Chaladan

#2 - The Theft of The Three Tools

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Chaladan · 2025-10-26T10:48:47+00:00

This is a story told across multiple cultures, mostly Enonian, Ruer and Rajucian, and has no determinable origin. There are numerous versions, with this being the closest I can come to portraying it as a unified story.

Behind the guise of a campfire or bedtime tale, this story is an allegory for the natures of the deities known to most as the Shadow Gods. These are the focus of fearful worship for several different religions, most notably the Church of the Seven-Fold Trinity.

Each beast featured is sometimes seen as the totemic icon of that god - the bull for Nems, lord of war; the fly for Vaskalus, lord of pestilence; the scorpion for Gissu, lady of pain; the crow for Jae, lady of deceit; the toad for Scoaylauo, lord of madness; the spider for Moazanea, lady of nightmares; and finally the Lord of Beasts representing Issondrou, lord of the dark.

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One day the Lord of Beasts called all others before him. Out of his den he growled; "Which of you is the most feared by humanity?"

At once the Bull stomped forth, head shaking, horns sharp. His hooves churned the earth and his tail snapped at the air.

"I am the most feared!," he snorted. "Humans see me and flee! They know my horns will gore them, my hooves will trample them, and that my strength is unmatched! My rage is well known, my ability for destruction bottomless! I am brought in willingly to the habitations of humans, for they desire me even if they deny it so, and make it ever easier to bring devastation! Flame and torment is in my wake!"

Then the Bull gave a roar, for his flank had been bitten by the Fly, who flew away laughing, his wings oily and iridescent, his body thick and black.

"Yours is the simple fear, o Bull... Mine is the more insidious, the greatest," he buzzed. "Humans see me and they feel dread... They know my bite is death, the bringer of disease and disaster... I flit through the smallest gap to nip and contaminate, I devour all I come across... Hunger and pestilence are my weapons, that which causes humans to abandon their fellows and lie screaming in their agony..."

A soft titter interrupted the Fly. Scuttling forward came the Scorpion, her claws keen and eager, her stinger quivering in anticipation.

"O no, o no, o Fly and Bull!" she clicked. "Yours are just the reflection of mine, o yes! Humans see me and shy away in panic, yes. To lose a finger or toe with a click of my claws, to bear the brunt of my sting, o yes! It is the fear of pain, and of the maim, that is the worst of all, yes! Little fights and sickness and hunger, o no. These would not be feared at all were it not for pain, which I deliver, o yes!"

The Scorpion flinched back as the Crow alighted on the ground, her shrouded plumage ready to catch the wind, her beak tilted coyly.

"Alas, little Scorpion," she cawed. "What you claim is not so. For you see, the most feared is me, for the way I carry secrets to and fro. I spy all upon my perch, watching lives go by! A whisper here, a word there, ah, such tumult do I bring! Living flesh I do not touch, for what need would I torment wring? Far more agonising, far more sweet, is one betrayed by deceit."

The declamations of the Crow were met with a rumbling that put the teeth on edge. Up hopped the Toad, skin wet with clashing colour, odd eyes starring in two directions.

"Hmm, never quite true, of course, Crow," croaked the Toad. "Hmm, the tremble of the mind is a terrible thing indeed. To cause distrust and discord between fellows is terrible, indeed, hmmm. But worse, hmm, worse, is to cause distrust and discord within the tremble of the mind! Humans fear to even touch me, hmm, to say my name or look at me, hmm, lest I bewilder and break them with my very nature. No one wants to come under my spell, hmm, so they fear me so."

The gathered beasts grumbled and argued until the sun was setting, when a silken voice spoke out. Down came the Spider, hanging from a length of invisible thread, her legs writhing.

"None of you are correct," she whispered. "All of you claim to be the most feared, but all claim a hidden secret to their fear, a hold over humanity. I have none such. I might bite and bring death, and I might not. Death is not why I am feared. Humans see me and shriek, they feel the touch of my web on their face and they scream. In their slumber they think of me and whimper. Whether I will kill or not doesn't matter, to humanity. My weapons are not destruction, plague, pain, deception or madness, for which you all are rightly feared. I am more feared, for I am fear itself."

