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Chariste

Mythos

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In the beginning....

 

Before this world there existed a formless realm without shape or substance. With no chaos as there was no form, the plane reflected the cold, dark depths of unrealized dreams. Aluwen, goddess of Life, came upon this place and realized it as a home for the wandering souls of the lost. Her rich and fertile lands were home to many mortals but when the flesh had withered and the soul had flown, her children were consigned to a miserable half existence, bereft of the emotion, the senses, and the very act of living they had enjoyed before.

 

 

First creating a rift in the void, she tasted magic and with it hope and redemption. Drawing on the energy of the life she so carefully nurtured, she chained the wild magic to her own and drew forth the lands, linking them with a tenuous thread of her own ethereality to themortal lands. Her tears of joy filled the valleys and basins creating the oceans even as her warm breath drew forth waves and became the wind. Her will brought forth the grasses and trees, her love drew up the mighty mountain bulwarks to buttress the fertile plains. The light of her eyes gave forth warm light and became the heat of the sun. A utopia sprang forth, born out of nothingness, and into this paradise she ushered the souls of all her children and their miraculous laughter filled the skies.

 

 

But Aluwen, for all her power and her benevolence, had lost herself in the joy of her children and did not see the anger and jealousy of her kindred. Most incensed was her brother, the dire Mortos, and his rage grew with every spirit that burst into being in his sister’s fertile lands. With suave and calm assurance at odds with the venom in his heart, Mortos encouraged his beautiful sister’s creation. The magics of these lands were rich and fresh and called to the avarice in his heart so when Aluwen tired and her efforts faltered, Mortos offered himself as a resevoir of power, artfully weaving in his own spell of destruction, giving back to this world what Aluwen had left without...hatred, anger, avarice, envy, and pride. By the time Aluwen realized what her brother had done, it was too late. She severed the link between herself and Mortos and surveyed the damage.

 

 

His influence was now inextricably woven into the very fabric of her new universe and her pain shadowed the sun, throwing the lands into darkness. With the failing dregs of her energy, she drew forth from the soil and gave the ethereal souls substance and thus the ability to shape the lands to their liking. Her final gift to her children was companion races: her hair, cut into long locks into which she breathed life became the Dragons; bedrock from the mountains became the Dwarves; heartwood of the ash became the Elves; and a drop of blood from her own nimble fingers became the Gnomes. Her energies spent, she faded, railing against her brother but in her heart, she knew he had perhaps given her children the greatest gift of all for their will was now no one’s but their own....

 

 

Thus began the age of history of these eternal lands. The races split in the Great Diaspora, each imbued with the noble and ignoble thanks to Aluwen and Mortos, each finding a home suited to their skills and temperament. The elves and humans moved to the east, the humans settling into the fertile plains while the elves took their home in the towering trees of sprawling forests. The dwarves chose the jagged mounts, their bones rich in ores and gems. The gentle gnomes chose a secluded river valley with softly wooded slopes, babbling brooks, and clearings to fill with their small homes and workshops. But no matter what spot they chose, the influence of Mortos was felt in the pounding storms of summer and growing bands of marauders that stalked the once peaceful nights. Life, once an unimagined blessing to the children of Aluwen, had been reduced to naught but survival, tilling the fields, carting ores, and eking out a meager existence in the forest. But Mortos was not done with this world.

 

 

With the departure of Aluwen, Mortos was free to act out his most malicious fantasies. He followed the taint of his own magics back to the void and was initially thwarted by the fact that Aluwen had sealed the rift. But Mortos was not without his own resources and calling upon the evil of his own mortal realm, he reopened the tear and entered the wilderness, intent upon wreaking his havoc before Aluwen could regain her strength. With his vicious hordes of Orcs, Trolls, and Goblins, Mortos at first harried the edges of the various settlements, the wide dispersal of the races the only obstacle to their immediate and complete annihilation. The mighty Dragons, immured in their rarified aeries, heard the cry of the battle and departed their homes in the corners of the lands to join their comrades in fighting the scourge but as deprivation loomed and settled into the armies, they began squabbling amongst themselves over failing resources as much as they fought the invading horde. But these were only the troubles of the present.

