Čimthuz Oveřina I: Ancient Mythology : view article

The čelum esya, people of the world, are the descendants of three ancient races who believe the world was created by two spheres of light that orbited each other for eons until the energy between them grew so great that they fused, unleashing matter into the void in the shape of dark, lifeless rocks and bright, shining stars. Two beings were also created in this explosion: Tar Reš and Tar Hěth, who decided to bring life into the world.

Tar Hěth began by opening up the core of the earth and using the fire within to build up mountains and volcanoes and other geological features. Her breath became the wind and her sweat filled great basins that became the seas and oceans of Esya. She breathed into the dirt and from it grew trees and grass and other plant life. Meanwhile, Tar Reš used pieces of his own body to create thousands of species of animals and insects that roamed the land, seas, and skies.

After their labors were finished, they each took half of their brains and fused it into one, thus creating a new being who would come to be known as Tar Ilam, or the Great God. They instructed him to watch over the land and take care of all they had made. Tar Reš then ascended into the sky as the sun while Tar Hěth became the moon and they watched over their creations until the end of days.

Tar Ilam then created six other beings to help him protect and watch over different parts of Esya:

Name	Meaning	Dominion
Tar Miša	"God of Night"	Guarded the Realm of the Dead
Tar Avispusam	"God of Warriors"	Mining, stonework, metalwork, war, strength
Tar Sighepusam	"God of Prophets"	Wisdom, knowledge, the future, the past, visions
Tar Žespusam	"God of Healers"	Healing, plants, nature, the harvest
Tar Telam	"God of Seas"	Sailing, aquatic life, the weather
Tar Vakyřam	"God of Celebrations"	Festivities, wine, luck, trickery

Each Tar was instructed to create some form of sentient being to their liking in order to further help them organize and protect the world.

Tar Avispusam created humans out of stone and were tasked with helping him subdue the forces of nature. Initially they preferred living around or underneath mountains and hills as miners and forgers, but after the Raising of Tiranak they shifted their focus to building civilizations and displaying their extreme wealth via power and expansive empires. By the time of the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1030 GO (Ghěrešum Orot: The Common Years) they were one of two governing races in Esya.

Tar Sighepusam and Tar Žespusam created the esodum, or elves, to protect the wildlife and nature. Those designed by Tar Sighepusam had a very subtle lilac tone to their skin, thus earning them the name esodotizum or Purple Elves. Following the Night War (see below), she permitted them access via a mental link to her magic, thus allowing them to cast spells and, in rare cases, foresee the future. Only descendants of the original esodotizum can therefore cast spells, as the mental link is hereditary. Descendants of elves who had offspring with humans had weaker magical capabilities than their pure esodotizum brethren. The esodotizum, along with humans, were one of the two governing races by the time of the Restoration in 1030 GO. The elves created by Tar Žespusam did not have magical abilities, but were profoundly capable of bending nature to their will and living as one with the wildlife around them. They were extremely pacifist, only going to war when it was brought upon them. The subtle shade of green that colored their skin led to the name esodfalum, or Green Elves. Both races of elves were taller and generally leaner than the stocky humans built by Tar Avispusam.

Tar Telam created the Merpeople (esodtelam, Sea Elves) to govern the sea. They are not friendly with men and throughout time humans have learned to avoid sailing the deep, open parts of the sea to avoid the inexplicable vanishings that frequently happen to those ships who stray too far from shore. This enmity between men and merpeople steps from the feud between Tar Telam and Tar Avispusam. Merpeople swore eternal enmity towards Tar Avispus and his creations following their revolt and attack on Tyranoq. With that said, they are relatively friendly with elven kind, most of all with the green elves of Tar Žespusam. They cannot produce magic.

