The Beast of the Separation

"It's interesting." Kyris flipped open another old tome and pointed. "The majority of the cultures that became Etoilean share the Beast myth."
Alistair was scratching out notes. "Makes sense if it's part of some shared history, but this is the Beast mythology we're talking about. It's a kid's tale. Maybe it was just really popular in antiquity."
"I suppose that's more likely than any interpretation of it being real." Kyris frowned. "Could you imagine, though? A God-Beast literally just choosing who lives and who dies, doesn't matter how good or bad you were, doesn't matter what you did. If religion and myths are supposed to teach people how to behave, this one does a pretty bad job of it."
"My opinion? It's probably an allegory for disease of some sort." Alistair dipped his quill. "Or maybe some natural disaster? It'd be a pretty common mental justification for survivorship guilt, if there was a big flood or earthquake or something at the same time that the Origin Question is concerned with."

Summary

The Beast of the Separation is a myth common across Western Saibh. Small details vary but the general idea remains the same. In ancient times, mankind was entrusted with power by the Gods, and recklessly abused that power. Such was the degree of humanity's spite that there was no path to achieve anything other than the state of nature - anything one person built, another person would destroy. This pointless cycle displeased the Gods, who watched as those to whom they had entrusted the world do little other than scar it.

A curiosity entered the world one day, a great animal, one unable to be harmed by the feckless elements of mankind that attempted to destroy it. Some say the animal was bear-like, others, as a lion, others, as a massive roc, but in each case the Beast did little at first, merely watching the humans around it with disinterest. Eventually, mankind began to ignore it, and the pace of creation and destruction continued around it unrelenting.

Until one day, the Beast let loose a roar. The roar wiped away all of creation, but mankind, empowered by the will of the Gods, remained unaffected. There was, however, a great perturbation:

"Why did you destroy what I was creating?"
"Why did you destroy what I wanted to destroy?"

The Beast ignored these questions as little more than noise, and mankind returned to its bickering and conflict. Until another day, when suddenly, the powers that mankind had vanished, and in a blink, the Beast roared again. In a great wave echoing across the world, nine out of every ten people were rendered to a shimmering light, all drawn to the Beast and eaten in a ravenous feast.

Mankind was thus separated from its omnipotence, separated from the glory of creation and the horror of destruction, and was subject to a great cruelty; yet in this singular act, the survivors were taught Temperance, and the Beast, after finishing its meal, vanished, never to be seen again.

Historical Basis

The omnipresence of this myth on all of the civilizations of Western Saibh indicate some grain of truth, but the nature as to what is a great debate. The scientific debate is known as the 'Origin Question', the question of the origins of mankind. No hard evidence of any great disaster or calamity has been discovered in archaeology, leaving open the question as to what exactly the 'Beast' is or what it represents as a metaphor, if anything.

Spread

Although a common myth, the concerted effort of the First Princeps to redirect focus on enlightened reason has caused most people to not pay mythology much attention. These days, it's little more than fairy tale, and a pretty poor one for getting a child to sleep at night.

Variations & Mutation

The myth is remarkably similar in its retellings, with the only major difference being the type of animal the 'Beast' is. All other details are consistent.

Cultural Reception

Modern Etoilean culture has relegated this particular myth to the back burner; it is considered unseemly for a researcher of the Origin Question to take the myth seriously.

In Literature

The transcription of oral histories to written anthology nearly always included some variant of the Beast myth, but there are no other obviously related works that deal with the subject.

In Art

A great mural of the Beast of the Separation adorns the side of the Magister's Court in the Etoile Capital City, but no historical artistic depictions have survived to the present.

Date of First Recording

The earliest written record of this myth dates from roughly 800PH, before the dawn of recorded History.

Related Locations

• Saibh