Tale of the Gods Pt. 1

When the universe first began, it started with a bang. The shockwaves rocketed through the primordial ooze and chaos, creating a whole new wellspring of energies.

The Primordial Gods

From this wellspring rose five Primordial gods. Together, these gods created the cosmos, the satellites in the heavens, time, and the worlds of the universe. The five of them created all the races of the Mortal realm, but separately they affected different aspects of their lives.

Adayang sculpted the worlds, giving them basic form and shape. They pushed together the earth to form mountains, scooped out valleys, and stomped flat the plains. In every world, they left a piece of themselves behind, a piece that spread into every crack and plate of the world's surface. To face the wrath of Adayang, is to call upon that piece to shake the very ground till the transgressor apologizes. This is why they are the God of the Earth, Mountains, and Earthquakes.

In the air above, Trustech breathes life into the worlds. They are light on their feet, and are constantly on the move. Their movements bring with them the wind that constantly crisscrosses the world. They have a desire to know and see everything. When they do finally tire, they float above the masses, close their eyes, and let the secrets of the world pass through their ears on its way to its intended. They are the God of the Wind and Air, Tornadoes and Hurricanes.

With Trustech above, and Adayang around, it's no wonder that Adacanish prefers to be alone. Adacanish brought the water to fill the large basins left by Adayang. While in the depths, he can find peace from the constantness that is Trustech. Races and species that dwell within his domain, have also taken his isolationism to heart, as well as his anger. Once crossed, Adacanish is not satisfied till he has taken a prize. This could be as simple as a ship, a life, or as much as a great wave that crashes into the shore and sinks an entire city. He is the God of the Seas and Ocean, and Fishing.

Whereas the three prior prefer a more hands-on approach to the mortals, Tissave does not. His essence is spread out and around every world, moon, sun, and everything else that lingers in the vastness of the cosmos. He is the only god not affected by the stretching of his mind. Instead, he was graced with infinite patience, alongside a detached and uninterested demeanor. While he is intrigued in the actions of the mortals, he watches their fates like a show. His only contribution to the show, was the small seed of magic he had planted on every world, to even out the field. He is the God of Space, Cosmos, Magic, Fate, and Divination.

Now, Anabra considers herself Tissave's best friend, and as his best friend, Anabra does all she can make the mortals as interesting as possible. That doesn't mean that she scripts the show, but does plant little surprises that could take days, months, years, or even centuries to fully mature. She likes to sit with Tissave and watch the events unfold, usually in ways not even she could have expected. She is the Goddess of Time, Eternity, and Destiny.

All the Pretty Little Things

The only creatures that the gods truly fear, are the Draconics. Fearsome creatures who had been mutated by the very magic that Tissave had gifted the worlds. Creatures that could bend elements to their will, and even out of the grasp of the gods.

To fight against them, Adayang and Tissave joined forces. Adayang pulled from their depths, the largest collection of diamonds and other gems they could. The two primordials worked together to fit the gems together into a humanoid shape. The main body was made of diamonds for strength. Onyx was fitted into the palms of their hands, so they could absorb the negative energy and powers from their draconic foes and transform it within themselves. The eyes were carved from Agate, which would protect them from evil, and promote courage and bravery in anyone they looked at. In their chest, a piece of Carnelian was embedded to protect against enchantments, and negative thoughts.

When the body was completed, Tissave brought it to life. Thus, the dwarf Felarc was created.

While Felarc did indeed fight against the Draconics, he also developed his own interests. He became consumed with the thought of amassing a horde and a collection of precious gems and jewels, both magical and non-magical. He instructed his Attendants to create great weapons that utilized the gems for art and skill. He was the God of Battle, Forge, and Gemstones.

As the other gods came into being and amassed mortal followings, they all came to Felarc in his volcanic and mountainous Realm. They inquired if stones could be created to promote their own ideals and powers. They wondered if Felarc and his Attendants could craft them weapons and symbols that would identify their followers to others throughout the Realm. So it was that Felarc crafted different gems and weapons to fit the needs of the Gods.

