Intent of the Progenitor Gods

### Foreward

The speculations run thick and deep regarding the original intentions of the Progenitor gods, and what their intended result means for all of us lesser folk here on the planes. In this excerpt, I intend to cover a few of the major viewpoints, and expand upon their implications for us.

#### The Undeniable Nature Model

There are some who believe those that birthed our world did so out of no further purpose than pleasure. As an author picks up their pen to etch a world into being, regardless of which eyes will behold their secret (if any at all), so did the Progenitors create our world. Rock and stream, wind and sky- it was merely in their nature to create, so create they did. This leaves us at the impact-equilibrium of all the views, neither doomed nor cherished. While we certainly aren't considered fodder (see the Predatory Appeasement section), we are also not particularly beloved, or even regarded at all (see the Adoring Parent section). Rather, we are simply the outworking of the creators' creative natures, more aesthetic than moral.

#### The Divine Shepherd Model

Perhaps one of the more imaginative models, this suggests that the progenitors created the planes merely as foraging ground for the Sojourner Gods (here meaning the gods who follow the Progenitors, and stay in a land for but awhile and move on). Here the Sojourners sustain themselves on whatever fares they fancy, be it worship of followers, the nourishment of a land, the sewing of chaos, or things quite beyond our understanding. As they "graze" throughout the planes, it is assumed they eventually arrive at their destination. Perhaps it is a paradise for them to while away eternity. Perhaps they are merely content to wander through the realms indefinitely. Darkest of all, perhaps they share the fate of unfortunate beasts raised for ultimate slaughter. And how do we denizens of the cattle-run fare, if this be the case? We are rather at the mercy of the Consumers among us. Some will nurture and treasure us, others will prey upon us and sew discord among us. Many will likely ignore us altogether.

#### The Adoring Parent Model

In my own humble opinion, this is by far the most pleasant of the options posed here. This assumes the Progenitors created us as a focus of their adoration, and will one day return to see how we're doing. In this model, the Progenitors don't pass through merely once, but rather oscillate around the lands, and will one day return. This leaves open a wide swath of gratifying assumptions for us beloved children- the hope of judicial vengeance on those who have wronged us, rejuvenation of the tired lands around us, repudiation on the Sojourners who have used our worship and affection shamefully, and a chance to meet those who first brought us to these lands.

#### The Predatory Appeasement Model

In stark and disturbing contrast to the previous section, the Predatory Appeasement model introduces a dark world, one of unending terror and misery. In this model, the Progenitors created the world as a kind of distracting buffet for the Sojourners. The Sojourners, rather than those who take interest in the lives of lesser creatures, are those who dine on our resources, fears, affections and clashes. The Progenitors are in the shoes of a man who, upon finding himself trapped in a sewer with a great constrictor, will catch every rat he can and feed it to the beast, in hopes his distracting offerings will prolong his life. And yet the writing is on the wall- as the beast eats, it grows larger and larger, until even the most sumptuous feast of rats one could provide would leave the beast hungry still, and the man would find himself on the menu despite his long efforts. I'm sure I need not tell you that this is the worst model for us poor wretches here. Let us pray this is not the correct view.

*Written by Eln-Dathallin, Elven Scholar and Priest of Vyazhin*