Idraenyan Mythology

A page to compile the mythological tales of Idraenya.

## The Star

Once, there was a brilliant star. At the time, it was the brightest in the whole sky. All of the gods were amazed by its light and became close friends with it.

As time went on, however, the star wore itself out from shining so brightly, and it began to die. Taking pity on their old friend, the gods took the remains of the star and used them to fashion a series of dazzling stones, which they sent to Eldham in a wondrous display of light and color.

It is believed that the stones landed in what would one day become Idraenya and that those living there learned how to harness the power of the stones and used them to bring fortune to themselves and their neighbors.

The Hermit recounts this story in the following poem:

*Upon the vastest void it danced*

*Heaven's light could not compare*

*And set the gods into a trance*

*And when as it died, it left a tear*

*Upon their hearts*

*So with their hands of strength and wit*

*Of beauty and grit*

*They brought the star back A*

*s stones of white, red, and black*

*And sent down their latest work of art*

*The stones fell upon Idraenyan sand*

*Our scholars learned their merit*

*And with them brought fortune across the land*

*Storm or drought, we'd bear it*

*How far we have fallen into the dark*

## The Pirate Captain and The Dragon

Once, there was a belligerent dragon who swam in the skies above the Halgean civilization and brought ferocious storms to the city. A renowned pirate captain became intent on slaying the beast and liberating the Halgeans from its wrath. She prayed to Melzina, and the goddess, impressed by the captain's skill on the ocean's waves, gifted her a small vessel that she could sail into the sky.

With this new vehicle. the captain sailed into the clouds and battled the dragon. It was a difficult fight, but the captain eventually managed to slay the beast. As it was dying however, it thrashed one final time and damaged the captain's ship.

The two adversaries plummeted into the sea, and Melzina wept for her fallen champion. The goddess's tears fell into the sea, and revived both the dragon and the captain as ghostly specters. The dragon's ghost was cursed to spend eternity in the sea where it summons deadly waves and wrecks ships. The captain's ghost on the other hand was allowed to move between sea and land, and to this day, she searches for a way to stop the dragon once and for all.

## The Scholar VS. The Gods

Once, the land that would become Idraenya was home to a prosperous city that acted as an epicenter of learning. Some scholars, however, began to question the authority of the gods, and, due to the city's immense influence, the 13 main gods took notice and decided to condemn the city.

While they were trying to decide on a punishment, a scholarly man approached 7 of the Arterna separately and made bets with each of them on the condition that if he won, they'd each owe him a favor.

He bet he could kill an elusive beast faster than Azerus could in his human form. While Azerus searched for the beast, the man built an instrument to mimic the beast's call and used it to lure it in before killing it.

He bet that he could find a champion more beautiful than any mortal champion Ilonis could select. To do this, he stole a strand of hair from Ilonis's mortal form, and used it to grow a homunculus in her image.

He bet both Nefaren and Omarnis that he could pull off a heist more effectively than either of them. The two gods pulled off elaborate heists, but the man disguised himself as the judge of the competition and stole each of their bounties.

He bet Melzina that he could walk from the sun to Saturn before she could cross the sky. To do this, he walked between a piece of gold (the alchemical sun) and a piece of lead (the alchemical Saturn.)

He bet Ikall that he could defeat an entire army by himself, and, instead of facing a humanoid army, he poisoned a colony of army ants.

Finally, he bet Belana that he could give her a problem that even she could not solve and asked her a question relating to a mathematical paradox.

Then, he appeared before the gods and asked them to spare the city. They put the decision to a vote, expecting for a unanimous decision against the man's wishes, but he called in his favors from the 7 gods he had out-smarted, asking them to vote in his favor, and the city was spared.