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magistralucis · 8 months

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The Lantern Fair [Zultanekh/Djoseras snippet]

(More of the same fic I was writing in this post. After Szarekh imposes peace on their dynasties, the two princes roam a festival together and talk kindly side-by-side. The inspiration for this scene borrows from a flashback Trazyn has in The Infinite and the Divine, a wish-lantern ceremony to hail good health for the new year. Lantern fairs are a very familiar aesthetic to me (I'm Asian), and I wanted to draw something from that mood, that bright and breathless nowhere. More below cut.)

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It was like how he'd claimed, over the peace treaty they signed, that the next time they spoke it would be to greet Djoseras as dynast. In truth, that never came about, because they did meet again shortly afterwards. Szarekh's peace had far-reaching consequences. All the way over in Gheden, at a New Year's festival, did the two princes meet once more - where among the lords of a hundred dynasties, he recognized Djoseras right away.

"Hail to you, fair kynazh! Come alone, then, or with Oltyx in his splendid magnificence?"

It's a miracle what being in neutral territory can do, as haughty as the Nihilakh are and were. Helps to keep things objective.

Here is a catalogue of their last mortal meeting. Zultanekh is portly and handsome, Djoseras slim and graceful. Zultanekh wears rich warm fabrics, Djoseras cool and plain. Zultanekh is fond of the finer things in life, and would never say no to a sparkling goblet of sulphur-wine, while Djoseras is perfectly at home with a glass of tea. ("That's different," he'll protest when Zultanekh inquires if he does not drink with his brother, "Oltyx is my warrior's life.") In the company of others Zultanekh is a mirthful giant, a bold and booming and vivacious fire of a man; Djoseras, on the other hand, is a soft-spoken august creature, dark-haired and dark-eyed like a well kept secret.

Those eyes fix into his now. "Come together, and he is splendid indeed." Djoseras's voice is as stoic as ever, before it sharpens a little and his eyes flash with warning. "But I must tell you now: there's no room for two on the throne of Ithakas, no matter your fox-cunning."

That's his red hair again. The Crown Prince laughs. "Zultanekh gave you his word, did he not? He will not reckon with your brother. It is not Zultanekh you ought to worry about, but the admirers from your coreworlds, which he appears to be accumulating at a rapid pace."

He nods towards the square. He hardly needs to single out Oltyx among the crowd; ever since the younger scion came of age, he has been much wooed and courted, evidenced by the many lords surrounding his person. Standing closest to him is an exceptionally beautiful youth, turning heads by virtue of his existence, yet with eyes for Oltyx alone. ("The heir to the House of Aetis," Djoseras will explain later, betraying the slightest distaste in his tone, "on Sedh. His radiance is well known, though 'tis a pity to shine in a fringeworld.") The prince's sidelock has been cut and he is sturdier than ever, standing proud as a war hero ought to stand.

A fine sight, but a time come and gone for the older ones. "Already it does men our age no good, all this posturing and flattering. Be reassured that Zultanekh prefers a calmer soul. After all, is it not peacetime?"

It ought not to work, this level exchange of words. Peace does not become the necrontyr. Even so, Zultanekh is rewarded when the kynazh's expression softens in response. "Then it is not just you, since a dose of calm will do us all good," he muses, before - finally - a little smile breaks through. "I wish you luck in finding it, Crown Prince."

Not the thin blade-edged smiles of war. A genuine one, soft and slightly modest.

"Oh, I shan't struggle. Ithakas is a rose-garden even in winter."

He wants to see how far he can take this. If Djoseras was being his fastidious self he'd have pointed out that's the Nihilakh, with all the bright lights and vast nocturnal gardens surrounding them at present, but he has not. Zultanekh's eyes hood over with daring, and not a small amount of pleasure, as he steps forwards and offers his hand. "Since this is no place for our aged souls, Kynazh Djoseras, and the youth are content where they are - what say you to a walk?"

Djoseras glances down at it. Looks away, silver robes shimmering as he walks straight past him.

Stops, some eight steps ahead, before turning around.

"For once the Crown Prince would best lead." He says, and grins, sending love's long-lost shock though Zultanekh like a catastrophe.

For a moment he stares, heart stirred to breaking point, before collecting himself. Outwardly it's as if nothing happened. But for once, he feels he can do naught but follow.

Let it be known that Gheden that night was a phantasmagoria of wonders. Along every quarter incense burns sweet upon altars, and the whole place is lit up like the sun, though the winter be cold and dark. As the princes walk through the Lantern Fair they are shined upon like dialectics, turquoise like polar night against Zultanekh's red, the gold mellowed by Djoseras's silver. They spend long stretches of time in silence to take it all in, but spend just as long in deep conversations. Lost between a hundred dynasties, for this one night they might talk man to man - and there's a surprising amount of the world they see alike.

They see other things too. Other people. High up on a ziggurat they glimpse their host, the lead archivist of the Nihilakh, playing senet with the famed diviner of the Sautekh. Now that's a pair seething to strike like vipers one moment, yet are as thick as thieves the next, couched in some arcane understanding afforded by mutual experience. The young could stand to learn from them. They trade silent bows with the Overlord of Pyrrhia, who is alone and melancholy as always. Perhaps he will be so until the end of the world. Zultanekh points out on a balcony the nemesor from the East, the one who oversaw their peace treaty, fanning himself slowly as if he's seen it all. Djoseras expresses some misgivings about his commoner vargard, not in that he's present but that he is idle, nestled faithfully by his master's side. "That may well be the nemesor's wish," Zultanekh suggests gently after they've passed by, for it did not escape his notice how content the pair looked. The Crown Prince has a generous heart for enjoyment. "Does heka preclude rest, Djoseras? No, it does not. He has every right to command it as much as he would action, and to do so tonight makes sense."

