Insignia Book of lore: Chapter 1: Gods

Before time actually began and the world was nothing there was a being. He didn’t know where he came from or where he was or what his purpose was. He just existed there was no beginning it just was. The only thing he knew was his name, Salarious. He could feel he was a being of great power, but he did not know what to do with said power. Then there was a time he was looking around and realized he was in fact looking but there was nothing for him to see and no way. Everything was just black. So he thought and thought straining every muscle in his brain of a way to see and that’s when it happened, an explosion of light burst from his head. It jumped from his very mind each star created from nothing and each star shone bright of all different colors they scattered far far away and all around. He had created the cosmos, and at that moment He realized his eyes were closed from the soft light that touched his eyes. He slowly opened his eyes for the first time and the sight before him astonished him. The sight was so beautiful he began to long for someone else to see it. He wanted another to revel in the glory of his creation, but most of all he longed for someone to help him. There was more to be made so much more. Then again he began to think and think and after much time had passed he had an epiphany. A piece of himself will be capable of making a new being. Salarious looked down at his hands and realized he had two thumbs on each hand. So he pulled a thumb from each hand and held them for a long time then he put them side by side, pressed them together, set them down, and they began to grow but the thumbs were stubby fingers so they made for stubby legs as they transformed and grew all the time Salarious was thinking of a name for his new son and one name came to mind. Drugan. So from thence forth the beings name was Drugan and his soul purpose was to create but he had no tools nor power to create with. So Salarious retreated back into the deep thresholds of his mind and from this time a great hammer was created and poured into it was all of Salariouses ability to create. Then Salarious gave Drugan the hammer along with a great and impossible task. Salarious ordered him to create something that matches the heavens in beauty. Drugan stared at the hammer and then looked to his father and said “I cannot, but I will make places for your stars to support and I shall call them planets,and on these planets the greatest beauty of all will be held.” So Drugan set to work. Hammering away creating the planets one by one each perfect in their own way. By the time he had finished he held the last planet within his palm and presented it to Salarious. Salaria he named it after his father. It was green with life. Green with something he called trees and grass. It was unique from the other planets in this way. The trees grew and were alive and the planet itself seemed alive. It was so beautiful that when Drugan presented it to Salarious a single tear of joy swelled in his eye and fell from his cheek it fell down on to the green planet and when it splashed it covered the planet in salt water creating the oceans, and from that tear life was also made. The fish of the sea and all the other sea life was made and at first Salarious assumed Drugan would be angry he had ruined his creation but almost immediately the sight of Drugan's face was that of great joy. The tear had improved his creation one thousand fold and he was even more proud his father had helped him make it. Then suddenly as they gazed into the blue and green orb the power of their love caused another being to leap from the ocean and into the realm of gods, and that was when for the first time they realized they all looked different. Salarious looked like what a common man would, and he bore a great beard of black hair and his head had hair just as long and it curled like waves down his head, and Drugan was short and stubby, with a bald head and a braided orange beard that fell at his knees. His arms and legs were muscular and huge and he wielded his hammer of creation, and this new being also coming from Salarious looked unique in her own way. She was tall like Salarious with dark black hair with skin so flawless she nearly glowed in the starlight, and her skin was the color of the ocean a deep blue that made her appear even more gorgeous. Neeria. That was her name Salarious proclaimed and now that there were three of them they needed a name for what they were, and again that task fell to Salarious and he deemed them gods. Creators of all, but not just that, each of them ruled something. Salarious was the god of gods he was to give out tasks and make sure everything went as planned, Drugan the god of creation he was responsible for filling this new world they had made making it more and more perfect each time they made something, and Neeria became god of the ocean. Soon after Neeria and Salarious fell in love and at this time Drugan had gone back to his forge working on a secret project. So left to each other’s company they soon married and had a beautiful baby girl, and the child of gods was indeed a god in her own right as she grew which was very fast she took upon the mantle of god of the sky and she bore a strong resemblance to her mother who was of blue tint of skin. So the sky and ocean appeared to reflect each other, but after all this time Salarious could not think of a name for her. Unlike the other gods whose names came to him instantly he couldn’t think of anything. So he asked the young god what she’d like to be called. “Sora.” she said proudly and the name rang out in Salariouses ears and he knew that was what the child’s name should be. Eventually as time past and Sora grew Neeria began to wish for another little one and so they bore another child this time a boy. He was far different from Salarious and even Neeria. He was overflowing with life and bore a strong resemblance to nature on Salaria. His skin was a dark brown like bark and his hair was the color of leaves, but as the boy grew they noticed his hair began to change to orange and red and many colors of this nature until his hair turned pure white and all the while the leaves were following his hair. This is how the four seasons were created. In the spring the leaves just like the boys hair was green then in autumn they were all different colors and then in winter when the boys hair was white the leaves all turned pure white just like snow. The boy needed a name as well and again Salarious could not think of anything so he turned to his wife Neeria and before he could even ask she named the boy Logrun god of nature. He was tasked with making sure life on Salaria flourished, and he set to it making things grow and thrive everywhere. There wasn’t an inch of Salaria covered in life in fact Salaria was filled with so much life that the world its self created something. Creatures but not just normal creatures these were tall and looked similar to Salarious but still yet different. They had pointed ears and the most beautiful faces both the men and women and they had the most beautiful hair that ran down their backs varying between jet black and stirling silver. Logrun called to Salarious to come look at these strange creatures that emerged from the planet and when he came to look he realized the planet itself was alive, and he also realized the planet itself was a god. Salarious spoke to the planet.

