The goddess stood in robes of grey, tailored by no hand yet tailored well, and still unable to hide the inhumanity of the being within. Malkut's eye cast a slow light, and she extended her hand to receive the golden Lock. She gazed out upon the beach, still and calm and lit by stars alone, with nothing but sand around. She inserted the Key.

Click.

Now she saw and heard not only the beach but what lay beyond: a darkness, and things superimposed upon the darkness, and things whispered through the shadow. Each was as clear as the other. The humble world, and the things she had laboured so hard to hide from it.

"Is it time?" said Alto, alighting on the sands.

The Concierge pulled an ancient gypsum tablet from her coat and looked at it. Despite the years, it still depicted the old figure of the Man from Above. "Yes," she said, crushing it to dust. "If I don't return- you know what to do."

Her sleeves became wings, and upon silken folds she swept into the dark. Alto pawed at the sand with some nerves. Malkut inclined his head.

Let it start at the beginning, she thought to herself. Where freedom was lost.

---

The inky black-blue of the night sky above began to make way for a cresting band of orange and pink. The stars that were his only company began to leave him with the coming of the day; as the last of their lights faded away and the dawn sun began to rise, Promus bristled. The shackles chafed at his ankles and wrists but there could be no writhing free. The first rays of day fell upon the walls of frozen smoke. The glassy black stone beneath him quickly became searing hot, and once more his prison was alight as a crucible of pain. He had screamed in the past, for the first few centuries of his imprisonment, but now the torment was merely a cycle as natural as sleep or rain. Even as his skin peeled and flesh became tallow, he only gasped and took sharp breaths.

But something else was rising against the dawn. A sharp shadow, grey and streaming, leapt the horizon and outsped the sun, crossing its zenith before it could even leave the earth. The shadow eclipsed the light and became a silhouette, and shot across the land. Perplexed was the weary sage, for this was not how the Cycle was written.

The silhouette flew ever closer, its shade silencing first the vicious mirrors and then the sun itself. By the time it crested the obsidian pit, the corona at its silken wings was all Promus could see of the light. "Come," said the saviour, extending a hand into the scene of wasted godhood. "It is time for this to end."

The haggard remnant of He Who Stole the Wind silently regarded the one that had dared defy the gods and approach his prison. It had been eons since he had heard the voice of another. Though pain lived in his eyes and upon his tortured body, he stretched against his shackles as far as he could so as to meet her hand. Lei took it, and gripped it, and the shackles rattled. And she leapt into the sky.

The old god's chains shattered at her flight, and Lei soared into the heavens, dragging his tired body with her. The unlocked Lock in her left hand shone against the sky, and together they escaped the daylight, the blaze, and flew into the calming shade of somewhere deep and hidden. There they hovered for some time, new wings folding and unfolding from Lei's body, traversing no space, but doing so at great speed. When they next met a light, it was stellar.

Once more, Lei stood on the shore at the edge of the world, constellations flickering above her. She released her grip upon Promus, and the sage slowly left the embrace that had saved him. He knelt upon the sandy ground, perhaps for true reverence and not just frailty, and then glowed softly as his flesh regenerated. The wounds faded, but the scars were still there; they were just hidden beneath the skin. Four wings emerged from his naked back, and then he finally spoke.

"So you have defeated the God of Gods and cast aside his disciples?" he looked up to his savior. Behind a placid face, he wondered for what machination she had chosen to save him. "If you have not, then I fear that the retribution for your defiance in freeing me shall be terrible."

Lei shook her head, leaning on the cane that Alto brought her. She was not frail, but the flight had drained her. "There will be no retribution. The God of Gods was eaten by his retinue long before I was born-"

Impossible. The stars still gleam with heavenly power.

"-and your escape, until now, was a mystery that lasted the aeons." She looked out, back at the dark. "From that Door, there is no return."

The turmoil within Promus broiled and then settled without so much as a single outward sign. "You twisted time and fate to effect my flight. For what end have you gifted me this great favor?"

"The favour is mine," she said, and bowed, but not low. "It is not for the winged to be bound to the stone. What's over is done. This world is for the future."

His gaze drifted to the door. From that Door, there is no return.

With a shudder, his stoicism shattered like glass as he came to a final realization. "My children..."

They had grown stronger in his absence; even from his prison he had listened to their thoughts and wept as the prayers grew rarer with the passing centuries, but even so, he had always told himself that he suffered for them. To have escaped his pain felt like he had abandoned them. "I'm sorry," said Lei. A barren word.

Yet there was a time that every father had to set his children free.

One more deep breath. "If this world is for the future, then it is a future that I shall build. A new world, one better than the last; I can see it already." He turned to the one that had carried him away. "Can you...?"

He didn't even know her name. No matter; he offered her a title that commanded veneration and gratitude. "...Mater?"

"Lei," she said, inclining her head. "...Mater Lei."

Promus rose to his feet once again, and with a parting nod and one mighty flap of his wings, he ascended to the sky above. Alto looked on, in awe and envy. Mater Lei laughed as she watched him ascend.

"I can see it!" she yelled, calling to the brilliant stars. "I hear it coming on the wind!" She turned to the Door, still open and still dark. "Come!" she said, raising the Lock above her head, where it shone. "Come and partake of Creation!"

And her voice echoed through the Door and was heard.

For a long while, she had lurked just out of the trappings of contact, she was fine by herself most of the time, but this was not the time. She observed something new, it was different from all others she had seen lately, it lacked something, what she could not tell yet, but it would do just fine.

She took the ethereal equivalent of a deep breath and went forward.