Djoseras sighs, exasperated. "They are too leisurely out here in the East, it is unorthodox; it shall be their detriment." What follows, however, is no moral judgement on the nemesor nor the vargard, but a surprisingly vulnerable confession. "I have thought... much about this peace of Szarekh's, in the time we have been apart. Doubtless he wishes for us to be at ease. The necrontyr have ever wished for a purpose, and it would not do to carry our many grudges into it. Yet I do worry about where that leaves us, whether in his pursuit of his great purpose he will erase all of ours. Will we remain how we were after this war? Or will we be subsumed - dissolved - vanished into this calling of the Silent King?"

"Might we not change but remain ourselves?" Zultanekh does not give much thought to those things. He's had the privilege of not needing to, it's true - it's not the Ogdobekh who are concerned about their independence, nor how to define themselves - but for most part, it is simply due to his easygoing nature, confident in every course Anathrosis set them upon. "If not for Szarekh's treaties, would Zultanekh have believed that he would one day walk the same road as the prince of Ithakas? To agree on peace was itself a shift in our ways of thought. Who's to say we cannot permit more?"

"But I do not wish to be changed. I should like to remain myself, thank you very much."

It is clear his answer displeases the kynazh, although he does not have the will to pursue it strongly. After all, it will be millions of years before Zultanekh will understand Djoseras envied him this night, and lamented he could not be the same. Djoseras pauses, his cheeks flushed with rare emotion (Zultanekh admires the height and curve of them quietly), before he glances up at Zultanekh and all is calm again. "I apologize, Prince Zultanekh. It's just that we have been shaped by war, my brother and I. Knowing that we go from there to another war, I..."

A lock of hair has fallen across his forehead, disturbing the surface. Zultanekh longs to brush it back for him. "I do not know whether to call that change, meaningfully speaking."

"If it would reassure you, I can say this much: between the old gods and fair Djoseras, Zultanekh knows whom he would rather have as his enemy. Is it not meaningful that the nature of the combatants is different?" Zultanekh smiles then, and bids the kynazh stand closer; there's a group of Nihilakh lords passing by. It's not quite hand-holding, but Djoseras does not refuse him when Zultanekh touches over his shoulder, which feels like victory enough. "Like you, I was forged by war. I am curious to see what follows it. Say that Szarekh has his way, that the Old Ones are defeated - will we choose peace again, or disorder? I do not know, but I am eager to find out."

"Eager?"

"Yes. Perhaps some day, you will see the excitement in it too."

#warhammer 40k #the twice dead king #zultanekh #djoseras #trazyn the infinite #orikan the diviner #oltyx #yenekh #nemesor zahndrekh #vargard obyron #anrakyr the traveller #we live on archipelagos #fanfiction #snippet #a bit of a cast of characters scene this one. it's very brief and not a central part of the fic but it's nice to have #i am falling in love with both zultanekh and djoseras the more i write. i haven't had characters speak so clearly in my head in a while #still haven't decided what to title this overall piece. it'll be a oneshot but very long and hopefully i will finish it by end of oct

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jeweled-blue-eyes · 2 years

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You know something I find odd about Jennette? It's that this girl somehow can't use magic despite her being a part of the imperial family?

Or maybe she could be a late bloomer since Athanasia wasn't able to until she was 14? Maybe that's just wishful thinking.

Maybe in a au where Athanasia and Jennette run away together, Athanasia finds someone to teach BOTH of them magic since in the main series Athy barely even used magic? We don't even know what exactly she can do.

this has been bothering me too! I read somewhere that alligently the magic of the de Alger Obelias is so powerful that it causes a physical manifestation in form of their blue jewel eyes, but wouldn't this mean that Athy, Claude, Jennette, Aeternitas and Anastacius must have been stronger than everyone without jewel eyes? Then why did Felix think he could pick a fight with Anastacius? And what about Lucas? According to the same logic Lucas should have had jewel eyes too since he is even more powerful than Claude.

And Jennette was supposed to be magically engineered to be stronger than Claude. She came from a long line of magicians even without messing with her genes she should have been capable of using magic and at least be as proficent as the court or guild magicians if taught correctly. Why can't she use magic? Why did she not have a divine beast? Why did Lucas have no divine beast?

By the way mana is like fuel right? Then why did Claude not teach Athy to use up her mana for magic spells to prevent the mana from building up in her body and endangering her life? Couldn't he have tried to eat her mana? It doesn't seem too complicated if even someone like Ana could steal Lucas' mana like that. Or use one of the mana eating plants in the lake? The answer to her sickness was right there. Athy wouldn't have needed to depend on Lucas for the rest of her life.

I'd love to read a fanfic where Athy and Jenny run away and both learn magic together. The magic system in canon seems rather undeveloped. Like right now Athy can do anything, there are no limitations ad rules to magic use that force her to find creative ways to use her mana which is a bit boring. There are laws against stuff like forging money with magic and brainwashing but they are ineffective since there seem to be no ways to trace the culprits an punish them, seeing how Athy and Aety got away with it for so long

#notanon #answered asks #headscratchers

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bitchfitch · 2 years

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Aetius quite liked the title 'Queen', thought it fit it perfectly. The word meant something different to it and it's new husband (The King!) sure, but that didn't make it feel any less proud to bare it, nor did the fact its beloved bull had only taken its hand as his to further their little plan.

It liked the crown it was given, and the way Serapis said its title when they laid together. It liked it all so very very much.

A part of Aetius maybe resented that the only reason their plan would work was that it would never be a queen by its own people's definition. It tried very hard to ignore that part. To not think too hard about how it was no queen and would never be able to know the joy of being one. It had a crown, and a lover, and that was enough. It had to be enough. Aetius had to be enough.