Pixies (esoděpum, Small Elves) were created by Tar Vakyřam. They are small creatures with humanoid shape and rainbow feather wings that allow them to fly around. Their bodies are translucent and their insides glow in a number of different colors, often lighting up forests and fields at nighttime. They are wary of other living creatures and they have small amounts of venom in their teeth to ward of anyone who tries to catch them. The venom isn’t fatal for men or elves, but it will leave them with a terrible rash and fever for a few days. The only time they willingly come into contact with men is during a celebration, which they can sense from fifty miles away. All the pixies in the area will flock to the region and act as a light spectacle as they get drunk on glasses of wine that had been left lying on tables and forgotten in the drunken revelry.

Wights are now extinct, but they were the dead bodies of men and elves reanimated by Tar Miša at the beginning of his rebellion. They were skeletal thin with long, hollow faces and tight skin that looked like it was stretched to the point of breaking. Their eye sockets were empty and they were freezing cold to the touch, bringing on a cold frost to their surroundings if there were only a few of them, or a full blown blizzard when they marched in groups. All wights were returned to their unanimated dead states following the conclusion of the war.

[top]Pre-history

Ghěrešum Tarkaizul, Divine Years, (abbreviated GT) refers to the period of time before the Raising of Tiranak, the conceptual equivalent of BCE (Before Common Era). The first period in this era is defined by the creations of the gods roaming Esya and developing proto-civilizations while the Tarum, the gods, remained on Tiranak. This period ended with the Night War. The second period of the Ghěrešum Tarkaizul saw all surviving creations (with at least one notable exception, explained below) move to live with the Tarum on Tiranak. This period ended with the ohělake esodtelam, or the Sea Elves' Rebellion, which gave way to the Expulsion and the Raising of Tiranak.

Following the creation of humans and all the different species of elves, the Tarum put them on the land on the other side of the sea from their home island, Tiranak. (Obviously, the sea elves remained in the water). For a number of centuries, the Čelum wihp šus vukovu, the "beings that came before" or first people, extended over the land northward in small groups. Following the centuries-long northward push, many millennia passed. There was minimal intermingling of species in the beginning of this period, but the barriers slowly eroded and led to more interaction.

Humans moved northward into the long mountain range that ran along the western edge of the continent and extended all the way into the northwestern corner. Over the entire period before the Night War, humans mined and delved into mountains, extracting precious metals and minerals. Their towns and the very few cities that they managed to build in this era lined the outside of the mountains.

The esodotizum preferred the wooded forest area in the center of the continent that was nestled into a valley of the main mountain range. A small contingent of this species moved into the far north, what would later be known as Erkalja. They worked with nature and lived off the earth by hunting and gathering and trading with other elven tribes throughout Esya. A few disparate groups built permanent cities and towns, but most remained mobile.

The esodfalum were friendliest with the esodtelum and lived close to the eastern shore of the continent. They among all species of beings during this period extended the furthest north and the majority of them eventually ended up in the far northeast corner of the continent prior to the Night War. They made their primary living off of fishing.

Economically, this period involved a lot of trading between the different species of elves and the various human towns and cities. The purple elves traded meats, herbs, spices, and lumber; the green elves: fish and wheat; humans: metals, gems, and minerals. There was very little inter-group fighting during this period, a pacifism brought on by high levels of religiosity. All throughout the continent, on mountain peaks and in valleys, in forest clearings and on small islands that dotted the waterways, shrines and massive stone monuments to the various tarum could be seen. Following the vast destruction of the Night War, these temples were some of the few remnants of the early days of life.

That's not to say strife did not break out, according to legends. (It is also important to bear in mind that, due to a lack of writing during this period [whether from a lack of a writing system altogether or the lack of any surviving documents is unclear] everything known about the days before the exodus from Tiranak is purely from word-of-mouth tales passed on through the generations, which undoubtedly suffered severe embellishments, deletions, and fabrications throughout the years).

