BEFORE THE ZENITHAL - WORLD ORIGINS

SPIRITS OF NATURE : THE ORIGINAL “GODS OF GOTHENYA”
Man and Vess’ka. The two native species of our world. Ever at odds. Possibly due to the inherent difficulty in communication. Vess’ka having not the vocal chords capable of human speech, and early man not yet advanced enough to receive the high frequency telepathic signals of the mantis-folk.
The Vess’ka are remarkably advanced. And even from the beginning, had a mind for the sciences that seemed to reject the notion of creator gods (and pretty much all gods). Could this be the influence of the Great Race of Yth?
Man, however was burdened with assigning reason to the forces of nature that terrified those in the dark. The Spirits of Nature coalesced. Were they real? Possibly guiding man to his myths? We’re they hold overs from The (original) Lost Colony of Earth?
How did man come to blossom here, on the dregs of our universe? It is known to us Boorka that the modern gods of Gothenya are remnants of a Lost colony of men, advanced as they were. Advanced enough to require a née branding of sorts. The Ulta. But as for the seeds of creation themselves? From the dirt of which man first rose even before the arrival of Celene.
There are alternate theories. Of course there are…
What if, they postulate, what if the vess’ka were in fact the only native species to be born of a Gothenya without outside interference?
What if man, not the evolved man of the Ulta, but man as we know him today… what if man was actually brought here along with Celene? Part of the Lost Colony? Surely the Ulta had their noble servants in the Vala’suun. And also their engineers, hand-crafted from the very primal elements, and set to specific tasks.
But what beyond? What of the menial tasks? Those beneath the Vala’suun, and not nearly specialized enough for the Strout or the Grogan? Could evolution itself be subject to a caste system of sorts? Reserved but for those of ample means or power? Or necessary (or cultural) talent?
The 1%… Could they alone be the Ulta? Evolved from common human stock, leaving those of lesser means behind? Of course to quell any potential uprising, a new history would need to be crafted. One where man was not so apparently enslaved and belittled by their Ulta masters. One where godhood was aspirational. Or at least exemplified as a paragon of the universe and it’s living glory.
But why not simply have the text represent a slightly different falsehood? One where the Ulta themselves created man “in their own image?” Perhaps it has something to do with racial memory. Man may not remember the specifics, the stories of old never passed down through any oral tradition or otherwise. But there could be a sense… a feeling of truth. The drive towards freedom is strong in humanity. They would genetically remember a period of enslavement. And possible emancipation.
So who put them in shackles? Well, the first gods of Gothenya, naturally. The Spirits of Nature. Beings wholly unlike man, and thus not much invested in their well being. Useful tools. The truth of the Ulta simply assigned to a convenient boogeyman of sorts. One cannot fathom the mind of the unfathomable. The Spirits of Nature were so alien, so specific yet vague at once, that their motives were beyond true comprehension. Clearly perfect scapegoats for a ruling class that could foresee the dangers in continuing the involuntary servitude of man.
No, the new gods would inspire man. Towards great heights of servitude. Willing slaves. Bound by a credo handed down as natural law. Divine law. Thus control would be veiled in a pleasing manner. Giving hope to those residents of a harsh, unforgiving world.
If ever a representative from the original linked colonies were to find their lost brethren, the truth might come out. Would these other travelers have human slaves of their own? Or would the stratification of the artificial “classes” have been abandoned ages past?
Perhaps in the linked colonies, all are now Ulta. Or, more interestingly, the Ulta could be finally seen as a false progression. Not evolution, but an exogenous corruption. Fit to be abandoned. Left behind long ago.
Could the ultimate power corrupt ultimately? Could the enlightened humans of the linked colonies be aware of this… and as such took the steps to mitigate it? To save their species…
In the Ulta, it seems, the gratification of self comes before all else. Altruism has failed. And any species lacking a proper degree of altruism and community mindedness, eventually self-elects to be written out of the survivalist book of the universe. The Ulta, the assumed “pinnacle of man,” is in fact a preordained genocide.
**** If we go with this new notion that perhaps man was not indigenous to Gothenya (or transplanted from an even earlier lost colony), then they’d have been sold a false history by the Ulta. They came here aboard Celene. They were slaves. Lower caste. Disposable. Not allowed to “evolve” as the Ulta. There would be reason to deny them their heritage, or the truth about their immigration status…
If humans knew they were aboard Celene, they might feel a sense of propriety over it. Like they should have access. That it’s not just Godshome, but there’s too. If then denied, they’d likely find out that they are/were deemed unworthy. Which might lead to them discovering the truth about their indentured servitude. *****

On the Abundant Variety of Intelligent Species…

As noted elsewhere, the Vess’ka and (perhaps) the human are the only sapient beings who can call Gothenya their native home. Well, if certain historians are to be humored in their hypotheticals, you could perhaps include an extant “race” of imperious snake people alleged to predate even the Lumerian age.
So how then do we get to the broad sampling of intelligences from various and distinct taxonomies that our world claims today?
There are several presumed sources…
They all seem to have one thing in common…
None of them predated the arrival of Mount Celene.
1. The Churn and its mutations. The deft and artistic hand of the idiot maker, as it were.
2. The Grogan and (assuredly) the Strout. Origin of the Fortreal, along with essentially any flora exhibiting locomotion or a base intellect.
3. Influxes/incursions from other planes/dimensions. If only there was a catalogue of such things. The Boorka can be rightfully blamed for the occasional unwanted Vu’un. They never pick up after themselves. I refer to both parties in this matter.
4. Magically accelerated evolutionary experiments/accidents, primarily involving the lower beasts. But thought, most infamously, to include the mironesra.
5. Utter hoaxes and honest myths.

Gods & Celestial Cohabitation…

1. How is it possible that the entirety of the greater pantheon (Zenithal and beyond) all live within the confines of Celene? Aren’t groups of them at severe odds with each other?
2. Is it the will of the Zenithal that all the lords of heaven appreciate the balance of the universe? Do they serve as an example to men, who are warlike by nature and therefore not yet properly evolved?
3. Besides, the holy mountain is immense and said to contain many separate kingdoms. Its geography may not even match the size of its exterior. Who can know the minds and ways of the gods?
4. Obviously those with proper access know the truth is far more insidious. The Ulta are, or are intended to be, all in cahoots towards the Great Deception.

Gods of the Non-Human Species

Vala’suun & Vu’un are two of the few species that do not worship or pay homage to any gods. They do interact with what they believe to be sentient elemental forces (of Chaos and Law), but do not see these as occupying a status greater than their own. This is not atheism as we understand it, rather that the Solti (for example) acknowledge entities with godlike powers. They just don’t, in their arrogance some would say, see them as any more elevated than themselves.