 

 

Mortos had also slipped some of his greater mages into the lands, secreting them in mountain caverns and deep forest glens which had never know the step of the children of Aluwen. Here they began their fell plots, working toward the day they could burst from their dank hideaways and take over the lands, subjugate the armies, and perfect their dark arts. They kidnaped the newly freed souls from far outlying villages, entire communities often never being missed, and from these hapless victims they created the Orchans, bastard hybrids of humans and orcs, stupid enough to control but smart enough to fight, viciously and strategically, without the need for a mage commander. The first puling, misshapen horrors died almost immediately, the ravaged souls shredded and dissipating. But eventually these mages created a killing machine greater than the sum of it’s stolen parts. The bowels of the mountains rang with the shrieks of those monstrous births.

 

The orchans bred well and as the years passed, their numbers grew.

 

 

This is just a very rough idea of what could have occurred. The continuing theme in EL is the whole souls/ghost thing which I'd like to keep and this is what I came up with to support that. I like the whole idea of free will too since freedom of choice is so integral to the game itself. I'm planning for the War of the Gods to occur when Aluwen returns with her host to crush Mortos who, never the fool, has gathered his own allies... Afterward, the races can then be adopted by patron gods as they are no longer "helpmeets" as Aluwen had planned, but instead, thanks to Mortos' s original meddling, distinct and autonomous species with wills of their own. The other races will be no problem to implement, such as Centaurs, and the stories that go along with them.

 

 

Anyway, this is the style and format for the Mythos portion of the history. But plenty of ways and styles for stories that contain the details and characters that bring history to life.

 

Comments, questions, suggestions.... Thanks :huh:

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Wow...I am in awe. In my opinion, this storyline has the perfect amout of detail where you can actually picturing it as it happens. Out of all the possible histories I have read, this is by far the best. Keep up the good work, I am VERY looking forward to read the next.

 

Just one comment, since you stated what Aluwen created the races out of, maybe add something about what Mortos's monsters were?

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thank you very much! ;) I really appreciate it.

 

I have read a bit about Selain doing some experiments that resulted in many of the monsters in EL so I'm going to wait and research that a bit before I write that portion. I think that will be later in the history anyway as the gods begin to settle into their roles.

 

I have a lot of reading to do so I may not be adding to this very soon, but I would hope to complete the Mythos within the month...children willing and the water don't rise...lol

 

Thanks again, L_V

Chariste

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I like it very much too, just one thing, about the Orchans:

 

were named so because they look like a cross between a human, and an orc. Whether or not they were bred that way is a commonly disputed topic, no one knows for sure. There are legends and myths going in each direction. They are a people that believe in judging someone on their strength, heroism, and bravery. They hold many contests of strength, and also elect their leaders by the competitions. Many of them are fights to the death, which the other races see them as being barbaric. They are also very honorable however, always keeping their word when they took an oath, even if it means their life is at stake.

 

I don't want it to be a fact that they are a cross between a human & an orc. Make up different myths about it going in each direction as is stated above..with each giving a pretty damn good theory for it, but never 100% fact. Also, Orchans are just as smart as humans, no less intelligent. They are just more barbaric in nature and have different values/culture.

 

And another thing I was thinking of at one ponit, is to stray from the stereo type that all "monsters"=orcs, goblins, ogres, etc.... are inherently evil. Maybe in EL they have some good in them and were not created by the most evil guy on the planet type thing ;) Maybe it is also a mystery how they were created.

And for one quest, you'd get to talk with a goblin or orc and they'd say something along the lines of "well we always were at war with you because you were always at war with us! just the site of you disgusts us with your pink skin and foul human oder!" iow, they hate us for teh same reasons we hate them type thing :) Maybe it's cheesy..i dont know, was just an idea of mine from a while back. And perhaps they have a whole culture of their own that is not all killing, stealing, burning, etc etc...but they kinda have to do those things to survive and perhaps they were even cursed and have those traits in their blood.

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I don't know, I kinda like the idea of them being controlled by a higher evil power (like the Lord of the Rings thing).