Ekolord and His Deal

With all gods, passions run high. Trustech grew inquisitive of the soft earth that had been tilled by Adayang's hand. Trustech burrowed in, and sprayed the earth high into the air, that was then caught on their winds and carried to every corner of Adayang's world. Adayang, however did not want their earth carried to places they had not planned for it. The two squabbled, and their energies mixed, and created two seeds. It was Adayang that grabbed the seeds first, and buried them within the ground to keep Trustech away from them.

Soon enough the seeds blossomed, and from within two large flowers came the siblings Ekolord and Lovach. When the siblings stepped onto the earth, fully grown, vegetation began to grow from their steps. The siblings crossed the worlds, and wherever they went, mortals followed.

When they were done, Ekolord settled deep within the vast forests. He spends his days relaxing on a chaise of moss and flowers, as he listens and watches the forest flourish and grow. Through the vines of the forest, he is fed information of the outside world. While he generally dislikes most of the mortal races, those of the fey persuasion do have his respect, and he allows them to settle and thrive within his realm. He is the God of Wild Nature and the Fey.

Now, as Ekolord encouraged the growth of the forests, jungles, and plains, he came across the small magical seed that had been planted by Tissave. When he approached Tissave about this seed, Tissave merely laughed and told Ekolord to let it grow and see what happens, all with a twinkle in his eye. Ekolord was not comforted, and demanded to know more. If it was to exist in his forests, he wished to know how to care for it. Tissave laughed, and said that it would stretch far further than just the forests. Ekolord purposed that perhaps this was a conversation that was to be brought to the attention of Adayang, instead. Tissave, not wanting to cause a conflict with another primordial, suggested instead a compromise: a third-party whose sole job was to care and maintain the seed as it grew. Ekolord agreed.

Tissave pinched off a part of themselves, and then pinched off some of Ekolord, and combined the two parts together, creating a new seed. The seed was passed off to Ekolord, who took it back to their home. Ekolord, not wishing anyone or anything to harm this compromise, took soil and buried it in the knot of a tree. The seed grew and birthed a daughter within the hollow of the tree, and her name was Glendaia. Glendaia exited the tree, causing a break at the tree's roots in which a small pond formed at the base. From there, she could view the multitude of seeds across the different worlds, to ensure that each of them grew as they were intended. She is the Goddess of the Ley Lines.

Creation of Nazash and His Child

Adayang, already bored of the mortal races, took it upon themselves to create a third seed. Before the seed could be planted, it was stolen by a bird (revenge sent by Trustech) and carried far away. The small bird was knocked out of the sky by a larger bird of prey, and its carcass left below. The seed it carried was swallowed, along with the remains of the bird by the strongest beast in the land. After five days, Nazash burst forth, fully grown, out of the beast's stomach as the God of Animals and Nature.

Nazash, dressed in the furs of the beast that had birthed him, became a friend to all animals above and below their parent's earth. He is constantly on the move, and always travels with a pack of various animals. Even mortal enemies become friends in his presence. Anyone who hurts his friends without cause will soon find a spear in their back. He has no patience for those who aren't animals. However, he still found himself assailed by other gods or mortal followers, and he realized that he needed someone to speak for him.

And so, Nazash assumed the form of an animal, and laid with the favorite of his pack. His favorite soon birthed him a daughter, Erindoe, and she was the Goddess of the Hunt and Wildfires.

Erindoe learned quickly her role as her father's voice, and took to it readily. She not only spoke for him among the gods, but among the mortals as well. Her main grievance with the mortals, were those who hunted animals for sport. She was well-versed in hunting for food and supplies, but sport served no purpose. Those who were caught, were soon caught up in her fiery anger, usually by finding themselves caught in the middle of a wildfire as it burned away the old and made way for the new.

