Scriptures of the Old
Throughout the vast tapestry of Terra's diverse cultures, the Varkadian Faith, dedicated to the veneration of the sublime Draconic Pantheon, reigns supreme among the spiritual pursuits of sentient races. This profound devotion traces its origins to the unassuming locales of lower Gurdal in the historic land of Bravoure, where the foundational texts, known initially as the Scripturas Veritatis and subsequently referred to as the Scripturas Veteris, were composed.
These esteemed manuscripts, an anthology of lyrical compositions, elegantly narrate the inception of the cosmos, the awe-striking emergence of dragon-gods, the intricate unfolding of Terra with its rich civilisations, and the tales of minor celestial entities. While many uphold these scriptures as factual accounts, embodying the very essence of historical truth, there exists a scholarly cadre, the magi, who conjecture these revered texts as fanciful augmentations of a more prosaic actuality.
Thus, ensconced between the devout and the doubters, the Scriptures of the Old endure, a poignant emblem of Terra’s perpetual odyssey through the realms of belief, seeking solace in the divine's imagined grandeur amidst the echoing silence of the world’s mysteries.
Mythos
Storms of Creation
In the maelstrom of the primordial event known as the Storms of Creation, the cosmos itself convulsed to birth the majestic quintessence of divine power: the Titans, dragon-gods of monumental prowess. Amongst these celestial beings was Varko, the grand dragon of alabaster scales, whose very essence seemed woven from the clouds, his gaze as infinite as the sky itself. Dracuuria, revered as the Mother, through her divine breath, sculpted the mountains, summoned the forests, and painted the expansive plains.
Entwined in an eternal dance, D'hjaak and Bishet, the siamese dragons, emerged as the embodiment of harmony in duality, a testament to the unity of contrast and congruence within a singular being. Guan, the horned dragon of victory, stood as a beacon of hope, a symbol of unyielding resilience against the ceaseless tides of adversity. In the abyssal depths, Sabys, the serpentine guardian beneath the waves, thrived as the steadfast preserver of life's delicate balance.
Thus were the Titans ordained, each a custodian of Terra's fundamental forces, their sagas inscribed in the very marrow of the world's sprawling chronicles.
Varko, the Solar God
Dracuuria, the Mother
Birth of Terra
In the celestial realms beyond the mundane, within the resplendent Domain of Stars, it was Varko, the luminary sovereign, who perceived the emptiness of the cosmos as a canvas yearning for the brushstroke of existence. With divine intent, he brought forth Terra, a bastion of life, and Luna, its eternal sentinel, ensuring that solitude would never cast its shadow upon his creation. As the architect of divine order, Varko then summoned forth his celestial brethren, bestowing upon them sacred duties to shepherd this burgeoning realm.
Dracuuria, his divine consort, was tasked with the creation of mountains, forests, and life itself, and from her essence, the Erudites emerged, pioneers in a world of endless potential. Sabys, the guardian of life's ebb and flow, was appointed by Varko as the caretaker of Terra's waters, a role she embraced with a nurturing ferocity, ensuring the fledgling mortals could thrive in a world abundant with care.
Under Varko's wise guidance, D’hjaak and Bishet, the dual entities of celestial harmony, were charged with instilling the principles of peace and unity among the diverse beings of Terra, fostering a society where differences were celebrated as strengths. Guan, the divine harbinger of hope, was chosen to ignite the flames of faith and resilience within the hearts of all creatures, a beacon during the trials they would inevitably face.
However, a shadow fell upon this divine idyll; the Erudites, though born of sacred power, faltered and succumbed to hubris. Their betrayal fractured Dracuuria's heart, compelling her to summon a cataclysm, a cleansing fury. Yet, as her wrath was about to be unleashed, she discovered her children had vanished into oblivion, their existence but a whisper. In sorrow and resolve, Dracuuria wielded the cataclysm's energy not for ruin but for rebirth, crafting from the remnants of her heartache four new races: humans, full of pride; elves, brimming with wisdom; sindurs, embodiments of peace; and dwarves, renowned for their ingenuity. Each race emerged, a testament to the Mother’s love and wisdom, distinct and purposeful, under the renewed covenant of divine grace.
In this new dawn, Varko's vision endured, his leadership unyielding as Terra, under his watchful gaze, began to heal and thrive. And from the remnants of Dracuuria's storm, a new celestial body was forged, an astral egg, cradling a new dawn in the form of Morxairen, the silver dragon, a symbol of Terra's undying resilience and the endless cycle of creation.
D’hjaak and Bishet, the Twins of Unity
Guan, the Horned Dragon
Sabys, the Preserver of Life
The Silver War
As the tapestry of creation unfurled, not all threads lay in harmony. Dracuuria's progeny, splintered by mistrust and ambition, spiraled into chaos. Elves, cloven by internal strife; humans, ensnared in endless war; dwarves, nurturing clandestine dominions in the earth's embrace. The sindurs, exiled, bore witness to a creeping gloom that birthed the merciless sithrax, forgers of an army with an insatiable hunger for dominion.
