Pantheonic History

This section <will contain> the story and trials of Saratta's Pantheon. It will be broken up into chronological chapters detailing the interactions of the gods and how major shifts in the pantheon brought the world to where it is today. Like the rest of the topics on this site, writing the history is an ongoing process - its all up in my head, but sometimes it is easier to talk about to people than it is to place into words. Until all of the history has been written into a story format, what I post here will be rough and unrevised. If you should see errors or blatant inconsistencies tell me or highlight them on the page so I can make the proper changes.

 - Tim

From Beyond the Void: The Gathering of the First gods

-more stuff goes here-

Tides of Undeath: The Rise of Brashq and the Origin of Lycanthropy.

Sendall approached his father.

“Father, I must make a request of you.”

Surdem leveled a stern, unapproachable gaze upon his youngest son. Undeterred, Sendall continued.

“The souls of beasts, animals, and birds... they are innocent beings come to serve for the greater good. They follow the cycle of life and when they die they must reincarnate. Then there is the realm of man. They are unjust, defiant, and crude. They war and fight, steal and lie, and yet they may pass beyond the Last Gate.”

“That is the way it is, the way it has always been and the way it shall remain. I will not hear your request for I already know what it will be.” Surdem answered, finality in his voice.

Bowing his head to his father's will, despite the anger he felt, Sendall left and went to find his brother. He found Brashq cloaked in night, a razor edged Bladee in hand.

“Brother.” Brashq said as Sendall approached, not bothering to look for he knew his brothers presence without needing to. “What troubles you? What do you need?”

Sendall stepped before his brother, an angry frown cutting across his face. Brashq's eyes remained closed, envisioning something in the realm of men. The sword rose up and swished, flashing inches from his face. The lord of Beasts did not flinch, for it was not him the blade was aimed at. Both brothers felt the beat of a man end, his soul streaming on to the Last Gate where it would be opened by their father, regardless of the mans sins.

“He didn't even hear me out!” Sendall burst as Brashq opened his frigid blue eyes. A scowl broke on Brashq's face as he heard his brothers words. He turned, his glare seeking out their father who was nowhere to be found.

“How many times is that now? Does he think us ignorant of the ways of other gods?” Brashq's voice matched his eyes, hard in tone and cold in regard to their father. “I will go to him this time. He can't ignore both of us. There is no need for your creations to be forced to endure the torment of man again and again. It is an unjust punishment with no crime.”

“Do you think he'll listen?”

“No. But he WILL hear my words.”

Brashq set out, approaching the Throne of the Last Gate. Atop the Throne sat Surdem, passing souls on with the wave of a hand, or stopping them; denying them access so that they might be punished or resurrected.

“You ignored him.” Brashq spat. Surdem did not even look down. He ignored his son's outburst and continued his judgment. “Allow the souls of beasts to pass beyond the gate.”

“No.”

“Then tell me why. Explain to my why the corruption and filth of man is more acceptable than the spirits of the pure.”

“That is the way it is. The way it shall always be. I will not hear this request from you or any other again.”

Brashq's glare bore into the figure upon the Throne who waved his son onward. Brashq turned, and with a crack of thunder was gone. Beneath the heavens on Saratta, mortals trembled.

During these ancient days many Druids were obedient to the lord of Beasts. This was before the elemental gods assumed the mantle over beasts and seas, and the true lord of Nature's rule was unbroken and unmatched. In these times, the gods could still venture onto the world for short times. It was into this land that Brashq appeared before the Druids in a flash of lightning and rolling thunder.

Trembling before the full blown power of the god of Vengeance, the druids fell to their knees begging for him to have mercy for they did not know what transgression they may have caused to call him to them.

“Silence.” Brashq commanded, and they grew still, tears beading upon their eyes as they gazed upon their doom. “I am here to pass a judgment. It does not fall upon your heads, but weighs instead upon your shoulders. What you will do for me this day, you shall do tenfold in the name of my Brother. Open your souls to the spirits of the beasts. House them within your body so that they may pass beyond the Last Gate at your death.”

The druids paled. The bring another soul besides your own to the Last Gate was a damnable offense. They would be smote and flayed a thousand times over in the Burning Eternities. Unending agony and despair at the beck of the god of Death. One druid stood out from the rest; called Heskall by his peers, spoke,

“Oh lord of flashing eyes, thy blade is honed by the heavens, thy name makes mortals tremble. Ye who showers mercies upon they whom justice has mocked. Oh great one, oh lord of Vengeance, I shall do as ye ask.”

“You show unwavering faith to gods beyond simply my Brother. For it you shall be blessed. Where there surely will be those damned by Surdem, your spirit shall not be touched. You will reach the Last Gate and return, again and again as you should see fit. Arise my servant, faithful to my Brother, and gather souls so that they may defeat the Last Gate.”

Heskall stood, empowered by the words of a god and strode out into the wilderness. There he found a dying wolf, called Marisha. He wooed the dying animal, and as its spirit departed he captured in while it remained a wolf and drew it into his being; the first harvested soul.