“Who are you and where did you come from?” Even though Salarious asked he already knew the answer. The love he and Drugan had poured into the planet during its creation was enough to bring life to the god.

“Who am I? I am your spawn. I’ve been listening and waiting and gathering my energy absorbing the power of creation to bring more life to this place, and take a form not so different from yours.” Then with a great surge of golden light a being materialized from that light. He stood tall and beautiful like the creatures of Salaria and he had silky silver hair that ran straight down his back. Life radiated from him with such intensity even the gods felt it. Then he spoke again.

“I am Everlan, god of life.” 

Without a doubt they knew what he said was true and they accepted him graciously, but he gave them a warning.

“I am the very being of life itself and I must tell you with life comes death, there is another god trapped inside the planet, but he is far different from me. He is the god of death. His name is Karrion.” Then right as he finished saying that there was another flash this time but no being was created from the light, but instead was created from the shadow the light left behind. A being of pure darkness stepped forward from the shadow and instantly the room felt dreary and gloomy. The being stepped into the light and he was exactly the opposite of Everlan. He was ugly, and vile. He radiated death and despair. As Everlan and Karrion stared at each other with obvious hatred Salarious stepped forward.

“You truly are a god, but that means you must follow my command. You Karrion will shepard the spirits of each creature from Salaria to the heavens and make sure they rest peacefully among the stars. That is your job as the god of death.” Without responding or even blinking Karrion turned from Everlan toward Salarious and with a hint of resent in his eyes he crept back into the shadows to do as he was commanded. Then Salarious turned toward Everlan who was already creating more life as they spoke. Beasts and birds insects and flowers he was making it all. Then suddenly Drugan burst into the area from his forge holding something in his hands that was not his hammer. He beckoned the gods to gather around and as they all grew close, curious of what the stubby god had made he showed them. As he opened his hands golden light shown from each crack and crevice. Once he fully opened his hands all the gods cheered for the beauty of his creation was of such magnitude they could not contain their joy.

“I call it man,” Drugan said turning towards Salarious, “and I made it for you.” Then he held the gift to Salarious. “Please do the honors of putting them on Salaria. They’re made in your image and it is their birthright to rule.” 

Salarious took the humans gently from Drugan and with as much love and care that went into making these creatures the same amount was put into spreading them over Salaria, but as Salarious spread the creatures over Salaria he began to feel something inside. He began to wish he had created something so perfect. He was jealous, and as the last human was sat upon Salaria, Salarious bid the other gods farewell and retreated to a place no one would find him, and he took with him Drugan’s hammer because without realizing Drugan had left it in his forge out of excitement for what he created. Then soon after Salarious set to work on his own project, but this was no project out of love, but one of jealousy and envy and as the god worked he made mistake after mistake. Losing his patience more and more with each new mistake, and every mistake he made he did a terrible thing instead of remaking them he set them into Salaria. Mistakes of all sorts and these were things you only see in your worst nightmares. Finally the god gave up and came to his senses but it was to late and the damage he had caused was irreversible, and when he gazed upon the planet he realized what he had done. He felt great sorrow and regret for a long time, and then an idea struck him. He gathered the gods and confessed what he had done, but none of them seemed to think any less of their king for it took someone strong to confess something like that. The god of gods felt overwhelmed by the love of his gods so he ordered each god to make another god a gift. So the gods set out working tirelessly and putting every ounce of love into their gifts that they could all except Karrion whose gift was for Everlan, and in his gift he poured all the resent he had in his heart.