Just as new life rises from the husk of a long-dead tree laying on the forest floor, so too do we inhabit this Earth, which was once filled with the light of the Creators, who departed from us long ago. Although the Creators have abandoned us to this mortal coil, and those who once dwelt among them have also ascended to the Realms Beyond the Canopy, their presence can still be felt throughout the world in the souls of all living things. From the smallest creatures to the world-trees which tower over all, every living thing is imbued with the deific essence left behind by the Creators.
While the Gods no longer watch over their creation, the people have not forgotten them, and have not ceased to worship and thank them for all that they have wrought. Annual pilgrimages are made to world-trees, where festivals are held in honor of the Creators. Most believe that the world-trees are the Creators' parting gift to the world, granting shade and shelter to all who come to gaze upon their gentle might and glory. Some societies even opt to take permanent shelter in these world-trees, benefitting symbiotically from their shade and sturdy wood, whilst also working to take care of the world-trees, and shape them into beautiful forms.
The Creators
When the world came into being, there were many creator gods: too many to number. For eons, they worked together to shape the world of Kō into their image, placing their creations throughout every crevice and valley and upon every mountaintop and under every lake and ocean. There were creator gods for every animal, flower, and natural happening. Over time, they began to leave the Earth one by one as they completed and perfected their creations, until only five creator gods remained. These five gods, called the Supreme Creators, are named Mor - Creator of the Winds, Na - Creator of Energy, Nyas - Creator of Water, Kyot - Creator of the Soil, and Szu - Creator of Man.
When the Supreme Creators were all that remained, they agreed that their time on Earth must, too, come to an end at some point. Working tirelessly, they perfected the earth and the men who lived upon it, each of them leaving behind their own unique gifts for man to thrive with.
Mor left behind his breath, and this became the winds over the oceans which fill the sails of ships, and allow man to travel vast distances.
Na left behind one of his eyes, and this became the sun in the sky, giving warmth to man and allowing him to grow crops.
Nyas sliced open his palms and let his blood pour out over the land, and this became the rivers which allow man to drink clean water and find an abundance of food.
Kyot plucked out each of his eyebrows and set them into the earth, and these became the wheats and grasses which cover the world's surface, and allow man to sow and reap crops.
Szu left behind his heart, and placed it into the center of the earth, so that the rhythms of life would never cease and man would never be forced to live in a desolate wasteland.
Together, The Supreme Creators left their tears upon the earth in various places, and in these places the soil is so fertile that world-trees grow. Once all of the world-trees had grown, the Supreme Creators finally departed from their creation, and took with them all of the men and women who had lived during the Creation, except for the youngest of them, who became the ancestors to all mankind today. In this way, we are all righteous and holy, having descended from those original, pure and perfect men and women, who are known as The Founders. Only he who rejects his ancestors and claims that he is not descended from The Founders can be unholy, and will not in his death move on to the Realms Beyond the Canopy, but will instead be forced to live out another life on Kō, this repeating until he can be found to be righteous and good.
The Realms
All of mankind lives currently in the Undergrowth, so far below the trees and the canopy that we can often not see the sky and the atmosphere above. Although man cannot see above the Undergrowth, there are numerous other stops along the way to the Realms Beyond the Canopy. The only way to ascend through these layers, and avoid the eternally cyclic trappings of life in the Undergrowth, is to worship the Creators, and to understand that man is not worthy of ascension without devotion. He who lives a righteous life in the Undergrowth will, in his death, ascend to one of the three Realms Above the Earth. The basis for deciding who is worthy to ascend Above the Earth lies in the Five Virtues, which were bestowed upon the Founders as the Supreme Creators departed from the earth. These are as follows:
I: No man shall kill any other man, even in defense of his own life. Slaying or maiming of another man of any sort is the worst sort of evil, and will always result in another cycling of life in the Undergrowth. A man who kills another shall, in his next cycling, live the life of an abhorrently wounded or disabled person, unable to walk or otherwise fend for himself.
II: No man shall steal from any other man, except that man who flaunts his own wealth as to taunt one with less of it. A man who steals unjustly shall, in his next cycling, live a life of poverty, surrounded by deceitful and dishonest companions.
III: No man shall flaunt his wealth over those who have less. A man who flaunts his wealth shall, in his next cycling, live a life of poverty and debt, and will never find work.
IV: No man shall disavow the names of the Creators, or of the Founders. Any man who disavows his ancestors as such shall, in his next cycling, live a lonesome life, and never wed or have children.
V: No man shall harm the nature that surrounds him, except for in the most necessary of defensive situations. Any man who desecrates or otherwise befouls nature shall, in his next cycling, be forced to live in a barren desert, or underground, such that he may never glimpse upon the flourishing beauty of the world.
Any man who abides by these Five Virtues shall ascend to the Realms Above the Earth in his next cycling. A man who follows these virtues but does not preach them shall ascend to the first layer; the priest who follows and preaches these virtues but does not devote his life to them shall ascend to the second layer; finally, the monk who follows, preaches, and devotes his life to the following and understanding of these virtues shall ascend directly to the third layer - the highest honour which can be bestowed upon a mortal in his time of passing.
Those men who continue to be virtuous and good in their cyclings above the Undergrowth shall then ascend to the five Realms of the Canopy, and eventually to the Realms Beyond the Canopy. These Realms can, at times, be seen from Earth, as a small dot which transits the sky, reminding man that he is not worthy of ascension if he lacks commitment and devotion. Some men will ascend faster than others, and many more are doomed to repeat this cycling of the Undergrowth for all eternity.
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