Prior to the Cataclysm - The Sacred Lands

The Legends of the West   There is no historical record of the time before 'The Arrival', when the first tribes arrived on Edane and the continents to the east and south.   However, all of the current nations of Edane claim descent from one of the tribes who sailed out of the west after a great calamity struck the western continent. No voyage across the Sunset Ocean has ever successfully proven the existence of this continent, let alone the veracity of each nations claim to originate from there. The mythical continent is known as Auratraios.   It is believed that some great magick prevents the people of the east from seeing what lies to the west, that it is kept hidden from the eyes of those who have been cast out, as many of the nations of Edane believe to be the case.   All of the nations believe that some great power was granted to the people of the west until they betrayed the trust of the Gods and were removed from the Sacred Lands.   Below is the current interpretation put forth by scribes from Zhdan who have tried to unify all of the disperate stories told across the known world. As such, some liberties are taken to unite and stitch the stories into a coherent whole. As such, these stories are to be viewed with some degree of scepticism:   In the time before, the nine tribes were, in fact, twelve. Grouped in four groups of three, they lived peacefully in the four corners of the western continent under the ever watchful eye of the Allfather and MotherGoddess, who oversaw the north and the south respectively. To the east and west, the tribes were overseen by The Offspring and The Spirit. It is generally seen that 'The Offspring' was used interchangeably as male or female, or in some cases viewed as both. The Spirit was seen as the intangeable force that operates in the world.   The general consensus seems to be that all four of these divine beings could be seen as separate or part as one and the same, all are equal parts of the One Great Divinity. Some of the tribes suggest that no one aspect of the One Great Divinity had superiority over the others, but it would seem that different tribes took different aspects as their personal diety, championing it above all others. This can be seen by some ancient relics appearing to place the four aspects of the One Great Divinity in the shape of a diamond, with the Allfather often placed on top.   All of the tribes speak of powers bestowed upon the twelve tribes by the One Great Divinity. These powers seem to vary depending on the aspect of the divinity granting them the power: for example, great strength from the Allfather, healing from the MotherGoddess, the power to read minds and influence others from The Spirit and the power to bring joy and contentment from The Offspring.   The powers of the One Great Divinity meant that the twelve tribes wanted for nothing. Their every need was met and they lived in peace and tranquility for thousands of years. The lifespan of the people of the twelve tribes was significantly longer than ours are now, it being common for one of the Ancient Ones to live for hundreds of years. As such, the people of the west matured slower, reaching adulthood at the age of 80 rather than 20.   The cities of Auratraios were as varied as they were incredible. One city floated above the ground, accessible only by chains and bridges that tethered it to the ground. One was carved straight from the living rock, a network of warrens and caves that seem to shift and change at whim, the walls lit by luminescent glow from the algae on the rocks. One lay hidden in the depths of a vast swamp, the homes and building accessible only through entining walkways and rope bridges that are entwined amongst the trees, some of them, submerged beneath the water. One city, made of eternally shifting sands, rose out of the white sands of the desert and seemed to disappear or shimmer like a mirage. One city was a vast, walled labyrinth on the edge of a vast canyon, twisting and turning as it rose towards a central citadel.   Prior to the catacysm, most of the people of Auratraios devoted themselves to devotion to the One Great Divinity. An elaborate system of rituals and ceremony acompanied every day. The priesthood made up a significant portion of the population. The upper eschelons of the priesthood bore witness to the Gods and shared their will with the people, often through trance like posessions where they spoke directly to the people through their 'conduits.'   No physical labour needed to be undertaken by the people as ethereal spirits could be conjoured to harvest crops and grow food for the people. The common people busied themselves with directing the spirits and maintaining the machinery which was powered by the gifts given by the Gods. These provided warmth, light, heat and entertainment to the people. Most of the people could busy themselves with crafts and art, creating things for the people and to honour their Gods. It was considered the highest honour to create something which was gifted to the Gods at one of the four major ceremonies each year.   