One such story tells of a young green elf living on the far east coast of the continent. One morning he set out in his father's boat to do the daily fishing, despite ominous clouds in the distance. As the morning hours dragged on the sky got ever darker, eventually unleashing a terrible storm. In the veil of rain, wind, and lightning the elf was dragged so far out to sea that he could just barely make out the shoreline behind him. Eventually the storm let up and the clouds parted, and the elf decided to continue fishing since he was already out in the water. The water was the deepest he had ever sailed in and it was hard to make out specific shapes below the deep blue hue of the waves. Spear in hand, he jabbed at a number of shadowy figures swimming below him, accidentally fatally spearing a sea elf.

In retaliation, the clan of sea elves that lived off the northeastern shore of the continent prayed to Tar Telam to avenge them. The god responded by raising the sea and flooding the fields that clan of green elves used to grow food, thus ushering in a famine that lasted the entire year. The majority of the elves decided to retreat to safer coastlines and moved more northward into the interior of the continent (also choosing to mix with the sparse numbers of purple elves in the northern forest to the west). Those that stayed behind were routinely ambushed by the sea elves whenever they attempted to fish off the coast, and they all died soon thereafter.

Similarly violent clashes also occurred elsewhere in Esya during this period. Along the foothills of the western mountain range along the edge of the large forest, humans and purple elves occasionally skirmished over land disputes and jurisdictional affairs. One particularly harsh winter saw a large group of purple elves attempt to temporarily relocate underneath the protection of the nearby mountains, but humans who lived in and around the mountains blocked them, stating it would make working in the mines, their livelihood, impossible. After some minor escalation that led to at least one public brawl between the two groups, the leaders of the opposing factions worked out a treaty to share common space and give shelter to those fleeing the dangerous weather.

But, all in all, the first era of sentient life on Esya was one of peace and prosperity. Tens of millennia after the first human or elf drew their first breath, however, Tar Miša ignited an apocalyptic rebellion that threatened all existence.

[top]The Night War, or: The Rebellion of Tar Miša

Tar Miša was the God of Death. Technically, his name means "God of Night," but his post was death and death was all he knew. The inhabitants of Esya actively worshipped his siblings; they prayed to Tar Telam for good weather, Tar Avispusam for strength, etc. However, the only time they invoked the name of Tar Miša was in fear, to beg him to stay away, to hope he would fail to do his job.

For many thousands of years, Tar Miša did do his job. He collected the souls of those who passed away and guarded them in the cavernous, laberynthine halls of Ljřet Tiranaka, the titanic mountain that covers most of Tiranak. Occasionally, particularly powerful souls would be re-released into Esya in a form of reincarnation, a belief deeply ingrained in the spiritual system of humans and esodum. Tar Miša grew bored, irritated, and eventually infuriated that he was the bringer of death and guardian of souls and yet his subjects failed to offer him even the tiniest sliver of respect. So he hatched a plan.

In one monumental stroke, Tar Miša unlocked the gargantuan gates at the base of Ljřet Tiranaka and allowed millions of souls to exit back into the world as beings referred to as wights. As servants of death, their presence brought death. For plants, it was an unseasonal frost that froze roots from the smallest flower to the thickest tree. For humans, it was sickness, famine, and a bitter emptiness that made them feel like life was not worth living. If the inhabitants of Esya wouldn't respect Tar Miša in life, they would obey him in death.

His onslaught was not immediately successful, however. Tar Reš, the sun, was an effective deterrent to the wights, who could stand neither the sunlight nor the heat. The wights that left Ljřet Tiranaka soon withered into nothingness under the burning rays of Tar Rěs.

To protect his servants, Tar Miša turned into a cold shadow and enveloped Tar Reš. The icy darkness put out the sun's heat and light, and Tar Reš fell from the sky. He landed on the peak of Ljřet Tiranaka and his corporeal form was broken for the rest of eternity. Tar Hěth, the moon, feared the same fate as Tar Reš and fled below the horizon line to save herself from Tar Miša. The remaining Tarum gathered on the Isle of Ilam in the bay to the west of the main island of Tiranak. With their combined power, they managed to stave off the onslaught of wights.