Serapis noticed its turmoil, he always did, and he brought it up one cool night when they laid within their den. His hand had been idly petting through the feathers at the crook of Aetius's back, where it's almost human torso rose from it's lower feline one.

"You hurt," Serapis' voice was low in the evening quiet, warm and soothing like the purr of many sphinx's but richer in a way that was so uniquely him.

"What makes you think that?" Aetius was for once greatful of its inability to say anything other than a question. Had it been able to speak more directly it might have already launched into the sort of annoying ramble Serapis disliked hearing from the courtiers who bothered him with their problems so incessantly. Serapis didn't need to be worried with its silly anxieties.

"You were hostile to that queen from your colony when she came to visit," his hand drifts up Aetius's back, dragging his blunt nails through the mane that covered it's spine, "That's not like you,"

Aetius remains quiet, tucking itself closer against his side and focusing on that grounding touch. Maybe if it were quiet Serapis would let this conversation die, before he could be reminded of Aetius's failings.

"Aeti, did something happen? I'll handle it for you if you need me too," he tried.

"Do you believe something has happened?"

"No, and that's why it worries me."

"Would you rather something had?"

"At least then I'd know what troubles you."

"Do you know how foolish it is?"

"If it hurts you then I refuse to think of it as anything other than important."

Aetius sighs before finally relenting, "Do you wish I were like her? Do you desire a queen in function instead of in title?"

"I don't know what makes someone a queen amongst your people. I thought that it was females you called queen, but I've seen many females you do not call queens. At this point I feel it might just be arbitrary." he huffed.

Aetius didn't know why it had expected Serapis to know what queens were. It just felt like such a normality to it that it had never occurred to it that it might need to explain them.

"Would you want kits from me if I could give them?"

"Is that what a queen is then? Someone who's had a litter?"

"Would you want them?"

"Would you give me them?" Serapis quirked a brow.

Aetius doesn't know how to answer, because yes it would. It would jump at the opportunity and present itself to him until they had their litter, but the very thought made it feel sick and like it should find some hole to curl up tight in. It didn't matter how much it wanted to be a queen, it couldn't be one in anything other than the title it got when they married.

"Hey, it's ok if you don't want to," Serapis tried to reassure it, "I can- I'll be better about pulling out or we can stop-"

"What are you talking about?" Aetius interupted. What did pulling out have to do with the conversation at hand? "Why-" it paused as the realization dawned, "My hero, how do you think kits are made?"

"Well, I thought it happened sometimes when two people had sex but by the way you are looking at me I presume that's wrong."

Aetius laughed to itself, a bubbly sound of fraught nerves suddenly brushing up against something so silly. "Did you not know it was only females who could bare young?"

"... Does that mean we can't have kits? I thought- I thought the reason we said you couldn't bare was because we were too different, and that that was a lie."

"Do you believe you could breed a sphinx?"

"My father wasn't even a person, and he bred my human mother well enough to make me," he shrugs.

Aetius is quiet for a moment, it made sense. For all his grandeur and confidence Serapis had spent many years alone with no one to teach him of such matters. Still, the absurd moment passed and Aetius's worries still hung like lead in its stomach. "Now that you know the truth, would you rather have a real queen to bare you kits instead of me?"

"There is nothing I'd want instead of you," Serapis pressed a kiss to the top of Aetius's head, "I don't want a kit if they aren't yours, and I don't think I could find any queen other than you desirable. Was that what you needed to hear to set your mind at ease, kitten?"

"So you do want kits?" Aetius's felt it's heart sink. Serapis was saying what he thought it wanted to hear instead of the harsh truth that Serapis wanted what Aetius couldn't give.

"Not as much as I want you to be happy." he takes Aetius's hand, the one it wore its ring on, and held it gently to his chest, "I've had to think about heirs a lot since I was taken here. Never liked the way they looked in my head."

"What was wrong with them?"

"They looked like me," he says it softly, like he knows Aetius would reject the idea that there was anything wrong with looking like him, but it was unable to give voice to that protest before he continued, "They looked like me, and had my temper. They had to be taken to the maze like I was and I never saw them again. Then you were brought to me, and we became a thing, and then it was the people scoffing and asking if you were to gave me calves that made me think of them again.

"They said it to be mean, but when I was alone with my thoughts I could see them. They didn't look like me, and they had your wit and your smile and they weren't beasts needing taming. They were ours, and I guess that image of them never left me. And I hoped that eventually we'd have them for real." he stops to catch his breath, "I wanted them, That's what I mean. I wanted them, but now I know they'll stay daydreams and I'll find something else to want instead."

"Do you want me?" Aetius tries. It's as direct as it can be, but the many ways that sentence could be misunderstood dance in its mind.

"I do. I want you more than anything else." he smiles, and understands it perfectly.

#anyways i decided 'queen' and 'not queen' were the only sphinx genders and that the society was largely matriarchal and cat colony esq #and then this happened

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lithi · 2 years

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XHDIFIDJXOSSKMSDNDIDKDJ Athy looking at Aety in disgust <3

#wmmap novel #athanasia de alger obelia #aeternitas de alger obelia #wmmap Lucas #lucaety #?

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yonoko-plans · 1 year

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@jeweled-blue-eyes has mentioned a hc about Rosalia having an information broker guild and I wanted Jen to take over it after her death. So let's expand a bit.

First I want to state that Rosalia dies a lot earlier in my au because Athanasia told Lucas to kill her. Athy and Lucas's relationship is more mentor and student and I want that because it would parallel Aety and Lucas. Aety couldn't get his attention, but Athy did.

Anyways let's move on to one of the member, the old man selling black magic books in one of the wmmap chapters.

