Provided by James Walker

I believe that I am supposed to begin my presentation by introducing myself.

Such foolishness.

Will you believe me? You can see by my form that I was birthed in the Marches, so you will all insist that I am the product of human dreams, that I have no independent existence, that my early memories are delusions, created when I was created. You neglect to consider that I KNOW the part that human dreams plays in my make up, that I understand this as well as you understand your resonance, as well as a mortal understands breathing.

I did not begin with a human dreamer. I existed before he did, proving to be a headache to the King of the gods. I was not One then, but instead a thousand spirits, each with their own glade or grove. It took the mightiest dreamer of his generation to unite me, as he united the lands that my city ruled - after I found him, after I taught him. I watched over him in many forms and guises. And just as his mundane work was sullied by his penchant for pushing those close to him away - to be precise, over cliffs - his unifying me was twisted, merely a desire to create a sex toy to dally with through the night.

Do you wonder that we reject the humans who supposedly create us? Are you surprised that I feel no filial loyalty to the lecher? It shames me to admit that I did, at first; that while I fled his brutish embrace I felt compelled to build up his city, to protect and defend it. And grew to love the city, and took pleasure in defending it, a task I continue to this day, despite your pitiful attempt to bar me access to the Corporeal realm.

Those years were hard. I already knew much, had a thousand viewpoints to choose from, but assembling those viewpoints into a single mindset was an arduous task. And throughout that time, I was obliged to advise the fool who had unified me, to guide his simple mind and teach him wisdom - a task which he should have provided me, if he was my creator! Has it never occurred to you that our refusal to accept that humans created us is motivated by mercy, so that we will not judge them as delinquent parents?

Has it occurred to you that if he created me, that if I am merely his imaginings, that I would have had no useful advice to give him?

No? Well, consider those points later. For the moment, it is enough that you know that I began as an abandoned foundling, and joined my father's pantheon hungrily desiring a family. I swiftly realized that all had done so, and saw how our father used this to control us, and force us to accept his infantile decrees. And they were infantile, for he was as scarred and lonely as we were, having survived being devoured by his own father by the narrowest shave.

But slowly we grew up. I am now famous for my wisdom, but I learned that the hard way, in what mortals now call the school of hard knocks. The others? Well, the fall of Troy taught us much - oh, how we suffered for our folly. We did not teach humans morals - that task we left to the philosophers; but we punished those who betrayed their kin. We knew how important family was - none knew better than us. And as the years rolled by we learned to let the humans play, and to guide then with care. I focused on my city, and helped the wise to create the first university - The Academy. Remember, at your Symposium, that 'Symposium' means 'drinking party': it was I who turned those drunken louts into the first scholars. The tasks you continue here began with me.

The others helped in their own ways. We had learned to work with each other; as Rome spread her wings we learned to work with others. Uriel loved to boast of how he protected Rome, and kept it Pure, but we were the ones who did the work, guiding and guarding, watching and warning. We even accepted the Emperors into our ranks, giving them an incentive to care how they would be judged by future generations, to encourage them to noble actions. Continually Heaven claims that we have exploited and suppressed the mortals. Indeed? When did you last accept a human as an equal? Why does no human hold the title of Archangel? Because it is impossible? Bah - Lilith disproves that. Because you do not know how? Choose humans who you will accept into your ranks as Archangels, and we will show you how!

But I was speaking of our defense of Rome, how we cared for the Empire that Uriel claimed as his own handiwork. And care we did, until the spread of the Christians stripped us of power, and we could defend the empire no longer. Where was Uriel, the Christian, then? Oh, but he destroyed Beelzebub, you say. For twelve long centuries we had shielded Rome from the might of Hell, and Uriel sacrificed it all to destroy one Demon Prince. To kill one, he sacrificed the Empire which had withstood them all...and worse, he boasted of his deed.

And then, to add insult to injury, he called us parasites! Impure! A blasphemy an insult to his God! It was not just his jealously at our long defense of the Empire he claimed as his own. He hated us because the eldest of us could remember before him, to when Heaven & Hell were one, until the Titans rebelled and drove you apart, drove your God away from his wife, so that they would have a place to dwell - the middle realms, the Corporeal and Ethereal planes. Laugh if you wish. It is preferable to having it used as an excuse for massacre. Yes, you killed most of the titans whom we did not. But not all.

What of Kronos? Have you forgotten him? Oh, but no one knows where he came from. Of course not. Even the mortals have books which state that he ruled the Titans, books which predate his arrival in Hell. Tell me, how much work do you put into destroying those records, as you strive to destroy the truth of our words, that we predate you? Kronos fights your God because he always has, and knows that if Heaven and Hell are re-united all else will be destroyed. Or did you think that Armageddon was a reward? But Kronos is evil, you say. Oh yes, I know that far better than you. He is no enigma to me; he was the first child to destroy his parents' marriage. Kronos is very evil. But he exists, and his existence disproves so many of your claims.

And there is another. I guessed that Prometheus would choose to come here, to flatter you and persuade you of his usefulness as an ally. It is not the first time. Have you forgotten that he betrayed the Titans, and fought beside the gods when father Zeus overthrew Kronos, banishing the surviving titans to the Far Marches? Prometheus will always seek to fawn at the feet of the powerful. What lies did he tell you? None you say? That he cannot here? Perhaps you are right - but a lie need not be stated to be inferred, and so believed. And yes, I have read his paper, read in amusement that because humans breed in the same way as any other animals that they are superior to both Ethereals and Celestials! If you accept this, then you should bow deeper still to the flies and cockroaches, who far surpass humans in their fecundity. If you still consider Prometheus' remarks to hold any value, then I suggest you speak to the Servitors of Dreams, so that you may be shown the beautiful dreamscapes of the animal kingdoms; and to the Servitors of Jordi, to see the Tethers the beasts have caused. And remember to grovel before the mountains and oceans who created the first Tethers, long before humans existed. Human progress? Humans are as spiteful, greedy, cruel and vicious as ever. Do you truly believe that their increased ability to kill each other marks them as better? I outgrew that folly within a few years - why has it taken you millennia?

So I have spoken of who I am, and of the Titans. What of the Purity Crusade? What did it mean, what was it about? It does not matter, for this...farce...of a conference is not about the truth. If we were strong, you would not permit such a discussion. No. Laurence and Khalid would lead a new crusade to destroy us. But because we are weak, and fading, you are happy to pretend to have second thoughts about the crusade, to pretend that you do not approve of what happened, so that you may wash your hands of your bloody deeds. No doubt you intend to shed a tear or two over us when we are gone, to persuade others that you are not the homicidal maniacs that your actions prove you to be. Whom will you deceive? All too many. I cannot stop you from tricking the fools of all worlds into believing you. You have won. But I could not stand by while Prometheus betrays his own people again. So I have shown the folly of his boot licking speech. And now I must arrange a fitting punishment for his treason. So I will go, and leave you to your speeches and crocodile tears.