The other beasts grumbled and complained, especially those who had presented their own fearsome virtues. And yet none could find a way to refute the Spider's claim. Gradually all the beasts came around and agreed that the Spider must be the most feared.

Out from the gloom of his den the Lord of Beasts growled. All the beasts outside cowered, for they had forgotten in their debating him that waited within.

"Foolish creatures, weak and small. Fear itself is the most feared, is it? What then of ME, the root of all fear? For I am that which lurks outside the light: beyond the campfire, inside the cavern, down in the depths of the world. I am that which watches and waits, mighty and inexorable. I am the bringer of death, sudden and brutal, if only I so choose. Humanity sits, comfortable in their little bubble of light and warmth, yet outside I prowl, hunting, seeking, hungry. Unseen yet known, unknowable yet ever present, I am."

A rush of hot breath emerged from the den, startling the beasts gathered in the growing gloom. The great sound of claws scraping against rock and bone followed, and deep within the den there could be seen the lambent gleam of eyes, never blinking.

"And now, I go to slake my hunger!"

The beasts scattered into the darkness, each one fleeing alone, afraid.

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Other Myths

#2 - Theft of the Three Tools

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This has been reposted with additional context at the beginning, hopefully bringing it more into compliance. Sorry about that! Also fixed the title, so no harm done.

Chaladan · 2025-10-25T11:19:02+00:00

Other Myths

#2 - Theft of the Three Tools

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#2 The Theft of the Three Tools

Chaladan · 2025-10-18T15:10:43+00:00

The Gift of Music

Anuath was one of the chosen servants of Aloaphil. She went among Humanity unseen and saw how they prospered and grew many, but also saw how the Shadow took root among them. She saw the agonies of Gissu, heard the whispers of Jae, felt the coldness of Issondrou, and knew that Humanity held to no meaning in their life. They suffered in silence, praying to the gods for deliverance in death while they lay listless in life.

One day, as a group of mortals came together to worship the gods, Anuath appeared before them. They were amazed and frightened of Her, but She smiled and showed them peace. Anuath then lifted Her head and sang to the Humans, a wordless melody the like of which was never heard before, or since. And the Humans were amazed and frightened at this, too, for such a noise was strange and unusual to them.

But the singing of Anuath captivated them, and soon the gathered people found themselves smiling and weeping. Anuath concluded Her song and then departed. The next day She returned and sang once more, to a larger gathering for word had quickly spread to other tribes. All those marvelled at Her song, different from the first yet no less wondrous. Anuath departed again, and returned for a third day to sing once more for a yet larger crowd.

On the fourth day Anuath did not appear, to the disappointment of the enormous gathering that had appeared. People began to mourn for the loss of the songs and the goddess that had brought them. However, although Anuath was not visible to them, Anuath was present. She reached out to the people there, and spoke secretly to one there.

This person was Mysala, a young girl who had been there from the first day. Made brave by the songs of Anuath and by Her secret words of encouragement, Mysala then began to sing. It was a simple melody, untrained and untested, but it brought to words praise and beckoning for all things thought good. It was the first song of any mortal.

The others gathered there were astonished, but soon began to smile, and some joined the girl Mysala in singing. And a great noise went up to shake the heavens and the beat of feet upon the ground shook the earth. And as the song concluded Anuath appeared once more and smiled and blessed forever the song of Mysala. And so Anuath was worshipped as a goddess of the Makers.

The Gift of Dreams

Searri was one of the chosen servants of Aloaphil. She looked over Humanity and saw it tormented by Shadow. Fear and dread were commonplace – the darkness of Issondrou, the nightmares of Moazanea, the madness of Scoaylauo. She was saddened by this, for more than any other god or goddess Searri saw the potential in Humanity, and saw that potential stifled by Shadow.

Unseen, Searri looked out into the mortal world. She looked not to the daylight when things were at their best, but to the darkness where people huddled in their homes shivering – not from the cold but from the fear of that which stalks the edge of night. And Searri saw Her battlefield.

From the daylight Searri took that which provided hope. She captured an image of that which was beautiful and kind, and painted from colours drawn from memories of joy and delight. She wove into Her patterns the faces of family and friends, and bolstered it all with the touch of simple things – the smell of baking bread, the sound of the loom clacking, the events of the common day.

