@DasBridges
2016-05-31, 02:10 AM
I'm working on a world with no formal arcane magical study, but the plan is that since there aren't any wizards around magic creeps up in other ways (in addition to being granted by the gods and their aspects to the particularly faithful). I wrote this as a kind of legend/into/campaign hook.
In the beginning there was Thing and Nothing. Movement and Stillness. Positive and Negative. The interaction of these two basic structures gave rise to the Cosmic Arcana Field- which grew slowly as they continued to effervesce. After eons the Cosmic Arcana Field grew too vast for the cosmos that contained it and the cup runneth over.
From the spillage Nue was born, first of the Gods. Nue wandered the cosmos learning to weave from the Field and creating stars. It was an inevitability that another would be born and Nue eventually found a companion.
Curious Vyr was next, and the two of them began to experiment with the limits of the Field, feeling the weft and woe as it moved to their wishes.
Playful Eche then arrived and the first family was formed- the three of them galloped through the universe filling it with wonders.
Ta’am came next and brought order to the cosmos: organized the haphazard creations of the other three, and created the Sun and the Three Moons for them to live on around a planet that Eche had grown fond of.
They named it Murrad. In their creativity and harmony, they had forgotten to expect another, and so when Sim came they moved to make room for him. Nue made for him the seas, and a kingdom at the bottom of the ocean. Sim took the underwater kingdom, but never forgave the gods for the perceived slight.
Sim wove of kelp and created the Merrow, the first of the sentient races, as company and servants in self-exile. Nue saw the Merrow and applauding Sim on a brilliant idea created the Humans with a breath of magic.
Vyr took to the northern forests, and from wood carved the Dwarves. Vyr swathed the Dwarves in furs and taught them craft and the hunt.
Eche wandered the deserts of the Yael and from glass and sunlight created the Orcs. Eche gave them laughter and poetry and a love of simple pleasures.
Ta’am walked among the grasslands of Erevor and the mountains and from silver smelted the elves. Ta’am wrote of discipline, civility, and the value of a strong community.
More sentient creatures were created but it was clear that these were to be the chosen of each God and most find their favor. They agreed to step back and let those creatures experience the freedoms and shackles of sentience, without their direct intervention. As even Gods are vulnerable to sibling rivalry, each wanted to see their chosen people best their peers.
Again Sim felt slighted- as though the others sought to upstage their youngest sibling.
The Magocracy of Nuera arose overnight- in the mind of a God at least- and in the shadow of its splendor the ire of Sim grew. Gathering the sages and warlocks of the Merrow, Sim began to outline a plan to curb the power of the rival Humans.
As time wore on, the Magocracy of Nuera cast many in its shadow, and the 9 Sages of Nuera decreed that, in order to maintain Nueran dominance, teaching the Arcane outside of Nuera was expressly forbidden. The other sentient races objected, but lacked the power and organization to stop the 9 Sages. It was then that Sim released his Horror. A great creature rose from the sea, and began to pull Nuera and her cities into the deep. So vast, so powerful, was this creature that even the collected Arcana of Nuera could not fell it. What Nuerans could escape did so, either by ship or spell, but the vast majority of the Human population fell that day.
Once the other gods saw the power of the titanic sea monster they rushed to save what Nuerans they could. After a battle that lasted 100 days the Gods were able to imprison the Horror at the bottom of an ocean trench. Those Merrow who had helped Sim create the creature were given an edict to guard it for eternity.
As for the survivors, the elves of Erevor took in the human refugees, and over time the bloodlines mixed to form the Gray Elves. Nuera, devastated at the loss of her beloved Humans, created the elusive Satyr, and bade them to wander the northernmost mountain passes.
Sim, for this terrible treachery, was killed by the four siblings and from the blood and the flesh the great fauna of the Southern and Outer Seas were born, further ensuring the safety of the Sunken Horror of Sim….
But somewhere out there, among the storms, it is said a small group of islands exists. Some say the islands are deserted- just the mountaintops of a sunken continent, others say that it is a shard of the lost landmass- possibly teeming with lost lore and magic. Stories of whales with islands on their backs, races of tiny human-like creatures scaling the cliffs, and turtles larger than towns are told by the most fervent seekers. However the dangers of the sea have claimed almost all who have sought to explore the Southern Seas.
