Creation

Most believe that the Nine Lords were the creators of Sirran, and the gods do not refute this. The true story of Sirran's creation was lost long ago. The simplest telling is as follows.

## Genesis

In the beginning, there was the Creator. The universe expanded into being, and Sirran was chosen as the cradle from which life would spring. The Creator formed from his mind six children, and breathed into them the strength of gods. These six were Assein, Sirrel, Draea, Kae, Sirran, and Sek'Buval. As was the way of their race, these gods grew within weeks from babes to young children, and the Creator then took his leave.

There was no pain, no hunger, and no hate on this new world. Each of the six discovered their individual power was best suited to certain actions. Assein radiated peace and prosperity to all who saw him. Sirrel grew great forests of wondrous complexity. Draea filled both earth and sea with all manner of creatures. Kae brought joy to the others with his jokes, as well as creating the finest wines and ales from Sirrel's creations. Sirran filled the earth with fascinating metals and gems.

But one was not as free with her power. Sek'Buval was only able to bring shadow to all she touched. Where the others were confident and powerful, she was afraid to use her powers, as whenever she did she would destroy something that had only just been created.

## The Break

Years passed, and the children grew. Assein grew to hate Sek'Buval, and Sirrel and Draea avoided her for fear that she would kill what they created. Sirran was too focused on his craft, hoping to impress Sirrel. Sek'Buval had retreated from the world the others had created, living on an island untouched by plant or animal. Kae alone cared for her, his visits the only thing she looked forward to. Her resentment for the others had grown as her love for Kae had deepened. They soon found that Sek'Buval was with child.

Kae left the island to spread the good news among the others. Their world was then visited by a force not even the Creator had the power to stop. This being came to Sek'Buval with an offer of power, enough to force the respect of the other gods. She refused him at first, but as time passed without Kae to counsel her, she gave in and accepted his offer.

The power she was given was great enough to rival all those she hated, but that hate was all that remained of her. Her soul was tainted by the power, and evil walked the world for the first time. The others managed to trap her on the island, but only after she cut a swathe through creation. Kae confronted her, but she had no love left for anything but power. In his misery he left, leaving no trace for any to follow.

## New Beginnings

Sek'Buval was once again confined to her island. As the months passed her power and rage lessened, and she felt that she was being drained by her unborn child. She gave birth alone, none willing to help ease her pain or assist her recovery. There was not one, but two. Boys, first Sek'Malvent, then Sek'Torven. She quickly saw that they had taken from her much of her cursed strength, and with it parts of her power.

Much as she had they quickly grew to think for themselves. Sek'Malvent had taken her power to kill the living, while his younger brother held both her powers of decay and part of the madness she had suffered while under the tainted power. She taught them of the outside world as she saw it, not inherently harmful but a tool against them, wielded by those she once called friends.

While the new mother raised her sons a new love grew between Sirran and Sirrel. They had long been close, and the shared structure that governed their creations led Sirran to attempt his masterpiece, a forest of shifting crystal in the caverns deep below the planet's surface. It had taken him years to craft the delicate balance of growth and entropy that allowed the crystals to act as the trees of the great forests above.

Sirrel had long loved him, but had allowed Sirran the comfort of his ways. She immediately accepted his courtship, and they were soon the second couple to expect children on their world. Only a few months after Sek'Buval's children took their first steps Sirrel gave birth to her daughter, Labiir. This daughter had taken on much of her parent's logic and methodical nature, but her mother's closeness with Draea had given the child a bit of a wild touch. Her powers could change reality in ways that the others had never seen.

## New Creations

It only took a month of freedom for the young Labiir to discover the island that Sek'Buval called home. She had spent every hour of her life drinking in knowledge, filing away every bit of information she could take in. These were new people, ones her parents had told her nothing of. They were fascinating. The boys knew nothing of this new outsider, for their mother had told only the stories of the elder gods. They quickly became friends as they played with their powers. Sek'Buval soon discovered the new arrival, and used her to release the bonds that kept her trapped on the island. She left for the mainland, desperate to find Kae and win him back.

Time passed, the children continuing to test each other's powers as the rest found common ground in their search for Kae. After a new breakthrough with her powers, Labiir approached Draea and Sirrel with a new creation. With their help, she showed them a process that allowed the creation of a sentient creature. The three misjudged their power, and the result bonded much of the world to a new life, Faekin. The joy brought to the world by the Faekin was such that all the gods wanted to create a race of their own. Labiir helped each in turn, her magic allowing the process to take place. Sirran created the Dwarves, Sirrel the Elves, Draea the Quilver and the Halflings, Sek'Malvent the Kobolds, Sek'Torven the Ogrekin , and Labiir herself created the Gnomes.

When Assein and Sek'Buval approached her they argued as to whether either should be allowed to create a race of their own, since either would threaten the balance of the world. Labiir settled this by allowing them to create a race that was equally good and evil. Assein created the Metallic Dragons, led by his avatar Bahamut, and Sek'Buval the Chromatic Dragons, led by her avatar Tiamat. Labiir again misjudged the speed at which her power was growing, and mistakenly created six dragons of her own, the Gemstone Dragons. Unfortunately, these six had no way to protect themselves and their eggs, and quickly died out.

## Kae's Return

Kae was missing for twelve years before he returned, but it was no joyous event. When he left he had not simply retreated to some secluded place on their world, but had traveled to another entirely. When he returned he brought with him those he had discovered on the other side. This mass entry caused an arcane shockwave that enveloped the world. The Faekin, most attuned to the raw magic of the gods, were wiped out, all but one returning to the plants and earth that they were born from. Humans now walked the world.

From this point forward only Labiir and Sek'Buval truly trusted Kae. Labiir saw him as he was, her powers of perception allowing her insight that the others lacked. Sek'Buval was just happy to finally be reunited with her love, and it took only days for the couple to return to their old ways. The twins finally met their father, and neither was disappointed with the mischievous traveler.

## The Death of the Gods

Many years passed as the gods grew to realize that they seemed to be growing weaker in age. The races they created did not age as they did, no sentient creature ever dying or changing as the years passed. Kae knew from his travels to other worlds that death of those with minds usually resulted in travel to an afterlife of some kind. The gods met and created an afterlife, one that would begin the cycle of life and death on their world once the gods themselves passed into it.

Each died in turn, Labiir the last to leave her body. They found that their minds continued in the afterlife, though they quickly discovered that they lacked many of the powers that they had previously held. Only Kae could project himself into a physical form, and he became their messenger to the races below. The world was set as they had created it, and they left the races to live as they would. It was the end of the age of gods.