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The Creation of the World
In the beginning there was darkness. And before the beginning there was neither light nor darkness. The world had not yet been born, and where it would come to be there was nothing but the Void. But outside the Void there was the World Above where the gods lived. The gods were Talyra and Korosa, the Judge and the Ruler, Khardum the Crafter, Solspere the Sage, Varazlo the Mystic, Cao the Warrior, Amanta the Healer, Yoldana the Mother, Nirem the Jester, Utkozet the Crone, Izobranet the Whore, Obi-Kalum the Elder, Gruul the Reaper, Okeah the Destroyer and Elayrhen the Mistress.
During those early days the World Above was not the amazing place it is today. It was just an enormous plain where nothing grew. On this plain the gods spent their days fighting. The gods of chaos fought the gods of order and the gods of good fought the gods of evil. All gods wanted to create the world in their own image and all wanted to be alone in deciding how the world would look. Soon enough, the gods realised that none among them was strong enough to win their constant battles, and so it was decided to create a world and split it between them so each would rule a chosen portion of it. But not all the gods agreed to this.
The brothers Gruul and Okeah were determined to prevent the world from being created and battled the others relentlessly. Therefore Cao was sent to defeat the chaotic gods. Cao was the mightiest warrior of the gods, but the brothers fought with a ferocity that rivaled his own, and after nine days and nine nights of fighting the combined might of Gruul's Scythe and Okeah's Spear felled the brave warrior.
As the gods heard of his defeat Varazlo came up with a new plan. He used his powers to create a substance like no god had seen before and went to Okeah to show it. When Okeah saw this liquid substance which was both gentle and cruel, life-giving and drowning, seemingly chaos incarnate he knew that he wanted it, and when Varazlo promised that it would be his to control in the new world, he agreed to join the other gods in creation.
Gruul was now the only one opposed to creation, and Talyra went to do battle with him. Khardum made her a golden shield that Gruul's scythe could not penetrate, and she returned each of his blows against her shield with a strike of her blade. Gruul was strong, though, and one of his blows overwhelmed Talyra and she lost her shield. Gruul was ready to bring his scythe down on her when Korosa, who had been watching the fight from a cliff nearby, shouted a challenge to him. The Reaper and the Ruler engaged in combat and fought for hours. Though weary after his battle with Talyra, Gruul was still the strongest of the two but Korosa was more disciplined. Korosa continued to avoid his blows until he was too weak to hold his scythe and when he dropped his mighty instrument of destruction she cleft him in twain with her sword.
Now the gods were ready to create the world. A fire was built beneath an alter and Varazlo sacrificed Yoldana on it with his dagger but unbeknowest to the Mystic, he scratched his own flesh as well during the sacrifice though he knew not then the significance of this. From Yoldana's flesh the gods created the earth and from her teeth Khardum made the mountains. Varazlo made rivers of her veins through which her blood would flow and fill a great basin becoming the oceans and seas.
When this was done, Khardum found that the heat of Yoldana's body had set some of his mountains on fire, and from this burning rock he crafted a mighty torch. He then put the torch on the highest mountain so it could cast light on as much of the world as possible.. When the godly fire had been set in place, all the gods could see the beauty of the realm they had created. Elayrhen saw that most of it was bare so she used Yoldana's hair to create the grasses, bushes, flowers and all other plants. The plants were the first thing created in under the sun, and that is why they so love its light. Greatest among all of Elayrhen’s creations were the trees, and she gave them vast forests as their territory were they grew strong and tall ever yearning for more and more of the light from the heavens.
While Elayrhen was creating the trees, Amanta used her healing on the fallen gods, Cao, Gruul and Talyra. As Cao awoke from the closest an immortal gets to death he saw Elayrhen in the light for the first time and became the first person to fall in love. To please Elayrhen he created the animals as a gift for her. Elayrhen was first displeased because she saw that they ate both the plants and each other, but then she found that they helped the plants to spread and grow and she was very happy with her gift. However Cao, bloody and fierce, she didn't want by her side, and the Beastlord – as he came to be called – retreated to find new ways to woo her.