---

She took a deep breath, at first looking down, only seeing the bare earth beneath her feet. With time, she looked up, and saw the bare earth that was not near her feet. She arrived early, good.

She felt cold, too much contact with that which was not her. In response to her needs, a silky hood formed around her face, and from it, a coat made of wood-like blocks grew. That felt better.

This time it did not seem any voice was telling her what to think and what to do and who she was. Good, yet... "I will need a name." she whispered to herself, using any old name would just alert the snake-like threads of Fate, even in a universe like this. With some thought, she continued. "I am Kap... Gam."

Just saying that felt very revitalizing, as if her being was in better connection with this universe. It probably was. Yet, one issue remained, in a soulless world breathing and asphyxiating felt the exact same to the goddess. She would need to fix that.

The options to bring souls about were many. Gates, rivers, trees, auroras, moons, stones, chests... She wished one of her knights was by her side, they always helped when she was indecisive. She wondered about her issue, she wanted something discreet yet big, something that would spread fast and be ever present without one noticing it, a fit mirror to souls.

"Grow." Kap Gam extended her hand, and a pale purple fungus spore materialized in it. The goddess gently buried it in the sand, the organism quickly spreading underground like mold, sometimes sprouting upward and forming little mushrooms.

Around the area of the Door, where she planted the spore, a proper presence of souls was felt. Mortal beings created within the area will become imbued with a soul, should they provide a proper husk for one.

With time the fungi would grow, spread its tendrils from one pole to another. Kap Gam was pleased with the result, she thought about raising her hand and bringing about a few beings to serve her, but it felt too soon. She had learned not to be impulsive.

Things were happening.

Things were very much happening, and they were important.

Yet, while the old gods stirred, a new presence was hatching. The door from which this god would be born was that of a hatchling bursting out of its shell, hungry and demanding. A voice called to the being who remained trapped, unwilling to put forth the effort of awakening and be born. Yet, the words echoed within the being’s mind and continued to disturb it from the peaceful rest that it enjoyed. The being moved about in annoyance at first.

A worm burst from the soft shell of its prison, large and hungry it darted forward as its many legs worked to carry it. The large mouth it had let out a roar of annoyance after having been provoked by the words that had awoken it. However, as soon as it touched the water of the beach it turned and went along the coast before its form shifted. Compressing and snapping, a new form appeared, a pale skin with round eyes. Antennae protruded from the top of its head looping to the back and ending, much like hair but with purpose. Four wings vibrated, frying themselves of the liquid that was on them as it grew within the egg.

It stayed there, looking at the others and not saying anything. Without a word, the goddess pointed her palms towards each other, a small ball of light forming in her hand. Finally a word was stated, ”Hungry,” an explanation. The light turned into a dark orange hue before she crouched down and planted it into the ground she stood upon. Very quickly a pool of the molten sand encompassed her area, she had not bothered to move as the heat did not bother her.

Instead, she laid in it and a proboscis slithered out of her mandibles and began to drink of the mass as it was no easier to consume. Eventually she stated her name in a very simple fashion, ”I think I am… Kikoquatl.” Her voice was soft, even as she drank of the molten substance.

Then the ball of light resurfaced from the molten rock and simply hovered over Kikoquatl, now only glowing black with a snowy white aura around it as it sat in the air, unmoving.

_{Time: The Day the Gods Came}



Her father had been angry. It was true, she disobeyed him. But to strike her loves down like that, to tear her from her children, to trap her here... the youngest of his daughters.



And so she had climbed, and so had she said to the Aerian Wind. But then she remembered what father once said -



She had been a little girl, could one punish her for being curious? And she had raised her head to see. And she saw nothing but the ruffling of her long red hair as it whipped all about her and disappeared even beyond the four horizons. And the Aerian Wind caught her, and carried her oh so far away. And she dragged her hair in snow till the grizzly found her and took her with him home. And in the home of the grizzly bear, with his wife and all his children, the little red-haired girl grew, and in time she was no longer a little girl, but a woman full-formed and beautiful.

And she married and was happy, and her naked little children danced and played about her feet - funny little things, neither bear nor god. And they brought much joy to their mother, and they brought much joy to their fathers. And she dwelled in a small lodge near her father's mount, and was in all ways content.

And when the old grizzly approached death, and he feared ascending to see her father once his life was ended, he called upon all the grizzlies and sent one of her children up to call her father down, that his daughter may be returned at last. And her father had come as a whirlwind to the lodge where his daughter lived expecting the little girl. But he found only what angered him, and he struck the old grizzly down and cursed them forevermore to walk on four feet, their head cast low. And he scattered her children - his grandchildren! - across the earth. And he put out the mountain fire and took her back with him to the sky, from where she constantly launched her gaze earthward just as earnestly as her children looked heavenward. And her father caused nature itself to oppress them, and so she taught them - though her father knew it not - how to protect themselves.

And one day she was offered freedom, for a Door opened where there had been none, and it bid her enter and partake in creation anew. Freedom. She had not wanted to step in, only look through - she had only been curious, you see, for she thought she could smell the salt of the sea. And her crimson hair was swallowed in, and she fell in head-first. And she arose on a bare shore, the sea stretching out before her and her endless hair spearing every horizon. She stared wide-eyed, and she raised her hands to her face and wept - cried for beauty, and cried because she knew. She knew there was no going back. And her crimson hair wrapped itself around her naked form, and she looked tearfully from the one whose name was Promus to the one who was Kap Gam, to Kikoquatl, and then finally to the one who was Mater Lei. The one with the Doors.
'Wow.' She muttered, not truly of her own will. They reminded her of her siblings. Maybe they were her siblings. Not Mater Lei though. There was something off about that one. 'Hello!' She said to Kap Gam and Mater Lei, 'I want to bring my children through the Door. How do I do it?' She did not have to pause to reaffirm who she was. She knew who she was. She was Seihdhara. She was the Bear Mother.

