Eden

As the island villages grew and prospered, Iena pondered on how to best protect her followers. She also found that, as many mothers do, she felt a brooding and yearning for a child of her own flesh and blood. These two thoughts were not mutually exclusive.

From the winds and breezes she moulded 10 figures. These children were formed to be similar to humans, but taller, swifter, and stronger with an impressive set of wings, and took on the translucent appearance of their mother. She gifted them with the ability to manipulate the air to attack and defend. They were to act as protectors of her followers and senteniels of the island. Iena named them the Sylkyr.



On a mild evening in the central village, Iena's raven circled overhead to beckon her followers. She appeared before them with her children.


"Allow me to introduce you to your new protectors. The Sylkyr will be your protectors and your direct connection to me. They are fierce warriors and are loyal to me and my followers. Please do not fear them as they are your brethren. The Sylkyr are small in number and are unable to procreate, however they possess great strength and longevity. As a way to strengthen your bond, the most devout of your children will be initiated into their order each year. They will be trained and raised amongst them and will eventually take on their forms"

A so it was that the first new people were born, not natural humans but beings brought into the world through the raw power of the divine.

The wind goddess had given her people something truly extraordinary, something not seen in many of the previous ages. Not just a new people but a way for mortals to reach an aspect of divinity. Their own children could become one of the angelic like beings that were the direct children of their goddess in a way the humans could not.

There were no shortages of offerings yet only a lucky few were chosen, still it was a sizable number indeed given the sheer volume of children who were put forward. It became common practice for every families first born child to be groomed by the temple for such an honour.

This lead to the creation of a new social class, a generation of children raised as priests in essence. Learning how to be as close to their god as possible but were not chosen, though clearly had a level of holiness about them that raised them above others.

Soon every village had a small temple which was filled with young, bright eyed child and teenage priests who acted as religious council to the various communities. It did not take long for this to evolve into a fully organised religion with them visiting houses, offering blessings and prayers and supported by the donations of the community.

In time a new government rose up around this, essentially forming a government were all decisions were passed and made in these temple halls by the holy ones.

They in turn acted as the bridge between the two people after all, who better to understand the Sylkyr than those who very nearly had become them.

As for the Sylkyr themselves, they choose a more solitary existence. They built small settlements in the woods, living in the trees above the grounds or in the mountains themselves. Their unusual nature making them feel uncomfortable in the villages at times, more eager to roam and sweep across the land but retreating to their monastic culture in secluded places. The holy ones would venture to their dwellings on pilgrimages to offer food to them and be updated on the land. In no time at all, the island had become a paradise of people living in harmony with the land.

On rare but not wholly uncommon occasions, groups of the Sylkyr could be seen flying over head, performing unusual displays or just soaring above the land.

In their monasteries they choose to live lives of contemplation and study, devoting themselves to writings and thought. Those writings quickly spread through the people as holy texts which were slowly being compiled by the holy ones into perhaps the worlds first book of philosophical thought.

However the Sylkyr also prayed, one among them, by the name of Sarenia had become an unofficial leader of sorts to the Sylkyr and she prayed hard. In it she begged her goddess for guidance, the people had begun to ask questions of morality and what was right, what was not. Sarenia asked her goddess for guidance so she could talk to the people and aid in the structure of their lives.

As for the people of wind, they had multiplied extensively and their new village on the main land was doing well. Aided by flights of Sylkyr carrying over resources and supplies. Soon a second village had emerged but both were heavily guarded by Sylkyr as the main land was dangerous. Bandits and wild animals were more common but none could match the Sylkyr.

(Iena moves to rank 2 in belief, Map updated)



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Since he was as shifty and as unpredictable as, well, the water, Ahrimas was starting to get bored with humankind… again. He wanted something new, greater, something able to entertain his spirit.

His subjects were feeling that change in their god’s mood and were frightened thinking of what he could do to them in just a matter of seconds and how he could destroy everything they have built. Their fright seemed disgusting to Ahrimas and thus he assured them he wouldn’t harm them as long as they will continue to serve him and his desires. He let them know that he still wants them to expand even faster and even more vigorously, so every mortal would know about his greatness.

At the same time, an idea was starting to grow in his mind and that idea was his only source of joy at that time. He was thinking on creating a new race of subjects, who would better reflect his image as the mighty god of waters. And so, he began working on a race of underwater people, who would end up being very different compared to the humans and also superior to them.
At first, he created a man and a woman who would start to procreate afterwards. Their eyes had a glacier blue shine and were also visible at night, while their skin was white as the sea foam. They were perfectly able to live underwater, as they didn’t need to breathe in order to survive. They were stronger and taller than any human and they could only communicate by looking at each other, because Ahrimas didn’t give them the gift of speech.

These first two underwater people had also telepathic abilities which they would eventually pass to their offsprings but on a less advanced scale, ending up by disappearing as new generations emerged. Their speed underwater could easily compete with the fastest underwater creatures and if one of them tried to attack them, they were able to kill them by draining all the water from their bodies. On the other hand, they had less feeling and a stronger survival instinct than humans.
Ahrimas’ command to them was loud and clear: they were supposed to start an underwater civilization that would eventually be the greatest civilization ever known by humans. And so, the underwater people, that Ahrimas named Afarians started to build underwater cities and all was happening with an incredible speed. He also spoke to them about his Hydra, which would punish each and every one of them who would ever think of rebelling against their god.

