The Creation Tales of Sanzeia
A collection of the most popular creation myths as they are passed down throughout Sanzeia. Generally taken to be true, with some variation based on the teller.
Firstborn of the gods was Ulmark, the Worldshaper who with his wife, Eo, the Wildmother, brought forth upon the land life and the mighty race of giants. Not wanting to be outdone, the others of the Thirteen, through their own ways choose and elevated their own favorites within the base animals of Sanzeia and thus were born the six elder races of Sanzeia: giants, Elves , dwarves, Orcs , yuan-ti, and the Banished Ones.
When the world was still young and the walls between the realms not quite as strong as they are these days, the golden God Calowean would spend his days riding his chariot across the skies, his twin sister, Lyndranel, always a step behind. He was the fairest and the most vain of the elder gods, and for this reason also he had refused to champion one of the young races as his fellows had, for none could match his beauty.
One day, Calowean came upon a pool in the middle of a great desert, in the center of which was a pool of the most pure water that the good had ever known. Feeling that he had ridden hard that day and his perfect beauty was stained by the dust of the road, Calowean bathed himself in the clear pool. Fed by the pure water and the shining light of the most beautiful of gods, beautiful flowers bloomed, and a forest grew to hide his bathing. Lyndranel followed soon after and when her brother left the pool, she too saw fit to bathe herself in its pure waters. Though she shone like her brother, Lyndranel jealously horded her light, and would not share it with the forest. And so it withered away in darkness. When Calowean returned the next day, he was saddened by the lost of the beauty he created and knew that only his sister's darkness could be to blame; the night goddess, was as sly and cunning as a jungle beast, but Calowean's bow was swift and his aim true.
As the two divines fought their blood fell into the pool, and it became clear to them that the pool was not mere water, but a portal to the faewild, the very realm of life, dreams, and possibilities. There from the blood of the twin divines grew the first of the elf-kin. Lyndranel would be chased from the pool, and it was many long years before the first elf reached out his hand to the glorious shinning god that had spawn them. But when he saw the elves, Calowean, himself is said to have wept, for only in their beauty did he see an echo of his own. And so he took them as his chosen people.
The giants borne of Ulmark, the Worldshaper were by far the finest and most powerful of the God's creations and they flourished, building great kingdoms that spanned countless leagues and centuries. But not all gods loved Ulmark's children so. The jealous trickster god, went to the greatest of the giants and convinced them each in turn of a special method by which they could earn Ulmark's favor. But the god's words were lies and the rituals he taught the giants tred upon the domains of the gods themselves. Ulmark was enraged at what his children had done.
Ulmark stood ready to erase the giants from existence, but his youngest daughter, Eofir gave her own power to contain the corruption. Thus the perfect forms and unity of the giants were shattered and each grew according to the chaos that touched them: some were consumed by fire, some grew stupid and brutish, but many touched by Eofir's grace emerged small and weakened with soft skin. Ulmark laughed at such creatures, for surely they could not live long in such a state. Thus was the race of man born to Sanzeia.
When Ulmark learned what the trickster god had done, he would not be swayed. Ulmark read from his holy book of divine laws, thus renaming the trickster god The Betrayer and banished him and all his followers from Sanzeia for eternity. Ulmark then struck the names of those he banished from the minds of all living beings. Rhem'shia, the patron goddess of the banished people, in protest gave up her own name and powers and named herself The Forgotten One .
In time it came to pass that the other gods saw how the power of the mortal races prayer elevated the elder gods and they grew jealous. Combined they came before Hedir, the crafter, and beseeched for races of their own to be worshiped by. Hedir annoyed at the interruption, bid each god to seek out an object with which to imbue each creation.
The first to return was Throndar, who laid before Hedir the bodies of the 10,000 monsters that he had bested. At the same time, Luciel, returned from her wanderings. She bore no gift for Hedir, save for the desire to see more of the wonder of Sanzeia. Hedir took the blood and bone of mighty monsters and forged the Orcs renowned for their strength and gifted with the curiosity and desire to explore of Luciel.
Shivdress returned to Hedir, her body adorned with all the jewels and precious metals of the earth and laid at Hedir's feet. He fashioned for her beings of incomparable beauty, but Raz'ka had brought with him a great serpent, the only being to match his boundless hunger. The serpent devoured Shivdress's golden children, and from its eggs sprung the first Yuan-ti, their scales made of liquid gold.
Although, knowledge of the Banished Ones was intentionally lost when Ulmark struck them from the annals, some fragmentary references suggest that either The Forgotten One or The Betrayer brought a great shell or perhaps a great feast upon a shell to Hedir.
It is said that when the other gods went away, Hedir rested. It was then that the Storm-maiden returned. In her rage, at being denied her own race, she loosed her powers on Hedir's workshop, but when her magics struck the leftover clay, it sprang to life, imbued with the strength of the earth and the ability to withstand the raging storms. When Hedir awoke and saw this new race, he named them Dwarves, and rather then leave them to the unpredictable wrath of the storms, sheltered them and taught them the secrets of crafting and construction.