It awoke from darkest dreams, the sleep of nonexistence. Many fathoms of black void surrounded him but a distant crack of light broke through the liquid blackness and settled upon him. He kept many secrets in his mind and knew much already, although for some reason he couldn't recall his na-

Orfai. He remembered his name. He moved slowly at first towards this light, curious as to its existence. The shimmering surface of an ocean.

He emerged through it suddenly, splashing water aside as the shadowy being burst through it and landed atop the beach. The shadow shifted and changed, as formless and vague as he felt. The shadowy figure skulked across the item, each step surrounded by a black mist as it examined what lay around it. Blank and empty and lifeless, just sand and water. A fresh canvass.

The shadow figures... 'head' turned slowly to regard the other gods, then it turned and reached out to the oceans behind him. He channeled his might and broke a piece of it down into four smaller pieces, and used them to give it life; first, he raised the flora through the ocean; seaweed and algae and the likes. Then he added the first fish, simple eel like creatures that would in time become greater life. He placed within each of their simple and primitive minds the desire to multiply and reproduce, the instinct to avoid danger and within their very being the potential to grow unchecked by his own divinity.

He paused and considered his new creation for a moment. Then he reached out for a small school of seven of these primitive fish and gripped them beneath the waters, wrapping his shadowy energy around them and sang to them- softly at first, and then as the individual shadows separated off and grew larger he sang louder and more powerfully! The resonance of he notes echoed through their little minds and bodies and transformed the very core of the being. As each of these seven shadows dissipated an entirely different being took the place of the fish. It was roughly 11 feet in length when fully extended, although a good deal of this was made up by it's long tentacles with which it would propel itself through the waters of the ocean. The upper portion of their being was much more humanoid (he didn't bother to question how he knew what a humanoid was; he's a god, he just knows such things) and similarly proportioned, with a human-like head and two arms for grasping, each ending in a five digited hand. They had a thick and scaled hide, and two keen, large eyes. He made them capable of eating both flora and fish, that they might sustain themselves from the fruits of the ocean.

Their minds were keen and sharp, capable of imagination and reason and above all independence and freedom. Yet for now, they were filled with nothing beside their basic instincts. Orfai would give them a small... helping hand, in time. And a name too, they'd need a name. And some way to communicate too, beyond these primitive instincts.

Hm. They looked unto him, this unfathomable darkness that had given them form. He withdrew from them, to leave them to their devices now in the ocean life that was forming. There were other matters to attend to for now, and it was better not to be hasty in these matters.

---

A being made of pure light walked through the Door and sank to her knees on the sand. As the light made way to her form, one could see for the briefest of seconds a broken husk of a Goddess, with mangles arms, bloodied armour and caked hair. Then, the light washed over her and she was healed and brought back to splendor.

Long golden locks of hair flowed in the salty sea breeze. Bright blue eyes observed her healed hands with awe and her sickly, pale skin regained its rosy tone. Essence and Might flowed through her veins again and her heart had been healed.

She immediately turned toward the door and saw nothing that she knew. Her world was gone. She shed one last tear for the fallen.

She was renewed and a mere prod into the limits of her power showed that she was as weak as the first day she walked into existence. She took in a deep breath and realized that this was a good opportunity - a great one, in fact - to start over again and do things right. To protect the mortals from one another and keep her new friends and family well.

She turned towards the other Gods present and forced a gentle smile.

“I am Aella,” Her voice rang throughout the area yet was somehow still gentle and soft, as if her very speech was an embrace to whoever heard her, “let’s create and nurture, Brothers and Sisters.”

Orfai reemerged from the ocean, his task complete. The formless shadow moved again across the beach away form the ocean, turning towards the newcomer as he heard her words. The shadow reformed slowly, hardening and becoming more distinct, taking the shape of that which he had just created; a large Faliargun with brilliant bronze scales and keen eyes, hovering above the ground with the shadowy wreath still surrounding it's tentacles.

"It has already begun, Aella; I have given life to the oceans, and Kap-gam has given the souls that now breath through my Faliargun, who think and feel and dream. Another, the Lizard God, has set about his work already, creating the beginnings of something... but has drifted far from my sight." Orfai said, filling her in and running his eyes along her, then glancing to the other gods briefly before looking back to her; they stood and talked while there was creation to be done. Did they conserve, perhaps? And what had that other meant by her children... such a thought would be concerning. Whatever Kikoqautl made seemed less inclined to produce a sudden influx of life onto the world, although he was curious about it's ultimate use. Something to place aside in his mind for later, he reckoned.

Whatever the case, this newcomer seemed inclined to start the process of creating life for the world, and he would very much like to see the land covered by life as well. He would not use his energy to fill that too, he felt he would have need of his might again soon. Besides, he felt somewhat tired, exerted by his efforts- at least, those would be the words he would choose to describe the sensation. This language is so insufficient.

"A fourth has created energy, but it is not life. So now, nothing grows upon the lands save the soul fungi itself. Perhaps you would remedy such?" Orfai finished. The intonation in his voice suggested that it was more a question than a request, although in truth he intended it to be both; legitimate curiosity mixed with a desire to see more of the canvass filled in. How painful it was to be a god of knowledge and secrets, when there is not yet anything to know about or any secrets to keep!

Kap Gam just observed the world around her becoming increasingly crowded as more and more all-powerful beings traversed the door. Some seemed to be like her, gods from the void or other universes, but some seemed to be new beings, fished from nothingness and born at the moment existence touched them.