One day, while Erindoe was patrolling the forest with their father, a mare raced by them. The mare was chased by a band of mortals, all clamoring for the bridle around its neck. Erindoe ran forward, gathered the reins and calmed the mare. The mortals gathered, unaware of in whose presence they were, and demanded the return of their mare. With a wave of their hand, Nazash turned the mare into a woman, and bade her to speak. Though it was easy enough for Erindoe and Nazash to see, when the mare was given a mortal body, the bruises, cuts, and various injuries became clear for those that chased her. Erindoe, angered by the state of the mare in her arms, demanded to know why she had been injured so.

The mortals, finally coming to realize that they were not in the presence of ordinary mortals, stammered that they had merely been training the mare. She was to pull their wagon, and yet she resisted. The mare stood up, and pointed to the whip that was in the mortal's hands. 'That is not an instrument of training that is one of pain' she proclaimed. Nazash moved and took the whip from the mortal's hand. He handed it to the mare. 'Perhaps it can be both.' He declared.

The mare stepped forward, and with the whip educated the mortal on her point. When she was finished, she turned to Nazash and fell to her knees. She begged Nazash to help her. She said that she is not the only one that had been treated so at the hands of the mortals, and not just the mortals that stood among them. The animals of the forests knew that they were protected, but those that lived outside, lived in fear and uncertainty.

Nazash's eyes hardened as he heard her pleas. He knelt in front of the mare, and cupped her face with his hands. 'I am sorry that I have been lax on those outside the forest. However, I cannot help them, as they already have one who will look over them.' With that, Nazash let the power of his godhood flow into the mare.

With that, the goddess Chakrai was created, and took it upon themselves to watch over the animals who dwell with the humans. From personal experience, she knows that the humans could not survive without the animals, and she does not hesitate to use her whip on those who crosses the line with the animals in their care. She is known as the Goddess of the Beasts of Labor.

Erindoe and Chakrai work closely together, and it did not take long for them to fall in love and be married.

Lovach and Her Own Seed

Now, as her brother Ekolord hid in his forests, Lovach marveled at how the erratic foliage was tamed at the hands of the mortals. She respected and was impressed at the care of the farmers as they tilled the lands and brought forth new growth. To aid in them, Lovach carried rain on the winds of their parent to where it was needed most. She is the Goddess of the Harvest.

Almost immediately, Lovach recognized that she needed help. The population of the humans kept increasing, and so their need for fields and crops became more urgent. Not even her Attendants that flitted about the farms could keep up with all that was needed. So, she took a cue from her younger brother.

Lovach approached not one, but many different favorites, and laid with them. Through these unions she had many children, but none were born with the power of a god. She approached her brother, Nazash, to ask why her methods did not work.

Nazash explained that it was not enough to simply birth the children. To pass along the power of godhood, Lovach much give up some of their own essence to their offspring. With this new information, Lovach returned to their home.

Lovach tilled a new garden, and had her Attendants bring her seeds from the very best of the mortal farmers. Once the seeds were planted, Lovach fertilized the soil with her own essence. She watered the garden with rain from all the worlds. Every day, Lovach lovingly pruned and weeded the small garden, willing the seeds to sprout. After several weeks, the garden only held one sapling.

One day, the goddess Vowil took to Lovach's home for a visit. She found Lovach asleep, curled around the ailing sapling. Vowil knelt next to her half-sister, and covered the sapling with her hand. She poured the power of the sun into the ground, and gave the fledging god strength. Lovach awoke to the sound of a baby's cry, and she quickly unearthed her daughter, the goddess Erexeb.

Though Erexeb was a goddess, she was sickly. Though she was strong in spirit and mind, she was not strong physically. Erexeb did not have the ability to use their legs, and though they tried, they found it hard to assist their mother in the running of the garden. Instead, she turned her attention to the plants themselves. She focused on learning all of the properties of the plants, and the ways they could be combined and manipulated. She discovered both medicinal and less savory ways to utilize the plants. She's the Goddess of Herbalism.

The Children of Tissave

In the early days of the universe, in order to clean and tidy the cosmos, Tissave gathered pieces of rock and energy and brought them together. In this way, he created the suns and moons of the various worlds and realms. Immediately he was approached by Trustech and Adacanish.

