Rurik Sunbright watched as the Bison Tribe’s Storm Khan escorted the tribe’s children to the Temple of Sol Triumphant in the Oasis of Clearwater Springs. He smiled as the youngsters tumbled off their mounts and straggled into the atrium of the temple. Many were already bowlegged like most of their fellow tribesmen.

Farissa Blood-drinker grinned at him and herded the bison the children had arrived on towards the water ponds. Her bison eyed the priest suspiciously. Rurik recognised the signs from long experience with the nomads that roamed and fought over the plains. Farissa was riding her guardian beast, one of the mounts granted intelligence by the Beastlord.

Rurik took his place in his comfortable chair and watched the familiar sight of the youngsters walking the walk of the chronically mounted. A true sign of the tribes people of the plains, and today he had a special guest. Trailing the sun haired child came a young bison, another one blessed by the Beastlord.

Once the children had settled themselves on the benches Rurik began his tale. His lesson.

“Welcome children, sit and listen to the tale of our wondrous world of Salvadar.

“In the before time, before the birth of Time our great lord Sol Triumphant was born along with many other Sun Stars. The Eternal Ones scattered them far and wide across the heavens.

“Whether by accident or intent the Sun Stars drifted apart until they were unable to converse easily amongst themselves. Feeling lonely Sol Triumphant drew on his very self and cast these parts of himself into the void so that they would ever after dance around him.

“And so it was, the fiery children of Sol Triumphant burnt brightly in the heavens. But only for a time, for they were too small, their flames retreated into their centres.

“Mother Salvadar locked her treasures in her heart, she grew a solid shell to protect her fires. And just like Salvadar, so did the all the other children of the great Sol Triumphant.

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“How long things rested thus, we cannot know for Time had not yet been born.”

“Father Rurik, when did the Stormlord take dominion of the skies?” asked a fiery haired urchin.

Rurik smiled indulgently, “Later, for he had not yet been born.

“Anyway to continue, the first gods were lonely, so they had children. Many gods were born, Time made himself known and with his arrival the formless time of the gods and creation came to an end.

“Time was resented by many of the gods that were for by his existence they were all forced to exist in a certain order. Thus were born the twins, the gods of Order and Law. The lady of Justice resented the god of Law. And also the formless god, the Chaos Lord came into being”

Rurik paused his tale as his audience jeered and hissed their displeasure at the mention of the Demon God of Chaos. When the children calmed again he continued.

“The seeds of the Great War were sown. First the Chaos Lord spread his influence over the surface of Mother Salvador. The twins were stirred to oppose him-her and they reigned in the mortal creatures on the surface.

“The Chaos Lord then created the great earth bulls that lived under the skin of Mother Salvadar. The earth bulls gathered under the mountains and on the edges of the seas. And where they gathered the earth shook, and the skin of Mother Salvadar started to break.

“Then the Chaos Lord created the hideous Volcanoes, great beasts of molten rock, mightier than the dragons.

“The god of Order and Statis managed to slay the Earth Bulls and sealed up all the wounds they had inflicted on Mother Salvadar, he then rose into the skies and threw down and slew the mighty Volcanoes.

“By now the Great War of the Gods was raging furiously. The Twins stood for order and threw their power into preventing the ills of change. The Formless one as always sought change. Both led their alliances and gods fought. For many years gods died and were reborn, but in desperation the Twins raised the God of Death to prominence and the gods who were slain died for true.

“In desperation the Twins gave many promises regarding the mortal races and managed to raise one final grand alliance. They struck and managed to shatter the Formless one. Chaos was defeated and scattered to the far corners, but not before he crippled the Lord of Order, the Sleeping God.

“And since that day the earth under our feet has not shaken, there have been no Earth Bulls or mighty Volcanoes.

“Mortals who live in the places of the greatest battles are occasionally cursed by Chaos. They have to remain extra vigilant but the Gods have blessed them for the soil where the Volcanoes were slain is fertile and the hills yield rare metals.

“The rest of us have to make do with the bones of all the slain gods, for as all know...”

“The bones of the Gods are made of bronze...” chorused the children.