“For the rest of you who have kept your heads down, do not think that I shall forget you after the lord of the Dead has damned you. Your sacrifice shall be remember, and my Brother will seek you out and free you from your torments.”

Many of the druids stood then and went out, seeking to do their lord and his kingdom justice, but there were others still who turned from their path and conspired with others to abandon the Beast lord. They, called the Preservers, would see a world of hardship the rest of their days.

Those druids who had followed the path presented to them by Brashq began to call themselves the Sendallese, after their lord. It was not long before Sendall caught on to what they were doing, and was greatly pleased. To the druids who favored his will and gathered the spirits of animals he gave the power to transform into the beast whose soul they kept. The druids were only allowed to take one form, for the stress of making ones soul home to multiple types of animals would cause them to expire quickly. Sendall did not want this, for he was familiar with the tenants of his father. These druids did this of their own will, but he did what he could to ensure their survival.

These were the first, the True Lycanthropes. They began to band together and create families and homes. The children of these druids could transform themselves at will, like their parents before them. This shapeshifting ability can coupled with making the body home to animal spirits. Some were bothered by this, not wanting to damn their children the way they would be damned, but they were assured by Sendall that no harm would come to the children.

As time passed, the first generation grew old. Weary of keeping so many with them their bodies failed and they joined the stream of souls just as their ancestors had. The animal spirits clung to the host soul, moving with it as one. When the approached the Last Gate, Surdem greeted them with little more than a wave, acknowledging that they could pass through. So used to this duty was the great god of Death that he ignored the presence of other spirits, for they were not of man or elf. It was not until they has gone beyond his reach, and the animals detached themselves from the host soul did he realize what had been done. Surdem howled in rage. This was not the natural order! His order! His son was deliberately ignoring him. He was right, and none other would challenge his will.

The god of the Dead drew himself up from his Throne, bones of the dead knitted into armor and settled upon his form. He tore chains off of the Throne, brandishing them as a whip, and lashed out into the crowd of souls, gathering up the other deceivers. They were captures, and there was little they could do.

“HOW DARE YOU! YOU WERE GIVEN LIFE, TOLD HOW TO LIVE IN ORDER TO PASS ON AND YOU CHOSE INSTEAD TO DECEIVE ME!!!” the god roared, his voice splitting the sky over Mysorra so that all of the others, especially his son, might hear. “THEIR SOULS ARE DAMNED BECAUSE OF YOUR FOLLY!”

“They do this by choice, father. Not because I demand it” Sendall said feebly, approaching his father. As the souls of the dead saw him approach the straightened and grew bold. They let the spirits they held go and spurred them on to the Gate. There was little that Surdem could do but watch in fury. These were pure souls, and pure souls could always pass.

“Do not 'Father' me. Your deceit has shown what you are. You are no son of mine.” Surdem scowled, leveling Sendall with a glare. “Now be gone. Away from my sight for all time. I will not have you back. You act as an animal for that is what you are. Leave now, and never return.”

Sendall hung is head in shame. “As you wish.” he said, before vanishing into the Void.

“Where is my brother. He was here.” Brashq's voice was cross.

“Ah, the second of my impudent whelps come to trouble its father. You had a part in this too, but I suspect you will not simply leave...”

“Where is my brother.” Brashq demanded, his eyes narrowing.

“He has departed, with his tail between his legs like the dog he is. The fool shall never return. He is cast out for he has disobeyed me, just as you have.” Surdem lashed out with his whip, sending it toward Brashq where is bit into the young gods arm, wrapping around him as a binding. Surdem jerked the whip downward, forcing Brashq to a knee. “There is little you can hope to do against me, son. I am the god of the Dead. I command Death, it heeds my call... and even gods can die.”

Brashq began to laugh though he was bound by the force of the whip.

“You think me a foolish child who does not understand what it is to be a god. Look about you! What do you see? A stream of dead, departing the lands of the living to pass on to another life. But look, watch and see.” Brashq bent down beside one of the souls and whispered into its ear. Surdem could not make out what was said, but the spirit blazed with life and was gone. It never reached the Gate, but simply vanished. Others began to line up in its place, speaking with the god before them.

“What are you doing boy?” the elder god began.

“I am taking your Throne, casting you out.” Brashq said. As he looked up, a transformation had already begun to occur on the younger gods features. Bone now appeared where flesh had been, adding sinister features to an already dark god. “I give them life so that they may not serve you.”

“You cannot usurp my throne so easily child.” Surdem drew back another chain and sent it flying toward Brashq. As it neared its target, ready to bind him further, the whip was reflected by unseen force. Brashq rose to his feet, casting off the other length of chain like a tattered strand of string. With a quick flick of his wrist he sent the chain back at Surdem. The force caught the god by surprise, slamming him against the frame of the Gate. The chain continued around it, wrapping itself up the side binding Surdem to it. He tried to pull free but could not.

“Before I leave you here to be forgotten I have one last question for you father.” Brashq mocked the final word and then grew deathly. “Where is my Brother.”