Trustech complained that the sun was very bright and hot, and dominated her domain. She wished to have control of it.

Adacanish complained that the power of the moon rivaled with him over his waves. He demanded control of it, as no one controlled him.

Tissave dismissed them both, stating that both the sun and moon were in his domain as they rested in the heavens. Both Trustech and Adacanish did not give up, and soon Tissave instead suggested a compromise. They suggested a child, born of the three of them that would serve as warden for both the sun and moon.

Adacanish stated that they would rather give a city back, then have a child with Trustech, and Trustech stated that they'd rather go deaf than have a child with Adacanish. Tissave recommended two children instead, and they agreed. One child would be over the sun, and the other would be over the moon. Tissave took a pinch of essence from both of them, and told them to come back in three days.

Tissave instructed his Attendants, to bring him two mortal women. In each of them, he placed one of the two essences. He imparted his own essence into both, and then proceeded to seal the two women away. Within the sun, he sealed the woman that held the essence of Trustech. Within the moon, he sealed the woman that held of essence of Adacanish.

After the three days, he brought forth Trustech and Adacanish.

Within the sun, sat the child Vowil, and their mortal-turned-goddess mother Miyangess, who became the Goddess of Fertility and Childbirth.

Within the moon, sat the child Adellam in the lap of their dead mortal mother. The mother gently stroked Adellam's hair, as the child guided the lifeless hand.

Both children grew quickly, and though they were treated as siblings, both of them held a deep disregard for the other. Vowil loved life, and cared for the souls of the mortals. They collected and hoarded their Followers. They are the Goddess of the Sun and Life. Adellam saw no use for a mortal soul, only their bodies. They kept the body of their mother and used it as a personal servant. They are the God of the Moon and Shadows.

Stolen novel; please report.

When the Moon met the Poison

After Vowil helped give life to the new goddess Erexeb, the two of them stayed friends. Vowil often sent her Followers to learn at the feet of those who followed Erexeb in the ways of healing and prolonging of life.

It was through Vowil, that Erexeb met Adellam. The younger goddess wandered to Vowil's domain, and found the two siblings bickering as they usually did. A follower of Adellam had resurrected the body of one of Vowil's paladins, and the soul had disappeared. Vowil demanded that it be returned, but Adellam knew not what had happened to it. Without even noticing Erexeb, Vowil turned and left in a huff.

Adellam, who had noticed Erexeb, turned and apologized for the spat. Erexeb stated that it was not needed, and instead asked after who they were. Adellam responded that they were Vowil's sibling, and who unlike their sibling thrived in the dark. They inquired the same of Erexeb. Erexeb explained about their forays into medicines and poisons. When Adellam mentioned that some of the creatures that occupied their realm secreted a natural poison, Erexeb became quite curious.

So, Adellam gathered the goddess into their arms and whisked them off to their home realm. Most of the creatures were made of shadow, and it took some time for Adellam's Attendants to track down a poisonous creature. While they waited, Adellam and Erexeb got to know each other. They became fast friends, and by the time the creature had arrived, were lovers. Adellam constructed a lab specifically for Erexeb in their home.

Erexeb though, could not stay in Adellam's realm all the time. Not only would their mother not allow it, but Erexeb's poor constitution would not tolerate it. So, she spent half the year with Adellam, and half the year with Vowil. Vowil had also set up a lab so that Erexeb could continue their research into the medicinal.

Though Vowil did not fully approve of their relationship, she recognized that the two of them worked as a couple. She also noticed that when the two of them were together, they were too busy spending time with each other to cause much ruckus with her. For those reasons, Vowil gladly escorted her friend to the edge of her sibling's domain, and then collected her.

That Which Occurs for a Gift

On one of the occasions where Erexeb resided with Vowil, Adellam found themselves wandering into the heart of a forest. They searched for a rare flower that was rumored to be the most poisonous of them all. It would serve as a gift to Erexeb when they arrived home. Adellam wondered so far, that without realizing it they had trespassed into Ekolord's realm.