Thus, a permanent state of nighttime was cast upon Esya and the world grew cold. The wights erupted out of Tiranak with unprecedented strength and spread to the furthest corners of the world, bringing with them their sickness and death to everything they came into contact with. The entire mainland of Tiranak turned into a frozen wateland roamed by the undead of Tar Miša. He soon realized he wouldn't be able to assault the Isle of Ilam directly and instead directed his fury towards the rest of the inhabitants of Esya. He froze over the seas and sent an intolerable winter to the mainlands. To protect themselves, the humans of Tar Avispusam retreated deeper into their mountains to protect themselves from the cold. In the beginning of the attack, they opened their doors to the esodum and other creatures to protect them. There, deep inside the land, they waited as the world outside withered.

Back on the Isle of Ilam the remaining tarum held a council on how to undo the evil of Tar Miša. Tar Avispusam suggested that he use his dominion over mountains and the core of the world to cover all of Esya in lava to melt the work of their brother. When the wights were dead and gone, he would leave the Isle of Ilam to confront Tar Miša in one-to-one combat and slay him. Their creations, meanwhile, would be invited to come live on the Isle of Ilam. To that end, Tar Avispusam travelled to the underground colonies and spoke directly to the humans and elves hibernating below.

There was a fierce debate. Some humans and elves were wary to leave the safety of the mountains; traveling to the land of their Gods would require exposing themselves to the violent elements and the wights. Others claimed it would be their only hope to truly survive this war. In the end, Tar Avispusam agreed to let whoever wanted to stay behind remain in one mountain in the center of the range that runs up the western border of modern-day Oveřin. He promised that haven would be unaffected by the coming counterattack. Under the protection of their gods, the majority of humans and elves traveled for over a year through a frozen hellscape to reach the isle of Ilam. Upon finishing their journey, they built a small settlement on the coast of the island which would be the foundation for the future Pavodh Taram, the grand palace structure in which resided Tar Ilam and would be the holy center of religion for millennia to come.

Tar Avispusam unleashed the hot fury from the core of Esya through all the volcanos in the land, save the one in which resided the small contingent of humans and elves who had refused the journey to Tiranak. The lava poured out for years until the whole land was covered in a thick layer. All wights withered and all the ice melted.

Tar Miša, left without soldiers or defenses, travelled to the Isle of Ilam under a white banner of surrender. His arrival was noted by the humans and elves as a terrible storm of lightning and rain that lasted weeks. He implored forgiveness for his sins and explained the anger and hatred that had boiled over and caused him to initiate the campaign in the first place. Tar Ilam was initially sympathetic to his cause and considered eternal imprisonment under his personal watch. Tar Sighepusam supported this, having foreseen multiple ways the future could unfold and figured this would be the least consequential. Tar Avispus, however, dissented powerfully. He reminded the Tarum of the great slaughter of Tar Řes at the beginning of the war. What message would it send to say you can slay the father of all creation and get off with your life? Justice would only come in the sacrifice of Tar Miša, for his continued survival was an insult to Tar Řes and Tar Hěth. The remaining Tarum were split. Tar Telam favored imprisonment, being slightly angry with Tar Avispusam for saving all the humans and elves and other living creatures while leaving his creations, the merpeople, under the frozen seas. Tar Žespusam sided with Tar Avispusam, furious about the damage caused to his plants by the wights, and Tar Vakyřam sided with imprisonment.

In the end, Tar Ilam sided with Tar Avispusam and ordered Tar Miša to be executed. Tar Avispusam carried out the sentence, using his sword to pierce the heart of Tar Miša. As he was executed, Tar Miša smiled.

Following the conclusion of the execution and thus the war, Tar Ilam sacrificed the half of his brain that had once been a part of Tar Řes and transformed his father's essence into a new sun which was placed in the sky and reunited with Tar Hěth. Thus ended the perpetual night and The Night War.

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