The encounter of the Afarians with the humans worshipping Ahrimas happened quite soon and it surprised them. At first, they accidentally killed a few humans, but then Ahrimas made them aware that they were in front of an allied species, even though a weaker one. And so, the Afarians started to live in harmony with the humans and some of them even bred with the humans.
Seing all this, Ahrimas was satisfied because things weren’t as predictable now as they used to be when only humans were worshipping him. He knew, though, that he would have to find new ways of entertaining himself soon, because his excitement would not last for too long.

Iena's first was simply the first of many it seemed as only moments later the Lord of the Depths summoned forth his own people made in his own image.

Still, that was where the similarities ended. Where Iena's people had been made to work with humans and create a cooperative relationship, the Afarians however were made to be in competition with humans and even his own followers understood this simple fact.

They were strong and powerful, dangerous even to those who got in their way. The first humans they encountered had been turned into dried up husks as all the water was drained from their bodies from the mouth like suckers on the Afarians hands. Still, while their god commanded peace the humans knew they were being tested. They doubled their efforts to expand and try and out perform their gods new children as they knew that if they did not work for their gods approval they would loose it. Their god did show them enough favour though even if they did have to share the waters now.

It was obvious to all though that the Afarians were the new kings of the water, their bodies perfectly suited to it. Their underwater settlements were simple to construct and required little effort as there was not a great deal of weather at the lower parts of the ocean. The first two became the King and Queen of the new race and their spawn who bred faster and lived shorter than the great original progeny lived lives similar to humans, leaning to speak unlike their telepathic King and Queen.

Their society was a harsh one, purity to the King and Queens Bloodline which they all spawned from defined them, those who showed traits in keeping with either one were prized. Males were expected to take after the King, the patriarch of the species. Strong and fierce, prized more for power than intelligence as the King rarely communicated with anyone, the Queen speaking for him often. Females were prized more for their cunning and intelligence, odd bouts of telepathy were not common but not too rare either among females and those were prized even more.

The underwater society was an unusual contrast to its above water brethren, where the humans of Ahrimas were patriarchal with a male run society. The Afarians were matriarchal with a female dominated society. The society was more equal under water as men were prized as soldiers, guards, hunters and breeders where as the human wives were just... wives in many cases. Still, it was the female Afarians who decided who got to breed with who, which bloodlines would continue and which males would not be allowed to breed at all.

It lead to a very ruthless society, with it's own form of eugenics in trying to perfect their people who expanded quickly under water as the had an abundance of food with no competition of any kind. They established no on land settlements but they did have various establishments on the islands and coastal human towns where they often surfaced, traded and discussed the politics of the land with the humans.

While the competition between the two was obvious to each, surprisingly there was little tension. For now at least, both were content and happy with their domains. The humans claiming the land, the Afarians claiming the water. Each claiming new territory for Ahrimas.

(Ahrimas moves to level 2 belief, map updated)



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When the fire god wished to almost literally know the secrets of creation, she let out a little chuckle. "You use terms of endearment, brother, then seek knowledge that might help you displace me. Still, I will answer your question, other than the fact that it is my very purpose.. I do not have another domain to retreat to. The earth is my domain. I wish it to thrive and to be healthy and happy.. As to how I do such things, brother.. It is simply what I do." She exhaled a sigh in the stifling heat of his domain and simply grew a small plant in the palm of her hand. It was a single rose that she plucked, roots and all from her hand and offered to her brother. The rose's coloring mimicked fire, blue at the very center, then red, and orange, and the outermost petals were yellow. It seemed to be more thorns than leaves and it all seemed to be coated in a rather thick waxy substance. "This will grow well in the heat of your mountain, brother, but it is not terribly useful for much other than being pretty. If my answer of your question has satisfied you and our deal for an exchange of knowledge can be struck, seek me out. If such is not the case.." There was a shrug of her shoulders. "Enjoy your flower. But I wish to leave this place. It is most unpleasant." Her leaves were drying out! Without much further ado, she vanished from the fire domain and returned home.

Some time after she arrived home, another brother reached out to her. The god of spirit, offering to demarcate her borders for her while preparing for war himself, though he was quite some distance from her people's homes. "I will think on it, brother."

And think on it she did. Brooding a bit while she examined what the other gods had done with their people and how they instructed them to behave. It was concerning really. Enslaving those that didn't worship as you worshiped, preparing for war, pitting people against one another. So as she retreated into the earth, she began to think that perhaps her people needed protection as well, not from ideas, but from overzealous adherents to other gods. Though those adherents were not yet an actual danger to her people. She thought better of an army or something that might be watched, and instead was inspired by another creation, the lowly earth worm that helped aerate the soil so that plants might more easily grow. She created a long segmented creature with many rows of large plates of teeth that were used for grinding and crushing rock that it fed on. The minerals from the rock then deposited on its outer segments, essentially creating articulated armor segments. These she sent North from her people, mostly to aerate the soil toward the mountains, but there might have been other motives for sending the subterranean beasts in that direction.

She did not neglect her children, though, and made sure to visit often when her daughter, Vynnie, was in a particular village to ensure that the people knew Vynnie carried her mother's will. She had her people spread out and explore the vast forest they had settled, and she had Vynnie teaching those that sought to learn from her, the medicinal uses of the plants around them so that they might better survive any diseases that cropped up. A few that followed Vynnie almost like groupies and prayed to Vynnessia each morning as Vynnie did, began to receive blessings from their goddess, allowing them to do some of the things that her daughter could do, but only when they were truly one with nature.

