The Dawn Age

## Once, but long ago....

It is said by the wise folk who know of such things, that Gran Albionne sprang, fully realized, from the hopes and wishes of the Spirits. Their dreams of form and fancy framing the nature of the world. The beginning is always a delicate time, and in those days of **The Dawn Age**, only the Spirits dwelt upon the world.

There was in the time the **Great Spirit of Gran Albionne**, *The Queen of the World*. Who was at once in and of, and in form was, the actual world. And this state is hard to explain to simple mortals. How something could be something and also be 'Of It' and 'In It' as well. But so it was, and so it is today.

Other Great Spirits held court with her. '*The Spirit of the Sky**,*** **Father Sky*. Whose court consisted of*** *The Great Spirit of the Sun**,** The Great Spirit of the Moon **and the multitudinous** Court of Stars*'. They were not 'Of' the world, like the Queen. But rather 'With The World', as it is said. Apart but joined in harmony with her.

Joyful at the meeting of **The Court of Stars** and pleased by their variety and multitude, The Queen of the World sang a song of creation and wrought from the music the first of the Spirits of her own court, in mirror reflection of Father Sky's, but with her own design and nature to their being. Thus arose the first and the greatest of the spirits. **King Mountain**, and his many sons. *The Hills*. **Queen River**, and her daughters *The Streams*. And her beloved spirit, favorite of the Queen, **The Lady of the Ocean**. A spirit so vaunted and high that her dominion and grace was only outstripped by The Queen of the World herself.

King Mountain was matched by the Spirit **King Desert**. And King Desert was his vassal. The Ocean was High Queen, and Queen River and all of her Streams paid her fealty. And this good hierarchy remains to this day.

In time, as they will, fashions arose within the court of Spirits. They clothed themselves in grand and imaginative finery. King Mountain through his close friendship with Father Sky was gifted the crowning snows upon his peaks. This joyfully bequeathed by the Lord of All Air, his stylish gift adorned adorned as well with the bestowal of pure and sparkling waters by the High Lady of All Water to create the first snows. And King Mountain was grand indeed.

Seeing this majesty, The Queen of the World sang in joy and begat with her song the **Spirit Maiden of the Plain and Valley**, that King Mountain might have an audience for his splendor. And she was grand indeed. For being a Spirit of fertility, she clothed herself in grass and grain. And all who beheld her were elated at her beauty.

King Sky, upon **The Lady of the Plains** being introduced at his court, so admired her splendor that he gifted her with Flowers.They themselves each possessing a beauteous spirit. The Princess of roses, The Princess of Poppies, The Daisy Maiden and so on, all sprang into being at the song of the King of the Sky. and all of the spirits delighted in their meeting.

King Mountain so adored The Lady of the Plains that he raised a great gift for her in compliment to her Courtly Retinue of Floral Ladies, The Trees. Tall and grand and green and verdant, sheltering and shading the flowers with their mighty branches. And thus were Spirit Lords of the First Forest arisen. The Oakenking, The Ash King, The Maple Prince, Lord Evergreen and all of the retinue of green knights.

And they did love their Streams and The Flowers As the flowers and streams loved The Trees and The Hills. From their songs arose the Spirits of the Holly and the Thornbush. The Rocks and their many children, The Stones. By the dawning of the Age of Forests, so numerous were the children of these great immortals that they were arrayed in numbers beyond counting and even The Queen of the Earth could not tell the extent of their hosts.