Creation of Ardant

Before anything else existed, there were The Three, later to be known as The Elder Gods. Elmtor, the Maker. Morald, the Weigher. And Iethe, the Mother. The Three existed in the void of creation, and set upon themselves the purpose of filling it. Together, they flung their power out into the nothingness and created the universe. Taking it in hand, they pulled and layered folds of it, creating overlapping yet separate planes of existence, though they echoed with emptiness. But they did not remain so for long, as The Three set their essence to the planes. Elmtor took from his vast and indistinct body a piece of flesh, and molded it into Earth. Morald parted his lips and breathed out knowledge and wisdom, giving an ever-shifting form to Air. And Iethe gave of herself twice as much, opening her eyes wide as the Waters of life poured from them, while also pulling from her inner essence the blazing heart of Fire. From all of these, The Three formed the rest of their creations. Elmtor forged worlds and creatures. Morald took these in hand and bent his eye to them, judging their purpose and worth. And Iethe spread her arms wide, giving life and warmth to all.

But as The Three worked, their attentions became divided between all that they had wrought. And so they decided to bring into existence new gods, born from the segmentation of their power. Each of The Three cut off pieces of themselves to form the new gods, the beings that would be known as The Children of the Elders. To their children, The Elder Gods assigned dominion over the various domains that governed the worlds and creatures they had created, leaving them to oversee all while the Elders bent their will to new creations.

But the new gods found themselves at odds, driven by their opposing and contradictory natures. Light fought against Dark, Love quarreled with Malice, and Justice clashed with Murder, and all sought possession over the varied worlds. The Children warred with each other viciously, and left in their wake a trail of broken and ruined worlds. Their struggle drew the notice of the Elder Gods, who saw what their children had wrought and were filled with fury. They set upon the gods a law, and the invalidation of it would result in their utter erasure from existence. The gods would have to learn balance and respect, allowing each of the others their proper domains. Nor would they ever again bring about the destruction of a thing the Elder Gods had crafted, including each other. Seeing their children humbled and cowled under the yoke of this divine law, The Three turned to repair what had been ruined, replacing and renewing that which was left destroyed by the young gods.

The gods, leashed by their sires, looked to turn their attentions to a new focus, and discovered the world that they would come to refer to as Ardant. It was cold and dark, left unfinished and abandoned by the Elder Gods. An indistinct, pitiable life grew on the world, eeking out a meager and harsh existence through endless winter nights devoid of all light and warmth. Life in this “Godless Age” was cruel, the gentle and weak perishing to sustain the ruthless and the strong.

And so the gods descended into the savageness of Ardant, and began to work changes in it. Ravindra created the sun, bringing brilliant light and warmth to Ardant. And as the sun turned around the world, Irina spread across the night sky the moon and stars. The gods then looked upon the creatures of this world and saw that hidden beneath the savage barbarism lurked intelligence, perseverance, and potential. The gods drew unto themselves the mortals of the world, choosing those that had garnered their favoritism. To their disciples they passed knowledge, civilization, and culture. The races were spread across the world and were so drawn to different gods, and were thusly instilled with different tenets; though they were all, for the most part, virtuous. And thus was begun the Age of Gods, a time when the divine walked side-by-side with mortals, a time of progress and enlightenment that has never since been matched. It was also during this time that new gods and goddess came into creation, some born between the union of the pre-existing, as well as rare few mortals that gained such power and wisdom to obtain apotheosis.

But there were also lesser creatures that cried out against the changes that had been wrought, that rejected all notion of civilization or law, excepting the law of tooth and claw. They fled from the light and the warmth, fleeing to the hidden dark places of the world, and seeking too the embrace of darker, more malicious gods. These darker gods became inflamed with conceit and pride from the worship of these base creature, and so roared with anger at their divine brethren. It was argued that they had overreached themselves and gone against the agreement that stood between the children of the Elder Gods, that all things would be held in balance. They lamented that the creatures that sought their patronage were driven from the land by the searing light, their heels pricked at by the unnatural powers unfairly granted to the other races by the gods and goddesses. Even the night was polluted by the bright moon and stars placed there.

These arguments were declared foolish and brushed aside, and the gods continued to elevate the races that gathered around them. They created wondrous artifacts of great power, which they used to shape the world and grant their peoples protection. But so too, did the dark gods work, creating great instruments of evil, that they may embolden and strengthen the creatures they favored. Eventually, the evil and monstrous races rose against the others, the dark gods at their backs. The clash of the First War was tremendous, and all suffered for it. The gods lead their followers against their enemies, brandishing their divine might through the powerful artifacts they’d created. But the world strained under the power of the gods. The earth was sundered, mountains moved, and oceans drained. Ultimately, the conflict climaxed with the murder of two gods. Irina struck down Ceta, divine offspring of Nyxshani the Dark Lady and Perserana, God of Murder. Shrieking her rage, Nyxshani ripped apart Irina’s essence, destroying her. And in the moment of her death the moon in the heavens cracked and shattered, crumbling into pieces. Fury and hate threatened to overwhelm the pantheon, and everything stood on the precipice of complete destruction, Ardant included. Before another blow could be struck, The Elder Gods appeared and halted all, the bodies of two dead gods at their feet. Despite their turmoil and rage, the gods trembled before those with absolute power, those with the power to completely remove them from existence. One voice broke the fearful silence as Isra, daughter of Irina and Ravindra, cried out for retribution and justice. Nyxshani had murdered her mother and destroyed her creation, a violation of the law put forth by the Elders. But they ruled that Irina had brought about her own death by causing another, an equal trade. Similarly, the moon had not been destroyed, merely altered. Isra fumed, but the judgment was cast.

Despite their conflict, the deities were forced to convene. They were faced with the fact that their strife would destroy Ardant, serving no purpose for any of them. And so the Elder Gods issued another command; the gods would leave Ardant, to never again walk among the mortals. Their intervention would be minimal, their power to be channeled through their faithful, and their mighty tools entrusted to their chosen.

And with the gods departed, the monsters and beasts of the world pressed in against the civilized races. The wilds were reclaimed and darkness spread as men, elves, gnomes, and dwarves withdrew to their cities and citadels. Over the centuries, the tools of the gods were lost, stolen, or destroyed, falling into myth and legend. And ever bold and courageous, the races of the light pushed out into the wilderness, seeking fortune and expansion.