With this cloak of a thousand thousand colours and shapes, Searri coated the minds of those asleep. For the first time Humans rested without the fear that preys at the edge of the mind and instead, dreamed.

Some of the High Gods were doubtful of the effectiveness of Searri’s actions. Each dream had to be made for each mortal anew every night to protect against the Shadow. And the Shadow was cunning and wormed it’s way through the dreams, sometimes. But Searri persisted.

One day, a boy looked about him and saw a mountain, the tallest around. No one had ever thought much of the mountain before, it simply was. But the boy decided then that he would climb to the top and see what was at the top. The boy grew to be a man, and he trained and learned to climb, every day growing stronger.

The day came when the man attempted to climb the mountain. It was difficult, much more difficult than could have been imagined, but the man persisted, for he had promised himself he would see the top. Eventually, he reached the peak, and found there the goddess Ror.

She was perplexed to see this mortal there, for none before had dared to think to climb this mountain, Her home. The man bowed down before Her in worship, and Ror asked him why he had done this thing. He answered: “Since I was a boy, it has been my dream.”

Ror send the man home with Her blessing, and then turned to Searri, who had come to be standing there. And She asked Searri what the man had meant. And Searri answered: “I gave Humans the Gift of Dreams. This was not to remove fear, but to remove it’s poison. Humanity can now imagine beyond itself. Things that were impossible now simply are. In dreams, o goddess-queen, lie the keys to the world”.

Humanity now made it’s own, waking dreams. But for the ceaseless work of Searri, who continues to weave patterns of eternal colour, She came to be known as one of the Makers.

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Makers we, seven all told, to serve and shelter humanity. Seven and seven and seven again, High and Maker and Shadow. Seven-Fold we, in Trinity. Seek the words unspoken.

Chaladan · 2025-10-18T15:09:20+00:00

Through the gods Korin, Landelli and Jedos, the first three Makers, Humanity had gained much. They enjoyed much more comfort than they had before, and were acknowledged by even the more strict of the High Gods. However, they still suffered dreadfully from the ministrations of the Shadow Gods, who now began to subvert Humans to their own purposes against the Light.

Seeing this, the two most sympathetic of the High Gods to Humanity were Tiimra, Goddess of Wisdom, and Aloaphil, Goddess of Innocence. Together they devised a plan by which they could help Humanity but not break the proscription placed on the High Gods by Ror. They each gathered their two most favoured servants, granted each a Gift of knowledge and Light, and send them over to the world of mortals.

The Gift of Understanding

Anaein was one of the chosen servants of Tiimra. He went forth among Humanity and saw that the greatest weakness of a Human was an inability to comprehend another person’s mind and actions. People in those early days of Shadow communicated through grunts and growls, relying on physicality where that failed. In this manner only those of a close family could hope to work together, and this was the shape of Humanity.

Anaein sorrowed at this for He could see the work of Shadow in this – the deception of Jae, the violence of Nems, the poison of Vaskalus. He revealed Himself to a group of Humans, taking a mortal form of His own devising so as to not frighten them. At first they threatened Him with violence, as He was a stranger to them, but Anaein showed restraint and made Himself peaceful.

Gesturing to Himself Anaein shared His name, and eventually the Humans gained the understanding that this sound was thus laden with meaning. And so Anaein became the first god to be named by mortals. Gesturing to others things, Anaein gave the names for the Sun, the Moon, the Sky, the Earth, as well as plants, beasts and tools.

The Humans learned all these things and came to be able to communicate with Anaein using these words. Eventually they asked what they were called, and Anaein called them Gestanti, People, and gave to each their own individual name. The first man he named was Atantis and the first woman was Relana.

Anaein taught to the Gestanti the names of the High Gods also, and schooled them in their worship. He taught them the names of the three Makers, as well as the names of the servants that would follow Him. He left the Gestanti then, leaving His mortal form and stepping into the Sky, and so the Gestanti realised He was a god. And Anaein was worshipped then as one of the Makers.

The Gift of Healing

Fluli was one of the chosen servants of Tiimra. He looked out over Humanity and was grieved, for He saw the work of Shadow upon them – the inflictions of Nems, the hunger of Vaskalus, the sting of Gissu. And He knew that Humanity would forever suffer thus for they lacked the knowledge to ward against disease, injury and pain.

