THE BOOK OF ODDITY
ECHOES FROM THE VOID
Prologue
Suddenly, daylight starts to flicker, the air is somehow moving and the world slowly seems to fall apart. The little girl in the red dress, who seems to follow him for quite a while now, is standing at the end of the corridor, waving at him, pointing to his hands. As he opens his left hand there lies a green pill in it. Now the girl is smiling at him and slowly starts to fade away.
After a moment of thought, he takes the pill and closes his eyes. As he opens his eyes again he stands right in the middle of a clearing somewhere deep in the woods. In the pale moonlight, he recognizes the silhouette of a creepy building at the end of the clearing. As he slowly crosses the clearing the contours begin to take shape and he realizes the old lodge, which he has already seen before in his recurring dreams. As he looks up to the sky it seems like the stars were starting to dance. Without hesitation, Oddward enters the old lodge…
Chapters
Chapter 1: ECSTASY OF SOULSChapter 2: THE MODERNIST
Chapter 3: AMBIENT STARS
Chapter 4: SPIRITUAL TRANSITION
Chapter 5: BATTLES BELOW
Chapter 1: ECSTASY OF SOULS
1. Pale Aurora And The Rhythm Of The Stars
Somewhere between time and space, Oddward comes to and, to his horror, realizes that he has now grown old. He is in a strange old lodge and overwhelmed by the fact that he has apparently missed his whole life. How could that happen? He tries desperately to remember his past, but it is terribly difficult for him. He stares morosely out of the window and looks out into the night, which is very clear and full of stars. And as he looks up at the stars, they suddenly begin to move slowly. It almost looks like they’re dancing to a strange rhythm. How is that possible? He closes his eyes and when he almost thinks he is asleep images come up in him. Memories from the past and pictures of a clear night sky full of stars and her… Aurora.
In his mind, Oddward relives that incredible night that he experienced many years before. Back in Skylightville, in that bar where he first met Aurora. In his memory they danced the whole night as if in a frenzy, and in the end all alone, outside under the starry sky. And it felt like they had danced to a mysterious song with the stars. A dance that should never have ended.
When Oddward slowly comes to, he tries desperately to escape into the comforting memory, but this slowly but surely threatens to fade away. As if in a fast run-through, Oddwards’ further life unwinds in front of his inner eye and he slowly threatens to lose sight of reality. His only ray of hope is the memory of that one night into which he takes refuge again and again.
2. Black Soul Mantra
Many years have passed since his romance with Aurora and Oddward leads a stable but rather unspectacular life. He is mostly alone and constantly brooding. He quarrels with himself and the decisions he has made and cannot get rid of the feeling that he has taken the wrong turn at some point in his life.
In order to find more to himself, Oddward embarks on a journey into himself and experiences an intoxication experience, caused by meditation or self-knowledge, which confuses and fascinates him as well. Charged with energy and knowledge, he already thinks he is at the end of his search for knowledge and now believes that he has found the essence. A big mistake as it turned out …
3. A Taste Of Fire
After his trip into his own soul, Oddward now indulges in unrestrained intoxicating substances. Like a driven person but full of energy he plunges himself into one state of intoxication after the other and takes great pleasure in the taste of “sin”. Even if he falls into deep abysses in between, he lets himself be seduced again and again. For the first time he hears a strange, beguiling voice, which again and again manifests itself as a ghostly figure in front of him. At first he believes in a pipe dream, but gradually he gets the feeling that this being is real and also wants to lure him into a trap.
Despite all the warnings, he lets himself be seduced by the promises again, as he hopes for the ultimate fulfillment through it. Finally, the seductress opens a mysterious portal of flames, behind which she promises him the discovery of the “golden essence”. Oddward hesitates briefly, but the temptations and the urge for knowledge are so strong that he accepts it, even if the flames threaten to burn him.
4. Waves Will Wash Away The Emptiness
He can’t remember it, but miraculously Oddward survived the fire and with it the intoxication. Burned out and powerless, he finds himself on a large, wide beach. The great open sea lies before him. At first confused by the scenery and also a little frightened by the vastness, he slowly finds pleasure in the peace and loneliness. In fact, the place reminds him of the beach at Skylightville, but everything here seems so deserted and somehow fallen out of time. There is not a single soul to be seen far and wide.
Increasingly he gets intoxicated by the rising wind and the slowly onset of rain. After all, the monotonous sound of the sea and the recurring wave movements ensure that all thoughts, all restlessness and also the last bit of euphoria dissolve in the sound of the sea and are carried away by the waves. Before the waves break over him, Oddward thinks he sees Aurora standing on the beach, or is it the mysterious figure again?