In the manhwa he appeared out of no where and was really just there to confirm that Jennette was made of black magic. So instead in my au, there is a collective mindset that while it is acknowledged among all wizards that dark magic is dangerous, it is seen like marijuana or vaping. Not a super-duper big deal unless it becomes one. I say all wizards because it seems that Obelia is like, the only country that has outlawed black magic.

Black magic books also have certain symbols on them that normal non-magic users wouldn't recognize, which explains how the man managed to stay in business.

The old man is the right-hand man of Rosalia's old information guild who went into hiding after her death. I'm naming him Nikolai.

Jen finds him in his store because she could sense the leftover black magic still in his system. Her new mission is to try and rangle all the other members back and revive the guild.

Jennette soon has a library built for her with a secret room dedicated to the gathered intel. The way the lock is built, it accepts any type of key you put in but only a certain one will manage to open it.

#wmmap #who made me a princess #sbapod #suddenly became a princess one day #jennette margarita #who made me a princess jennette #wmmap jennette #crystalline roses and cobalt thorns

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ultramarine-spirit · 29 days

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That reminds me of something that I've been thinking about for a long time and is that I don't know if you've ever seen people say that the reason why spoon changed the manhwa of the novel is because of the plagiarism accusations, but, honestly, how much of that is true? Spoon really said that? That was the reason why the story changed? Because there are many manhwas that have changed the story of the novel and do not have any kind of accusation.

I feel like people say it mostly because they assume it's the most "obvious" reason, but I feel like what everyone assumes is obvious isn't really that obvious...

It just bothers me that they put words in the someone's mouth who never said that, if spoon really said that was the reason then that's fine but I feel like everyone is just assuming.

They also say that the reason why Jennette's character changed so much is because she was Spoon's favorite character or that she did more athykiel scenes is because she is team ijekiel. But is that true or are they just assuming?

Spoon hasn't said that, in fact, as far as I know, the changes to the plot were made before the plagiarism accusations (we see changes as early as the debutante chapters). The Courts already sentenced that the manhwa isn't plagiarizing anything, we've been over this.

Spoon has said many times that her favorite character is Claude, and to be honest, that's very obvious to me. Jennette suffers way more in the manhwa, if anything, but she has a happier ending (her ending in the novel wasn't that sad though). I do think she tried to make people like her more, as she was a pretty divisive character in the novel. To various degrees of success.

As for the athykiel scenes, there are actually less in the manhwa too. I think Spoon just wanted to keep the family focus. If you want a crazy conspiracy theory, I would also say the harassment from shippers might have turned her off from writing romance. Idk.

#Spoon: Lucas is the only person who understands Athy and the one she is most comfortable with #people: wow she hates Lucas #i've always said that if i was an Ijekiel fan i would be upset at the manhwa. Spoon deleted so many of his scenes #and unlike with Lucas she didn't give Ijekiel new scenes. him and Jennette are the charactes who got done dirty tbh (oh well and Aety. lol)#Jennette cuz her writing is so much weaker. Ijekiel because- well yeah his writing is shallower and he has waaaay less scenes #wmmap

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yonoyonoyo · 1 year

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Researching some stuff for Arhul and found out that his namesake, the hibiscus, is associated with the Hindu Goddess Kali. Kali's most famous myth is of her dancing her way into ending the universe only stopping when her husband intervenes.

It is also interesting of note that despite Kali's brutal personality and being a goddess of death, destruction and darkness, she is worshipped as a loving mother-nature like deity.

This got me thinking into a what if scenario where Arhul, might have committed a crime or two, I mean he used to be a thief and all but I'm talking about like a bigger. Like what if he gave into his impulses and murdered a few obelian citizens. The type of person whose willing to do bad things to support his family. What if he was also an unregistered magician👀.

Now the twist is that, Letizia, her brother, her mother and Arhul's parents know of his crimes but still love him very unconditionally, Letizia still admires him as basically a second older brother.

The family has had their own fair share of accidents and losses yet at the end they all come together to support and love each other despite their flaws.

Meanwhile, Athy and Jen have to work and sacrifice themselves to get only a sliver of it. Athy at first thinking that the life she wanted was of Jennette's but then realizing that really deep down she just wanted someone who would love her despite everything she isn't, like Arhul's.

Arhul and Jennette also have a few unexpected parallels

-Being seen as a menace(Jennette's dark magic and Arhul's willingness to do crime)

-Being associated with the dark and destruction(Arhul's connection to Kali and Jennette getting possessed by Aety bringing doom to Obelia)

-I like to think of them really liking the beach/coast as well

Potential Athul moment too?? I guess?

Opposites with Athy being like the sun while Arhul's associated with the night. Their love being like the sunset, bold and warmly blinding(seriously sunset light is potent)

#who made me a princess #wmmap #suddenly became a princess one day #i suddenly became a princess #wmmap jennette #letizia raniero #wmmap oc #wmmap athanasia #arhul sannjh

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bvnga-aprikot · 1 year

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if roger shows up i will laugh so hard but if it's athy Jenebehdbdbdh you best know i will fangirl

#rosie's txt #sorta wish we can get Aety since he's more prominent in the novel #who made me a princess #wmmap

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myearts-uwu · 2 years

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Mmm AU!Jennette’s voice going a lot deeper and maybe have a bit of an accent whenever Aeternitas is controlling her.

