r Mertra, this time imagining it as a mysterious ancient force or entity in a dark fantasy or mythological setting.

Mertra: The Silent Power Beneath the World

Introduction

Long before the gods walked the skies or kings ruled the lands, before fire was harnessed and stars were named, there was Mertra.

Not a god.
Not a place.
Not a name meant for mortal tongues.

Mertra is the force beneath the world — the silent breath of existence, the origin of magic, memory, and madness. For those who dare seek it, Mertra promises power beyond comprehension… and a price no soul can afford.

The Forgotten Force

In ancient grimoires and cracked tablets written in languages no longer spoken, Mertra is referred to only as “The Still Root”, “The Bound Flame”, or “The Eye Without Light.” Its existence is not taught but whispered — in shadows, in dreams, in the death-throes of prophets.

It is not worshiped. It is remembered.

The world itself, some say, is Mertra’s dream. Others believe Mertra slumbers deep beneath the crust of creation — a heartbeat buried in stone and silence.

The Cult of the Hollow Tongue

Throughout history, secret orders have formed around the belief that Mertra can be reached or awakened. The most feared among them is the Cult of the Hollow Tongue, whose members tear out their voices to “speak without sound,” believing that only silence can summon Mertra’s gaze.

Their rituals are strange and disturbing: blindfolded marches into ancient tunnels, sacrifices of memory, and the creation of cursed objects called Mertra  Echoes — fragments of thought made real through devotion and blood.

Few return from these ceremonies unchanged.

Mertran Echoes

Mertran Echoes are said to be artifacts that hold splinters of Mertra’s will. They take many forms: a stone that whispers your future, a blade that drinks shadow instead of blood, a mirror that reflects your fears, not your face.

They cannot be destroyed.
They cannot be explained.
They only appear — when Mertra wills it.

To possess one is to be marked — not blessed. Those who carry an Echo hear things. See impossible things. And slowly forget what it means to be human.

The War of Dimming Suns

Centuries ago, a great kingdom known as Avarenth rose to prominence on Mertran power. They unearthed a shard of Mertra’s presence — a relic called The Core Silence — and used it to fuel weapons and manipulate time itself.

What followed was not victory, but annihilation.

The skies dimmed. Suns flickered. Cities fell into their own shadows. Avarenth disappeared in a single hour, as if it had never existed.

To this day, cartographers still leave a blank space on maps where Avarenth once stood. The wind refuses to blow there.

Modern Legends

Though most have forgotten Mertra, its influence lingers:

• Children sometimes speak to empty corners and call them “the Quiet One.”

• Miners in deep tunnels hear songs in the dark — songs without words.

• Scholars go mad chasing forgotten footnotes that reference a source simply labeled “M.”

Some believe Mertra is awakening again. That our world — frayed with chaos, riddled with despair — is nearing a threshold. And when the veil lifts, Mertra will not rise in rage… but in indifference.

For what is one world to a force that remembers before the first dawn?

Conclusion

Mertra is not a being. Not a god.
It is the silence between thoughts. The chill behind every miracle.
It waits, patient and still, beneath the roots of the world.

And one day, when the final light flickers and the last voice fades, Mertra will open its eye.

And we will remember.