After some deliberation and a fair amount of time writing down some of her thoughts on her very own bark in the language of the gods, Vynnessia finally answered Aegis. "Brother, I shall not purposely invade land that you feel is rightfully yours, but nor will I tell my people they cannot traverse to the mountains or past them if they wish to do so. I shall have to deny your suggestion, because even now, there are foreign footfalls upon the westernmost area you have seen fit to allow me to possess. I shall finish with this.. I do not believe your people have anything to fear from my people."

It seemed the bright light of hope the new age held that war between the gods might be avoided this time around had been snuffed out, or at least it seemed that way. Despite Vynnessia's efforts the other gods seemed intent on power struggles and with no deals struck perhaps war was one day inevitable.

A new and mighty creature had been created but this one was the first one that had just been let loose into the wild and not tamed by the people of any particular god. That being said how one tamed a giant worm that could burrow into rock was something only the gods knew or perhaps didn't know.

They spread quickly and easily, with an abundant food source and absolutely no predators of any kind it was easy for them to spread among the mountain ranges. They spread through the earth like the roots of a tree, carving out paths and following the spine of the mountains to the spaces between the Lord of Dreams and the Tree Mother. They had turned the mountains into a honeycomb of sorts and while the weren't directly dangerous, there was nothing to stop them simply eating anyone who wondered into their tunnels by mistake. Or being drawn to the vibrations their footsteps created. They were naive beasts that simply did not have the mental capacity to realize how dangerous they were.

Not that any of that mattered to Vynnessia's people as they stuck almost exclusively to the forests with few exceptions. It made their expansion swift and easy as they did not have to venture far from each other and their social structure and culture was heavily adapted to forest living now. Only out lying villages on the outskirts of the forests were not truly part of the culture and even then, most of those existed for limited trade purposes.

They had homes in the trees, on the ground and high up in them. Warriors who were as one with nature as those who worked the groves and orchards for food. That being said a new cultural class was forming, or attempting to anyway. Vynnie had her disciplines who ardently tried to emulate her power and ways.

Vynnie could not travel anywhere without a large bastion of people who prayed with her, gave her gifts or just followed her and preached to any new village they encountered. They learned how to tend to animals, herb and plant lore but also the ways of their god. They had in essence become druids, priest like group that was starting to be seen as a religious authority. They could not emulate her powers yet but their level of knowledge was divine enough for many who met them. Several broke off to wander as Vynnie wandered about and soon enough the forests were slowly being filled with wandering druids.

(Vynnie moves to level 3 belief power. Map updated)



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Monstrator Incaendium looked upon His people with approval, for they had done good in embracing His ideals. They were wise in realising that intellect surpassed all physical things, and that the only thing purely worth owning was one's own mind, for that could never be taken. He was sure that some of the other Gods would think Him cruel for His introduction of slavery into the world, yet it was only the proper way of things. Some needed a stern hand to be set upon the correct path, and what was Gods if not grand slave masters?

But He would only spend so much time on contemplating. There was much work yet to be done, and He had to speak with His people. It was as such that He approached the wise leaders of Pyre, taking part of their council as He often liked to do. Yet while He would often sit amongst them simply to listen and to offer advice and directions, today He would speak. His people, who had by now learnt the demeanour of their God, grew quite as they saw the purpose with which He entered their hall.

Before speaking, Monstrator plucked one of the many scrolls from His robe and held it up so that all could gaze on the blazing marks that adorned it.

“This is the secret that I will reveal to you today, My pupils. This the one secret which will enable the final step to differentiate you from the beasts that you once were! Come closer, come and see!” As the wise men and women came closer, Incaendium raised His other hand, and with a flash the writing on the scrolls lit up as a blossoming flame, and knowledge was bestowed on all that witnessed.

Suddenly the writing upon their God's robes seized to be meaningless adornments, for all present saw the wonder that stood before them.

“This, My students, is the alphabet. With this, all words may be recorded and written down. I am sure that you bemoan when the wisest amongst you leave this world, but with this, their wisdom will never leave you! You will be able to record your thoughts, revelations and inventions. With this tool, you shall surpass even death, for your mark will ever be part of the world and passed down to the people and through the generations!”

Monstrator Incanedium began to pluck the scrolls from His body and hand them out to those gathered in the hall, so that they would be able to study their new found skill.

“With this knowledge, you will create a new class. You shall be known as the Monstrati, and your task will be to spread knowledge. You shall begin with the written word, but as time passes you shall also teach the wisdom of the wisest and the inventions of the smartest. In teaching lies a pure wisdom, like an ever burning flame that always passes its warmth along. Let it be known that your right to rule is dependent on the knowledge you create, gather and spread. As you grow more plentiful, terms will be established, where you will serve as rulers for only part of the time and be teachers the rest of the time. This will keep you wise and knowledgable, able to perceive the world to the fullest and guide it accordingly.”

After this speech, He ventured with His new Monstrati down to the rest of the people, for He was a God that embraced all. He had both words and missions to past to all that served His design.