Adellam found the flower, but just as they had plucked it, found themselves surrounded by Ekolord's Attendants. Adellam was quickly taken before Ekolord. Ekolord held the flower in their hand, and asked why Adellam had plucked it. Adellam explained that it was a gift, and though Ekolord understood, he wondered why Adellam had not simply asked for it. The deity of the moon simply stated that it had not occurred to them to ask.

Ekolord crushed the flower into a fine powder, and poured it into a goblet that was then filled with a fine wine. He sent away his Attendants and approached Adellam. 'Drink from this goblet and fulfill my request, as punishment for plucking the flower. Do this, and you shall leave with what you desire.' Ekolord held out the goblet.

Adellam took the goblet, but did not drink. 'What is your request?' Ekolord smiled. 'Nothing much, I just wish to know how it feels to lay with the moon.' With that Ekolord pushed the cup up to Adellam's lips, who drank from it freely. Before Adellam could drink all of it, Ekolord took the goblet from them and finished it.

As soon as the poisoned wine hit their lips, Adellam felt a cloudiness come into their mind. They felt their inhibitions leave them, and became excited to fulfill Ekolord's request.

When Adellam next came to full clarity, they were in their own bed, and a new flower sat in a pot upon a table. That was not the only thing that Ekolord had left them with, as Adellam also found themselves with child.

Though she was not happy, Erexeb knew well of Ekolord's reputation, so she bore no ill will towards her spouse or the child Anawallane. The same could not be said of Adellam, as they kept the child confined to their realm and barely permitted them to leave.

It was only when Erexeb would smuggle Anawallane out to Vowil's realm that the child learned of a mortal's soul. When Vowil noticed her niece's curiosity, she took great pains to educate them of how important a soul is to the mortals. If Vowil could not convince her sibling, perhaps she would have better luck with their child.

Adawallane soaked up her aunt's teachings. When she had grown, Adawallane created her own realm and collected the all-important souls from every world. She gratefully took on the responsibility as the Goddess of the Dead and Afterlife. She took great care to organize them, and had many attendants assigned to collect the stories of the soul and store them in a great library. The library, called the Memoria Aula, was created by the god Ullren. Adawallane also realized that the souls needed something to do in the afterlife she had created. Some souls were punished for the crimes they had committed while alive, while others were rewarded for their accomplishments.

Adawallane soon came to realize that she had underestimated the multitude of souls that she had taken under her wing, and needed ways to alleviate her load. Therefore, some were reincarnated back to their worlds. Demons and devils approached her, and offered to take some souls off her hands, for a price of course.

Meglin, the son of Erexeb and Adellam, joined their sister in this endeavor. Being absolutely enamored with their older sister, Meglin instructed his Attendants to escort the souls to his sister, to ensure that none were missed. Those souls that were lost or tried to escape, did not stay that way for long as Meglin tracked them down and brought them to be judged. He is the Reaper, the God of the Journey.

Hawallach's Trick

Now, another frequent visitor to Erexeb, was Hawallach. Hawallach thrived on the passion and fire in the hearts and bodies of the mortals, and is the God of Desire. Knowing Erexeb's skill with potions, they requested the strongest of all potions that would break even the strongest bonds within a person and have them succumb to their deepest desires. Never one to turn down such a challenge, Erexeb accepted.

They took the same poisonous flower that Adellam had procured for them, and combined it with some herbs that contained hallucinogenic properties. Finally, so as to dampen the poison effects of the mixture, they added the tears of a phoenix, which had the added benefit of placing the recipient into a highly suggestible state.

When Erexeb presented it to Hawallach, Hawallach doubted its potency. They demanded a demonstration. Meglin, who had been visiting, was called into the room. They were easily enough coerced into trying the potion.