See also Mythological Timeline of Sanzeia
The Beginning
In the beginning there was infinite, primordial chaos, The Spirit brought forth order, creating the world and the stars and all things. The world was young, and unformed, the home of immortal Dragons and so The Spirit created the Thirteen, the elder Gods to form, shape, and guide the new world.Firstborn of the gods was Ulmark, the Worldshaper who with his wife, Eo, the Wildmother, brought forth upon the land life and the mighty race of giants. Not wanting to be outdone, the others of the Thirteen, through their own ways choose and elevated their own favorites within the base animals of Sanzeia and thus were born the six elder races of Sanzeia: giants, Elves , dwarves, Orcs , yuan-ti, and the Banished Ones.
The coming of the elves
Taken from the teachings of the Prophet Himse, collected c. -1200 DRWhen the world was still young and the walls between the realms not quite as strong as they are these days, the golden God Calowean would spend his days riding his chariot across the skies, his twin sister, Lyndranel, always a step behind. He was the fairest and the most vain of the elder gods, and for this reason also he had refused to champion one of the young races as his fellows had, for none could match his beauty.
One day, Calowean came upon a pool in the middle of a great desert, in the center of which was a pool of the most pure water that the good had ever known. Feeling that he had ridden hard that day and his perfect beauty was stained by the dust of the road, Calowean bathed himself in the clear pool. Fed by the pure water and the shining light of the most beautiful of gods, beautiful flowers bloomed, and a forest grew to hide his bathing. Lyndranel followed soon after and when her brother left the pool, she too saw fit to bathe herself in its pure waters. Though she shone like her brother, Lyndranel jealously horded her light, and would not share it with the forest. And so it withered away in darkness. When Calowean returned the next day, he was saddened by the lost of the beauty he created and knew that only his sister's darkness could be to blame; the night goddess, was as sly and cunning as a jungle beast, but Calowean's bow was swift and his aim true.
As the two divines fought their blood fell into the pool, and it became clear to them that the pool was not mere water, but a portal to the faewild, the very realm of life, dreams, and possibilities. There from the blood of the twin divines grew the first of the elf-kin. Lyndranel would be chased from the pool, and it was many long years before the first elf reached out his hand to the glorious shinning god that had spawn them. But when he saw the elves, Calowean, himself is said to have wept, for only in their beauty did he see an echo of his own. And so he took them as his chosen people.
The Fall of the Giants, the Rise of Man
From the Codex of the Worldshaper, blessed book of the Clearian Holy Order, c. 500 DRThe giants borne of Ulmark, the Worldshaper were by far the finest and most powerful of the God's creations and they flourished, building great kingdoms that spanned countless leagues and centuries. But not all gods loved Ulmark's children so. The jealous trickster god, went to the greatest of the giants and convinced them each in turn of a special method by which they could earn Ulmark's favor. But the god's words were lies and the rituals he taught the giants tred upon the domains of the gods themselves. Ulmark was enraged at what his children had done.
Ulmark stood ready to erase the giants from existence, but his youngest daughter, Eofir gave her own power to contain the corruption. Thus the perfect forms and unity of the giants were shattered and each grew according to the chaos that touched them: some were consumed by fire, some grew stupid and brutish, but many touched by Eofir's grace emerged small and weakened with soft skin. Ulmark laughed at such creatures, for surely they could not live long in such a state. Thus was the race of man born to Sanzeia.
When Ulmark learned what the trickster god had done, he would not be swayed. Ulmark read from his holy book of divine laws, thus renaming the trickster god The Betrayer and banished him and all his followers from Sanzeia for eternity. Ulmark then struck the names of those he banished from the minds of all living beings. Rhem'shia, the patron goddess of the banished people, in protest gave up her own name and powers and named herself The Forgotten One .
The Maker and the Creation of Life
Multiple sourcesIn time it came to pass that the other gods saw how the power of the mortal races prayer elevated the elder gods and they grew jealous. Combined they came before Hedir, the crafter, and beseeched for races of their own to be worshiped by. Hedir annoyed at the interruption, bid each god to seek out an object with which to imbue each creation.
The first to return was Throndar, who laid before Hedir the bodies of the 10,000 monsters that he had bested. At the same time, Luciel, returned from her wanderings. She bore no gift for Hedir, save for the desire to see more of the wonder of Sanzeia. Hedir took the blood and bone of mighty monsters and forged the Orcs renowned for their strength and gifted with the curiosity and desire to explore of Luciel.
Shivdress returned to Hedir, her body adorned with all the jewels and precious metals of the earth and laid at Hedir's feet. He fashioned for her beings of incomparable beauty, but Raz'ka had brought with him a great serpent, the only being to match his boundless hunger. The serpent devoured Shivdress's golden children, and from its eggs sprung the first Yuan-ti, their scales made of liquid gold.
Although, knowledge of the Banished Ones was intentionally lost when Ulmark struck them from the annals, some fragmentary references suggest that either The Forgotten One or The Betrayer brought a great shell or perhaps a great feast upon a shell to Hedir.
It is said that when the other gods went away, Hedir rested. It was then that the Storm-maiden returned. In her rage, at being denied her own race, she loosed her powers on Hedir's workshop, but when her magics struck the leftover clay, it sprang to life, imbued with the strength of the earth and the ability to withstand the raging storms. When Hedir awoke and saw this new race, he named them Dwarves, and rather then leave them to the unpredictable wrath of the storms, sheltered them and taught them the secrets of crafting and construction.
See also Mythological Timeline of Sanzeia
Cultural Reception
Each race regards this tale as basically true, though they have a tendency to exaggerate the part their only godly patron played and cast themselves in the most favorable light.
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