Into The Ether

They say this world was first created by the Great Father of all, Rantherion. He was a being of no set shape as whatever he chose to be, he just WAS. It is said he traveled the Dark Night in search of beings that were the same as He. So tired of searching after eons in the Dark, he finally ceased his travels and decided he would create such a place where he would rest and make it his own home. He plucked the stars from the sky, breathed life giving air and fire from his chest, and with his fingers dug the valleys and lakes and sculpted the high mountains to create the world of Malvern.

When he had seen what he had created, he wept, and those tears filled the lakes and oceans. From his tears and breath, life began slowly, eventually developing into creatures and animals that filled the land. For a time, he wandered his world, enjoying the undemanding pleasure of watching these simple children settle and inhabit the lands and waters. But yet again after a time, the feeling of longing filled him, as these creatures could not yet speak so he had no one to talk to. He then took a part of himself, and willed a partner to join him in his paradise, shaping her into a free form Goddess. Her shape was mercurial like him, but unlike him who could change his shape and stay the same for however long he wanted, she unable to control her form from shifting with her every thought. He named her Nagual.

He feared she would still be lonely, so he took a smaller piece from her, the earth, the air and the Ether essence of his new world to create her brother Hathor. Hathor immediately wanted to create more earthly life, and Nagual wanted to create more creatures that would be like her, able to shift and change. Both brother and sister made some creatures that were similar in shape and look, and others not similar at all, but with different Ether capabilities. Hathor is considered the father of all that is green, and he also made humans from branches and mud. Nagual made creatures of light and dark, their essences were opposite of each other but they were balanced and their chaos was always controlled.

After some time Rantherion and Nagual felt love for each other and Nagual had twins Vath and Storelva. They built Álainndaga, the Land of Crystal Creation, a plane of existence between the Dark Night and the world of Malvern. Nagual was very protective of her children and loved them with great care and indulgence. There they made servants to help watch over the children and to serve their every need. Storelva was a mischievous god, eyes of liquid blinding gold and hair of white that sometimes will float around her head or wrap around her body like living cloth. It is said she has glowing antlers growing from her forehead and 2 pairs of slim arms with razor like nails at the ends of her fingers. She was always playing tricks on her brother, mother and uncle. The oceans and sands were her favorite place, and her creations were made with her playful image in mind.

Her light hearted nature was always in contrast to Vath, who despised her the moment they came into being. Vath was the embodiment of darkness. His eyes are fabled to be wide and slanted upwards, filled with the image of the Dark Night, ready to swallow any prey that dares to look into them. He is pain and death, and if he wishes it, pieces of his flesh will bleed and rot off, falling to the ground showcasing new smooth muscles underneath. His mouth is said to be a wide jaw filled with sharp teeth and his hair is ink falling down his back creating shadows where his servants wait for his orders.

Vath hated Storelva's tricks, and began to get revenge on her by creating servants and monsters that would hunt and murder the children that she and their family had created. He felt they were rulers of the land, but never tried to control or play with anything they created. Their doctrine was to create and observe, and never interfere... and he hated just watching. He fed chaos to all his children, and would whisper in their minds to drive them toward darker purposes, against the will of his Mother and Father.

Soon Vath became too corrupted and reveled in the pain and fear the brought to the children of Malvern. He wanted to bring more death and pain to the world, and wanted his children and servants to control it all. Storelva and Hathor began to fight back against him with their own children and servants to try to stop his plans, as they hated seeing the destruction he brought to anything in his path. Storelva pleaded for Nagual and Rantherion to step in, but Nagual loved her son too much, and Rantherion had no feelings about the situation since his intention was to create and watch, never to interfere... even with his own children.

Thousands of years passed during these wars, each side trying to create beings that could destroy each other. Vath eventually became tired of it all, deciding he must gain more power. He needed to take it from the Great Father. So he went to his Father, declaring him a useless dead being and demanding he die for his sins of inaction, killing him using the purest Ether on the land. This Either made from the Great Father when he first made the world. Rantherion did not fight back against his son, believing it was his destiny that he should die, as he created Vath from himself, proving he was flawed and no longer needed.

As soon as Rantherion died, Nagual’s screams of despair blasted through Álainndaga, pushing Vath out of the realm before he could find a way to contain Rantherions power. Her cries caused storms and natural disasters to explode all over Malvern. Nagual then took Rantherions essence, broke it into a hundred pieces and threw them across Malvern. Some turned into new spirits and beings, and others into Ether. The largest piece she kept in a crystal case so that she may look upon it and remember her lost love. She sealed Álainndaga from Vath, turning her back on her son and never allowing him to come back to the Land of Crystal Creation. Storelva never forgave Vath or her mother Nagual for the death of the Great Father, her hatred so deep it is said that her battle with Vath continues even to this day as she tries to find a way destroy him. They say when the winds are fierce it is the sound of Nagual crying for her husband’s death and when they are soft it is her whispering to her daughter to forgive her.