Creation Story

The great being sighed, sending a small rocky planet hurtling across the galaxy to crash into the larger of two suns.   As the planet was engulfed in an explosion of shattering rock and burning gas, he paused.   For the past several million years the being had searched galaxy after galaxy for some harbinger of intelligence.   To his great chagrin, he had been unable to find anything in the vast void except masses of burning gas and countless dead planets.   He was about to flick another planet into the second sun when he stopped suddenly and a small grin crossed his face.   He knew what he had to do...

n the beginning, there was only Calaron the Supreme.   Through accident, or perhaps a metamorphosis, Calaron exploded, seeding the existing universe with a raw element, known as Calarite.   Calarite is the basis of all intelligence, appearing as an energy spirit that can be absorbed by any living thing.   A duality congealed from the largest masses of the element.   These two conscious beings, Amithorn and Benithorn, emerged as the most powerful of the preternatural remains of Calaron.   Many other less powerful entities, called Caluvians, were also formed from the free-floating Calarite.   Amithorn was created from the immoral, unprincipled, and chaotic essence of Calaron.   Benithorn, on the other hand, was formed from the moral, virtuous, and ordered essence.   The consequence of this inception resulted in eternal conflict between the two great entities.   The remaining Caluvians, if they were capable of greater awareness, realized their place in the new order and chose sides.

He couldn't remember when things had started to change, only that they were very different.   Benithorn watched as a sparkling strand of Calarite floated past his face.   He could feel the warmth of the power emanating from it.   This was the essence of his life; what made him conscious and sentient.   None of the Caluvians could really remember how they came into existence, they just had.   Benithorn blinked and brought his thoughts back to the moment.   Amithorn had been gathering together with more and more Caluvians and his power had been growing.   Yes, things were very different now - something was about to happen...

mithorn and Benithorn, being diametrically opposed, entered into an epic battle.   Vast amounts of ethereal energy were unleashed.   Galaxies were torn asunder and reshaped.   Thousands of star systems were completely destroyed, with new star systems formed from the remnants.   When the dust cleared from this terrible holocaust, there was no sign of either Amithorn or Benithorn.   Taken off guard by their absence, many surviving Caluvians scattered.   The remaining Caluvians began to scramble for power and sought ways to enhance themselves.   Lacking what we would consider to be inhibition, they did whatever they pleased to wrest power from the others.   Each sought to become superior.   They soon learned that obtaining, and absorbing, new quantities of Calarite would increase their powers.   Through guile, some of the more naïve of the Caluvians were tricked into giving themselves up to their unbeknownst enemy, and were absorbed.   Those wise enough to resist the subtle attempts at deception quickly learned that unwilling Calarite was as powerful a guard and weapon as it was a means of achieving enhanced sentience.   Eventually, several Caluvians became so saturated with Calarite that the element would no longer be absorbed.   Thus, other means of acquiring Calarite were sought.

eary of conflict following the titanic battle, many Caluvians wanted peace and solitude.   Two such Caluvians departed the aftermath of that chaotic event.   They had seen some of their naïve allies maliciously absorbed by ravenous, malevolent Caluvians, and were outraged.   Without Benithorn to guide them, and in the absence of any leadership, they felt the urge to get as far away as possible from all other Caluvians.

thereal energy undeniably existed throughout the universe.   This was the first thing they discovered as they traveled.   Looking closer, they found galaxies that painted beautiful pictures against the canvas of the void; their bright stars emanating warmth and energy.   Wandering comets, with their comas blazing to life, added a spark of brightness to the scene.   Calarite permeated many of these objects.   Its signature was easily detected when they passed within galaxies and close to individual star systems.   However, it was planets that were exceptionally surprising.

ince Calarite is the basis for intelligent life, Caluvians, therefore, seek it out.   They did find such life, but it wasn't always life as they knew it.   The ethereal energy of Calarite was a Caluvian's life-blood, their biologic makeup.   The beings they found on many planets, however, weren't the same.   Planets always contained varying levels of ethereal energy, as did their native life forms.   Compared to the Caluvians, they contained mere traces of it, and it was not their life-blood.   This pair of Caluvians studied the biology of the various planets they encountered.   Rarely was there anything interesting enough to keep their attention, but that was about to change...