 

Chariste, I don't know if you saw the information on the main site but heres the info on Orchans.

were named so because they look like a cross between a human, and an orc. Whether or not they were bred that way is a commonly disputed topic, no one knows for sure. There are legends and myths going in each direction. They are a people that believe in judging someone on their strength, heroism, and bravery. They hold many contests of strength, and also elect their leaders by the competitions. Many of them are fights to the death, which the other races see them as being barbaric. They are also very honorable however, always keeping their word when they took an oath, even if it means their life is at stake.

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Aluwen went to ground to regain her strength and as she healed, the aether rang with her summons to friends and allies alike. Her host grew, both the weak and the strong flocking to her call. Mortos and his evil were well known to them and many came just to join in the chance to give the sinister god his due. As the last stragglers came to her halls, Aluwen arose, brilliant in her anger and righteousness, to lead them to the lands she had created for life and love.

 

Mortos, being no fool, had also summoned his cronies and vassals to gather to his banner. While his overlords and underlings wreaked havoc in the once pristine lands, he set guard over the rift and prepared for battle. He disdained battle plans and spent the interminable evenings gaming, drinking, and leching. His generals were hamstrung with uncertainty and eventually fell into vying amongst themselves for Mortos's favor. Of one thing they were certain--Aluwen, being weak and overly concerned with honor, would undoubtedly send emissaries to beg parlay, probably with some ornate and ridiculous treaty or truce. This, they knew, would give them time to rally their troops and cut through her host while Mortos toyed with the ambassadors. Caught unawares, it would be a slaughter. But Mortos and his generals, for all their cunning, had forgotten the first rule of war. No plan survives engagement with the enemy.

 

Aluwen and her Host should have shone like a nova on the horizon of the forgotten void, but her rage didn't affect her own cunning. Darandis, her trusted friend and mage, spun an illusion of darkness about the entire army. The approach of the host would have stood out like a beacon to any alert sentry anyway, the sheer size and power of such a gathering was impossible to totally disguise. But Aluwen knew Mortos and knew his ways. The "guard" over the rift were just as drunk and busy with their own pleasures as their lords. Not until they were within striking distance did Aluwen dispense with the illusion and let her intent flare out into the enemy camp, blistering the blackness of their hearts with her purity.

 

Thus was the War of the Gods begun. Aluwen and her Host swept into the encampment of Mortos like a tide, washing away any and all that stood in their way. The army of Mortos rallied, for drunk or not, battle was in their blood and killing the nectar of their souls. The Host finally slammed into the wall of the dark enemy and the combatants dug in for war. The tales of heroes, sacrifice, cowardice, and miracles that eventually emerged could never hope to convey the magnitude of the battles.

 

Even a god can weaken, even a god may die, and on the bloodied fields of a forgotten and refound realm, Aluwen and her Host found the meaning of mortality. The lesser beings, the sprites and fairies, boggles and redcaps fell like snowflakes as their mightier brethren swept across the battlelines. Great magics erupted and slammed through the void, the victims often exploding from impact, the casting mages sometimes incinerating themselves as in the heat of battle they reached for magics greater than they themselves.

 

Despite the outrage of her own generals, Aluwen led the charge and did not stop until she was deep into the enemy camp. Lightning blazed from her fingertips, her titian hair snapped sparks deep into the aether, and the blaze of her hard, white eyes blinded many of the foot soldiers who had the misfortune to meet her fierce glare. She had one goal, to meet Mortos in face to face combat, and once and for all claim the Eternal Lands as her own. Behind her, however, her allies and her friends were falling. True, in the process they were decimating Mortos's own forces, but the rate of attrition for both sides was staggering.

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I just want to point out some observations:

 

1) This mythos largely focuses on the battle between Aluwen and Mortos, assuming that they are all-important to the destiny of the Lands. You might want to think about the roles and relative influence the other Deities have on this conflict. Do you even want more deities, or a straight-out conflict between Good (and all her host) and Evil (and all his minions)?

