To begin I must first take a look at what is believed by much of the world's inhabitants to be the origin of this world and its gods. I must admit to not having the most complete knowledge of this field as it has in the past lay beyond the edges of my personal study, but I shall endeavor to do it a just service. It is necessary to remember that much of the specifics, such as names and descriptions of gods and beings, are frequently different from nation to nation and from people to people while the general knowledge is maintained. As such I shall be relating those names and descriptions as they are found in the Vale as they are not only the most familiar to me, but also for the reasons stated earlier on the reliability of the Valen sources.

  In time immemorable Erta, the Earth, Great Mother, source of life, and giver of substance drifted as a shapeless mass through a great void. After drifting for untold ages, she came upon another entity, Heuen, Father Sky, The Protector, and silent Watchman over the whole of the world. At this time, I shall endeavor to describe these entities as a means of enabling any reader that has not had the benefit of viewing their depictions in any of the temples better understand them. While each of the Deities were wholly embodied in their own elements, they would frequently take on forms more familiar to mortals for their interactions both to allow the mortals to better understand the creatures they were worshipping and to enable them to depict the gods more easily.

  Erta, was a woman of immense scale. Her skin seemed both weathered, worn as with one that has lived a full life of labor under the elements, and fresh as that of a small child that has not yet been exposed to the hardships of life beyond the reach of their mothers’ skirts. It ranged in uneven marks of deep browns and reds mixed with the grays and whites of earth, clays, and granites. Her eyes burned with power that comes from being the first and wisest of all beings. Her cloths were a dress of intricately woven shale and slate. Though she rarely was required to fight, she went unarmed into the fray relying not on weapons but on the magic which she wielded with such skill that she was never bested by any of the greatest magicians among mortal or god alike. Erta is viewed as the mother of all things and is the source of all that comes after. She is frequently referred to as some variation of the Mother and Mother Earth, and is strongly associated with the Star Sign of the Matron.

  Heuen, unlike all the rest of the deities is not depicted with a humanoid body. He, when he is depicted at all, is usually shown as a large bank of storm clouds looming in the distance or roiling overhead. He is occasionally shown as having a human head which is of an older man with a worn wrinkled face and grey or white hair. The weapon that is most associated with Heuen is the shield. He rarely goes on the attack and so carries a large shield that needs to be carried with both hands. This weapon has never been used in battle by any of the nations that I have heard of. He is referred to as the Father or Father sky and is most closely associated with the sign of the Patriarch.

  There is some contention as to which of these two gods came first. There are those that say Heuen looks older than Erta because he is older and that he created Erta out of the void to be his companion. This I find unlikely because though he is the father to all the rest of the gods that came later, he never since has shown any interest in creation beyond occasionally taking part in the creation of another. There is also the belief among some nations that Heuen was actually created by Erta to protect herself and her children from the ravages of the Void and that he only appears more aged by the constant struggle against it. This is possible as Erta has demonstrated her ability to create and the power of her magic even without the aid of others, however, this belief is not very widespread, only being found in a few areas that are otherwise historically irrelevant. Instead, I find it more likely that the belief that they are approximately the same age to be the correct one. This is because that is what it is said they themselves reported to the most ancient priests, and it is by far the most common of the views. In any case such are the descriptions of Erta and Heuen.

  Returning now to the main story, they soon fell in love and spent many eons together entwined in a maelstrom of power and magic, until at last Erta became with heavy with child. Separating themselves, Heuen placed himself between her and the relentless void through which they had hitherto traversed creating a firmament between Erta and the Void beyond while Erta prepared herself for motherhood. This firmament continues to separate the world that is now inhabited by all the creatures of the earth and the void that lies beyond. Without the firmament it would be impossible for life as it currently is to exist as mortals cannot survive it, particularly those races that lack innate magical power because of the strength and ferocity of the chaotic magics the dwell within it. This is ultimately the key difference between the race of immortal gods, and those that walk along the earth. Even the most powerful of mortals cannot survive the corruption and power of the void, there are of course some exceptions as shall be discussed later, but those are almost always with divine intervention or as a means to become divine. A place having been prepared for her children to survive without the need to struggle against the void, Erta soon gave birth to three children, who with their mother and father make up the Prime Deities.