Discovering Athiria

oticing a particularly strong presence in a small binary star system, they drew closer to investigate.   Seven objects orbited the twin suns.   Upon arrival in this solar system, they felt energized as never before, and discovered the strongest signature of ethereal energy from the third planet.   This planet contained an abundance of plant and animal life, all of it teeming with calarite.   Curious and patient while enjoying the glow emanating from this untapped source of energy, they watched and learned.

oving invisibly among the creatures of the world, they watched birds flying through the light blue sky, and fish swimming in the deep seas.   Soaring overhead, they followed great herds of gazelle running across the grasslands of the central plains.   Traveling deep into the forests of the north, bears were slumbering in their dens.   However, the dominant species over most of the planet was a primitive humanoid race, settled primarily on the planet's largest continent.   There were several varieties of these humanoids, each with traits derived from the thousands of generations of life they had adopted due to their differing environments.   One trait, however, was common among all creatures ... inherent calarite!

he humanoids formed hundreds of wandering communities.   Their roaming was not aimless, the Caluvians discovered, but took them along a fixed course passing through the same areas every few seasons.   By hunting and gathering in this way, they allowed the plant and wildlife to renew, ensuring their survival.   Every community followed different routes, with their paths crossing at times so they could trade and spread news of their world.   Each variety of humanoid named themselves after the areas of land where they spent most of their time.

he peaceful Silar were found mostly among the forests of the land.   Their homes are found where the trees are tall, and whose foliage bestows a year-round canopy.   Thin and agile, the Silar build their homes from wood on the thick, strong branches of the most mature trees.   With sharp facial features, large bright eyes, and silky flowing hair, their physical beauty is unmatched by the other humanoids of Athiria.   Their long, pointed ears are conducive to hunting and perception.   Large bright eyes aid them in gathering berries and nuts, as well as spotting fish in streams.

referring the swamplands of the south, the Querca are large, muscular, and excellent swimmers.   They have thick, bark-like skin, and are often mistaken for the oak tree common to the swamplands, and for which they are named.   They also have large heads with small beady eyes.   While not agile, their skin allows them effective camouflage so they can grab unsuspecting meals with their large, powerful hands.   Belligerent in nature, they often fight over matters as trivial as a stolen piece of meat.   The wide variety of fish in the swamp provides the Querca with plenty of bartering power with other communities, enough to overcome even the harshest of their poor manners.

iving among the mountains makes the Subadi a hearty variety of humanoid.   From the grassy, rolling foothills to the steep rocky slopes, they created their living spaces mostly from existing natural caverns.   They developed thick limbs and extremely strong hands over the centuries of working with rock and stone.   Curious by nature, they are more likely to ask "What's inside that hill?" rather than "What's on the other side of that hill?"   When not exploring above and beneath the mountains, the Subadi are expert mountain hunters and trackers.   Dealings with the Subadi always include trinkets made from stone and the pretty gems found during their ventures underground.

eamen are named thus due to their lives spent among the flat grasslands and meadows.   They have great speed and stamina developed from their ability to run great distances non-stop.   This allows them to hunt the swift herds of animals inhabiting the plains.   Leamen have almost as keen a sense of nature as the Silar, from which arises profound respect for its rhythms.   They take only what they can eat and use for shelter and clothing.   The plains are also home to the widest variety of fruits on the planet, from which the Leamen gather bartering power.   A few from each community are given the task of handling this trade, and as a result they hunt and gather items well liked at the next crossing.

ife was fairly peaceful between the races.   Sometimes hostilities did erupt between different communities, but mostly only during seasons of drought.   Every community participated in trade to varying degrees.   In this way they maintained contact with the rest of their world.   The individual communities were typically led by a small number of elders, but sometimes only by a single strong-minded person.   Since hostilities were uncommon, such leadership did not often change.   There was no overall organization or leadership binding them together.

uring many dozens of orbits did these two Caluvians study the life of the planet, which the natives had named Athiria.   The role of the ethereal energy of calarite in the development of life on this planet was just as intriguing as the way it energized them.   Desiring to continue their studies first-hand, they chose to appear to the Athirians in their own form.

Face to Face

The Silar woman crouched by the banks of the pond, gathering berries from bushes and watching the waterfall cascade down the side of the cliff face.   A warm breeze blew through her long blonde hair making it flutter and wave at the trees behind her.   She blinked as hundreds of tiny water droplets began to break off from the main flow of the waterfall and hover in mid air as though they were holding a discussion with each other.   The droplets began to coalesce into the translucent shapes of a man and woman, finally solidifying as they stepped forward out of the waterfall.   Both had long white hair and wore long flowing robes of an unknown material.   Turning toward the woman, she gasped and dropped her pouch of berries, freezing motionless.   Their gaze piercing her very soul, she fell to her knees, prostrating herself in the soft dirt of the forest floor.   Nodding slowly, the pair smiled as they walked across the surface of the water to greet her...

o their knowledge, no Caluvian had ever assumed form in the Material Plane.   They weren't even certain it could be done anywhere but here on Athiria where the concentration of ethereal energy was so strong.   The idea of shaping their energies into something physical had never before entered their minds.   Inspired by the exhilarating calarite present in this world, they knew it was possible.   With a suitable location chosen, they began to form an image in their mind that would be pleasing to the humanoids.   With the fluidity of the water in which they stood, their energies shifted, flowing into the desired physical forms.   Where previously there was only a stoic awareness of their surroundings, there were now additional sensations available to them.   Quickly adapting to their new forms, they greeted the surprised woman that had witnessed their transformation.

hile the natives had their own language and ability to live their hunter-gatherer lifestyle, they were still essentially primitive.   They had no explanation for why their suns rose and traveled across the skies, or for why there were seasons of warmth and cold.   They knew bodily injuries could kill; such knowledge allowed them to hunt successfully for food.   Internal sickness, however, was one of many things remaining a mystery to them.   Needless to say, no Athirian had ever seen fire started out of thin air, or wounds healed instantly right before their eyes.