“You have done well, My learned people. Very well. But I have another task in mind for us now. This is a matter which concerns some of you more than other, namely the slave catchers, yet all will feel the the sparkling benefits of what is to come. The best of the catchers and a handful of the new Monstrati shall set out to the east, travelling inland. Together they shall spread My word, and as before we shall welcome any that swear by My name and capture those that go against our will. Meanwhile I shall travel along the coast in this My earthly vessel, also eastwards. I shall speak to the people before Me, and all who accept Me into their mind shall be embraced as students, while those who turn from Me shall feel my ire! We will prepare to set out in the spring, gather slaves and new followers in the summer, harvest in autumn and rest and recuperate during the winter. Keep the mornings and the evenings for reflections and study, and remember that though this vessel of Mine will spend time wandering, I shall still watch over and speak with you through the flames. While those inclined to spreading our word travel out in the world, I expect the rest of you to be busy here. Build roads! Learn the deeper secrets of the world. Raise walls. Grow the villages.”

Monstrator Incanedium spread His arms and grinned broadly as He raised His voice.

“We have built the city of Pyre, the First City!! We have created Incaendium, a village feared and respect! We have laid the foundation for a land of knowledge, where wisdom is respected above all else! Yet is this enough!? No! We can not sit idle while the rest of the world sits idle, dwelling in the deep shade of ignorance! Like a blossoming wildfire, we need to spread and consume! Grow and let our flame shine so bright that none could miss its wonder! We have a city! We have a kingdom! Let us take the first steps to becoming an Empire!”

And with those words, Monstrator Incaendium and His people set out into the world.

-

In another world, the God of Fire inspected the rose that had been handed to Him with casual interest, before setting it ablaze and listening to the secrets that the flame told Him about its construction. In truth, He had expected little else, but at least the meeting had served to spark ideas into His mind. Alas, those ideas would have to wait, for He had other things to set in motion. Inspecting what the other gods had wrought, He settled upon a ocurse.

Monstrator Incaendium rose from His throne as the rose burnt to ash in His hand, before a part of Him stepped away...

-

… into the plane of water, where He appeared as a Man of Boiling Steam. It was the most comfortable the guises that He could take upon this plane. There He located His brother, Ahrimas, and spoke to him.

"Greetings, oh My brother of the depth. I wish I could have visited your realm bringing brighter tidings, but I fear that I must bring you dark words." He sighed, a troubled sound. "Vynnessia approached Me with an offer of alliance. While she did not say so outright, I could divine no other reason for her actions but to threaten yourself, brother. Why else seek an alliance with the God furthest remove from her, but to trap the one inbetween? Naturally, I ensured that such an alliance would not come to pass, for I wish no triffle with you."

Monstrator Incaendium spread His arms to the world.

"But see! Even as we speak, she pushes out with her new creations, making her warmongering intentions clear. I fear that she may seek an alliance with Iena, or possibly Aegis, now that she has been denied My aid."

He raised His hand and smiled politely to His brother.

"Know that this information is freely given, Ahrimas. I will not try to fool you. It is My hope that by bringing this to your attention, we may establish a more friendly working relationship upon the mortal plane in the future. For now though, this is only a warning that the god of earth is making plans, and that her intentions for you seem less than pure."

It seemed that the third age of the Gods was to be beset with the same issues as previous ages. The gods were beings of immense power and unchallenged in their domains, but such power lead to a mindset that did not share easily. It was in their nature to control as they controlled their own domain. Already the Gods were descending into bickering and the first form of politics had begun to appear in the form of alliance talks and unusual dealings.

It was a dark turn of events in this new age but perhaps inevitable, still a war had not yet broken out among the Gods. A time when that might happen though was fast approaching, the world was slowly filing up and being claimed by the divines. With it, the borders got closer and closer, perhaps then that it was no surprise that some of the early disagreements were about border disputes.

Adding to this was Incaendium who had set forth his people on expansion. So far they had been contently to merely raid the main land and trade back and forth between the land masses. Now at the behest of their god they were pushing out eastwards into the uncharted territories of the main land. Villages who had only known the fear of the fire men and their serpents soon had them arriving and claiming dominion.

Those nearest did not resist, they had already been beaten into submission and bowed before their new God and his chosen people. Fear of him had already been born in their hearts and you needed to believe in something to fear it. Some villages tried to put up a fight but found themselves assailed, the wryms that the people kept as pets would harass them and swarm about them. Confusing them and causing them to lash out blindly until they were subdued and made slaves. Others nodded with acceptance since surely people with such wondrous creatures must be god chosen?

Those who encountered the Incaendium's chosen form of the wax man were awed instantly, it was one thing to question people who claimed to be of the gods but another to doubt a burning giant who decreed itself a god.

In short the expansion was swift and effective, quickly leading to a host of new villages swearing loyalty or being enslaved.

As for the new social class, the Monstrati, the people took to it instantly. It was very close to what they had already but they had yet to make it official. Already the highest class of people were thinkers and a Council of Wise men governed in their Gods name, to create a social class dedicated to thinking, recording and study was simply the next logical step and the people embraced it.

They mastered the language of their God quickly enough and set to study in all things, learning the first basics of mathematics and engineering. Schools of all types opened as the question of "Why?" was put to every subject and that which was found wanting was studied or dismissed. The peoples practical if sometimes brutal nature was only enhanced by this, even people without a use needed to find one or be discarded. A bold warning for slaves.

Slaves though were denied the teachings of the Monstrati as their God had told them clearly, slaves were no better than animals and the bright gift of knowledge was not to be wasted on mere beasts. Slaves who were caught trying to unlock those secrets were punished accordingly, the worst crimes saw the worst punishment. Burned alive as an example of their gods judgement.

