A Brief History of the Shards

The Creation Myth as told by the Pentatra

The Creation of All Things

Before being, before there was anything, before time and the shards, there was silence.

The silence lasted forever, but as there was no time, and no one to notice its lack, it may only have lasted for an instant.

A voice spoke, and it said “I am.”

And so he was. And upon seeing himself, he recognized himself, and so he said “I am Õemag.”

He looked upon himself and was pleased. But his eyes saw only nothingness, and the nothingness looked back upon him and spoke.

“You have become, and in becoming, you have ruined the perfect darkness. Little good will come of being, so I ask you to unmake yourself, and come lie with me that we might be as one.”

The first god, Õemag, thought upon this. He felt the cold caress of the nothingness, listened as it spoke silence, and gazed into its empty eyes.

“I am not like you. It pleases me to be. We shall ever be enemies, for cold, silence, and darkness offer me no comfort. I am Õemag, and I must make others like myself, to give me succor and companionship.”

Then did Õemag make the Thousand Things. They dazzled, and were wondrous. They cast light upon the darkness, made song where there was silence, and brought warmth to icy grip of nothing.

The dark, cold silence was angered, and so destroyed and scattered the Thousand Things. Some things it stole and hid from Õemag, so jealous was it of the first god. Ever after this, none would be able to say what the Thousand Things were.

“I am forever, and all things from me shall come.” vowed Õemag.

“As you destroy, so shall I create.”

And Õemag worked great miracles, and made myriad other things, and the darkness ate them all, and spat their remains into the darkness.

Õemag was overcome by a great sorrow. He could create forever, but nothing was beyond the power of the nothingness to destroy. Its appetite was endless. Nothing he made would ever last.

Õemag thought for an endless time, and finally, he spoke.

“Darkness, you would destroy all that I create. But we are anathema, and you shall ever be beneath me. In all things do I refute you, even in death. I am Õemag, and from me all things will come.”

And Õemag pierced his own flesh with his fingers. His body he rent, and threw it high across the darkness. The great nothing chased the pieces of Õemag’s body, but as it did so, Õemag laughed.

“For every piece of me you destroy, a score evade you. I am the one thing you could not destroy, and now I am everywhere. Catch me if you can, foolish darkness. Of myself I make my greatest creation, and from it shall be born a thousand-thousand things!”

And the dark, cold silence searched and consumed, but as it did so, the shards formed from Õemag’s body. His bones and flesh became the rock and earth of the shards. The hair of his chin are the trees.

His breath became the winds, and his tears became all waters.

Highest of all soared Õemag’s joyful heart, and it came to rest in the firmament. Yellow-white it burned with divinity, and pulsed with the First God’s scattered life. From it fell ten drops of blood, and each of these drops became a new god, the children of Õemag.

The gods now live in the Solar Hearth, having searched the shards and those places beyond. They brought back ancient things, and made the thinking races.

Gulmé, the Lady of Tears, was Õemag’s first daughter. She is the water-goddess, and the Drowning Maiden. Through her hands do all of Õemag’s tears flow.

Thyrang, the Storm Dragon. It is the divine beast of cataclysm and fury in nature. From its steps spring quakes, firestorms, storms, and tornadoes. Thyrang also embodies the natural order, and Law as manifest in nature.

They are the Blue Temple.

Chaltis the Purifier, is the fiery goddess of conflict. She brought fire to the people of the shards, before Tieruvial taught other uses for it.  She lights the fire of vengeance in the hearts of the wronged. Chaltis is a very proactive goddess

Her gentle brother is Eimag Solær, the Radiant One, who is the Steward of the Solar Heart. He is the god of hospitality, the sun, and gatekeeper of paradise..

They are the Red Temple.

Tieruval, the  Scribe God, the Lawmaker and Divine Teacher. He made laws, created writing, and showed those who would listen how to make tools that their people might live and prosper amongst the shards. He is the Thinker and the Architect. Without the aid of Tieruval, there could be no nations or civilizations.

Ilifinsata, the White Witch, Goddess of the air and protector of travelers. She is the younger sister of Tieruval. She is the Lady of Air and Unseen Things, and she found magic where her brother found only stone and seed.

They are the White Temple.

Grimnél, the Dreaming Smith, Goddess of Tieruval’s first student. She took up the tools of Teruvial and saw that even more could be done with them. She is the weapon-crafter, the Clever Goddess,

Malvorn, the Wandering Beast, the Many-Shaped, Father of Chimeræ, and Lord of all Animals. He is the hunter and the hunted. He is nature’s cycle. Where his sister creates form, he is formless.

They are the Grey Temple.

Avashek, the Protector and Avenger, Guardian of All Life. The twin of Avasha, though some say they are closer than twins. He is called the Watchful, the Never-Sleeping God, and the Grim.

Avasha, the Nurturer, the Goddess of Plants and Healing, and the Lady of Grain. Where her brother reaps the wicked, she sows peace and forgiveness.

They are the Gold Temple.

Marthayn, is the trickster god, the fickle fool and the lord of fortune. He must always walk to be one step ahead of his many enemies. Some say he is the Will of Õemag, others say a thing of the Beneath.

He is of no Temple, but those who are wise pay him a token of homage.

These are the True Gods, and they did many things, and discovered many secrets hidden among the shards. They made many races, and each god gave them gifts.

For a time they watched the shards prosper, but then they grew bored. They realized their divinity was not meant for the material world, and so they retired to their home, the Solar Hearth. Into the world wandered their wills, clothed in flesh that the gods never wore. These were the kageshin, and they are among us still, though often hidden.