Crouched, completely unmoving, the Querca watched silently as a large gray rabbit fed itself from the greenery of a nearby plant.   Beyond the rabbit, a small lizard lay sunning itself on a fallen tree, large round eyes intent on an insect crawling within easy reach.   By instinct and experience, he knew the lizard would soon strike to capture its meal.   He knew that would distract the nearby rabbit for a brief moment, allowing him just the opportunity he needed to break his statuesque pose and grab his next meal.   Patient in his tree-like stance, he waited.   Finally, a sticky wet lash of the lizard's tongue sucked the insect to its mouth.   The brief rustle of leaves was exactly what the Querca was waiting for.   Sudden noises on either side of the rabbit froze it in its tracks.   Diving forward, he firmly grasped the rabbit, controlling it easily with his powerful hands.   Squeezing hard behind the creature's head, a small bone snapped and the animal stopped moving.   It was a small meal, but food none-the-less.   Any remaining fur would help make a new coat or blanket for the upcoming cold season.   The commotion scared other wildlife in the area.   Birds flew away into the late afternoon sky or their nearby nests.   Other animals took cover as best they could; not knowing exactly what caused the disturbance.   The Querca peered up at the two suns bathing the forest with warmth and muttered a small prayer of thanks...

ews of the strangers spread fast.   Runners were sent to the closest groups, who in turn sent runners even further out.   Most prominent among the news was their ability to heal the sick and injured.   But soon the naïve Athirians began to attribute everything to the strangers, from successful hunts to the rising and setting of the suns.   It was for those suns that the Athirians named them … the primary sun Kitrus for the man, the smaller sun Aravaine for the woman.   Although their original community numbered somewhere between 50 and 100, it grew in size quickly as smaller groups of nomads, as well as entire other communities mingled with theirs.

ust as they had felt energized entering the Athirian star system, they became increasingly aware of their own power growing as more and more Athirians joined them.   While the native Athirians gained an apparent understanding of their world from the Caluvians, Kitrus and Aravaine discovered that they received the added gain of the calarite contained within each follower.   Realizing they had discovered the means for a saturated Caluvian to increase their power, they grew both excited and worried.   If any malevolent Caluvian also discovered this, they feared a repeat of the battle that separated them from Benithorn.

  more pressing need, however, concerned the growing size of their already huge following.   Their new community was far too numerous to continue a nomadic, hunter-gatherer lifestyle.   The solution was obvious; therefore Kitrus and Aravaine were wholly responsible for civilizing the early Athirians.   Moving to the center of the continent, they established Athiria's first city, which they called Caluvia in memory of their brethren lost in battle against malevolent forces.   Amassing vast numbers of Athirians to their city, Kitrus and Aravaine were compassionate and kind, yet strict in their teachings.   In order to feed them all, basic agriculture and irrigation were taught.   Domestication and breeding of animals was also a top priority.   All citizens were very busy farming, harvesting, and building irrigation canals as well as pickets for their herds.   Within a few dozen years of hard work, the city was fully self-dependent.

risk trade developed between many groups of Athirians that remained apart, never joining them inside the city.   Some native communities simply preferred their original nomadic lifestyle.   Other groups were not quite so friendly, and raided the city's farms and herds.   Not even this idyllic life was free from violence.

ith care and maintenance of their food supply now in a predictable routine, Kitrus and Aravaine kept their citizens occupied by more fully developing the culture of their city, including basic architecture and art.   They instructed citizens in the pursuits of their choice, assuring that all basic necessities were taken care of, including defense.   Many new concepts were introduced to the Athirians, including advanced mathematics to allow them to build magnificent structures, and advanced farming techniques to allow them to feed their ever-increasing population.

he city continued to mature as the years passed, and the natives were no longer quite so primitive.   Impressed with their ability to learn and adapt, the Caluvians seized upon this opportunity to see how well they had taught the Athirians.   Never far from thought was their ever-increasing power, growing along with the size of the populace, and a fact they kept to themselves.   Thinking back to their discovery of this star system, they were reminded of the rush of power they had felt.   While they were never considered the strongest of Caluvians prior to discovering Athiria, they were entirely certain their powers were now increased several times over.   Was there any limit?   This was an issue that required further investigation.

o this end, both Kitrus and Aravaine chose different methods for their research.   Under the guise of establishing a personal retinue, Aravaine enlisted a wide variety of citizens for her research.   How deep was their ability to learn?   With the population continuing to increase, many citizens felt an irresistible urge to travel.   Kitrus challenged them to return to their native lands and build cities to rival Caluvia.   Would these new cities continue to augment their power?   Could this secret be kept from malicious enemies?