The land of Auratraios was not without war. This was considered a natural part of the ongoing tensions between the four aspects of the One Great Divinity and a test for the people of the land. When conflict arose, the aspect associated with each city would bless them with warrior spirits who would fight on their behalf. It was generally seen that the side that lost had not shown sufficient devotion to their deity.   For that was the greatest sin in the land of Aurotraios. Those who failed to believe in the One Great Divinity were cast out and lost the divine blessing. This was particularly common amongst the more curious of the people of this nation. Curiosity and a desire to see beyond the divine was seen as arrogant and heaviy suppressed.   The greatest test to the Sacred Lands came in the form of the Bringer of Ruin. In the final 200 years of the civilisation of Auratraois, the sky was torn asunder as a flaming meteor struck the earth in the centre of the continent of Auratraios. The crater it left behind quickly filled with water which was discovered to be tainted by some unknown sickness by those who drank from it.   The One Great Divinity was quick to respond to this new threat and sought to contain the malignant spread caused by this unknown force. They ordered the construction of a vast ziggurat over the lake that spread around the crater, warded and sealed with the most powerful of their magicks.   And yet, those who worked closely on its construction spoke of voices that whispered in their heads, that encouraged them to sate their curiosity and discover more about what lay beneath. Some began to question the divine wisdom of the One Great Divinity, asking if it was actually withholding truths from them and preventing humanity's growth.   Very rapidly, those who were tempted by the words of the Bringer of Ruin sought to harness the powers granted them by the One Great Divinity and to develop humanity to the point of becoming their own Gods. They saw the four aspects as a form of enslavement, preventing them from achieving their true growth. They saw the One Great Divinity as ultimately fearful and maintaining control over the people through fear of human free will, or of ceasing to exist. Rather than being known as the Bringer of Ruin, he became known as the Illuminator or the Lightbringer.   The Bringer of Ruin was very persuasive with their arguments, and yet noone was ever able to explain exactly WHAT it was. Any who braved the depths of the ziggurat either never returned or came back insane, babbling incoherent nonsense.   In time, the supporters of the Lightbringer became too powerful, their influence weakening the One Great Divinity's hold over Auratraios. And so, the four aspects called upon their supporters to wage open warfare on the Lightbringer. This war raged from generations, weakening further the magic of the west. Two of the twelve tribes were completely wiped out in this war. Cities crumbled, the powers of the One Great Divinity weakened and the Lightbringer's influence spread.   This is until the Eksil sought to conclusively bring an end to the Lightbringer. A small group of people from the Eksil tribe snuck into the ziggurat with the blessing of the One Great Divinity and travelled deep within its labyrinthine depths to find what lay beneath. Unfortunately, it was their curiosity which was their undoing. By seeking to find out what lay beneath, they ultimately betrayed the One Great Divinity and their conviction wavered. One of their number, Havrei Sende, was able to truly comprehend what he was seeing, and using a spear gifted by the Allfather, pierced the side of the great beast, causing a flood of blood and water to rush out. The ziggurat began to crumble and Havrei was the only one to escape before it collapsed.   The One Great Divinity managed to seal the Bringer of Ruin inside, but it consumed all of their magic and they ordered the Eksil to flee with the spear, believing the blood that tainted it as being the key to opening the tomb of the Bringer of Ruin. They were sent west.   Despite the Lightbringer's defeat, its influence spread, tainting the land of the west. No longer able to maintain the magicks that maintained their way of life, more turned to support the Lightbringer, angry at the One Great Divinity for abandoning them.   The Hizbrann, ever avid supporters of the Lightbringer, were forced to leave first, although they were keen to seek the spear to bring a return to their God.   As punishment for a lack of faith, the One Great Divinity would expel different tribes from the land of the west. Eventually, only three tribes remained - one being the Nagual, who chose to remain impartial and live without the blessing of either the One Great Deity or the Lightbringer and serve as guardians of the realm of the west. One was the Ilukabu who claimed to still have the blessing of the four aspects. They travelled further west, to separate themselves from those who were exiled. The final tribe were those who had fallen fully for the lies of the Lightbringer and who believed that one among them would eventually be reborn to bring his light to the world. It is not known where they travelled but it is believed they sailed south west to live on an island in the middle of the Hidden Ocean.