The great conquering
Summary
The story begins by stating that Bator was not always within the system it is now, with it instead being the lair of three ''mad'' gods in the plane of Limbo. These gods where Que'Tar, Baronie, and Karles. They supposedly rampaged through limbo as they devoured the beings inside it to ''keep them in check''. Then it says how the ''sane'' gods Primus, Krtsk, and Sereté build the crystal sphere around a hole the inhabitants of Limbo, the slaad, had made into the material realm and ''plucked'' Bator from Limbo to stop the Slaad from invading the material plane.
Then it says that the wounds the mad gods sustained in their rampage bled the world. Blood became magma, shells became plants, and pus became seas. Then it says that all the gods brought things over from across the multiverse to shape Bator and the realm it is in to what it is.
Finally, it says that the gods created the races which now reside in Bator. Including the giants, dragons, humans, and Kobolds.
Historical Basis
The actual events of the story are largely impossible to find a historical basis for. The story itself is so ancient and the very mythical nature of the tale make it nigh impossible to prove or disprove; the largest of the debates possible being ''There is no scientific evidence the storm clouds are warriors'' ''but there is no evidence saying they aren't''.
However, there is some evidence. First off all, the fact that the very gods mentioned in this tale have corroborated the events. Actual seances with Sereté have resulted in the same god stating her role in the creation of Bator was pretty much what was stated in the story. Same such occurrences and corroborations have come from Que'Tar, Primus, and Baronie, and the gods not mentioned previously have at least eluded to something along the lines of the story being true, with a direct proclamation of Krtsk being ''You should thank me for bringing the Hierarchy of the lower planes to your people, mortal'' insinuating that even if it wasn't from the Nine-Hels the gods did bring things from other planes to build Bator.
Spread
The myth is a rather common one. It has been featured in all major religions of Bator in some form and is even generally accepted to be the origin of Bator by most scientific institutions. Differences occur from region to region but it can be expected that everyone knows the tale in at least some form.
Variations & Mutation
The main, known, alterations depend on which religion you get the tale from. Tarrasqueists, the worshipers of Que'Tar, tends to have their telling of the tale accentuate the roles of Que'Tar and the Mad Gods in the creation of Bator or its defense while Krtsksts tend to accentuate the chaos of the world before the Sane Gods arrived and try and paint their order as well as possible. These can be expected, of course worshipers of a particular god will try and paint their god in the best a light as possible but there is a particular version that distorts this idea.
This is the originalist version of the tale. Originalists believe that Bator should never have been pulled from Limbo and that it was wrong of the Sane Gods to intervene with the expansion of Limbo. Their version of the tale includes graphic detail of writhing and pain that the Sane Gods inflict upon the very weave in their attempt to take Bator from Limbo and how their cold disdain for free, untethered will are despicable.
Cultural Reception
The story is very significant to the entire Batorian identity. From the Célébrer Tarrasqueborn in the Underdark, the Fete Elves in the sky harbors, to the seguaci di nuvole Medusea. All have some interest in the story and use it to define themselves. From rooting their ancestry to one of the gods in the tale, holding some relic from this time, being defined by their absence from the tale, modelling themselves to what their god supposedly wanted them to be, and more.
It is a constant in culture across the world and a vestige of both hope, for those who hope for the gods to return and repair their world, and disillusionment, for those who believe the gods will never come and are only reminded of that by it.
The only culture on Bator not in some way defined by the tale, or at least the mythology around it, are the Gnomes but given their alien nature and only having arrived on Bator 700 years ago this is to be expected.
In Literature
This story has been subject of countless scientific studies, poems, retellings, and stories based around it. The most noteable ones, that survived to today, are ''The great conquering: A case study'', an anthropological study behind the origins of the tale by Alejandro Di Mars, ''Aaldrik Janson and the Shells of nature'', a fictional story abouyt a hero who discovers ancient shells from the armor of Baronie that give him powr of nature by Sien van Smit, and ''The rising of spheres'', a song which retells the tale with added verses to go into even further detail by Jaque DeMer.
In Art
There are many pieces of art dedicated to the tale. Statues in public squares depicting the Sane Gods plucking Bator from Limbo, songs singing the assembly of the world, frescoes in churches depicting the Mad Gods on their rampage, tapestries in royal courts serving as symbolic representations of the ruling families by showing the Gods' emblems, and more.
Date of First Recording
Oral recordings: ?/?/?. Scriptural recording: 8347 B.C.
Date of Setting
The beginning of time in the realm of Bator.
Telling / Prose
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