After the potion was drunk, Meglin's mind became clouded. Hawallach embraced Meglin from behind, and whispered into their ear. They told Meglin that they were in the room of their beloved, and that the woman before them was not their mother, but the one that they yearned for. Meglin's vision became blurred, and the image of their mother disappeared, and was replaced with the image of a demonic creature that they had recently seen. Meglin approached their beloved and tried to embrace them.

Erexeb put up a fight to their son. They yelled at Hawallach that the demonstration was over and to call off Meglin.

Hawallach though, wished to see how far they could push the boundaries. Coming up behind Erexeb, they forced the potion into their mouth. With the same hypnotic voice, they said that it was not Meglin their son that coming onto them, but instead their spouse Adellam. With that, Erexeb stopped fighting and fell gladly into the embrace of their spouse.

With a twisted smile and sense of pride, Hawallach watched as mother and son engaged in an intimate act that should never be. As his final act before he left the two of them, he instructed mother and son to forget that he was ever there, or even involved.

Several hours later, the fog cleared from Erexeb's mind, and she awakened in the naked embrace of her son. Hawallach was nowhere to be seen, and all remnants of that vile potion was missing. Erexeb, per the suggestion of Hawallach, had no idea what had come over them. With shame she called her Attendants, who helped them to their room and to clean. Meglin was quickly whisked away to their own home, still asleep.

For several days, Erexeb sealed herself away in her room, and did not even allow Adellam to see them. She was ashamed of herself, and carried the shame of her son as well. Meglin knew something had occurred, but did not know the details. To add to the shame, Erexeb discovered that she was with child.

The only one Erexeb would speak with, was the mother of Vowil, the goddess of childbirth and fertility herself, Miyangess. Erexeb begged Miyangess to take the child from her, as she could not bear the through of birthing the child of her son. The goddess understood her plight, and though she was reluctant, could see that let the pregnancy continue would be detrimental to the health of the mother. So, Miyangess extracted the fetus from Erexeb, and disappeared into the night.

Miyangess could not bring herself to destroy the small soul of the fetus. As she attempted to leave, she also discovered that the fetus could not leave the realm of Adellam. With no other choice, she called upon one of her Attendants. She implanted the fetus within the Attendant, and instructed her to dwell in the Realm till the child was born. Miyangess than left.

And so the Attendant hid within the shadows of the Realm, dodging the dangers and taking shelter within the dark caves. As the incestuous child grew within her, the Attendant found herself being changed by the Realm itself. When the child was finally born, the Attendant was happy that she could finally leave the Realm.

She absconded to the mortal Realm, but found that she could not live under the light of the sun. Once again she retreated down below. She called out for the help of her Goddess, but was distraught to discover that she was no longer in her service. Her time in the Realm of Adellam had eroded her link, leaving her untethered. In her fear and distress, the former Attendant called for those who too had been abandoned, and brought them into the darkest parts of the Underdark with her. And so the Attendant became the Goddess Insill, Goddess of the Abandoned.

The incestuous child of Erexeb and Meglin was named Elezenn. Young Elezenn grew with no boundaries, and her every whim (no matter how twisted) was granted. When she was grown, she was told the truth of her birth. Elezenn approached Erexeb of this matter, but Erexeb turned her away and refused to speak to her. To get her attention, Elezenn created plagues and diseases that would torment the mortals and overwhelm the followers of Erexeb. These displays still did not get the attention that she sought, and Elezenn fell more into madness. When she falls into the darkest throes of madness, Insill brings her home to the Underdark and holds her till it passes. She is the Goddess of Madness and Disease.

Elezenn's Dolls

When Elezenn was still a young child, her mother Insill would frequently entertain guests of the demonic or devil nature within their home. These guests wished to do all sorts of business with Insill, and it was not often that they were refused. One of these guests presented the young Elezenn with a gift: a pair of twin dolls. The dolls were made of clay and represented a brother and a sister. Both of them were demonic in appearance, with barbed tails and pointed teeth. The female had a pair of leathery wings, while her brother had curling horns.

