AEGISOTHA

In the beginning, there was sound.

Before all things were created, it was the first spark of existence, the essence of all things echoed in the first vibration.

It was created, and it was called forth, in the first resonance that mirrored the essence of the gods.

Then, the Void was born.

From the Void, Geva rose,

And from Geva, the offspring born of the stars scattered the fire of the heavens, piece by piece, across the universe. But the sound was silenced,

By the will of Elyzareth.

For the birth of Toya was imminent,

And preparations began with all the attendants.

The Dance began.

Toya’s Dance.

Nývaterra, speaking to the listeners, said:

“I have borne only nine children, each with great pain, each with sorrow. But she gave birth to a life— with all its fury.”

With the creation of Toya, elements were born to sustain her:

First, Fire, then Water to calm the fury of Fire, then Earth to quell the restlessness of Water.

And above them all, the Sky Cage was woven to grant them peace and safety.

Thus, Toya was created. With the heart of Geva, with the spirit of Geva…

By the breath of the soul, she was heard once more.

The silenced word was spoken.

The sealed lips opened, and the voice of eternity began.

The first to speak were the mountains, with great awe,

Then the waters, to give life to plants and creatures.

Souls were breathed into them, fire was tempered, earth was mingled with water.

Elyzareth began to sing in Aelvarûn.

What was lost was found at last.

They held it, and in the rhythm of the burning embers, it was sent,

They sent it to the realm of Geva. The Command came, and it was spoken: the body shall now be possessed. Bodies were no longer naked,

All were made whole, by the spirits of Aelvarûn.

The Sound was given, unlike any other.

Lûmenzael was now shared, in all its grandeur.

Lûmenzael was now upon the lips of both gods and creations alike.

In the creation of humans, the dance had granted them the voice of the gods.

Now, they were one and the same.

But the Gods had forgotten that Lûmenzael was not only sound, but also speech.

The great gods and goddesses of Aelvarûn could not undo their mistake.

Elyzareth did not allow it.

She spoke, in all her magnificence and glory:

“We cannot unmake what we have made.

And what we have destroyed, we cannot create again.

Let them live and learn all things.

Let them decide their own ends.”

And so, fate and free will were bestowed upon humanity.

In Aelvarûn,

Fate and free will were now sealed into the human soul, passed from tongue to tongue.

It was then that Thuzareth, for the first time, opposed them all.

“Gods are gods of the gods,” he said.

“One cannot place the created and the creator in the same basket.”

“You have given them the sacred,

Do you think they will give you their prayers?” he asked.

And with all his fury, he created the prayers, and once again spoke to those dwelling in Aelvarûn:

“You, noble gods and goddesses,

The tongues of your creations will pour out prayers and desires, nourishing your ancient spirits.

Every prayer, every wish, and every plea unspoken will leave you hungry, just as they are.

Then, slowly, you will fade, just as they do.”

“You gave humanity divinity, and I have given you humanity,” he said.

And with the seal of the soul, all bodies opened their eyes in the Holy Land of Thalorin.

Elyzareth bestowed upon the earth the springs born from her tears, Selyara gave the soil, the bounty, and life, and Viremyon breathed life into it.

Valdareth granted endurance, so that life could thrive upon it…

In Aelvarûn, the touch of all the gods was upon that land.

Yet,

It was Thuzareth who planted the seed in the soil, in the bodies that opened their eyes there.

The seed was sown in souls and hearts.

It was called the Nefes.

Some called it free will,

Others called it Narkhûl.

Narkhûl, the seed that had yet to sprout, but bore within it the essence of evil.

And thus, life began, and the word of Aelvarûn was spoken.

That word, which would stretch as vast as eternity, was granted life until the seed planted by Thuzareth would sprout.

Permission was given to run freely, to drink deeply, and to gaze upon the sacred.

Men and women were scattered throughout the land.

They wandered aimlessly, seeking what they didn’t know they were searching for.

Who had brought them here, who had given them life?