Oh and her eyes glow red

#who made me a princess #suddenly i became a princess #wmmap #sbapod #jennette margarita #wmmap jennette #aeternitas de alger obelia #wmmap aeternitas #I like to imagine Jen's movements in combat are a lot more smoother when Aety's in control?#Even tho it's likely that he's never had to fight before (I mean have you seen how it went for him when Lucas ambushed him? Embarrassing)

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nighthawk0913 · 2 years

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Balance is the key element of religion to lions, as, to them, everything has an equal and opposite: the sun has the moon, the heat has the rain, and the predator has the prey. Because of the wide array of elements to the natural world, there are many deities that represent and are said to control them. The only place that does not have balance is nonexistence, as there was before Neeyr created existence, but even nonexistence itself is balanced by that of Neeyr's creation. The concept that everything in the world exists in a delicate balance drives the ideals and lifestyles of the lions, who believe themselves to be created in the image of the gods and placed in the world to maintain that equilibrium. Lions view themselves as the keepers and caretakers of the world, preventing the chaos that would come from any shift in the natural order.

But not all of the lions' stories are about gods. They also tell stories of great heroes and terrible monsters, triumphs over evil, and tales of supernatural powers. While most of these stories exist as personifications of a phenomenon or emotion, some lions believe them to hold a grain of truth, and the names of heroes will be invoked in hopes of earning their favor. Stories of gala(angels) and kiru(demons) are also told, and some are revered so highly that they may as well be gods in their own right.

List of Gods, Spirits, and Notable Monsters

Neeyr - God of Creation, first deity, is omnipresent and has no set gender, primordial god

Dira - Goddess of the Dawn and Dusk, protector of the innocent, controller of the afterlife of the same name, primordial god

Votara - Goddess of the Day, punisher of the wicked, controller of the afterlife of the same name, primordial god

Ozna - Goddess of the Night, overseer of the righteous, controller of the afterlife of the same name, primordial god

Dreyus - God of the Sky/Sky Father, primordial god

Daeghom - Goddess of the Earth/Earth Mother, primordial god

Sehul - God of the Sun, Leadership, Nobility, Light, and Power, protector of kings

Zurena - Goddess of the Moon, Peace, Balance, Darkness, and Knowledge, protector of lionesses in childbirth

Ulreus - God of the Sea, Water, and Rivers

Drosyn - Goddess of Plant Life and Fertility

Ulbus - God of the Wet Season, Healing, and Rain

Bixtris - Goddess of the Dry Season, Disease, and Drought

Somnum - Bringer of Death, gala of death

Olo - Weaver of Dreams, gala

Aetis - Sender of Thoughts and Motivation, gala

Xolotini - Prince of Flowers, nature spirit

The Desert King - Spreader of Deserts, Drainer of Life, kiru

Bouros - Spirit of the North Wind

Synir - Spirit of the East Wind

Dirlos - Spirit of the South Wind

Enthos - Spirit of the West Wind

Marsin - First gala, fell from grace and became the first kiru

Aidon - Gala, the one who will defeat Marsin forever and become the god of the new world

Creation Myth

In the beginning, there was nothing, only an infinite emptiness, and within that emptiness, there existed a single god: Neeyr, both male and female, both light and darkness, both nothing and everything. Lonely in this vast void, Neeyr created, from parts of himself, children. From his claw, he created Votara, goddess of the day, and from her, the first light was born. From his left eye, he created Ozna, goddess of the night, and she existed in contrast to Votara's light. To bring balance to his daughters, Neeyr took a lock of his mane and transformed it into Dira, goddess of the dawn and dusk, to bridge the gap between Votara and Ozna.

But the world was still nothing, and Neeyr was bored with it. So again, he took a part of themself, several hairs from his pelt, and tossed them through the cosmos. From them, Dreyus was born, god of the sky, and with his birth, existence sprung into being. Dreyus and his three sisters travelled the cosmos together, eager to create more in their new kingdom. But soon Dreyus suffered from the same plight as Neeyr; he was lonely and desired someone to love. So he set about creating himself a mate, one equal in glory and splendor to himself. Through his efforts, Daeghom was born, and she became his bride. From the love between Dreyus and Daeghom, the world was created, with her as the land itself, and Dreyus as the sky overhead.

The first children born from Dreyus and Daeghom were Sehul, the sun, and Zurena, the moon, and they travelled around their parents' creation, watching from above. After them came Ulreus, god of the seas, who covered the world in life-giving water. Next came Drosyn, goddess of plant life, who blanketed the world in green plants. Because of their efforts, the world became ready to hold life. Dreyus and Daeghom then set about creating the creatures of the world; everything from colossal thunderers to tiny crawlers. But the newly created world was missing something; someone to watch over it. Sehul and Zurena noticed this, and proposed to their parents to create an animal in the image of the gods, one who would be their earthly heralds and keep the world in balance. Dreyus and Daeghom gave their approval, and Sehul and Zurena set about creating the first lions.

Sehul created male lions, sculpting them from rigid clay and blessing them with great strength. Zurena created lionesses, building them up from the fertile mud of the riverbanks and blessing them with fantastic speed and grace. The first lions were then instructed to watch over the land as its benevolent lords, protecting it and keeping the land in balance in the name of the gods.