"Children?" she questioned, upon hearing the words of the red-haired goddess. "Do they eat? Do they breathe? Look around." she made a small and quick movement towards the bare world around them. Outside of the ocean, now blessed by one of the two beings who left the vicinity of The Door, there was little but barren rock unfit to hold life.

Of course, there were many other issues, several of which took the title of god, but Kap Gam had hope that upon understanding the basics, awareness of the situation would dawn upon the goddess.

@Kho

At first, there was only darkness. Nothing, emptiness. It was so dull. Even while the God-to-be's mind raced with possibilities, of so many wonderful ideas and schemes to perform, there was nothing. It seemed like eons passed and still nothing yet still the excitement of his ideas kept him constantly prepared for the beginning so when the door finally appeared,when it slowly opened to him, he immediately burst through with no second (or first for that matter) thoughts. The light beyond the door was where he would have the power to act on all his grand ideas.

A small flash of purple and black energy signaled his arrival in the oasis, he only took a moment to examine the area around him before he would fill it with fire of every conceivable color and began flinging planets around like golf-balls before he noticed something. He was not alone, he sensed various other beings of equal or far greater power than his own. While part of the deity wished to continue anyway, he instead decided to take a more..social approach. First a took a form as many of the others had and took the guise of a small horned creature with a mouth of razor sharp teeth , leathery black skin and a pair of purple eyes. The newcomer grinned at whoever was nearby before his attention turned to a small pile of fungus at the doorway. Despite never seeing or experiencing such a thing before he knew exactly what it's purpose was. To create souls for mortals. That was fine. That was good. In fact, that was excellent! This was exactly what he had needed to make his plans complete. Something to counter-act them, after all what fun is there in doing something with no opposition? The races created by his new playmates could be his obstacle, and he their's. If they lose they die and their creator will have to start again, if they win..well he'll give them something nice for their trouble or something that wasn't important.

Well, I'm very excited for things to start shaping up, how about you guys start having some fun with your creations and I'll be somewhere else preparing a little challenge for them. Winner gets some goodies the loser probably dies how about it, eh? the creature rather hurriedly offered to anyone who would listen before leaping into the air and forming a small black cloud to replace his legs as a soared off to the east Can't stay and chatter, need to get creating! Oh! My name is Gremju! Gremju called as he moved into the distance.

The imp needed to find a nice flat area to begin to set up his first challenge. When he eventually found the land he so desired he landed. It was barren yet it was not quite what he was looking for. With a wave of his clawed hand burst of shuddering purple energy caused the region around him to blacken and weaken. The barren earth crumbled into tiny black grains of black sand easily capable of being whipped up into a a whirlwind. Next he moved above his darkened plains and began focusing some of his own power (with some modifications of course) into a large rock fairly high above, shaping it to become more crystalline in appearance before launching it directly into the center of the blackened region with a gleeful giggle. The resulting impact caused a mighty shattering as thousands of tiny fragments of the purple crystal flew across the region, embedding themselves into the soft black sand. Fortunately the hard,dead earth outside the blackened region caused the crystals to shatter, due to this a small circle of light purple 'glass' formed just outside Gremju's region. He had not calculated things exceptionally accurately in his eagerness to get the metaphorical ball rolling, the height of the great crystalline ball saved his plan from being ruined and hundreds of shards shattering across the planet. These crystals passively emitted a passive aura that would, over the course of a few days of exposure, drive an individual mad. However, despite this the crystals can also be distilled to create a liquid that heightens the senses and intelligence for several hours.

Where the majority of the crystal had landed, Gremju sat himself and rested for a time. He still had plenty of energy but he didn't want to get too far ahead of his playmates.

---

Stygian. A place devoid of the constricts of time, both existing and not. A void. Palpable; suffocating within it's veil of blackness. With this, Ipeyr resides. Not as man, but as a soul. Desultory, yet he exist and 'jumps'(can souls jump?) to the metallic twangs of a heavy door being opened. In this desolate space, it is an abnormal thing. The being is a flurry of emotions. Hesitation takes it grip, alongside trepidation and yet curiosity as well. With a deep 'breath', he steps forth into the unknown.

And from the door, Ipeyr stepped out, an aura of tranquility following suit. He was surprised to see so many other beings, each vastly different from the other. Subtle inquiries weaved into his mind; Which remained sequestered rather than asked aloud. His eyes scanned the land, finding it devoid of anything, save for gentle lapping of the ocean behind him and the warm sands beneath his feet, invaded with the occasional odd purplish organic structure. This scene was missing something. It was missing Life. Immediately he sought after something, anything to be the base of his creation. Sand, yes sand would do. As the tides pulled back, he scooped the refuse -wet sand- and began to sculpt with hands seemingly skilled in the art, a vaguely humanoid shape. The mass stood at a modest 5 feet, had all 20 digits, and held no consciousness.

It's creator stood and placed a hand upon it's shoulder and began speaking;

"I, Ipeyr, Dub you, My creation. I wish not to be your sovereign but your Guider, Your mentor within your trials of Life. If plight shall find you and if harm shall befall you, I will be there to restore you to health. To life".

With his proclamation uttered, Emotions,Freedom,Feelings and every other ingredient for life weaved into the mass of sand, which crumbled and gave way to a naked male. He resembled his creator, save for raven black hair in place of oregold locks. Ipeyr turned and raised an extremity towards the barren landscape and willed forth a myriad of lush greenery; light flora(namely small trees, grass, small plants) which bore fruits for his creation to eat and small stream for him to drink. A small grove for him to live. He turned to his creation, a benevolent smile on his face."Now go, and Live". The male wordlessly obliged and set off into the grove, which Ipeyr watched until remembering that he was around other people.