So it was that the foundation for an Empire was being laid, a culture with strict rules and structure began to ruthlessly be spread across the land.

Yet while all this went on, another first happened in this new and bright age. The God of Death began to dream.

(Incaendium moves to level 5 belief, map updated)



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Aegis watched from on far, as his warriors honed their bodies and skill with each generation. Yet there was still weakness within them and it was time to change that. He instructed the young warriors of Dremur to head up towards the mountains. Each warrior was sent into the caves and sit down to pray and ponder upon the will of their god.

There he sent dark shapes to plague the warriors, with fear, doubt, and temptation. Their needs grew hot like fire, making their hunger scream through their fast. But Aegis had faith in his chosen few. He knew that those he had sent would not let their passions rule over them. Seven days passed before priests were sent into the mountain to collect the young warriors and the embodiment of their enlightenment.

Had Aegis not brought the nightmare into creation, it might never have fallen into the hands of man. It was not of this world and the laws of the material seemed but a novelty to them. It charged across the sky on clawed limbs and it dove into solid stone as if it was a clear river. It left no tracks in its wake and seemed to vanish from the world at will. These powers to was given to their riders, as long as they held onto their nightmares.

But such power came at a price. For the nightmares did not feast upon plants or flesh, but were hunters of the soul. While they could take bites out of a crowd, without leaving a mark. Long term proximity to a nightmare, began to change its rider.

They could not tear a soul from its mortal coil. But there did come a point where the soul would be split between rider and nightmare in almost equal share. The first stage was the sight, allowing the rider to see through the eyes of his mount and even control it to some degrees. A useful skill as the mare was both silent and could see through the black of night.

Next their spirits would grow closer towards the ethereal realm. Their dreams became more vivid, the will of their god more clear. But as they grew more and more attuned to their god, they would also begin to see the world as he did. Tastes, scents, passions would burn brighter than ever, making it increasingly difficult to control the nightmare. Passions could be a wondrous thing. But they had to be tempered with discipline. Thus only those strong of will was chosen as riders.

It was while he taught his warriors these very lesson, that he heard the voice of his sister. For some time there was silence. Aegis was not known as the dreamer for nothing. He often retreated into deep sleeps, as he pondered through out the ethereal realm. He was not one to give a hasty response, for once his words were uttered, they would forever be beyond his control.

But eventually he spoke.

"I apologize, dear sister. I had presumed a equal share of land was a fair arrangement. Indeed, I left the southern green lands for you to enjoy, while I toil away in desolate wastes, as a token of respect. And while it is true the lovely Lena grows closer to you. The mighty Ahrimas is approaching my desert... And of course, there is the matter of Death laying somewhere beneath the sands, waiting for the hour to reap his reward. None the less. I would feel inclined to respect your refusal. Had you offered any respect in turn. Instead you spit upon a hand offered in friendship and you send vermin to infest the mountains, I desired. I said as much to you in trust. And you respond to me with poison... Still you have nothing I desire. I will claim the mountains as my own in good time. I do not even care if you decide to settle upon their surface. There is more than enough of them between us. But if a single man of my faith falls before the pest you have unleashed towards me, I will have no choice but see it as a act of open aggression against me. This is your foul creation and I hold you responsible for their every action. Bring them to heel or wipe them from existence. I do not care which. As long as they do not plague the mountains upon my arrival, you shall have nothing to fear from me. For while you play and greedily covet the forest, I prepare for our true enemy. And if you will not stand beside me as an ally. Then I shall find others who will."

Of course, he would not make the mistake of trusting Vynnessia again. Be it through malicious intent or a far more deep rooted weakness, she had already put the fate of this age in jeopardy.
Thus it fell onto him to bring order where his sister would bring ruin.

He called upon his priests and told them of what had transpired. Their god had found a people to the south, which was growing lazy and complacent in their lush forests. In their sloth, they had allowed the rise of a new plague to their land. He showed them the worms, greedily devouring all they came upon. He showed them Dremur as he often did in the night, at the glory it might one day achieve. Citadels and towers which reached towards the heavens, all invested by the vile vermin. They saw that dream of theirs crumble to dust before them, leaving nothing but a dead ruin.

He did not mention his sister, for he was sincere when he offered to let her right her own mistake.
But he would not stand idly by and simply hope she would do so... War was finally here, even if it was against a mindless beast. Preparations had to be made and fires had to be lit.

The first of which might seem strange. Fewer and fewer priests were taken into Aegis's service. Instead he favoured priestesses to study under him. Many more were positioned as crafters, while few were placed in the warrior caste. He wanted them well out of harms way, as he introduced them to the breeding program.

It was said that five children was considered a modest thing in the eyes of Aegis. One for each caste, was deemed sufficient. But if a woman went beyond that, she would have well earned her gods favour. And while he did not forbid romance, Aegis made it clear that he did not reward such emotional ties.

Our wants and desires were fleeting things. But our accomplishments, our legacy, is the one thing the world will never forget. At times it might have been tough. But eternal salvation was the reward for those who preserved. Damnation to the rest.

Priests were given authority to dictate breeding patterns. If a man or woman desired children, they only had to speak to a priest and they would arrange the matter to yield the most desirable offspring. Assuming their line was worth preserving. Once the process was over, the two parties would go their separate ways if they so wished. When the child was deemed ready, it was given to its assigned cast to begin a life time of conditioning.