After the Creation, the gods knew the time had come to divide control of the world as they had planned. All the gods assembled in the World Above, from where they could see the whole of Alandria as the lands came be called, and drew lots to determine who would choose first.
Izobranet was first and chose bodily strength and power in war so not even Cao or Gruul would be able to beat her in physical combat. However, Izobranet also chose dominion over those emotions that are known as Evil knowing that through greed, deceit and lust she could gain what physical strength could not.
Utkozet came next. She knew that all living things would eventually die, and that it was only a matter of time before more creatures would be created by the other gods. Because of this she chose dominion over the dead, believing that with death she would gain more followers and become stronger than any of the other gods.
After Utkozet came Korosa who had bested Gruul just recently. She chose the raging fire as her domain, knowing that fire was the key to rulership, culture, organisation and power. Through tyranny of law she planned supremacy.
Next to choose was Gruul who had bested Talyra. The Reaper chose dominion over destructive strength so he could destroy what the other gods created and gain his revenge for his defeat.
After Gruul came Varazlo who chose to control the depths of the oceans and the knowledge that was hidden there. Through deep and secret knowledge Varazlo learned of the hidden ethers that permeated the world and how to bend them to his will.
Then it was Okeah's turn and he looked upon what had been created and was displeased. Where before had been the perfect Void was now a realm filled with mountains and forests and the all encompassing darkness was now pierced by light. Enraged at this he chose as his domain the waves and the wind that carried them hoping that by tempests and tidal waves he could bring an end to the world itself.
After Okeah came Solspere. Concerned that the knowledge in the sea would be reserved to the indifferent Varazlo who would only share it with his favourites, Solspere chose to carry Khardum's mighty sun-torch across the sky allowing it's light to fall on all parts of the world. This way he would see all and have knowledge to share with all the good people on the earth.
After Solspere came Talyra. She knew that Utkozet couldn't be allowed to hold power over death alone, so she chose death as her domain as well enraging the Crone who wanted the realms of the dead hers alone. Solspere immediately promised Talyra that she could have the rays of the sun to assist her in the battle against Utkozet.
Then came Khardum who chose the mountains and the earth as his domain. From their substance he knew he could craft great things which is what he cares about the most.
Khardum was followed by Amanta who saw all the life in the plants and animals in the world and found it beautiful. She chose life and healing as her domain to protect all that was living. The other gods were happy with this knowing that she would still be able to heal them.
Cao came next and chose the plains as his domain, along with the animals who lived there and the strengthening rays of the sun that fell on them unhindered by the shade provided by mountains and forests.
Elayrhen chose the plants as her domain as well as the animals of the forest which Cao had given her as a gift of love.
When Obi-Kalum stepped forward he pulled a stick with a bright ember from his cloak which he had gathered from the pyre of Yoldana’s Sacrifice. As he breathed on it, it flared up, but it didn't rage like Korosa's fire. This was the silent flame, of which only he knows the significance.
Nirem stepped forward as the last of the gods and asked what was left for him. The other gods could not name one single thing that wasn't already covered by at least one god, so he was allowed to take as his domain anything he discovered as he travelled the world that wasn't already taken. The other gods thought this was a very small thing, but it is said that Nirem smiled as he stepped back.
And so the gods went each to their realm. Korosa and Talyra went to rule the World Above, Khardum went to work in the mountains as a potter and a blacksmith, Elayrhen ruled the forests and Cao ruled the plains. Gruul continued to destroy what the other gods created and Izobranet continued to ponder how she could conquer all. In the oceans, Okeah and Varazlo settled, one into the silent depths and the other stirring the surface with chaotic storms. Solspere walked the skies at day, shedding light even in the corners where Izobranet would hide plotting, and his wife Amanta followed him so she could see if anyone needed her aid. Utkozet descended to the World Below to gather the souls that Talyra could not save. Obi-Kalum and Nirem both walked the world, observing. The former always unseen and the latter always appearing unexpectedly.
And the world was young and flourished.
(originally by Frorry, edited by Durgil)