"Oh...umm..I am Ipeyr. It's a pleasure"

Through the door drifted a strange, rounded form. The new arrival was draped in sheets of gray filth that brushed the sand as it glided into the new world and did little to cover its criss-crossing frame. Droplets of a black slime fell to the sand in its wake and before it came an abominable stench but it seemed to be unaware of this or simply unconcerned. From the mass of branches and muck drifting above the sand sprouted something vaguely in the shape of a rounded, faceless head beneath a hood of grayish muck.

The head turned slowly to the left, than the right as the being inspected its new surroundings with innocent curiosity. How exciting to find itself in a new world! A sound reached the new arrival, a spoken name. It thought that sounded nice and it too desired to have something to call itself. There was a moment of consideration before a soft breeze drifted from the dark of its hood and gently proclaimed its name.
"Pelegath"
Had he a face, there would be a smile upon it. He had a name and a new world in which to... a new world to... What would he do? He heard a call, then.

“I am Aella, let’s create and nurture, Brothers and Sisters.”

"A blank world invites us to create," the Putrid One agreed

He knew if there was to be life in this new world, it would eventually wither and die. Even when living things are no longer among the living, they need to be cared for. The vessels left behind by death would need to be disposed of and so he set to work.

A pair of dead branches sprouted from Pelegath's form and descended the short distance to the sand. A gentle blue light stirred from the center of his form and quickly brightened more and more until the light spilled from his hood. Pieces of the gray filth clothing him fell to the sand as black sludge dripped from what could be called his hands. The filth and the sludge coagulated, mixed with each other and the sand to form a widening pool of putrid muck.

From the rot and the filth crawled a tiny creature with twin antennae and three pairs of legs beneath a flat, brown body. The creature shook it's sleek form free of the muck that birthed it and scuttled about for a moment. The first insect was born. Pelegath was delighted at his new creation and offered his hand to it. The insect promptly scurried up his arm and into his body where it made its new home among the tangle of branches. His children would claim what was dead.

“From death, there will be life”

Following the first bug came more like it and others very different. Some flew while others skittered along the sand and they came in all shapes and sizes. Piles of bugs and worms poured from the muck and into the waiting arms of their father while those gifted with flight congregated into a buzzing cloud around him. He was happy with his creations but his curiosity was piqued when he saw the others creating as well and marveled at what they brought forth. What beautiful things they were crafting! This new world would surely be a splendid place!

Again, he turned to the pool and now dipped his hands into the slime. His children would need help reclaiming the dead and so he formed what was to be called mold. The mold grew and prospered in his hands, spreading along his arms and developed many shapes and colors. There was still much more work to be done, but this was a start.

---

It began with a cell, a small cell, then two and so on and so forth, multiplying and growing within the womb it called home. This home was both nowhere and somewhere, because it existed, yet it knew not anything of its current place. Eventually, with what felt like eons pass, the being inside the womb began to hum a simple note. It was not elegant, nor pure, nor even beautiful- but it was perfect. And this perfect resonance rang out across the nowhere its womb was growing in. But this proved to be a fatal mistake, for somewhere in that nowhere place a creature came. Dark and terrible, fixated upon the hum within, it sank its teeth into the womb, and the hum became a scream.

That was how Larwen came to be.

For by devouring the fetus of an unborn god, he took upon himself intelligence, and thought. And in this thought he became aware of the power he now had. It was perfect, he was perfect, and the urge to spread his perfection was overwhelming. But in that nowhere place he resided in, this could not be done. Not a star shone any longer, for the creature he had consumed was the last vestige of a dying universe. The last bit of light that could have begun creation anew, but no more.

He was alone.

Or so he had thought, for not soon after those thoughts, a door opened. And he heard her, a summons to partake in creation. A new universe. It seemed that such creation could not be done without him. It needed his perfection after all.

---

For any who gazed at the door in that moment, they would see a large hands, darkened and vile grip either sides of the door. Followed by Larwen's head, his red eyes glowing even in the light of day. Without anymore hesitation, the new god pulled the rest of his body through and he stood upon the sand at his full height.

Already he loathed what he saw, these... siblings of his, they were not perfect beings. But for now he would let them be, he wished not to provoke them in a gathering such as this. There would be many more opportunities in the future, that he could see. He began to walk away, but paused after he saw fungus. He knew what they were almost immediately. Tantalizing, to be a soul for lesser things, so imperfect but at the same time needed. He could not corrupt them all, that would only anger the others, especially she who created them. For now he was content to take a few specimens for later use, preferably away from prying eyes.

He began to walk again, but the water beckoned to him. He had to show them something, his siblings dearest. He peered into the blue waters and took a few fish, small things but he imbued them with his perfection. The resulting creatures he named, Goldari. Twenty foot in length, and a taste for flesh. Satisfied, he then began to walk away.

_{Time: The Day the Gods Came}

The one called Kap Gam's response was not to Seihdhara's liking at all, and she realised that this one did not understand her pain. 'That's not what I asked,' she said, angrily dismissing the other goddess' words with a wave of her hand, 'I will feed them of my flesh and give them air to breathe. They are my children.' Angry tears watered the sand below her feet, and the grains sizzled and melted at the touch of searing tears. She turned her back on Kap Gam and saw the one named Aella and her gentle smile, heard her comforting words. She approached her and placed a curious hand on the other's cheek, as if to feel what such kindness was made of. For all the war-scars her eyes spoke of, she was made of softness.