 

---> What Saii and I were trying to do was to portray a more polytheistic religious system, with complex relationships between almost equally-powerful gods. This mythos seems to be more monotheistic, in a sense. It's really up to you, since the god quests are going to disappear anyway - I don't mind either way, but I just thought I'd bring it to your consideration, so that you can redefine the "EL Gods and Religions" thread. If you choose monotheism, Saii's work would be seriously out of sync, but you can probably keep Tumaros', Geelef, and Kayliana's work. If you choose polytheism, Saii's work can be the main focus, but the others will need a bit of linking in properly.

 

2)

Her final gift to her children was companion races: her hair, cut into long locks into which she breathed life became the Dragons; bedrock from the mountains became the Dwarves; heartwood of the ash became the Elves; and a drop of blood from her own nimble fingers became the Gnomes.

 

--> Does this imply that humans were Aluwen's original race, since the Elves, Dwarves and Gnomes are "companion races"? What does that say about the relative importance of the races - are you going to make this game's story human-centric, or non-race-specific? Also, watch out for the difference between Dragon and Draegoni... which one are you talking about here?

 

 

Having said that, keep up the good work, Chariste! ;)

 

-Lyn-

Edited by Lyanna

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What the mythos is mainly to be considered is a framework for the writers to them come in and flesh out. This is where the minor deities, other gods, and polytheism will come into play. I want them to create this history but based on certain points that are "set," in this way much of the confusion of who did what where and to whom will be avoided. In this way a writer could come in and say, ok, Aluwen and Mortos are engaged in this massive battle...what is Selain doing? How about we turn this little unimportant fairy guy over here into a hero...etc and thus an heroic epic is born. I never intended for the mythos to "be" the history, I want it to be the springboard for it.

 

I have read Saii's work and love it, and intend to use as much of the work of the past writers as I can. As for Kayliana, however, I read her post asking for her histories to be pulled as she was going to use them for another reason so those I have not considered.

 

As for the races, yes, at first it was just humans and perhaps elves that were "Aluwen's children." The others were created as companion races, servitor class you might say although with a much heavier lean toward ally rather than servant, but Mortos's "poison" infecting the land, they thereby gained free will and the ability to choose their own destinies. In this way they become equals in the struggle to survive in this utopia gone "bad" so to speak, hehe. And Aluwen, being a goddess of Life, makes them her own.

 

No, I meant dragons in that last bit, I haven't approached the creation of the Draegoni yet. Due to Kayliana's request, I decided to cut the dragons from whole cloth, give them their start, and let the tales come as they would. Although I do have a few ideas for the Draegoni, they are just not ready yet.

 

 

Thanks for your thoughts, I appreciate the help :huh:

Chariste

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I've decided to move this to Storylines after all... it was Chariste's major work on trying to outline the history of EL. Not sure how to fit it in at the moment, but will get around to doing so. Maybe as part of the Church of Aluwen's mythology/doctrine/holy scriptures.

 

-Lyn-

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I've decided to move this to Storylines after all... it was Chariste's major work on trying to outline the history of EL. Not sure how to fit it in at the moment, but will get around to doing so. Maybe as part of the Church of Aluwen's mythology/doctrine/holy scriptures.

 

-Lyn-

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Wouldn't you expect a goddess who claims to be inherently good and just to tell the whole truth? ;) Instead of relegating every other deity to minor status, why aren't the ones who have always existed (according to other sources) playing a part? One would assume that any group with enough force to collectively reverse a situation would have to at least change it in some way... The way I'm seeing it, Mortos and Aluwen seem to be the only deities with any initiative, as seen in the overview and the Mythos...

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You've got a point about the Goddess of Truth. :D (Well, maybe it was corrupted by the church, or something...)

 

Yeah, that's the problem I spotted with most writers. And of course, since the History is largely a compilation of different writers' stories, this gets reflected into it as well. It comes with a worldview problem. You either see the world as a clash between Good and Evil, or a multiplicity of personalities. That's what I pointed out in the monotheism vs polytheism post above. I'm hoping that others will write stories that have nothing to do with Aluwen or Mortos, eventually. I would write some myself, but you know how much work I have...

 

-Lyn-

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It's gonna be difficult to fit it in with mine, given that they're basically entirely different accounts of the same thing (ie the beginning of creation). It's a shame because it's good writing, just wish she'd read my stuff before she started :D.

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