Elezenn liked them well enough, and would often talk to them when she was alone. After being rejected by Erexeb, Elezenn flew into a rage. She lost all sense of self-control and lost control of her own divine powers. In a flood of pure godly power, her precious dolls were swallowed up. When the power died down and Elezenn was calm, she discovered she was not alone. In the room with her, where her two demonic dolls come to life.

The male, Dehark, only stayed briefly by Elezenn's side. Now that he was free to walk and talk of his own volition, he was not inclined to give up that freedom. Dehark was also a shape-shifter, changing his form to suit whichever situation he found himself in. No matter the dealings he was involved in, Dehark always did what was best for Dehark.

Soon enough he found himself surrounded by Followers who followed his philosophy. He became known as the God of Thieves, and his network worked its way into every world. Like himself, his Followers were wary of anyone who had blind trust and loyalty in others without that it being earned. Dehark's network became his silver web, and he the spider that sat upon it. He would also act as a messenger for the gods when it suited him.

Dehark's other passion was secretly bedding Sezgrin's wife, Melindan, behind the God of War and Storm's back. Melindan and Dehark had a friendship and a kinship, but there was no love, only lust. Even after Melindan bore two sons with demonic appearances, Sezgrin never caught on that they were not his.

Whereas Dehark was all for himself, his sister Detol was all for Elezenn. Since the moment of her creation, Detol dedicated herself to Elezenn. In the beginning Elezenn did not believe her, but Detol proved herself. She locked herself into a stone room, and proclaimed that until Elezenn pulled her out, she would not leave. With a wicked grin, Elezenn set the room ablaze, certain that Detol would rather save her own life than to prove her silly loyalty.

Even as the flames licked and burned away her skin, Detol did not leave. She held in her screams, even as her lips cracked from the heat. Her wings wrinkled in the extreme heat before they themselves were set ablaze. Even in extreme agony, Detol did not leave. She made no move to leave, no move to save themselves. Detol's life was in Elezenn's hands.

Finally, Elezenn became convinced. She reached in and pulled out Detol.

Detol's skin was black, and her wings were bare. Elezenn commanded her Attendants to care for the woman. It took several days as the Attendants slowly tore off every piece of burned flesh, leaving her skin raw. Detol found herself unable to speak, her vocal cords having been severely damaged by the smoke.

Eventually she recovered, and it was like she had been reborn. The only part of herself that did not heal completely, was her voice. She learned sign language so she could still communicate when her voice was not strong enough.

Now that she had Elezenn's trust, she could truly protect her as the Goddess of Loyalty. Detol became the commander of Elezenn's army, The Protectorate.

The Secret Goddess

So it was, that whenever Adayang threw a fit and their being shook, cracks appeared along their boundaries with Adacanish. Slowly over time, water flowed into the rocky spaces. With Lovach herself bringing rain to the farmers, and then the storms of the brothers Zhonnic and Sezgrin bringing even more inland, bodies of water within the earth and above it formed.

It was Nazash themselves who encountered a lake so large, that they could not see the other side. As their animal companions drank deeply from it, Nazash waded out. He was not but a few feet out, when the earth beneath his feet suddenly ended and he thrown down a deep cliff. Being a god, Nazash could not drown, but that did not stop him from feeling true terror as he sank into a domain that was not his own.

His descent was stopped by a school of fish, who rushed around him and held him aloft. A woman in a shimmering scaled dress swam up to him. 'Who are you?' Nazash asked as they watched the woman swim around him, inspecting him. The woman laughed. 'Seeing as it was you who ventured into my realm, I should be the one asking that.' She came in front of him, and reclined in the water. 'My name is Cazai, and I am the Keeper of the lakes and rivers. Who might you be?'

'Nazash, protector and friend to all the animals of above.' Nazash gestured to the water around them. 'How long have you been here?' The Goddess smiled. 'I have been here since the beginning, since the first drop of Adacanish's realm touched the realm of Adayang. It is not my fault that those above do not care to look below.' With a final wave of her hand, the fish around Nazash began to take him back above.