  The First born was called Meren, the lord and body of the waters, the shifter and shaper, formless and deep. Upon his birth the waters sprang from the Surface of Erta and began to run from the mountains. The waters divided the land and most of the earth was covered by Meren’s body. The rains fell and springs bubbled, carving the cliffs and canyons. For many more Ages Meren lived as the only child filling into the gaps between Heuen and Erta gathering in the lowest points on the surface. This practice he continues to this very day flowing from the highest points to the low concentrating himself in the seas and oceans, the lakes, and the rivers. This is because he is partway between his parents in form. Water is fluid like the heavens, but of substance like the earth and its substance outweighs it fluidity. The form that he took for his interactions with mortals is described as being a man of middle age. His skin was the color of the sea and like the sea seemed to change color depending on his mood. In ranged from the bright, clear Azure of the waters of the Sea of Acameus on a clear day, to the roiling grey-green of the northern seas during winter storms. His hair was seagrass, his beard of seafoam. His clothes were made of fish scales and his shoes were of coiled seaweeds. When Meren went to war, he armed himself with a net of wound kelp and a spear of a narwhal’s horn. His armor was made of seashells, and he rode on a chariot drawn by many creatures of the deep over which he holds dominion. He is called the Shifter and Shaper for his abilities and is associated with the Sign of the Torrent.

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  The next child of Erta and Heuen was Aera, the air, the shapeless and swift, the messenger and the runner. Her body stretched between the earth and sky filling the void and pushing the firmament beyond the reach of the earth’s surface. This is because air is much more similar to her father in terms of fluidity and substance, being both in visible and light. She was far larger than Meren and so upon her birth Heuen expanded stretching himself so as to not crush his daughter. However, this separated him from his beloved Erta and so it fell on the young Aera to communicate between them constantly running across the whole face of the earth to bring messages to each of her parents. She is depicted as having been a tall and slender woman, even more so than the elves that worship her most. Her hair was long, but wispy and light colored in shades of varying greys and whites. Her skin is said to be the hazy pale blue of a distant horizon, her eyes the color of storm clouds. She is shown as wearing a white robe that trails behind her in great trails across the sky as she dashes from place to place. When she goes to war, she wears as cloak of gray that spreads across the heavens and smothers all that oppose her, her main weapons are darts that she throws and carries on the winds. She is called the Shapeless and the Messenger and is associated with the sign of the Eagle.

  Both of these children felt a jealousy in their hearts for the other. Meren for Aera’s formlessness and speed as well as her ability to reach both earth and sky as he once had been able to but had not since her birth. Aera for Meren’s density, power, and persistence as though the wind might be able to blow harder and faster than any water may flow, it lacks the ability to push aside the great rocks of the earth or the ability to carve the earth the way that rivers do to canyons. Thus, the children fought, not to such an extent that they damaged each other or their mother but to try to gain a power of the other and bend them to their will. Aera lashed across the surface of the waters driving them before her. Meren gathered himself in the air weighing it down until it became sluggish and oppressive. Thus, their battles became breeding grounds for great storms that swept the land pouring forth their combined efforts into a fury of violence.

  The Third child of Erta and Heuen is Inferen Fire, The Sun, Lightbringer, Inspirer and Guider. At his birth Inferen was far weaker than his siblings Meren threatened to smother him try as he might to avoid it, and Aera trying to fan him into growth blew too strong and nearly extinguished him. Fearing for his safety Erta created a space deep within the center of herself so that he could live safe from his siblings. It was in this cavern that he strengthened gaining power until he was stronger than his siblings, his fire became unquenchable and began to force its way through the earth at points creating Volcanos spewing forth fire and brimstone and ash. He knew his immense power but was unconcerned with testing his strength against his siblings as they had become want to do, each striving to push the other closer to a submission that would never come. Instead, Inferen dedicated himself to creation. He established a forge where he set about creating works of art fashioned from the earth and stone around him, bringing them to by the power that he imbued into the coals of his forge. It was there in the deepest bowels to the earth that the first creatures took root. They were however by their nature unstable and temporary as they were incomplete. These creatures were formed only of Fire and earth and these two elements proved incapable of sustaining life outside of his workshop. Inferen, is depicted as a man of pure fire. He is depicted as a man whose eyes and hair flash with the heat and light of the sun. his skin smolders like the coals of his forge. His clothing is an apron and smock of iron, and his weapon of choice is the hammer he uses at his forge. He is associated with the sign of the maul.

  These five beings are collectively referred to as the Prime Gods, as they were created before the Mortal races. They are the most powerful of the Immortals, though by no means the only ones. There are of course seven other Gods and Goddesses that complete the major universal pantheon of the world. Nor are Meren, Aera, and Inferen the only children of Erta and Heuen. There are many hundreds, or perhaps thousands of minor and lessor deities across the world that can claim direct ancstry from those two originators. However in comparison to their parents and to their three eldest siblings they are far weaker, and so tend to only be able hold sway over small areas as local and familial deities.

  After having given birth to these three, her first children, it is said that Erta, exhausted from her labor, fell into a slumber. Thi slumber lasted for many years, and though she remains the most powerfull of all the gods, she still to this day spends much of her time in this state. This is why the earth and stone occasionally moves as she shifts in her sleep, but does not move with the same fluidity as water, air, and fire. With Heuen kept ever watchful defending his family from the chaos of the void the children were largely left to fend for themselves.