Prologue
In the beginning, there was oblivion. No living creatures dwelled throughout the land, for there was no land to dwell within. There was no peace or war, nor joy or sorrow. All was silent and empty. Within this oblivion rested four brothers: brothers of spirit, not blood.
One day, the first brother, whose name was Cuthwulf, said, “Let us create light in order to fill the void.” And he opened his own heart to let its brightness shine upon oblivion. And so, light shone over the nothingness, filling the brothers with warmth. With this, Cuthwulf gained the title Lightbringer and was charged with providing light in times of darkness.
In response, the second brother, Eodum, said, “Let us create balance with the light and bring darkness to the void.” He reached out his hand to the darkest part of his soul, where the light had not dared reach, and brought it upon them. And so, the darkness entered the void and began a silent battle with the light. With this, Eodum gained the title Darkbringer, and was charged with bringing darkness in times of light. Thus was the creation of night and day, and the brothers were in harmony.
The void was empty and barren, so the third brother, Abnus, said, “Let us bring a world to this void, filled with earth and water and life.” And it was so. The void birthed life, which lived in harmony with the light and darkness. Trees and grass and shrubbery, and every green thing that the eye could see. With this, Abnus gained the title Lifebringer, for he brought life to dwell within the created night and day. Thus, a perfect world, in perfect harmony.
But the fourth brother, Gaidon, being the last without any creation, was jealous of his brothers. The void had been filled with light and darkness and life, and there was nothing else to create. So, he thought to himself, “Why must I live in my brothers’ shadows? I shall create my own people and rule over them as my own.” And so, he created human life. The people worshipped their master, but as the years passed, their tongues became poisoned by the lies their master whispered, who urged them to hate his brothers.
When the three brothers realised what Gaidon had done, they cursed him, saying, “Why did you bring such vile creatures to the oblivion? The world was in harmony, but you have brought upon it a curse and unbalance.”
To bring harmony once more, the brothers decided to divide the humans into four kingdoms, each worshipping a brother as a god. Cuthwulf loved his people, and as a reward for their obedience, he gave them his power. They grew stronger and faster, and with the power came forms of wolves. And thus, the werewolves were born.
Eodum saw his people’s dark hearts and smiled upon them, for they were the same as him. And so, he gave them the power of darkness and bloodlust, so they could swallow any light they came across. From that day forward, no light entered their kingdom and the darklings were born.
Abnus, seeing the strength the other kingdoms were gaining, gifted his people with magic and thirst for power; two things with great potential. From that day forward, their kingdom became the most powerful, and yet also the most chaotic, filled with people who would soon to be called the crimson.
However, Gaidon was selfish and cared not for his people. He did not want to give his power away – for why should a god share with mere humans? And so, he set Elders to rule beneath him and spread the word of his glory. His influence grew throughout the kingdom, and to this day, he remains the most remembered god.
-“Creation,” an excerpt from “A Brief History of the Old Gods”