In the beginning there was Thing and Nothing. Movement and Stillness. Positive and Negative. The interaction of these two basic structures gave rise to the Cosmic Arcana Field- which grew slowly as they continued to effervesce. After eons the Cosmic Arcana Field grew too vast for the cosmos that contained it and the cup runneth over.
From the spillage Nue was born, first of the Gods. Nue wandered the cosmos learning to weave from the Field and creating stars. It was an inevitability that another would be born and Nue eventually found a companion.
Curious Vyr was next, and the two of them began to experiment with the limits of the Field, feeling the weft and woe as it moved to their wishes.
Playful Eche then arrived and the first family was formed- the three of them galloped through the universe filling it with wonders.
Ta’am came next and brought order to the cosmos: organized the haphazard creations of the other three, and created the Sun and the Three Moons for them to live on around a planet that Eche had grown fond of.
They named it Murrad. In their creativity and harmony, they had forgotten to expect another, and so when Sim came they moved to make room for him. Nue made for him the seas, and a kingdom at the bottom of the ocean. Sim took the underwater kingdom, but never forgave the gods for the perceived slight.
Sim wove of kelp and created the Merrow, the first of the sentient races, as company and servants in self-exile. Nue saw the Merrow and applauding Sim on a brilliant idea created the Humans with a breath of magic.
Vyr took to the northern forests, and from wood carved the Dwarves. Vyr swathed the Dwarves in furs and taught them craft and the hunt.
Eche wandered the deserts of the Yael and from glass and sunlight created the Orcs. Eche gave them laughter and poetry and a love of simple pleasures.
Ta’am walked among the grasslands of Erevor and the mountains and from silver smelted the elves. Ta’am wrote of discipline, civility, and the value of a strong community.
More sentient creatures were created but it was clear that these were to be the chosen of each God and most find their favor. They agreed to step back and let those creatures experience the freedoms and shackles of sentience, without their direct intervention. As even Gods are vulnerable to sibling rivalry, each wanted to see their chosen people best their peers.
Again Sim felt slighted- as though the others sought to upstage their youngest sibling.
The Magocracy of Nuera arose overnight- in the mind of a God at least- and in the shadow of its splendor the ire of Sim grew. Gathering the sages and warlocks of the Merrow, Sim began to outline a plan to curb the power of the rival Humans.
As time wore on, the Magocracy of Nuera cast many in its shadow, and the 9 Sages of Nuera decreed that, in order to maintain Nueran dominance, teaching the Arcane outside of Nuera was expressly forbidden. The other sentient races objected, but lacked the power and organization to stop the 9 Sages. It was then that Sim released his Horror. A great creature rose from the sea, and began to pull Nuera and her cities into the deep. So vast, so powerful, was this creature that even the collected Arcana of Nuera could not fell it. What Nuerans could escape did so, either by ship or spell, but the vast majority of the Human population fell that day.
Once the other gods saw the power of the titanic sea monster they rushed to save what Nuerans they could. After a battle that lasted 100 days the Gods were able to imprison the Horror at the bottom of an ocean trench. Those Merrow who had helped Sim create the creature were given an edict to guard it for eternity.
As for the survivors, the elves of Erevor took in the human refugees, and over time the bloodlines mixed to form the Gray Elves. Nuera, devastated at the loss of her beloved Humans, created the elusive Satyr, and bade them to wander the northernmost mountain passes.
Sim, for this terrible treachery, was killed by the four siblings and from the blood and the flesh the great fauna of the Southern and Outer Seas were born, further ensuring the safety of the Sunken Horror of Sim….
But somewhere out there, among the storms, it is said a small group of islands exists. Some say the islands are deserted- just the mountaintops of a sunken continent, others say that it is a shard of the lost landmass- possibly teeming with lost lore and magic. Stories of whales with islands on their backs, races of tiny human-like creatures scaling the cliffs, and turtles larger than towns are told by the most fervent seekers. However the dangers of the sea have claimed almost all who have sought to explore the Southern Seas.