'S- sister...' Seihdhara pouted and suddenly found herself hugging Aella tightly. 'I want to nurture - I want to nurture my children. You came through the Door - do you know how to get them from beyond?' For even as Orfai experimented with sea life, and even as Pelegath brought forth worms and insects, and even as Ipeyr created something that resembled her children (it was not), aye even as the gods went about doing what gods were meant to do, Seihdhara could not so easily forget. Why, she would sooner forget herself than forget those she birthed and watched dance and play about her feet, whom she protected daily and spent the nights awake to watch them safely sleep. 'I want nothing more.'

The goddess was surprised at the response, she thought she was being reasonable, but it seems her intentions were misunderstood. She was frustrated, not at the goddess, she understood what emotional distraught was, but at her action. She needed help.

In that moment of distraction, the goddess paid little attention to the constant churning of divine intentions by her side, from the trickery of Larwen to the sorrow of Aella, all seemed quite lost. Until it happened, Ipeyr arrived, and it with proper life, a forest was born, this was the moment she waited.

With little thought, she closed her eyes and felt her creation, for her, the sound it made was as loud as the crashing waves of the ocean near the Door, countless souls traveled around its tendrils in a primordial wholeness. This movement caused the very air of the land to be filled with an ethereal spark. This could, and would, be expanded.

Kap Gam rose one single finger upward, tendrils within the forest started to collide together and rise from the ground, forming shining purple Prototaxites that rose like towers from the ground.

The air was filled with great magic, some souls could even, for a short moment, swim through the forest in the form of a wisp, before their bodies were gone. Souls needed husks to survive, else their essence would be gnawed at by the universe. While Nature provided a good answer for this issue, Kap Gam had certain issues with it. It worked well for most beings, but skeletons and muscles felt like unnecessary bureaucracy to the great potential of a soul.

"Be safe, newcomers. And welcome back to all others." she whispered to nothing.

Dust started to stir in the air, bits of leaves, rocks, and insects got caught in the whirlwind. When it stopped spinning, a little form rose from it, floating in the air. Many forms followed. An odd mixture of person, plant, and insect. Some had horns, some had third eyes, a great many had antennas and wings. They flocked to the goddess.

Fairy. That was their name, usually, sometimes they were called other things. These were the most primitive ones of all, Sprites, intelligent in their own sense, but rarely able to speak with others.



Now all was set, it would be easy to call her knight now that such beings existed. However, she waited. She could wait. This was a crucial time in the universe, and only after she felt the delicate life around her she remembered she could not ignore the world around her.

The most crucial aspect would be to meet with the gods of Death and Life, keepers of the cycle to which most mortal souls were bound to.

However, she sensed something else with her supernatural sensibility, as if another being wanted to meet her. She wondered...

---

He wasn't necessarily expecting a reply, rather making an open statement. Simply turning to observe his creation, He'd witness the genesis of multiple violet structures sprouted from the Earth, which was now torn considerably to reveal a richness underneath. Yet he didn't react as one'd expected. No furious reply to the sudden organisms. Ipeyr simply looked to it's creator, the one know as "Kap Gam"

"Your creation?". He began, yet another smile plastered across his visage. "It is a truely beautiful sight, is it not? Life, that is. As it's supervisor, how could I not adore it? And who would I be to impede it's growth; under my own land at that? All I ask is that my creation, a denizen within that forest not be harmed. That is all"

He stopped, briefly, contemplating his next words."Have you any rebuttal?"

---

"It has already begun, Aella; I have given life to the oceans, and Kap-gam has given the souls that now breath through my Faliargun, who think and feel and dream. Another, the Lizard God, has set about his work already, creating the beginnings of something... but has drifted far from my sight." Orfai, one of her new Brothers, had said.

Aella realized she'd arrived after some of the others, but not that she'd arrived this late. It was a shame to be sure, not being there to watch the creation of life with her fellow Gods... But there was no time to lament.

"A fourth has created energy, but it is not life. So now, nothing grows upon the lands save the soul fungi itself. Perhaps you would remedy such?" He'd asked her. She tilted her head at his words, trying to understand whether they were a request or a genuine question. To her, it was obvious that she'd do everything in her power to protect life, but she hadn't thought as far as to actually create it. She regarded Orfai with a friendly nod of her head before responding.

"Thank you for bringing me up to speed, Brother... Orfai it is, yes? Feel assured that I will contribute to this world's beauty and liveliness as much as I can-" [@darkworlf687]

"Children? Do they eat? Do they breathe? Look around." Kap Gam said to Seihdhara, motioning to the barren state of the world. What Kap Gam had said was true, but the way she said it... Well, she could have done better. Aella regarded her fellow Goddess with a look of 'Seriously, dude? That was a shit thing to say but oh well, I still think you're cool.' @Double Capybara

A lot of things happened quickly, just in time for when her sister Seihdhara approached her and placed her hand on her cheek.

It was a warm touch, that of her new Sister. It reminded her of old friends and days spent playing under the Sun. There was no doubt, Seihdhara was beautiful - after all, what was more beautiful than a woman that wanted to protect her children? Aella her own hand on top of Seihdhara's and returned the embrace like a mother would return a child's desperate hug.

Aella let Seihdhara rest her head on her chest, which despite all the armour, felt like it was clothed in the softest silk.

'S- sister... I want to nurture - I want to nurture my children. You came through the Door - do you know how to get them from beyond? I want nothing more.' Seihdhara said, tears decorating her face.

At that moment, Aella's smile was true. As she regarded her saddened sister, she couldn't help but gently wipe away her tears and plant a kiss on her forehead. "Oh, my young, sweet sister..." She said, sadness clear in her voice, "I cannot pretend to know where your children are. Much less can I pretend to know how to reach back into our old worlds..." She fell silent and took in a deep breath of the barren air of a not-so-barren world.