The Gala and the Kiru

In the days before the world existed, the gods simply resided in the celestial plain where they ruled. Among the stars, they existed unchallenged in their divinity. But this meant that everything was unchanging, as the gods could bend their surroundings to their wills. Gradually, they grew bored; what good was creation if they had nothing to do with it? The gods thought for many years, pondering for a solution. Eventually, their endlessly brilliant minds concocted a solution. From a stream of glittering stardust, Dira crafted the first galas and named them Marsin and Aidon. The galas' form was marvelous, for they looked as their creators did. From their backs, a vibrant pair of feathered wings grew to allow them to soar across the celestial plain. The gods were amazed by Dira's creation, and each desired to create for themselves. From the work of the gods, countless gala were born into the celestial plain. The gala served the gods as one would care for an ailing loved one, endlessly praising the gods and loving them more than anything else in creation, becoming their first subjects. The gods adored the gala, loving them as they would their own children. But trouble soon began to arise in the celestial plain. With the creation of the world, the gods began adding to it. Marsin could only watch, as he did not have the ability of creation himself, something that made him terribly bitter and envious of the gods. Angered at this perceived slight, Marsin gathered a following of fellow gala, manipulating them into believing that they could take the power of creation from the gods and use it as their own, then they could be the ones to create such splendor and grace. Most turned away from Marsin's message, not wishing to betray their beloved creators, but many others did not. With his followers, Marsin rebelled violently against the gods, attempting to slay them and take their great power for his own. A great battle was fought between the gods and Marsin, but after much chaos and destruction, Marsin's forces were defeated by the faithful gala, led by Aidon. In rage at Marsin's ungratefulness and treason, the gods stripped the rogue gala of both their divinity and their powers, banishing them from the celestial plain, never to be able to return. Enraged by his defeat, Marsin vowed revenge on the gods. In the absence of his divine power, Marsin became filled with darkness and hate. He and his followers became the first kiru, evil creatures of the shadows and eternal enemy of the gala. The kiru rallied under Marsin, rejecting their divine forms for those of horrible shades. Unable to reenter the realm of the gods, the kiru took to tormenting their creations. Lurking in the darkest shadows, they bring famine, war, murder, and all terrible things that can happen in the world. But they are countered by the gala, who bestow blessings and perform miracles. The gala and kiru still battle for control over the world, keeping the balance between good and evil. While mortal lions are usually unable to see them, the gala and kiru can reveal themselves to them. It is through their interactions with mortals that both possessions by kiru and prophecies delivered by gala come to be.

Creation of the Seasons

In the early days of the world, there existed only one season, a constant period of lush greenery and plentiful food and water. There was no worry of waterholes drying up or food becoming scarce, as animals had no need to eat yet. All life thrived in this paradise. In the glory of the world, Ulreus and Drosyn bore two children, Ulbus and Bixtris. Ulbus was like his parents, spreading prosperity wherever he went, but Bixtris seemed unable to do the same. The young goddess caused plants around her to wither, and caused illness in the creatures that she drew close to. Believing herself to be cursed, Bixtris was angry that she could not spread the same joy as her family. In her anger, she decided that if she could not do good unto the world, she would instead oppose her family's benevolence.

Bixtris spread dry grasslands far and wide, drying out sources of water and bringing horrible heat waves with her as she went. Ulbus noticed his sister's deeds, and combatted her with heavy rains that would return life to the barren stretches that she would leave in her wake. Bringing themselves in opposition to the other, the two siblings began to fight, causing great destruction across the land. Seeing the damage done by the two siblings, Daeghom was angered and hurt. The primordial goddess rose in a rage, ordering that the two siblings form a compromise and put aside their differences.

Ulbus was at first unwilling, angry at the ruin Bixtris had caused, but eventually he was swayed. The two siblings agreed to split the year in half, with each sibling alotted time to reign over the earth. When Ulbus rules, the rains sweep across the lands and life is plentiful, but when Bixtris rules, the world is dry and barren, with great heat ruling over the land. When the time comes for the ruling sibling to step down, the other takes their place and reigns over the land for their half of the year, the other taking residence with Daeghom beneath the earth.

The Three Afterlives

When the creatures of the earth were first created, death did not exist. Every creature was eternal in their place in the world, and they never grew old nor died. But a problem arose when the world grew to have too many animals. With countless creatures who would never die, populations grew so large that the very earth itself was having trouble sustaining them. Dreyus and Daeghom agreed that something had to be done, or everything in their creation would be at risk. Ozna, Votara, and Dira met to discuss how best to solve the problem. The three goddesses spent many days trying to find a solution, until Ozna finally suggested something that could work. The problem was all creatures being eternal, as immortal and ageless as the gods. If they were stripped of that ability and allowed to fade away, the animal population would be stabilized; the old and weak would die and the young and strong would take their place. The three goddesses agreed on the idea, and used their powers to create Somnum, the gala of death, who would come to guide the souls of dead creatures to the afterlife. But the problem began once the first creature died. No animal had ever died before, and none of the gods could decide what should be done with them. The three sister goddesses fought over which of them would take the soul of the deceased, as each desired to be the one to rule over the dead. As more creatures died, the goddesses were increasingly confused over which of them should be granted control of the dead. Many creatures with many different lives entered the domain of the dead, but the three could not decide what to do with them. As the problem grew worse, the three godesses went to Neeyr to ask what should be done.

Neeyr observed the souls of the deceased creatures, dividing them into three groups; the righteous, the wicked, and the innocent. To Votara, went the wicked. She would punish them with her fiery rage for their misdeeds for all time. To Dira, went the innocent. As they were too young when they died to be understood as good or evil, they were gifted to the kind Dira, who would protect them and care for them. And to Ozna, went the righteous. As creatures who lived noble lives and acted as they should, they were rewarded greatly. Under the control of Ozna, the righteous souls were transformed into the first stars, always shining overhead as a reminder to all to act justly and treat everything with respect.

Times of Day

Once the three afterlives were established, Votara, Dira, and Ozna drew closer to the world to watch over its creatures. Under each of the three sisters, the sky was different. Under Votara, the sky was bright and blue, and there was light across the land. Under Ozna, the sky was dark and speckled with stars. And under Dira, the sky was painted with a thousand colors, eternally at dawn or dusk.

But problems arose when the three goddesses clashed with Sehul and Zerena. Ozna refused to allow Sehul to pass over her part of the world, as his radiant light blinded her eyes. Similarly, Votara refused to grant Zerena passage over her part of the sky, worried that she would block out her light. In the parts of the world under eternal daylight, animals could not sleep, and under the eternal night, plants could not grow.