In this epoch of despair, Morxairen, the estranged scion of the dragon-gods, perceived a flicker of peace within the mortals. Unaware of Dracuuria's past misjudgement, he aspired to uplift their souls, seeking to sculpt harmony from the fragments of division. His profound affection for the Mother moved him to infuse the mortals with his divine spark, thus kindling the dawn of the magi. Yet, this defiance drew the celestial wrath of Varko, resulting in Morxairen's banishment to the nebulous void known as the Chaos Dimension.
His absence cast a pall of desolation over Terra, a void that persisted until Dracuuria, seeking atonement, ushered into existence Ghydra. Spawn of Varko, this deity walked amongst the mortals, not as a conqueror, but as a mender of fractured worlds, a beacon guiding them towards an oasis of eternal tranquility. His endeavours quelled the chaos, though shadows of secret lineage lingered. Hushed voices in occult corners debated his true descent, with some heretics daring to whisper of a union not just with Varko but entwined with Morxairen and Dracuuria, a speculation that conventional belief meets with staunch denial.
Morxairen, the Silver Dragon of Terra’s Dawn
Ghydra, the Mortal God
Redemption in Chaos
Beneath the vast expanse where dragons soared, a sinister force emerged from the depths of mortal despair. Known as Khor, this demon-god was the antithesis of all the celestial beings represented, a dark mirror reflecting the hidden avarice and malice within mortal hearts. Those seduced by Khor's promises transformed into grotesque shadows of their former selves, their souls ablaze with unholy fervour as they wreaked havoc across Terra's visage.
In this dire epoch, Dracuuria, Mother of Creation, beseeched Varko, King of the Gods, to pardon Morxairen, believing that his wisdom and might could quell the rising storm. Heeding her plea, the god-king annulled Morxairen's exile, allowing him to confront the chaos sown by Khor's acolytes. With a celestial mandate, Morxairen clashed with these dark disciples, driving them into the nether recesses beneath Terra's surface. Victorious, he was received once more into the luminous embrace of the Domain of Stars, his place among the divine restored.
Khor, the Chaos Demon
Lesser Deities
The dragon-gods bestowed life upon numerous divine entities, some of which emerged beyond the boundaries of the original Varkadian Faith. To accommodate the fervent devotion of Draconic worshippers, these additional deities have found their place within more contemporary scriptures, often portrayed as progeny of the primal titans:
Amarynth
Vicarinth
The Devas
Mort
Sun and Moon Gods
The Crimson Star
Among the lesser deities once chronicled, we find the account of a lesser deity known as the Crimson Star, a deity whose presence was stricken from the ancient Scriptures of the Old. This divine entity bore the name Eve and was believed to be the offspring of the union between Dracuuria and Varko, although some interpretations suggest Khor’s involvement. Eve's divine purpose was to undertake the very task later assigned to Ghydra, long before his birth.
Descending to the mortal realm of Terra, Eve assumed a mortal existence, dwelling among humankind with the noble intent of imparting vital lessons. Her teachings centered on the reverence for both nature and the inherent worth of humanity. Regrettably, it is told that mortal beings, driven by their own heedless ambitions, deceived and turned against Eve's counsel. Despite her earnest warnings, the world was plunged into the chaos of war. In the depths of her despair, Eve, burdened by the powerlessness to alter the course of mortals, made the tragic choice to take her own life.
Religious sects that held Eve in devotion faced the harsh verdict of exclusion from the dominant Varkadian Faith. Some were even exiled from the cities they once called home. These outcast groups, in their communion with the untamed wilderness, forged a profound connection to nature. They embraced a life of unwavering dedication, evolving into a specific caste of druids. Druids, custodians of nature's sanctity, are believed to draw their magical abilities—be they spells or other mystical powers—from the very essence of nature itself or from the lingering remnants of Eve's divine influence. Yet, despite the tales and beliefs surrounding them, the actual existence of such druids remains shrouded in mystery, their reality an enigma that eludes proof.
Death
In Terra's spiritual lore, it is chronicled that departed spirits embark on a celestial voyage along a luminous river of stars, leading them to the realm of Divine Justice. Here, a momentous decree is passed, determining their sojourn either amidst the ethereal tranquility of the Heavens, within the resplendent Domain of Stars, or cast into the dread abyss known as the Serpent's Maw, the threshold to the Nine Layers of Hell. Those consigned to the Serpent's infernal depths endure tribulations until their essence is purified, granting them a return to Terra in pursuit of redemption.
Yet, the Underworld brooks no defiance; escape is a fool's errand. Souls veering from their ordained path decay into a state of putrefaction. These forsaken spirits, now hollow shells, are relegated by celestial custodians known as "cleaners" to the desolate expanse of the Hollow Earth, a purgatory known as the Waste Plane. Here, some languish eternally, while others, fueled by an indomitable fury, transcend their ruin, morphing into malevolent entities we know as demons.