"Seihdhara, we are here now. We are family. Cry as much as you need to cry, sister, but know that you're not alone. Your children may not be here with us now, but what keeps you from giving birth to more life in this new world? Do you not want to see this world filled with your little ones, to watch them grow up strong and beautiful?" Aella kept the embrace going for a short while longer before gently disengaging with another kiss to Seihdhara's forehead. "Sweet sister, I'm here for you, remember that. Let me know if you ever need someone to talk to. Also definitely let me know if you want someone to watch over your little ones." She gave a soft chuckle before walking away, into the nearby forest, created by the God of Life. @Kho

It truly was a nice forest, the trees even had leaves.

Kap Gam turned slowly towards the god, nodding at his comment. "Yes, I created this. Sorry for not asking proper permission. I considered the Door to be a shared area, but I understand it is still influencing your realm. I mean no harm towards the forest, I am very thankful for its existence." she stopped and touched her neck, way too many words were said.

The goddess took a short time to rest, hoping her 'sibling' would understand the wait, before continuing by writing on the air in the shared divine tongue | In the same way I relied on your work, you may rely on mine. The realm of magic and souls is intrinsic to nature. If you need help creating guardians, if Life is threatened, I can help, and the fae too, they can be made into great watchers. |

They came, one by one. Some of them spoke to themselves or to one another, whereas others were more contemplative. Even from his perch in the Celestial Sphere above, Promus gazed down at their distant figures. With a small but concentrated effort, the Heavenly Sage also heard all of their words even from so far away.

The first arrival had been a tall and slender one, almost like some otherwordly ghost. But then again, weren't they all otherwordly to this place? He stared with captivated interest as she began to work some sort of power to summon fungi from the barren earth. There was purpose to her work, though he could not yet sense it.

Another being emerged as if it were some nascent beast tunneling through the shell of its egg. It spared little time. ”Hungry,” it had offered as apology or perhaps explanation, and then it had conjured an infernal heat that seared the fine grains of primordial sand. From that first act of destruction, it feasted and worked some chaotic power to create a mass of energy. Kikoquatl. That is what the demon calls itself, Promus mused in silent words. At least I know its name; there is power in a name. And now I know to be eternally vigilant of its doings and wary of its intent.

Another one entered, this one with tears in her eyes. Her eyes found those of Lei, and of the otherwordly ghost, and of Promus himself as he suspended himself far above; but his tears had already dried before she had even set foot upon the sandy beach. She mentioned children, and then he understood her pain. But she would still need time to understand.

At some point an egg had rolled through the doorway without much event, but suddenly it demanded the attention of all as it erupted with the fury of a volcano. From amidst the holocaust emerged a newborn god. Promus remembered his own birth, so many millennia ago, and thought to offer guidance to this one especially that it might grow to its potential and act in a manner befitting its station. But alas, from the very moment of its birth it seemed to extrude a hostility and a desire for solitude. The sage knew that it best to leave that one to its own devices, at least until it matured and settled in its temperament.

In the oceans, there stirred a deep and dark and fathomless presence, and like the Ghost it demanded his interest. The Traitor was reminded by that dark of smoking mirrors and the unknowable enigma of the magic that had been woven into the instruments of his pain. With a shudder, he turned away as Orfai began work upon a genesis of life beneath the darkened crests of those waves.

Then a cascade of light fell through Mater Lei's opened door, and from its pure glow emerged the simulacrum of a being so fair that it nigh brought water to the eyes of He Who Stole the Wind. Aella. She was beautiful, good...but so naive. She saw not the darkness and the faults within those that stood right beside her, but Promus did. He saw all such dangers, for he watched for them; eternally wary, perhaps he would not be met with a third fate more terrible than either of his past two. Perhaps through sheer innocence, she too would be spared.

The demure ghost said something to that mother who wept for her children, and a small smile found its way onto the sage's chiselled face.

But then there emerged another being: this one a black, vile, impish thing; it was barbaric and open in its debauchery and uncivilized and a blight upon order and the lowliest of vermin and...

Gremju: the second demon. Already it flies, bearing ill winds with it to the east. I can only weep at how the morning sun's first rays shall fall upon its ruinous works.

But then there emerged a being of greater stature, grander intention, and better purpose. Promus smiled as he witnessed the newest god fashion a living being from the meager offerings that he had been given: the sand beneath the lapping waves, the calm seawater that dampened it, and the power dormant within his own immortal spirit. "I would call that one my brother and be proud for it," he murmured ever so gently, yet perhaps loud enough to be heard by one who listened as intently as the sage.

Ipeyr.

When that noble one offered his name, even the metaphorical throne that Promus had claimed in the sky high above that beach, the wind echoed back, "And I am called Promus, brother." The Heavenly Sage spoke aloud without so much as a whisper, for the entire Wind was his and it heeded his wish just as other beings had a tiny wind called a Voice that obeyed their will.

Another god manifested upon the beach, yet this one was an enigma as it radiated the cold of death yet also the warmth of life. With ancient eyes the Patron of Civilization tried to peer through this figure's carapace of rot and into its soul, to judge whether it be a demon of plague and blight or a humble servant of the natural order. He was spared the difficult judgement when the being spoke and introduced itself. Pelegath. Promus knew much about mannerisms and speech, and from even an utterance that small he felt assured in his belief that this was no demon. If you be a humble servant that brings decay, then you do us all a great favor. But I fear that yours is a role that will earn neither glory nor love.