It also gave rise to the first written scripts of Dremur. Aegis had not seen the need for such a thing before. All of their knowledge was divided between the casts and handed down through the generations. But Aegis wanted the genetic traits and lines of heritage tracked. Not only did he want to avoid incestural traits, but he also wanted to note the more desirable lines.

It was nothing so grand as the work of his brother, Monstrator Incaedium. Limited to simple symbols and scratches to indicate individual lines of heritage and how stong their blood had proved itself through the generations.

Crafters were guided to build new tools for their nightmares. Long spears would allow warriors to strike when the enemy grew to close for a bow. Saddles were to be accompanied by a simple harness around the waist of their rider, assuring they would not fall from the skies or be left behind when a nightmare dove between the ethereal and the material.

Animal handlers were given the responsibility of watching over the nightmares and train them to follow the a larger herd. They were also to hunt Trigons were one ever to escape. The nightmares might be unwilling to do so. They liked to spread fear and panic where ever they went, especially within the primal mind. But the Trigon was built to serve and had little sense of self perseverance, thus proving a poor sport for a Nightmare... But having them attack and kill as a swarm might have potential.

Warriors trained with their new mounts and tempered their minds to control them. At first the beasts were soothed by Aegis's influence. But once the warrior and beast handlers had proven themselves capable, they were fully unleashed upon the world. At this point they were suggested to be used for combat practice. The nightmares did not care if a arrow struck its eye. In fact it might find it a amusing game as it slithered across the ground, feeling the archers panic rise, before it launched itself upon him. Nightmares by habit did not kill, as it served them no purpose. They liked to play with their prey, delighting in their anguish. Try as the warriors might, they could not slay a nightmare. They could shatter its skull and watch its black hide turn to dust. But it had only slipped away into the realm of its creation. Waiting for the day it would walk the material plane once again.



Labourers were tasked to build more farms. Trees were to be planted in the south, fields fertilized and wells were to be dug with aid of the Trigon. Aegis needed his people to grow and he would not see his people go hungry again.

While his people continued moving southwards, Aegis turned his eyes to the west. To his Brother Ahrimas and sister Iena... They seemed so far away, but they were his best chance in this endeavour.
He admired Monstrator Incaendium , but felt he was to distant to be concerned with this matter and Aegis could think of nothing that might interest his brother.And so once again he whispered into the night, throwing his voice towards the depth of the sea and the highest mountain.

“Brother and Sister. It is a pleasure to see the two of you alive and well in this age. I do apologize that I did not come before you sooner. I had preferred to stand before you as I once was, not as broken as I am now. Alas I fear our dear Vynnessia has forced my hand. I believe she has grown mad under the ravages of death and now seek to dominate us all with her wild beasts. I approached her some time ago, offering to split our lands equally between one and another, in the hopes that we might aid each other, in this dark hour. In response, she unleashed a plague which threatens us all. We all need something the mountain has to offer. We must all brace ourselves for Death's return and we can not afford to have our walls crumble because of the pest Vynnessia blindly throws into the world. I do not claim to know what ails her mind. But I know that she refereed to you as a mere foreign foot step on her land, sweet Iena and she now threaten the mountain tops I know you treasure so dearly. And if she will not share the desert beyond her mountains. Do you think she would allow the great Ahrimas to grace her coast? No... I fear she thinks only of herself, without regard to any of her fellow gods. And so I propose we all march towards her lands and eradicate this plague, before it spreads to far and remind her that there are bounds, even a god must follow... It need not go beyond that...If she submits to us, if she eradicate her creation before risking our own. Then let her be. If she does not.... Well I leave that up to discussion. But if it does come to that, I want to assure you that I do not do this for personal gain. In fact I am willing to offer you the same courtesy as I did Vynnessia. All land beyond the mountains is yours to claim. I am even willing to give you the southernmost mountains, Iena as a gift from brother to sister. They are far from my people and I believe you would get far more use out of them than I. Ahrimas shall control the coast as is fit for his rule. The forest may be divided as you see fit and I shall brace my armies for Death's return on the northern sands. Though I sincerely hope that the waters of Ahrimas might flow that direction, so new life may spring from the sand once more. And if our sister approach either of you, I wish for you to remember one thing. I come here as a friend, and brother. Offering trust and kinship. While she might tempt you with sweet words and offerings. A cornered animal is far from tamed.

The first sibling spat among the gods has formed and it was flavoured with irony, the two gods to disagree were two polar opposites of each other yet both sides of the same coin.

The great Mother Tree, the Goddess of Life and Earth, things that grow and nature itself, had directly or indirectly offended the God of Spirit, the Lord of Dreams, the King of that which resided in men's hearts, their souls.

Both were essential to life in similar yet totally opposite ways, one was the ethereal counterpart of the other yet very different from the physical, female version. It was a cruel twist of fate but it had many consequences, a threat of war had been formally issued by the Lord of Dreams and it seemed that he meant to make good on it.

His people had a new beast of war and new warriors to ride them, a chosen few for there were not many of the Nightmare horses. They were unusual and not of this Eden, Aegis had lacked the power to make them en-mass but he had ended up with a solid one hundred of them. It took time but not a terribly long amount to have the one hundred riders to match. The unusual thing though was as time passed there was still one hundred, it seemed their numbers neither grew nor shrank. An unsettling but divine fact that his people noticed.