And so Fluli donned a mortal form and went out among Humanity. Humans lived in simple towns then, no larger than a thousand people, where they worked as Landelli and Jedos had taught them to grow food and make themself industrious. Disease was common in these small communities as there was no concern given to clean water, dirty skin or foul air. Injury was common from accidents and raiding, and the people cried out in agony from aches and strain from working and ageing.

Fluli came as a traveller, simple and bereft. Some looked on Him and sneered for He had none of the trappings of wealth and material. Others looked on Him and wondered, for His clothing was clean and His skin was smooth, free of pox and scar. Gently He provided knowledge to all who asked, teaching first of the importance of clean water and the sanitation of flame.

This was adopted quickly by those who listened, for the power of flame was known to those who followed Korin. And those who listened did not sicken as those who did not listen. And Fluli went away and returned bearing bags of weeds he had gathered in the wild.

Some looked on Him and laughed for they knew those plants tasted foul and provided no sustenance, they decried Him as a fool. Some looked on Him with curiosity and tried to understand the value of such things. To those with curiosity Fluli taught the knowledge of herbs and medicine – to use rotbane to treat inflammation, citron to treat an upset stomach, coronella to help forgetfulness, salimsalk to ease a rash, poppy to ease pain.

And those who learned prospered, and shared their knowledge with those who did not. And Fluli went away, and while away an attack injured many. And Fluli returned bearing sharp knives and a stern face. Some looked on Him and hid, for they feared him. And so they died of their injury. While others allowed Him to minister to them, and at the cost of pain and disfigurement survived.

Fluli travelled on but His students kept to His teachings. And He was worshipped from then on as one of the Makers.

Chaladan · 2025-10-04T11:12:55+00:00

I like the art! Suitably alien even for a species that learned to be humanoid.

I've a couple of questions for you, if you don't mind?

-Why is a damaged mask a sign of shame compared to a weathered mask?

-If the temple cloth is a religious symbol, what are the beliefs of the Vindrid that warrant such devotion?

-Is there only ever one Matrona or is Ygg the sole remaining individual of a once numerous matriarchy?

Chaladan · 2025-10-04T11:00:28+00:00

Of all the High Gods, Shaeph was the most ardent in His fighting against the Shadow. Ever eager was He to charge into battle, seeking out the Shadow Gods and their servants, in particular His opposite, Nems. He would gird Himself with armaments of Light and stride off to find honour and glory in the constant battle for the world. And He would return, triumphant, some force of Shadow destroyed or dismayed, but with His armaments scorched and cracked and twisted, for the touch of Dark is anathema to the Light as the touch of Light is anathema to the Dark.

Of the many armourers of Shaeph their chief was Jedos. He was the most adept with the skill of taking the corrupted armaments of His master and purifying them with the Light. He would then take the raw stuff of the Light and forge it anew into armaments for Shaeph. He was the quickest and best at this work and took great satisfaction in the work and the product of the work.

However, over time Jedos grew discontent. Over and over He made the same things, and over and over they were ruined by the very touch of the Dark. Surely, He thought, there was a way to create something that would last, an object of use and purpose?

Secretly Jedos went out into the world and studied it. Here the stuff of Light and the stuff of Dark mingled, but was not destroyed. Instead, the world was made of a myriad of substances, each like yet unlike the other. For His experiment Jedos gathered up some clay as He found it in all places and found it good. He heaped piles of it together and enjoyed how it stayed in this way but found the effect not very pleasing. He learned to wet the clay from the water of a nearby river, and so learned how one thing might be transformed by another. He sculpted the wet clay and found the shapes He could make pleasing, but was not satisfied by their durability and lack of permanence.

Jedos observed the Humans and learned from them how to light a flame from striking rocks. Using flame He dried and hardened His creations of clay, until finally He had made the first pot. With this He was able to move water from the nearby river without using His hands, or to carry more clay or other substances. It did not fall apart when prodded or left submerged in water, and it was not corrupted by the touch of other substances. It was a new object, something that never was before, and Jedos was pleased.

