Emergence of Life

That the mortal races would squabble and grow to hate each other is not that surprising. We are made to be like our creators after all.

— Velona Casra, Atenarri Scholar

  Ten and four millennia ago, the The Kaeni had begun to dream the world into being. Four millennia ago, they had begun to form it according to their designs. Now, with the earth calmed, the stage was set. Repulsed by the emptiness of a lifeless world, they set upon making life in their own image.  

To Each Their Own

  Creating life is not the easiest of tasks, even for the gods. Many a thought has to be put into what material the body is to be formed from and what essences will combine with the divine Aether that is the heart of every mortal soul. Each of the gods had a different vision of what their "ideal" child would look like and went about their work accordingly.  

Stone and Starlight

  The Smith wanted his brood to be sturdy and hardy, able to weather even the gravest of conditions. First, he chose ordinary stone, but the form he made broke under stress. Then he chose volcanic glass. Again it broke. Steel was of no use either. Granite finally seemed to be the perfect material and the vessel he made was both sturdy and strong. Now he turned to look for something to combine with the Aether. And that was where the problems started.   Unlike others who cared more about character than form, The Twins strove for nothing short of perfection. Their children's bodies were carved from the finest Skyglass, making them harder than steel yet elegant and delicate. All the worlds beauty was to be theirs and to complete that, the Twins sought the finest of all materials, Blackfyre Ore, which only exists at the heart of stars. Unfortunately, the Smith had already set his sights upon that very ore.   Once again, the three came to blows and the carefully collected ore fell out of their hands and rained upon the world. Their fight lasted aeons and only ended when they realised that their wrath had damaged their children. The granite one had been crushed, leaving its figure stunted if still powerful. The glass child had its torso cracked and ears splintered, leaving only knife-like shards in place of rounded organs. For the soul, the Smith decided upon a simpler material, choosing humble stone, even if a speck of Blackfyre Ore was mixed among it unknown to him. The Twins, ever wanting for perfection, gave their child a soul of light, mixing that of moon, sun and far-off stars.  

Trees and Tadpoles

  Other gods had fewer troubles while creating life. The Mother Stone used various aspects of her own soul to make all number of animals. Her children would not be made from cold materials like those of the Smith and Twins, she wanted them to always be connected with her and nature. For her final creation, she chose to make a body from trees, green in colour, strong and enduring yet warm and life-giving, while their soul was created from fungi.   Watching her from afar was The Trickster. He had a grudge to settle with her, for the Mother had held him back from interfering too much with the ordering of the world, resulting in quite the boring place he found. When she went to sleep after a day of work, he stole a tadpole, sneaked to where she worked and mixed the animal with the half-done body and his magic. The result was a small, green and by all accounts annoying creature, cunning and mischievous to the mark. It was love at first sight. Taking his new child away to teach it, the Trickster never noticed that the Mother had created several bodies as decoys.  

Wind, Wings, Vanity and the Forgotten

  Where The Herald of Winds crafted a race from sea foam and Westwind, one that would always love the sea and be drawn to it, The Bringer of Storms used mountains and thunder so that the children would see his storms and lightning as blessings and not things to fear.   The Maker of Songs, perhaps the only being vainer than the Twins, chose the beauty of a rose and the diligence of the bee to craft his children. Whatever The Crow forged is long forgotten. He always worked in secret, leaving the remaining Kanei in the dark about his plans and never talked of his brood afterwards. Not after what happened.  

Fallen from Grace

  Unbeknownst to the other gods, one of them was already filling the world with life. Now known only as The Fallen, he was perhaps the least of the Dreamers. Without great skill in any discipline. Without a true sense of beauty or rhythm. Average he was in every way. But where the other gods took great care and effort to craft their creatures, even the Trickster's Trick had taken an entire decade, the Fallen just did. Mud and clay were what he made his children from, fire from whatever place he currently fancied became their soul. With ease and speed, he carved their forms and let them into the world. And from this act, the vilest and destructive of all races would come forth...  

The Gods may claim otherwise, but I'll say that Fallen was not the monstrous evil that they claim him to be. He was just like them, a being wanting family. Can you truly blame the father for the actions of his children?

— Kasius Adeius, former High Priest of the Faith