to the world's surface.

The Sibyls descended and wait for it, magics and psychic sutras readied. At a surface shrine of The Charioteer - some  forgotten star-king or space-god - they welcomed the Spindle. The sibyls found the Spindle to be psychically null, its mind a cypher entirely closed to them. But it could speak, and they soon found a common tongue in which to converse.

They made their proper introductions.

The Spindle soon made its intentions known. It requested an audience with the new Imperial Sovereign on the Throne World of Altair III. The Sibyls assented to the request.

Their reason was simple: they recognized something about the Spindle. Its ocular aperture looked just like the large ruby ring-stone worn by Glorious First.