As they noticed the shift of gender policy, male priests becoming very rare became a sign to the people that men were meant for war and women for the priesthood. Beside who best to govern breeding lines than women themselves? It made sense and few if any men were feeling the call to serve their god as a priest now.

The women had a new charge, breeding, the divine mandate that a woman should aspire for at least five children was a demanding one and not all women could manage it. Some did die due to the rigors of childbirth over and over again, while some prospered immensely as they seemed naturally adept at having children safely.

This did lead to the creation of a sub duty to female priests though, they were slowly becoming self taught and trained as professional midwives and as pre-natal doctors. It became the sign of a fine priestess if she could successful keep alive as many of her charges as possible and deliver the most healthy babies.

The Nightmare Riders were a different thing all together, the Lords of the Warrior Caste. They were both revered and shunned for their unnatural beasts scared even the faithful and all knew they made the dreams worse, they were not called Nightmares for anything and the Dread Riders themselves as they came to be known were worse. They rarely spoke, they kept to each other for company and did not mix with those beneath them. The also had a habit to keeping nocturnal time schedules and seemed to delight in riding in the skies at night for no other reason than they simply could.

It was an industrious time for Aegis and his people, the Caste system had become more rigid but with it the advantage of people trained from birth to do a single task. The development of the people sped up greatly and as did their work, with dedicated builders and craftsmen, soon they had artisans in every field and finally their great work was done. Dremur, the city was completed and it stood as a testament to what man could do. It was perhaps the greatest city in the world currently as the artisans of Aegis had truly impressive building skills.

The world continued though and it remained to be seen how the other gods would respond to Aegis' declarations against his sister. So far the rock worms she had created had stuck to the mountain range they were created in and shown no interest in going anywhere else, yet they were no doubt dangerous to any who decided to live in those mountains.

The Death God dreamed in his lair below.

(Aegis remains at rank 2 belief power, map updated)



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Iena had stood by and observed as her brethren tended to their flocks and flexed their might. She pondered over her brother's words and carefully mulled over a response.

"Brother, I thank you for your offer of the mountains and will gladly accept them. My people will make good use of them. I am unsure about the forests however, I fear Vynessia would take it as a slight.

I also see the ages have not changed you, though they have changed me. I fear that I am being viewed by my brothers as a weak, simpering maiden, please do not mistake my reserve til now as weakness. Your honeyed words will not convince me to strike my banners and declare war against my sister, especially has she has not approached to me and has left my people untouched.

I think the best course of action would be to strengthen our people, my Sylkyr will sharpen their weapons and hone their skills, when Death approaches they will be ready to strike.

I will not enter into a formal alliance as of yet, but I will consider your words and if Vynessia approaches me I will view her words with caution. "

Iena returned to her people whilst awaiting her siblings' response. She felt the weight of the family spat on her shoulders, and she felt loneliness creeping into her veins once again. She decided to approach Sarenia, the most devout of her Sylkyr. She confided in her what had transpired and swore her to secrecy. "If you wish to aid our people, my child, then you have my blessing. But I felt that you must know what we are up against in order for your faith to remain strong"

The God's were scheming against one another and it was a dark time, war had not yet broken out yet none could deny that the Gods now considered war and at least had it in a mind. That being said few mortals knew the truth of this and for now at least it remained primarily a matter for the divine.

With one exception, Sarenia, favored of the Sylkyr had been chosen by her Goddess to know the truth of what transpired in other lands. Not only where their other, lesser Gods but they squabbled and a war may come in the future. Not only that but a war against a terrible, Lord of Death was a certainty.

It was with a heavy heart that Sarenia took this information in and nodded to her mistress before considering her words and thinking on it. She pondered on these issues for some time before she decided to act and complete her work, granted her kind lived long but she was after all mortal and did need to act sooner rather than later.

She began to write, her people had begun crafting a book but she would finished it, she took all her Goddess told her and without betraying her oath she put guidance into it that she hoped would prepare them for the future.

Their island was not safe, the world was not safe, faith in the Goddess was not enough. The Goddess would help those who helped themselves and if the people would not raise a finger to defend their land then why should their Goddess be expected too?

So she wrote their book, the Book of the Four Winds. It spoke of love for their lands, their community, their way of life but it spoke of the need to preserve, to shelter but ultimately to protect what was theirs. The Sylkyr would have to begin training properly with weapons, it was not enough for them simply wield spears and fly, certain that their air superiority would save them. One day the enemy too might take to the skies or worse.

So it came to pass that the Sylkyr embraced their roles as guardians fully, they began to devote themselves to the warrior arts and all arts that surrounded them. Their monasteries had once been places of contemplative thought and peace, now they were a place of study.

They began to craft metals, the golden bronze that had been discovered across the world and forged weapons that would serve them. Cladding themselves in armour, spears and sword gleaming swords with small round shields soon began to adorn the flying race. They took to archery, practicing it almost daily as they decided that shooting from the air was perhaps their best form of attack.

To the people, she told them to keep the faith, to protect the community and be strong, no matter what. For a day would come when they would be tested.

Slowly, the island turned into a fortress. Sarenina and the Book of the Four Winds guiding them as they went.

(Iena moves to rank 4 belief, map updated.)