They met at the foot of Ael’nurûn.

They asked one another, but found no answers, until darkness was born and the light was killed.

Then, Thuzareth whispered their first sin into their hearts.

All of them heard his foul, greedy thoughts.

And they began to speak his name, in the darkness, for the first time.

Thus began the realm of humanity in the land of Geva.

But mankind was ignorant.

They did not know their words were rebellion against Aelvarûn.

Unknowingly, the first sin was committed.

The gods gathered in Aelvarûn, filled with wrath.

The curse had been fulfilled.

Thuzareth’s curse.

The gods felt hunger.

Not knowing what to do to satisfy it, they circled Toya without ceasing.

Then the words of Thuzareth came to their minds.

They realized in that moment that humanity had been deceived.

At first, they thought to send Valdareth upon them.

For some thought that if humanity were destroyed, the curse would end.

Elyzareth opposed them.

She stood with humanity and asked the gods in Aelvarûn:

“Did Thuzareth deceive only humanity?”

And it was decided.

Deymiraeth was chosen to speak the truth to them.

Deymiraeth, with Zorvain, descended to Thalorin and called with the voice of the first created.

Lûmenzael had never sounded so loud.

As though Toya and Geva had vanished with the sacred sound.

The beings known as humans ran toward the voice.

Deymiraeth spoke all that needed to be spoken to the beings known as humans.

Chaos erupted in an instant.

What touched the heart and what was spoken to the soul contradicted each other.

Those who destroyed the seed within the heart were called Aelvarî.

Those who conquered the heart by embracing the Narkhûl seed were called Ashurûn.

Once his task was completed, Deymiraeth returned to the sky from whence he came.

Among the humans, it began first with words, then with bodies.

Hostility.

Hostility led to quarrels, and quarrels led to war.

War separated families from one another.

Each believer found their refuge.

And when the day of the curse arrived, all living things fled from Thalorin.

Not a bird nor a plant remained.

Even the wind and the water were silent that day.

For the first time since Elyzareth had closed her voice, there was no sound in the land.

It was called Ael’Drazar, that day and that war.

The sacred and sorrowful Thalorin.

With blood, humanity was watered.

The tears of the gods washed away all the blood.

Thuzareth’s silent laughter smothered the darkness.

And the day was born before the time of darkness.

With fury, all the gods rose to their feet.

And they swore vengeance for every drop of spilled blood.

When the battle on the ground ended, the war in the heavens began.

All the gods, with their vengeance, attacked the cursed one who had brought forth evil.

Thuzareth destroyed and set fire to all the heavens.

Many gods fell from the sky.

And all the bodies struck the ground, as if they were empty shells.

In the center of Aelvarûn, Thuzareth shouted to all the gods and humans:

“Did I not tell you, oh Gods, that I have given humanity to you?”

He swung his Vorthrakûn toward the heart of Aelvarûn.

Elyzareth awoke from the silence of sleep.

The dance began with Elmyraeth.

And she thrust Elmyraeth into Thuzareth’s heart.

And in that moment, a fiery storm erupted everywhere.

As if the sacred destruction had begun.

Then Elyzareth whispered into Thuzareth’s ear:

“Ezelûn.”

“Ezelûn,” she spoke, “Father, forgive all that you have created.”

“Forgive, that this sacred cycle may continue.”

And her last words were spoken, “Ezelûn.”

“Forgiveness is for those who deserve it.”

“You gods, begone from my presence.”

“You humans, begone from my lands.”

“Think separately from one another.”

“And never understand each other’s tongue.”

And thus, Thuzareth vanished from these realms in his form.

“Ezelûn” had now become Thuzareth, the embodiment of evil.

Elyzareth had now become the holiest of the sacred, the shadow of goodness.

But the curse had found its place, and they were torn apart.

From this moment onward, neither the gods could speak with humans,

Nor could humans speak with one another.

They no longer understood, and the only sound in the land fell silent.

Now each language had its own voice, and thus it was.