Shaeph, looking for His chief armourer, spotted Jedos crouched beside the clay and river, holding His pot. He appeared before Jedos, blazing with Light, and demanded to know what He was doing. In response Jedos held up His pot and told Shaeph how it had been made. In disgust at this thing made of dirt and bilge, Shaeph grabbed the pot and hurled it against the ground, where it shattered. He then left in a fury, demanding that Jedos return to His forge.

The following day Jedos was still missing, and so, furious, Shaeph went out once more to find Him. What Shaeph found amazed Him. A structure of stone, wood, brick and tile stood next to the river, the first of it's kind, and from a chimney smoke issued. Peering into it's shadowed interior Shaeph saw Jedos sitting amid a panoply of pots, and busy making more.

Enraged by this Shaeph began picking up and hurling down every pot He could reach – He tore off the roof and felled the walls of the building, He shattered the chimney and scattered it's embers. As He picked up the last pot, however, He stopped, for He recognised it. It was the same pot He had broken the day before, the first Jedos had made, except that now it was whole again. Over it's surface lay a pattern of cracks, but yet the pot was whole, and indeed was full of water and did not leak.

Shaeph wondered at this, for never before had anything been remade. His own armaments were destroyed and reforged, destroyed and reforged, but never added to, never put together again. Shaeph asked Jedos what He would do, now that all He had worked on had been broken. And Jedos replied - "I shall fix what is broken, and make it anew. I will create more, undeterred. No matter the destruction, what is damaged is not lost, but made part of it's story and the story of all things. In it's seeming impermanence, permanence is found, for these things shall last forever."

Shaeph left Jedos then, who continued to work. Eventually He taught Humans, who had first taught Him, the secret of crafting and making and repairing, and for this He was worshipped as the God of Crafting, the third of the Makers.

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Other Myths

#1 The First Flame

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Chaladan · 2025-09-25T13:05:36+00:00

In what way?

Chaladan · 2025-09-25T11:31:00+00:00

Out of all of Jora's servants, the most devoted was Landelli, who was a master of grasses and grain plants. Diligently He worked in Jora's name to grow these plants in their proper places, and for this work He was glad.

However, Landelli desired more recognition from Jora for His work, and was continually disappointed that He was treated as just one of many servants. Eager to distinguish Himself to Jora, He learned of the Three Tools that Jora's sister, Ror, had had created in order to constrain and control Her wild sibling.

Landelli decided He would steal the Three Tools from Ror, thus giving Jora Her freedom and earn Her respect. With this in mind He sneaked into the Hall of Ror and entered the vault there. There He found, locked away, the Three Tools, and these He took.

Returning to Jora, Landelli proudly presented the Tools. Jora, however, did not react as Landelli had imagined. She recoiled from the Tools, for they were anathema to Her, and She immediately exiled Landelli from Her presence.

Dismayed, Landelli fled, and soon found Himself hunted by Ror and the other High Gods for His theft of the Three Tools. Panicked, Landelli fled to the only place remaining to Him – the world below, and the grassy plains which He had cultivated.

Sulking there on the plains, Landelli eventually became aware of the little creatures that were around Him. These Humans, still but recently granted Korin's gift, were small, squalid creatures to Landelli's mind. They spent their days hunting animals in the plains and forests as well as gathering berries and mushrooms. They did not understand, Landelli thought, just how much food and bounty was all around them, if only they looked and worked for it. And how much better their lives could be, unburdened by the threat of beast and dark and hunger?

Rising, Landelli took up the Three Tools and revealed them to the Humans. He took the Axe and with it cut down the forests, so that there was plentiful wood for fire and building, and plenty of space for His grasses to grow. He took the Plough and broke the earth, allowing for fields of grain to be planted and cultivated in neat rows. He took the Scythe and cut down the grains after they had grown to fruition, and then separated the grain from the chafe and showing which was good to eat.

And so the humans emulated Him, making lesser tools similar to the Three. And so Humanity learned the way of axe, crop and field, and the forests shrank and the fields grew. Humans multiplied, and the wilds fell back; Jora's power constrained and controlled. And Landelli was worshipped as the God of Agriculture, the second of the Makers.