A rare few, however, have breached the Underworld's confines via the nebulous corridors of the Shadow Realm. These escapees, transformed into voidwalkers, become the unwitting thralls of the Shadows, and are reviled across Terra as abominations of the highest order, entities forsaken by both the divine and the damned.
Prophecy
Legends whisper that the passerine birds carry forth melodies of prophecy, their trills and warbles forming the very sinews of destiny's song. The shadow of golden eagles, gliding ominously through the skies, heralds the inexorable grip of death, while the graceful ascension of swans, like ethereal spectres against the azure dome, signifies a profound rebirth, a mending of fractures in the great wheel of existence. These symbolic harbingers, deeply entrenched in the Varkadian Faith, are but a few threads in the intricate web of prophetic omens.
Nestled within the veiled boundaries separating the ephemeral existence of mortals from the celestial spheres, lies the enigmatic expanse known as the Halls of Prophecy. This sanctum, elusive to most, is a liminal space where the divine essences sporadically sow seeds of potential futures, a mystical crossroads accessible solely to beings of exceptional endowment.
Prophecy Bird
Within these hallowed halls, the river of time meanders with an otherworldly cadence. Moments stretch and contract, and an eon might be ensnared within the silent pause between breaths. It is a realm where the past, present, and future dance in a timeless ballet, visible only to those who can pierce the veil of mere existence.
Embarking on such a transcendental journey demands more than mere desire; it requires an acumen honed by years of devout practice. Only the most devout clerics, those seasoned in the spiritual arts, can navigate the labyrinthine corridors of the Halls through profound meditative trances, seeking whispers of what may come, guided by the divine light that flickers in the realm of prophecy.
Children of the Gods
In the intricate tapestry of Terra's mythology, the Dragonborn are revered as the Children of the Gods, mortal vessels chosen to harbour a divine essence. The rite of naming a Dragonborn stands as a testament to a time shrouded in mysticism, a time when the echoes of the dragon-gods still resonated through the valleys and peaks of the land. It was foretold that in epochs of encroaching darkness, when war's shadow loomed large, beings infused with the very essence of dragons would emerge, ordained to wield powers unfathomable to mere mortals.
At such pivotal junctures, the most devout clerics, those whose souls are attuned to the celestial rhythms, are beset with visions. These prophetic reveries reveal the identity of the chosen one, the mortal to be anointed with the revered title of Dragonborn.
Ritual of Naming
This solemn ceremony calls for the confluence of the three primal forces that govern the Fabric of Realms: the arcane, the sacred, and the natural. Each axis plays a crucial role in this sacred rite. The natural realm, in its boundless wisdom, readies the chosen individual, refining their spirit for the transformation to come. The sacred realm weaves a divine tether, anchoring the mortal's essence to the celestial. The arcane, mysterious and potent, tears through the very fabric of reality, forging a passage to the Domain of Stars, the celestial cradle from which the dragons once descended.
As the scriptures recount with reverent awe, during this mystical convergence, a fragment of the soul of Ghydra, the first dragon to walk amongst mortals, descends like a star from the heavens. This divine spark seeks its corporeal vessel, merging with the mortal's soul in a spectacle of cosmic unity. Thus, the Dragonborn is named, now a conduit of ancient power, bearing within them the collective might and wisdom of all Dragonborns who have come before. They stand as both guardian and champion, a beacon of hope in times of direst need.
The Omitted One
Beyond the well-trodden pages of the Scriptures, there lie fragmented tales woven into the oldest parchments, speaking of a deity whose name and deeds are shrouded in mystery and caution. These ancient texts, precursors to contemporary religious doctrine, whisper of an additional dragon-god, a figure estranged from the recognized pantheon. The scarce details that survive paint a picture of a metallic leviathan, awakening in a time known as the Erudite Dominion, its heart ablaze with the fires of rebellion against its celestial kin.
This draconic deity, fierce and untamed, embarked on a cataclysmic campaign against the other titans, its motives as enigmatic as its origins. The chronicles speak not of victory nor defeat but of a cessation, an abrupt end to this celestial insurgence. It is insinuated that through means lost to time, this metallic harbinger of strife was stilled, its rampage quelled by forces unknown. Hints and allegories suggest a binding, a temporal stasis likened to an eternal frost, confining the beast in a realm or prison from which there is no liberation.
Deus Occisor
Scholars and interpreters of ancient lore have long speculated upon this cryptic tale, debating its implications and the veracity of its content. Among the most prevailing of theories is the conjecture that this forgotten god lies entombed not in metaphor but in literal ice, ensnared within the frozen wastes north of Iskala, in the desolate expanses of the Bankis. Here, it is surmised, the deity remains in timeless slumber, a prisoner of its icy bastille.
In these ancient texts, the entity is ominously dubbed Deus Occisor, a term that chills the scholarly soul, translating to the harrowing title of “god killer.” This nomenclature alone has ignited endless debate amongst historians, clerics, and arcanists alike, all grappling with the potential ramifications of such a being's existence and the profound impact it holds on the understood history of Terra and its divine overseers.