The animals cried out their grievances to the goddesses, and the three converged with Sehul and Zerena to find a solution. Since both Votara and Sehul were radiant and bright, they agreed to cross the sky together. Zerena and Ozna also agreed to travel together, as Zerena's gentle light did not harm Ozna's eyes. Dira bridged the gap between the two realms, ushering one out and the other in.

The three realms began to spin around the world, with Votara and Sehul appearing during the day, and Ozna and Zerena appearing at night. When the day grows weary, Dira brings the dusk to allow Votara to rest. Similarly, when it is time for Ozna to rest, Dira guides the first light of dawn over the land.

Phases of the Moon

While travelling across the sky at night, Zerena is responsible for watching over the nocturnal activities of the creatures below. One night, as she passed over a vast and lush grassland, something caught her eye. Below, there was a lioness, travelling alone across the savanna. She was so beautiful that Zurena was smitten with her right away. The entire night, she watched her from above, and once the dawn drew near, she descended from the sky to meet with her in the form of a mortal lioness.

Her name was Kyagi, and Zurena was swiftly enamored by her. Kyagi was fascinated by her as well, having no idea that she was a goddess. The two of them spent the day together, but when it came time for night to come, Zurena did not wish to return to the sky. Confused, Ozna searched for her. Upon discovering her on earth, she sent Sehul to retrieve her. The sun god descended to earth in a mortal disguise and sought out his sister, ordering her to return to her place in the sky. Confused and thinking Sehul a threat, Kyagi readied herself to defend Zurena. Angered by her impudence, Sehul dropped his disguise, revealing himself in all his heavenly glory, his light blinding Kyagi.

Zurena was enraged and refused to return to the sky, demanding that Sehul heal Kyagi. Sehul instead offered a compromise. Zurena was needed in the sky as the moon, but he could see her love for Kyagi was strong. He promised to heal Kyagi as well as make her immortal on the condition that Zurena return to the sky. She would be able to descend to the earth every month for three and a half days to be with her love, but the rest of that time, she must remain in the sky as the moon. Zurena agreed, and Kyagi was healed.

Every month, Zurena shifts through various forms as her time to descend to earth grows near. She is entirely in the sky during a full moon, her paws out of the sky during a gibbous moon, half of her body during a half moon, and only her tail remains during a crescent moon. During a new moon, she is allowed to spend time on earth with her love, and the moon does not appear in the sky. Once her three and a half days on earth are up, she returns to the heavens, gradually appearing as the moon again.

The Origin of Dreams

Long ago, in a pride called the Shimmering Valley, a lion named Olo lived. Olo was a creative and imaginative lion, who loved telling stories and creating art to go along with them. From the celestial realm, Olo caught the eye of the beautiful gala Aetis, who descended from the heavens to meet with him. The two fell deeply in love, but because Aetis was a divine creature and Olo a mortal, they could not truly be together. Aetis urged his lover to come to the stars with him, and the gods would transform him into a gala so that the two of them could be together for eternity. But Olo did not want to leave his family or the world before his time, though he still wished to be with his love.

Using his divine power, Aetis created the first thoughts, which he sent into the mind of his beloved Olo, so that the two would never truly be apart. Throughout Olo's life, other animals gained the gift of thought as well, and loved Olo as the one who had brought that gift to them. When the day came that Somnum came for Olo, Aetis was there to greet him in the stars. For the first time, the two were able to properly embrace and feel the other's love. Aetis kept his vow and Olo was ascended into a gala alongside his lover.

Together, the two act as guides for all creatures. Aetis guides their minds during the day, motivating noble actions into being. Olo, on the other hand, guides them in the night, through dreams of grandeur.

The Eclipse

With the sun in the sky during the day and the moon in the sky at night, the two don't often interact. But as the two gods both watch over the creatures of earth as they pass through the sky, their knowledge of all creatures' nature is all-encompassing and complete. They know everything about every creature, including their sins and misdeeds. While it is not often that an animal that is wicked enough to draw both of their attention exists, but when one does, something incredible happens.

When a truly wicked and evil creature lives on earth, both Sehul and Zurena agree that the animal must be done away with to prevent any more pain from being caused. The two will then converge in the sky, meeting together to discuss what should be done to smite the evil in the land. When they meet, Sehul's light clashes with Zurena's darkness, forming a bright ring in the sky and shrouding the world in shadows. The eclipse is meant to act as a warning to the wicked that, if they don't mend their ways, the gods will rain their fury upon them and drag them to Votara personally, where their evil will be punished forever.

The Prince of Flowers

Xolotini was the youngest son of a great king, who ruled over a massive kingdom that spanned over a huge and lush grassland. As the youngest of the king's 15 sons, Xolotini was never in line for the throne, but the prince was fine with this, preferring to focus on the beauty of the natural world and creating wonderful works of art that would honor nature properly. Now, the young prince was extremely handsome, and stories of his good looks spread far and wide. Lions and lionesses alike came flocking to Xolotini's pride to ask for his paw in marriage. But Xolotini desired none of them, having only one lioness that he loved. She was Parvotl, daughter of a tyrannical king. But the tyrant king refused to give her up, never wanting her to marry.

The prince pined for her from afar, and the two met under the cover of night in secret. Parvotl, wanting to be free from the hold of her father, fled her pride for that of Xolotini's father. This enraged the evil king, and he sent a terrible sandstorm to punish his daughter and the lion who stole her away from him. Knowing what must be done, Parvotl attacked her father, striking the tyrant king down. But she was terribly wounded in the process, and as she lay dying, Xolotini wept for her. He cried his pain out to the world, praying to Drosyn not to let Parvotl fade away. The goddess answered his prayers, transforming the dying Parvotl into the first flowers. Her graceful form became long, slender stems, and her fur became the soft petals. Upon Xolotini, Drosyn placed the task of spreading Parvotl's beauty far and wide. He would wander all the lands of the world, spreading the flowers in his wake so that the whole world would know of Parvotl's sacrifice. Her beauty and grace would live on forever in this form, and she would grace the world until the land itself was no more.