After that, whenever Nazash found himself near the water, he took the time to look deep within its depths and to converse further with Cazai, the Goddess of the Lakes and Streams, who never left the safety of her water.

The Storm Siblings

When it comes to the primordial gods, there are three who at any given time have a tenuous thread of peace with each other. Of course, these three are Adayang, Trustech, and Adacanish. Unlike the likes of Tissave and Anabra, those three are constantly together in some form or another. Their realms are in constant contact, and at times friction blows up, both literally and figuratively. During one of their greatest conflicts, a conflict which involved all three of them, they found themselves literally tied into a giant knot.

It took several days for the three of them to figure out how to undo themselves, and during that time the essences of all three mixed together. When the knot was finally undone, the three were shocked to discover that in the middle of them, were two sons. Sons born of their combined essences, and that had absorbed the emotions of the primordial's fighting.

Zhonnic embodied the primordial's desire to best each other, and prove that they were the best. With a flash of lightning, Zhonnic gathered together fighters and athletes, and presided over great competitions. Encouraged training and the learning of skill, in order to make the competitions larger and greater. He is the God of Lightning, Strength, and Competition.

Sezgrin, embodied the primoridal's desire to be the winner at all cost. He found himself drawn to the kind of competition that only ends in the total annihilation of the other side. War, and bloody war at that, is what fuels him. His thunder echoes the sound of boots heading into battle. He is the God of Thunder, Blood, and War.

It wasn't only those below them that fought. The brother's fought against each other constantly as well, lighting up the sky and deafening any who tried to stop them. Their battles caused destruction everywhere they went, and none of the other gods could stop them.

Finally, it was Adacanish who discovered a solution. Taking blood from each that had fallen into their waters, they put it and their own essence into a clam. The clam sat on a rock, alone, above the water, as the brothers battled around it.

At the time that each brother landed a harsh strike on the other, the clam opened and revealed a golden pearl. The pearl glowed with a bright light, that when dimmed, had become a golden-haired goddess. Immediately both brother's felt a tight connection with this goddess, and named her Xilnam, The Goddess of Victory, their little sister.

From that point, it was Xilnam who decided who won between the brother's squabbles. They never questioned her judgement, and anyone who did faced their wrath. Competitors in the brother's fights or war, often praised Xilnam and asked for their favor. Anyone who won, and did not pay tribute to the goddess, were soon taught better by the brothers.

One of the brother's greatest fights, was over the affections of a mortal, a follower of Anabra. This follower would predict the outcome of a bout or war, by bestowing luck upon the sides. This luck could be good or bad, and if utilized correctly, could change the outcome. Both brothers were obsessed by the mortal's skills, and wished to make them theirs. The mortal was flattered by the attention of the brother's, and accepted tokens from both.

Xilnam became increasingly concerned over her brother's continued fighting over the mortal. This was not a matter in which she could just declare one brother's affections to be more worthy than the other. The mortal woman did not help the matter, as she laid with each brother, seemingly not having a favorite over either one.

Finally, Xilnam could no longer take the fighting of her brothers. In front of them, she used her divinity to tear the mortal woman in half. She flung a half to each of her brothers, and then stalked away.

The brothers were quick to pump their own divinity into each of their own halves, healing and restoring their missing limbs. In this way the goddesses Nessel and Melindan came to be. Nessel married Zhonnic, and is the Goddess of Good Luck, who rewards those that take chances. Melindan married Sezgrin, and is the Goddess of Bad Luck, and favors those you use it to gain an upper hand.

On one occasion, Dehark approached the brothers and declared that they were no match against the Draconics. For all their godly might, they could not fight against the Draconics teeth and claws. The brothers agreed and asked what could be done. Dehark already had a solution. If the brothers would allow, he would use his own powers of shapeshifting to transform their humanoid bodies to those of great dragons. The brothers agreed readily and so it was that their forms were transformed to those of dragons. In actuality Dehark only wanted Sezgrin's form to change so that he would question as to why the children bore by his wife had tails.