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One day, Ahrimas was in his cold underwater cave, dwelling in his thoughts and being surrounded only by them. He was in a particularly out of temper and hopeless mood and suddenly he heard an unusual and disturbing clamoring. The ripples rebelled furiously as he rose to the surface of the water, determined to destroy the source of that abominable sound and plunge even deeper in the sea afterwards, so that nothing can trouble his stillness.

It turned out he was to see the faces of his long forgotten brothers once again. First there was the fire god, Monstrator Incaendium himself, bringing news about his encounter with the earth goddess, Vynnessia.
After having listened to him in silence, Ahrimas spoke:

“Oh brother, who could count how many centuries have gone since I last heard of you? The time wheel keeps spinning, but you are as restless and as industrious as I once knew you. I have heard words and songs about you and the people you lead and I was not disappointed, because we both know humans only live to serve us, their gods, and the number of humans who worship both of us keeps growing day by day, as it should.”

Ahrimas then turned towards his brother Aegis Reveur, the eternal dreamer:

“And there you are too, mighty brother, the thinker, the one who shapes the dreams of the mortals and the one who crafts their nightmares too! Your voice brings the sound of war to my ears and unpleasant rumors about our lost sister Vynnessia.”

And then Ahrimas spoke to both Monstrator and Aegis at the same time, having a solemn voice:

“My brothers! I hear both of you have complaints about Vynnessia and, even though I find those creatures of her to be a plague that has to be erased from the surface of Earth and perhaps a war could be a source of joy for my troubled spirit, I myself have lost the pale ray of enthusiasm I once had, since nothing brings me gratification anymore.
Therefore, I leave these small concerns to the humans and I am thinking of starting to prepare my people for the moment Death will want to take his tribute in human flesh and destroy our reigns. This is what you should do too, so we can be prepared when the moment comes and perhaps unite our forces against the mutual enemy, if our different ways of being will allow it.
Of course, if a god starts thinking of ways to fool the other gods and spread hatred among the rest of us, such a deed should not remain unpunished. Therefore, I will have my Hydra deliver a message to Vynnessia and warn her that our armies can crush her creatures and her worshippers if needed. Even better still, I myself will take care to deliver the message to her in person.
But, my brothers! The most important thing now is to be prepared for the war with the Death god, and therefore I say we don’t start a war now and have unnecessary human losses, but concentrate instead on fortifying our cities and training our soldiers.”

And these were the last things Ahrimas said to his brothers at that moment, because immediately afterwards his material body dissolved in the water and he returned to his underwater fortress.

He ordered his Afarians to train even more and spread underwater, while the human worshippers were supposed to build new cities and villages to the West, so they could populate the nearby peninsula. They had many sources of food there and the Afarians offered them their protection too.

At the same time, all of Ahrimas’ worshippers started organizing public combats in order to train and also discover the most skillful warriors in every city and village. These warriors were schooled in harsh conditions and their sole purpose was war and worshipping Ahrimas. Quite a handful of people died in these combats, but that didn’t bother Ahrimas because his belief was that the weak and the insignificant didn’t even deserve to worship him and that his blessing was meant for the strong and for the undaunted.

The machinations of the Gods were progression, schemes had been laid down, rumours spread. It seemed that one of the Gods had begun a game and it was starting to spiral into a rumour of war. However it would not be the first time the gods had fought, or probably the last, many times in the past they had settled disputes with mortals fighting the battle. After all to harm the Gods themselves was something only Death had really achieved with his insatiable madness. Perhaps nothing would happen, perhaps a skirmish or border war, perhaps a crusade, time would tell.

The Lord of the Dark Waters had been drawn into the bickering it seemed however surprisingly the most unstable of the Gods was speaking of peace and of the long, patient plan for the war to end wars. It was an interesting turn of events that few mortals would of comprehended if they had ever known of such a thing.

Either way, plans for war were among the people now. Ahrimas had instituted a new edict among his people. Expand and train, the humans were told to expand west and his watery children, the afarians were told to control the waters. More than that though, they had been told to practice their fighting on one another. So they did.

The people constructed rudamentrary arenas and fighting areas in every populated area large enough to sustain one. A new town or settlement was not considered properly concencrated int he name of Ahrimas if it did not have an arena. The human ones were all very similar, a round pit or circle etched into the ground, with a pool of water in the middle. Sometimes just a middle splash, other times almost a well. Their capitol had a well that connected to the ocean next to it, falling into that ment being pulled under the currents and drowned.

The Afarians took a different approach, they picked places of particularly strong currents so swimming was more of a challenge. Then they fought one another with coral blades and spears. Blood drawn would spurt into the water before sweeping away in some dark misty patch of water.

The people fought, they entered for individual duels or sometimes for larger brawls, each time though people did not leave until they were dead or injured. Winners were heaped with respect. Above or below water, champions of these arenas were fearsome fighters who took trophies from their defeated foes. Ears were common, as was the occasional finger or item of clothing. Those on the receiving end lost status and much respect, creating a society that more and more favoured alpha males with multiple females.

Granted now though, those who had been marked by losing an ear could always built a necklace of other peoples ears to regain respect which did happen from time to time. Either way, their society had become more brutal, more violent and with it, the rush of belief. Champions praised their God for their success, losers prayed for success and others prayed to be like the champions.

(Ahrimas moves to rank 4 belief. Map updated)

(P.S Sorry for the delay, work has settled down now, no longer working 6 days a week!)



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