Chapter 2: THE MODERNIST
1. Lithium Dreams
After Oddward has been washed away by the waves of the ocean, he is in a dream state. Here he gets the clue to visit the city “Cloud Platoon”, in which, thanks to the modern technology that can be found there, he will make new, great experiences, he will be part of a large network and his wildest dreams will be fulfilled and he will thus experience self-realization.
This idea puts him first in a euphoric state. Towards the end of the dream, however, the disturbing feeling that not only good things will happen to him there, but also gloomy things will invade his life along with the many positive feelings. He just does not know which …
2. Low Level Lights
Oddward is initially still in a chamber in a troubled dream, where his mysterious voice advises him to continue dreaming because only here he can feel really safe and secure and it looks in the outside world/reality rather gloomy.
Oddward awakens awkwardly and he suddenly senses a change that has occurred during his dream state. At first, he fears that he has become blind, but realizes that it is only very dark and he is actually in the city of “Cloud Platoon”. He is alone in his room, he is disappointed and he hopes he will wake up in the presence of his beloved Aurora. With a heavy heart he can come to terms with the fact that this is now his reality and that he has to go on the journey, in search of himself or what he considers his reality. His mysterious companion, from whom he hopes at least a certain protection and who will show him the way, tempts him to venture out and reminds him that the eerie gloom that comes to him also comes from himself.
Oddward sets out to leave the room and immerse himself in the city, but first gets lost within the strangely many doors that lead him astray. A phenomenon, which he will encounter more often in this city. Finally, out there, he still has the hope of meeting somewhere on Aurora, but he begins to doubt more and more about his mission in this city. Gloomy clouds seem to grow more and more over “Cloud Platoon”. Oddward already suspects that he will not have much time here to find answers.
3. In A Room With Ghosts
Oddward is intrigued and at the same time a little scared through the streets of “Cloud Platoon”. More and more he realizes that the hoped-for positive development and the gain of knowledge in this city will not occur. The inhabitants seem to be locked up and suspicious and mostly hide in their apartments, from whose windows you can only see pale blue flashes of light flickering behind the curtains. Insecure, he goes into one of the houses and enters a room in which it seems to haunt and where he with his questions/calls in the dark room ends into no real answers but only ghostly “whine”.
The ghosts try to persuade him to lure them into joining them and thereby enjoy all the knowledge and conveniences he can imagine. Torn by the promises made by the mysterious beings, he senses how he threatens to lose himself in the clutches of the spirits and slowly fades his memories of his real “mission”. When one of these ghostly beings reveals to him that all beings in this city gradually become ghosts the longer they are here and that the city feeds on the life energy and the information of the spirits, he escapes from the house and sets off the search for the place “Sunset Park”, whose name whispered to him an inner voice.
4. Silent Screams At Sunset Park
After Oddward has received in the scary room with the ghosts the reference to the place “Sunset Park”, from which he hopes to get answers to his questions, he goes right there. Once in the park, he receives hints from his mysterious companion who warns him not to stay there too long and to remember the way exactly.
Oddward makes his way through the park and gets lost. More and more, he realizes that he is increasingly losing his bearings, both within the park and generally on his journey in this city. In the park, he only hears scary, low-pitched screams that further unsettle him, and everything indicates that he should leave this place as soon as possible.
In his further introspection and review of the previously disputed path, he finds that all his previous striving and diligent progress has not brought him much, and despite everything, he is alone and desires only salvation. His mysterious companion encourages him to do so and urges him to flee quickly to find the “holy yard” where he will find peace. A little resigned, but still happy to leave this scary place, Oddward sets out again. His journey doesn’t seem to end for the time being …
Chapter 3: AMBIENT STARS
After Oddward escaped from “Cloud Platoon”, he embarks on a long journey on the way to the holy garden. In a kind of meditative deep sleep, he recalls the events from “Skylightville” and his adventures around Aurora and looks at them from a new perspective. As a result, he sees many things that he experienced at the beginning of his journey, much more clearly in contrast to his state of intoxication at the time. He comes to rest inside and a warming contentment flows through him. A feeling of hope and optimism rises in him and he looks confidently on the way that lies ahead of him.
Chapter 4: SPIRITUAL TRANSITION
1. Illumination (the holy yard)
After turning away from the modern city (“Cloud Platoon”), Oddward finds the “holy yard” praised by Anima, where he hopes to find peace. It is a place of reflection, knowledge if not even enlightenment. Oddward finds himself again for the first time and enjoys reaching redemption in a spiritual way and is more and more in harmony with himself, the place and the people who live here.
The religious idea, the hope associated with it and the longed for peace of mind, trigger in him the highest feelings of happiness and let him gradually forget the dark events and memories from the past. He feels enlightened and strong in a way and is almost certain that he has found what he was looking for: illumination!