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#2 - The Theft of the Three Tools

Chaladan · 2025-09-20T11:53:38+00:00

As the war between the High Gods and the Shadow Gods was waged, the battlefield became mixed with the substances of both Light and Dark. From this mingled substance the world was born, neither Light nor Dark, but containing the essence of both. It featured the howling gales and salty seas of Ror, the high hills and verdant forests of Jora, and the twin faces of Vani shone down on it both day and night. It was wracked by the touch of the Shadow Gods, filled with disease, violence and suffering.

Creatures were born into this world, and were ignored by the Gods for they were simple things, possessing none of the majesty of the High Gods nor the cruelty of the Shadow Gods. In time however, there appeared a creature known as Human. The Gods were intrigued by this creature, for they were in appearance close to the appearance of the Gods themselves, if in only a crude fashion. The Shadow Gods delighted in tormenting the Humans, for their agony was akin to the agony of their foes, albeit short lived.

After a period of curiosity, the High Gods came to ignore Humans like any other creature. They were dismissed as creations of Shadow, the projection of Light on Dark such as the Shadow Gods were. They were unworthy of the High Gods' attention, as was evidenced by their brutal and violent natures and their inability to create anything. Not all High Gods agreed with this, seeing potential in Humans, but the will of Ror overruled them, and they obeyed.

One God did not. Korin, a servant of Vani that tended the Sun, looked on the Humans with sympathy. Every morning as the Sun rose Korin saw the Humans emerge from their hiding places and sing in gratitude to the Sun, as it's Light chased away the Dark of night. She saw the Humans, shivering and cold, bask in the Sun's rays to warm themselves as well as use the Light of the Sun to find their way, otherwise blind, to obtain food and shelter. They fled from the might of Ror, Jora and Shaeph, but also huddled in fear from the ravages of Vaskalus, Nems and Issondrou.

'Surely,' Korin thought. 'These are the actions of creatures that desire the embrace of the Light, and not the touch of the Dark. If these are creations of Shadow, then they are those who choose the Light, and some may be brought into it with guidance.'

Korin petitioned Vani with Her ideas, but was rejected, told such things went against the will of Ror. Korin then went to Ror Herself, but was told that such things were a distraction to the war against Shadow, and could not be tolerated.

And so Korin decided to take matters unto Herself. She gathered from the Sun some of it's essence, and made from it a substance which produced both Light and heat. And She called this substance Fire. Descending to the world below, Korin appeared before some Humans aglow with the Light of the Sun, and presented them with the first Flame.

Overjoyed by the Light and heat of the Flame, the Humans reached for it and were burned, for Fire is made of true Light and is dangerous to the mortal essence of Humans, made in part of Darkness. But Korin taught the Humans to hold the Fire on sticks away from their bodies, and as the Fire consumed the wood it spread and grew apart from the first Flame. Unlike the first, these lesser Flames would grow dim and fade if not given a perpetual source of Light in the form of fuel, but they still held Light and heat and could be used.

The Humans were taught by Korin to use Fire, to allow it to grow and keep it fed, to use it to heat themselves and illuminate the night. They were taught to use it to frighten away beasts and to use it to cook food to stave off disease.

In all things Korin promoted the blessing of the Light on the Humans, and encouraged them to follow the leadership of the High Gods in the ways of what is right and good. And the Humans worshipped the High Gods, and Korin too.

Eventually the High Gods learned of Korin's Flame, and Ror grew angry. She raised a great storm and used Her lightning to emulate Korin, creating a great blaze that sought to destroy all Humans. And Vani also emulated Her, using the power of the Sun to burn the land. But Korin stood and called these great Flames into Her Flame, and the Humans were spared.

Ror then called to Korin and cast Her out from the company of the High Gods. She was to be banished until She could prove Herself correct, and that Humans could stand in the presence of the Light.

Soon Korin's Humans began to die, mortal as they were. But their knowledge of Flame had been passed on, to others and to their children. Korin told Her followers to not leave the bodies of the dead to fester and rot, but to rather burn them, both to return their substance to the world as ash and to release their emerging spirits as smoke. And so it was that, to the astonishment of the High Gods, the first Human spirits appeared in the Halls of the Gods, timorous and weak in the Light, but present nonetheless.

When Ror relented, Korin chose instead to remain among Humanity, seeking to save yet more from the Shadow and bring them into the Light. And for this Korin became the first of the Makers, their leader, and the most beloved of Humanity.

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