The Hero Elbris

Long ago, alongside the creatures of the world, there lived monsters. Some of the monsters followed the command of the gods, acting as powerful allies and friends, but others were evil to their cores. One such monster was the Desert King, a massive firebreathing creature that had been created by Bixtris. The Desert King was taller than any other creature in the land, standing taller than ten thunderers. He looked like a lion in form, but his fur was dark as soot and his seven eyes redder than blood. He had the tusks of a squealer, the horns of a grunter, and a venomous no-legs for a tail. His fangs were larger than any gnasher's and his claws sharper than any leaper's, and he used them to consume the life of any animal in his domain. The terrible creature lived in the Great Northern Desert, where no water or plants existed, and even the gods could hold little power over him. In his greed, he spread his barren kingdom far and wide.

The creatures of the world greatly feared the Desert King, as any caught in his domain would surely meet their death. As the desert spread into the grasslands, the animals were horrified, and many fled south to escape the King's grasp. In the Desert King's hunger to conquer, he spread his arid lands into the home of a lion pride. Like all other creatures in the Desert King's lands, they met their end. All except for one. A single lion called Elbris escaped the death of his pride, and swore revenge on the Desert King, promising to defeat him and avenge his family. Elbris went to the Reflection Pool, a place sacred to Zurena, and called upon the gods for help. The gods heard his call and descended to earth, each bestowing a gift upon Elbris that would aid him in his quest against the Desert King. From Zurena, he received a cloak of darkness, which would allow him to sneak into the King's territory undetected. From Ozna, his eyes were blessed to be able to see the Desert King's weak spot. Votara bestowed her blessing upon his claws, making them capable of killing the monster. And from Drosyn and Ulreus, he was given a magical fruit containing a powerful rainstorm, which he must break open after the King was defeated. With the blessing of the gods, Elbris set out to challenge the Desert King.

The monster was colossal, but Elbris's blessed eyes could see his weak spot: the large eye in the center of his forehead. While the Desert King could not see Elbris because of Zurena's cloak, he could sense him, and he spoke. In a great and terrible voice, the Desert King offered Elbris to join him, and he would be spared when the desert consumed the entire world. But Elbris was not swayed by the cruel monster's words; he would avenge his family, and all other animals that had been consumed by the Desert King's greed. When he saw he could not win over Elbris, the Desert King attacked, swiping at the air and trying to crush him. Because he could not see Elbris, the Desert King listened for the sounds of his voice and footsteps. Elbris was smart, however, and knew the King could hear him. Taunting the huge monster, Elbris whipped the Desert King into a frenzied rage, making its movements erratic and unplanned. Infuriated, the Desert King roared, demanding that Elbris reveal himself and fight him properly.

Elbris was not foolish however, and, using his blessed claws, leapt for the monster's seventh eye. With Voltara's magic, his claws burst into flames as he landed a blow on the monster's forehead. Upon hitting the monster's weak spot, its body split into four pieces. From each of these, a new spirit was born. Bouros was born from the first piece, and represented the cold northern wind. Enthos was born from the second, and represented the gentle west wind that brought the wet season. From the third came Dirlos, who represented the warm south wind. And from the fourth and final piece, Synir was born. Synir still held the powers granted to the Desert King by Bixtris and represented the east wind, which heralded the coming of the dry season.

Elbris then cracked open the magical fruit granted to him by Drosyn and Ulreus, and from it erupted a powerful rainstorm. The water that fell from the blessed clouds had magical properties, and where it touched the barren ground, grass greener than any other sprouted from the sand. Massive patches of land that once fell under the Desert King's control became lush grasslands, and animals returned. Grateful for Elbris's help in defeating the Desert King, the gods granted him a single wish. Elbris wished to be reunited with his family, and the gods carried him up to the stars, where his family and friends awaited him. Together, they can be seen as a cluster of stars in the sky, named the Elbris Cluster after the great hero.

The animals of the land praised Elbris's heroic actions for many years, and told stories of him to their children, who then told the story to their own children. Animals experiencing extreme hardships will often invoke the name of Elbris in hopes of being able to prevail over their troubles, as Elbris did over the Desert King.

Twilight of the World

There will come a day one day when the balances of the universe are tipped to an extreme from which there is no return. The first sign of the Twilight is a great roar heard from the sky; it is Neeyr's dying breath, and he will return from the nothingness from which he came. From there, the kiru will rise from the shadows to continue their battle against the gods, and they cause all the plants in the world to die and all water to dry up as they destroy Ulreus and Drosyn. The kiru and gala will meet in battle on the earth, and their great power will rend the land and create mountains that reach all the way to the heavens. When this happens, Sehul and Zurena descend to earth to escort all of the animals away from danger and to the safety of the three goddesses above, but are lost to the kiru in the process.

With the animals off of earth and safe, Ozna and Dira ascend to another plain of existence while Votara stays to fight. Eventually, all of the gods fall, and all of the kiru and gala as well, except for one of each. Marsin is the final kiru, and he desires to make himself the god of all existence. The final gala is Aidon, and, with the power of all the fallen, he will defeat Marsin and cast him into the infinite void, where he will be trapped forever.

As the last creature in existence, Aidon absorbs all the power in creation and becomes the sole god of the new world. From there, he will rebuild creation and create an eternal paradise free of suffering and evil.

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