A Creation Myth

This creation myth is popular among the humans of the north, Gaia and the islands surrounding it.

In the very beginning, there were the ancient ones. No one knows from whence they came or who created them. Many considered them the first gods, or powerful beings from beyond the stars, or sentient gatherings of great energy. It is said that they came to Gæa when the world was young. Some even believe that they created Gæa and some even take it further, saying they merged their energies and are Gæa. Whatever their origins or the exact way Gæa came into being, many religions reach the following consensus:

The ancient ones caused the basic components of life to exist on Gæa. Rain fell from the skies, to form rivers, which fed the lakes and oceans. Volcanoes spewed their fiery ash into the atmosphere, causing the precious elements of life to be spread all over Gæa by the winds. Bringing these elements together, the ancient ones caused the life force, which binds all things together, to take hold on Gæa. The binding created a life force so powerful that the basic four elements (Fire, Water, Air and Earth) became living entities at certain nexus points in the life force, taking on their own shape and wandering about through the world they found themselves to exist upon. These elemental were basic but powerful, capable of gentle movement or wanton destruction, the living embodiment of the four basic elements of life force.

Viewing their creations power, the ancient ones grew concerned. Perhaps had given too much of themselves. Whatever the reason, the life force running through the world was excessively powerful - many believed too powerful. They argued amongst themselves. Many left, believing their magnum opus ruined. Some remained and created powerful beings whom were instructed to take care of Gæa, create plants and animals and ensure the process of life continued - the elder gods. this task done, they left. Yet one ancient one remained. It watched as the elder gods dutifully performed the tasks set by their creators. They planted the forests with trees and plains with grass. They formed the animals out of dust and water and breathed life into them, but their attention was already wandering from the tasks set them.The elder gods begun to neglect their duties, growing bored and resentful of their burden. Disappointed, the last remaining ancient one decided to gift Gæa with a more dedicated set of caretakers.

Taking dust, fire and water, it created a race of wise, winged, fire breathing serpents, which became known as dragons. Yet working by itself, it was unable to gift the dragons with the innate powers which the elder gods had at their disposal. To equalize the balance between the elder gods and the dragons, the one who remained performed one last act before departing to join its fellow ancient ones. From the living rock at the centre of Gæa, it formed five jewels, each a powerful talisman unto itself. When combined, they allowed the dragons to equal the power of the elder gods. The jewels were of Gæa and by accepting them, the dragons became bound to the planet. Their race would flourish as Gæa flourished over the millennia that followed.

The dragons were excellent caretakers, careful of their duty to Gæa. While they did not create new species, they brought forth an age of harmony and balance upon the surface. The destructive elemental were subdued and encouraged back into their original, inanimate states. Yet the coming of the dragons left little to occupy the elder gods. In boredom, some began creating new, often bizarre creatures. As time passed by the elder gods creations became more and more bizarre as they strove to make creatures ferocious enough to destroy the creations of rival gods. Yet even the wise dragons could make mistakes. They had ignoring the elder gods for much of the time, only deigning to speak with them when it was absolutely necessary. Too late they realized the shortsightedness in not staying up to date with the elder gods doings. As time went by, many elder gods became as warped and evil as the creations which they spawned, until eventually the ultimate horror became reality - demons were set loose, to blacken the earth upon which they walked, warping the life force to release foul sorcery upon the inhabitants of Gæa. The age of harmony was over.

The dragons sought council with the elder gods who had not become warped by evil. They begged that something be done to destroy the demons. In an attempt to counteract the folly of their siblings, the elder gods came together and created a race of beings to destroy the demons - the titans. The titans were close to gods in power lacking only the ability to create life. They warred with their demon cousins upon the surface and were victorious. The demons that were not killed fled deep under the surface of Gæa where the titans would not follow. The gods who had turned to evil fled, fearing that they too would be slain.

But in creating the titans, the elder gods had not solved the problem, merely altered its nature. Arrogant after their victory, the titans believed themselves to be the equals of their creators. Pursuing this belief, many sought to prove themselves better than their masters. Unable to create life in itself, they refined existing species of animals leading to diverse offshoots from the original base species which the elder gods had created. Going one step further, the cleverest titans attempted to forge certain animals in their own images, forcing their bones into titan like postures and gifting them with intellect. Yet the people they formed retained many aspects of their original form. Thus were born the races of lizard men, orcs, crocodile men and many others.

Some titans had no interest in reworking the creations of the elder gods. Many spent their time in mock battles or searching out and slaying the monstrous legacies of the evil gods. A few even dwelt with the elder gods, many of whom were lonely after the exile of so many of their siblings, welcoming titans company. As time went by they mated and begot offspring - the younger gods.

Yet the titans were still not content, tiring of whatever had previously attracted their attention. They yearned for battle, the very purpose of their existence, and for power equal to the elder gods. Beholding the dragons and their powerful jewels, they became jealous, desiring the jewel's power for their own purposes. It was not long before they attempted to take the jewels from the dragons.

Thus began the god war, which raged for hundreds of years, until the numbers of the great dragons and titans were thinned to near extinction. Gæa suffered greatly during the war, which drowned the land in fire and spilled blood, sundered continents and tore great rents into the very fabric of existence, allowing exotic gods and creatures like humans, dwarves and elves to make their way onto the surface from their own worlds. As Gæa suffered, so did the race of dragons, for they were bound to Gæa. The great dragons became fewer and fewer, their offspring but a mere shadow of their forefathers in size, intellect and strength.

The younger gods had grown up during the god war and seen how it had all but destroyed Gæa, their birthright. While not powerful as great as their elder god parents, they were more numerous. The elder gods had done nothing to stop the godwar, rather encouraging the combatants. Fanning the flames when each side looked ready to call a truce and providing divine aid or retribution to ensure that both sides remained evenly matched while they enjoyed the spectacle from their palaces in the clouds and highest mountains. While the younger gods were not above sibling rivalry and their own hates and dislikes, they were able to overcome such childish folly and move against the elder gods, ousting them from power and forcing them to flee the surface of Gæa, to live in another realm, where their power to manipulate events on Gæa was rendered almost useless.

Without the elder gods intervention, a truce was called. The godwar which had almost destroyed Gæa was finally over, but at what a price. Great fire blackened deserts covered land where once lush forests and steppes had grown. Islands which were once mountain peaks were all that remained of some continents which had been drowned beneath salty waves and foul, unnatural creatures warped by sorcery, a vile titan magic, fed upon the carcasses of so many dead, whose spirits blew on the wind, unable to find rest.

In punishment for causing the war, the remaining titans were forced to leave Gæa and live in a place between places, a realm created during the god war, which linked Gæa to another world in another dimension. The dragons, much decimated from the war were allowed to remain, but were made to swear an oath of fealty to the younger gods as well as to never again unite their jewels, which they were allowed to retain and attempt to repair much of the damage caused by the war.

The younger gods now found themselves to be rulers of Gæa, free to walk the surface and reside in the palaces left by their departed parents. There was much work to be done, much to be repaired and yet much which could never be fixed. Sapient beings, both of Gæa and exotic were crying out for guidance, wishing to know why the gods had so punished them. Exotic gods needed to be dealt with, invited to join the younger gods or forced to return whence they came.