At the moment of enlightenment Oddward feels that this marks a turning point in his life, but the realization is clouded, because he already suspects that another rude awakening is imminent. At that moment Aurora appears before Oddward’s eyes as a kind of angel. Enlightenment reaches its climax, but not in the way Oddward imagined. The dark forces are noticeably forming, which Aurora also warns him emphatically.
Despite all the advantages and the supposed perfection of this place, the holy yard gradually turns out to be a kind of illusion. Oddward initially drew knowledge and energy here, but the sacred aura is getting more and more cracks. Much here is not always what it appears to be.
However, thanks to the experienced contemplation, Oddward feels stronger than ever before and is ready to face anything and everything. He is almost fanatical about it and notices himself that this is not a good thing. There is a certain inner turmoil here and Oddward is already preparing himself for a fight.
Oddward realizes that the flight into spirituality does not bring sufficient knowledge, let alone perfect peace. On the contrary, in the end he feels insecure and once again gripped by darkness.
2. Transition (Confessions of a nihil god)
In the course of his enlightenment, a new feeling spreads in Oddward at the same time, which he cannot initially assign and which seems strange to him. He then slowly falls into a kind of gloomy trance state in which he seems to ponder absently.
The voices appearing again and again (in his head) increase more and more and he even thinks he can feel physical changes in himself. A kind of gloom spreads within him, which seems to take hold of him more and more. In the course of this transformation, Oddward realizes that he is not who he thought he was. His identity is cracked. He realizes that Anima is no longer his companion, but that she is part of him. This realization initially throws Oddward off track and threatens to lose his mind.
Shortly before his ultimate breakdown, a divine figure appears to him, which makes him understand that he is not cursed or crazy, but that he has a special gift that sets him apart from most people. What exactly this gift is, however, is not clear, but it has to do with Anima, which he now partially sees instead of himself when he looks in the mirror.
Oddward accepts his fate and is relieved at this realization. However, he also realizes that he can no longer stay in this place. The “enlightened ones” are increasingly harassing him, who seem to see him as a kind of traitor who has desecrated their place. Thereupon Oddward plans his escape.
3. Rebellion (Annihilation Of Archaic Wisdom)
Unfortunately, Anima‘s premonitions have come true. While Oddward was still on his enlightenment trip, the other residents have conspired against him and are planning his capture. Oddward tries to escape, but a group of residents manage to capture him and put him in a kind of dungeon under the temple.
To his surprise, he finds that he is not the only apostate. An old, bearded man and a young woman who, like him, seem to have a special aura, were also imprisoned, but apparently a long time ago. The old man, who looks like an older version of Oddward himself, talks about his life experiences and encourages him not to let the situation get him down. The young woman who reminds Oddward of Aurora shows him the hopelessness of this place and urges him to flee with them.
Together they actually manage to leave the dungeon and the temple. On the way out, they are drawn into various fights with guards who have been waiting for them by the walls of the yard. When negotiating the outer wall, the group noticed that outside the walls there was almost complete darkness. The holy yard, on the other hand, shines in a white light and gradually dissolves into thin air the further you get away from it. When the young stranger takes his hand and tells him that she wants to fly to the stars with him, Oddward loses consciousness. When he wakes up again he is alone in his spaceship again.
CHAPTER 5: BATTLES BELOW
Oddward ends up in an underground place called “Lowfield“, a kind of tunnel system under the earth. Apparently, it’s mostly outsiders who live here – like him? – who have been rejected by the “normal world” or who do not find their way there or who have “revolutionary” thoughts. The place is dark and raw, the people here are very direct, warm and seemingly honest. All residents are very individual and idiosyncratic.
Oddward discovers a radio station that broadcasts the strange program “echoes from the void” which he receives over his radio from time to time. The group around this radio station seems to be on the trail of a “truth” that in their eyes turns the entire world view upside down and with the help of the radio station they want to enlighten or warn mankind or certain parts of it.
Through the radio show he also learns for the first time about an ominous band called “Kings Of Dark Desires”, whose dark music somehow magically attracts him. He quickly finds out that this band is also in Lowfield, so he goes in search of them. When he actually finds them, he has to realize that they are two strange characters who think they are kings of a lost world and somehow seem threatening or crazy to him. However, when he finds out that there are a striking number of parallels between the character they sing about in their music and himself and his story, he begins to doubt whether the two of them might not be that crazy after all.
Continuing his wanderings through the Lowfield Catacombs, Oddward finds an architectural drawing of Cloud Platoon created by a mysterious architect. Among other things, the plan refers to a special energy source (“The Path of the Dark Light”), with the help of which the city is miraculously supplied. It dawns on Oddward that there are more and more connections between the individual places than he first realized. Just as he feels he is about to unravel the mystery, he discovers he is being followed. His pursuer turns out to be some kind of double of himself, called “Walden” and that he has been stalking him since his ghostly encounter in Cloud Platoon. He seems to have an evil aura about him, but what exactly does he want from him?