There then emerged another, and this one was a spindly...thing. Though its stench did not taint the soft and salted ocean breeze as did Pelegath's rot, it nonetheless radiated a more metaphorical sort of stench -- that of chaos and corruption. It looked upon them all with scorn, and then spared no time in reaching into the shallows to snatch victims from those first schools of Orfai's fish; from its horrific touch the fish were made into abominable monstrosities. The third demon shows its nature. In time, I must engineer a means to defeat it too, before it can aid the other two in their unholy crusade against this new world.

One more shudder, and then Promus was in flight again. He began to return to the ground with a quick descent to the shore. He fell with all the splendor of a shooting star, taking the form a majestic that was winged and yet wreathed in the heavenly starstuff that was his flesh and skin. After the passage of a few moments, he landed upon the soft sand having left as great a distance between himself and the demons as he could. He gravitated towards the ghost that had been the first to arrive after him, with a purpose in mind and a favor to ask.

Kap Gam was interacting with her little sprites, who danced around her, while her face did not smile, she seemed to be far more at peace now than when she first arrived. She suddenly looked up, her feeling from before intensifying.

"Rose Erica Sage Tulip." she commanded her creatures, and they all did as she said, flying away towards the forest and leaving her alone.

She turned to face the entity that approached her, she quickly saw that it was a being of many aspects, his true nature concealed to the eyes of mortals. That made it clear to her he was a being like her and unlike the newborn gods. Upon closer inspection, she could remember him being one of the two beings that existed when she arrived, yet he did not have the same 'presence' as Mater Lei.

Not one of many words, she greeted him by gently bowing in acknowledgement.

"Lady of the Crossroads," he spoke first, returning the bow with his address, "I witnessed your silent coming; it was like feathers falling upon fresh snow, your passage like that of a ghost. But it was for your makings here that you have drawn my rapt attention." He gesticulated towards the fungi from which formless souls sprang forth, then went on, "I am called Promus, the Heavenly Sage, and my only design is to bring life from emptiness, sapience from life, civilization from sapience, order and grandness from that. I see now the intent behind these strange growths of your making: from them will spring forth souls, and with those I may begin upon the long work that lies ahead. But I would not walk that path alone; it is my desire to have three servants, and their souls must be greater than these mundane ones."

"So I humbly beseech from You, Guide of Souls, this favor of three mighty sparks with which to animate the vessels I craft."

The goddess listened with attention, on rare occasions nodding to his words. To bring about servants before her own was somewhat of an issue, but she sensed truth in all of his words, which meant he was a respectable god of vision similar to hers. The strength she would help him achieve would, in the end, be used to help her.

"Your objectives are noble and true. I will grant what you requested." was all she said, before closing her eyes.

Once again, she heard the orchestra of souls that resounded so loudly from beneath the earth. Three, she would need three souls, it was easy to see a soul for what it was, her sprites, for example, rarely were born as something other than that. Heroic spirits had a shine unique to them, the issue was imbuing the husks with their essence.

"The exalted spirits have been found." She looked back towards the god, the air near them sparkling with gold from the reunion of great souls within the grove. "The vessels?"

He answered with a silent nod, then uttered low to his breath words of power that defied simple meaning and transcended mere sound. The first of the Three was shaped from his own breath as words upon the wind took form as flesh. From the magic of his voice he then called clay from the silty bottom of the sea nearby, and with that canvas suspended in the air did he shape the second of the Three. Next he called down the aether of the Celestial Sphere above and molded the alien starstuff into the final and third of the Three.



The eldest, fashioned of his own breath, he named Azazael. The youngest, of the earth, he called Makaizael; the one between and of the heavens was Halazael. In form, each of the three heroes appeared the same; they were robed and winged men of captivating allure, and they each had three sets of wings: one with which to cover their feet, one to hide their faces, and one to carry them through the heavens.

To the Three, the first of his sons, Promus decreed, "I name thee each Masters of mine own power and Lords of Civilization. To you, my foremost disciples and who I shall call my noble Watchers, I charge you of course with carrying out my decrees, but also of fulfilling the mandate left by those other gods that are worthy: you must go to the mortals and raise them from their lowly stature into grandeur and glory. But before you may do this, you must learn the ways of the world."

Pelegath looked on with pity as his sister wept for her lost children. Had he something to offer her, he would have. Perhaps there would be something he could do for her in the future, but for now he had work to do. The new forest would have need of creatures to remove the dead and his children would make excellent caretakers. With a wave of his hand a surge of insects departed from his body and converged on the forest.

“Serve my brother and his creations well.”

He looked on as his children made their homes in the undergrowth and thought he might like a land of his own. Though he was not sure he could make a forest, he thought he might try his hand at creating a biome. He lifted both hands and in the distance, water bubbled to the surface and mixed with rot to form a boggy ground. The ground was almost as numerous as the shallow water the broke up the small islands of mud from which sprouted sickley trees.

The result was a hideous land that had the faint reek of death about it; the first swamp. Pelegath could not have been happier with his creation. A land to call his own, how wonderful.

The world was quickly expanding and it dawned on him that soon his small children would not be able to take care of the death that would ensue. He would need to create something larger, a beast that could feast on the dead without fear of sickness. Peeling four pieces of gray rot from his own body, he fashioned two pairs of large wings to carry his children over the land so they could spot the dead from the air. From there, he fashioned them bodies of the muck of the bog, feathers from the light and airy moss. The resulting creatures were a pair of large birds with jagged beaks for tearing flesh and powerful jaws to splinter bone. They would be the progenitors of a new species.

He gave their kind a name after a moment of thought.

“Akbaba, search for the dead from the skies.”

The feathered beasts took flight with twin shrieks and soared off across the newly formed swamp to find a home.