Age of Green Life
Creation Myth
Much would happen during this age where creation could truly flourish for the first time. Many beasts and monsters would come to walk the earth with the Dragons as the undisputed top of the pecking order. Ivar was the first of the remaining Old Gods to have his creation dwell upon this new realm. Settling them deep in Sub-Terra so that the earth itself could be used as another layer of armor for the sturdy and indomitable people. Due to this conflicts with the dragons who typically hunted along or close to the surface were seldom. These relatively quiet days were disrupted when one day a new realm just appeared, somehow perfectly woven into the tapestry of the Sacred Barrier. Unfettered by the constraints of time and causality the lord of this realm took their place amongst the thrones of the Old Gods high above the Astral Sea as if they were always meant to be there, an enigmatic entity known simply as the Great Panjandrum.
Although Ivar took offense at a being who’d let the souls in their care grow wild, free, and unkempt (in contrast to the painstaking labor of love that the tempering of the Soulforge provided) none could deny the Great Panjandrum their claim and rightful place amongst them. In fact due to the strange nature of time in their realm some were unsure if in some ways the Great Panjandrum was now the oldest of the Old Gods in existence. The Great Panjandrum would not spend a great deal of time amongst his brethren but it is believed he had words with each of the great Old Gods, though none know of what they spoke. Not long after the Great Panjandrum had made his presence known to the powers of Gyea and beyond, that same being would undergo a drastic metamorphosis, splitting into King Oberyon and Queen Titania while simultaneously forming a bridge composed of sparkling starlight that stretched between their home (which the Great Panjandrum had named “The Unbound Kingdom”) and the world of Gyea. Those that crossed wound up in many places across the entirety of Gyea. The Elves were the first to trek across this ephemeral link between worlds and join Ivar’s dwarves as being among the world’s first people. They were soon joined by the Gnomes, Pixies, Moonhares, Kitsune, Bellabufo and various other Fey. The first interactions between the Fey settlers and the dwarves occurred when the stout folk encountered the Dark Fey in Sub-Terra (Drow, Deep Gnomes, Ratfolk, Ananzi, and Moonhares). The Dark Fey were naturally attuned with the workings of the Wyching Court (also known as the Weirding Court or Winter Court), rather than Oberyon’s Faerie Court (also known as the Reverie Court or Summer Court) and felt far more comfortable claiming their own kingdom deep within the infinite shadows of Sub-Terra. There is still theological and philosophical debate between Elves and Dwarves as to who was truly the 1st race. It is worth noting that only these two cultures are in any way invested in this debate. Immediately after the Fey came to Terra there was an unprecedented blooming and expansion of forests and jungles. Orcs, Lizardfolk, Tortles and Goblins would arrive next, seemingly spontaneously created from the world itself. This wave of green life manifesting from deep jungles, wild forests, dense primordial swamps, and jagged valleys. Seemingly beholden to no Gods besides the Earth Mother, and blessed with a deep instinctual connection and reverence for the elements and nature (or in the Goblins case a willful irreverence for nearly everything).
Tribal legends speak of the genesis of their races: The Earth Mother, as the lushness of nature expanded and elevated her to new heights of power, grew to love life so much that she bore 4 children to experience Gyea’s bounty. Knowing that the world (amazing though it was) was dangerous and would contain many trials for her children she bid each of them to ask a boon of her so that they too could flourish. The first Orc asked for the gift of bravery and strength and was blessed with the primal ferocity to take on any foe. The first Testudon asked for the gift of wisdom and understanding and was blessed with an awareness of the deep mysteries of nature and the cosmos. The first Goblin asked for the gift of change and was granted adaptability and the ability to survive where others would perish. Lastly the first Lizardfolk asked for the boon of balance, and in turn was granted a portion of each of the boons granted to the other 3. Thus were the 4 races able to grow and become plentiful upon Gyea. When these new green life forms encountered the Dragons who ruled this land they each responded in different ways.The Orcs were antagonistic towards the dragons despite suffering greatly due to their wrath, seeing the fearsome beasts as challenges that would one day all be conquered and slain. The Testudon listened to their Sages who are said to communicate directly with the sun and moon. Through their guidance and divination the Testudons were able to avoid large scale interactions and conflict with Dragons entirely. Several of the Goblin and Lizardmen tribes however, did recognize the awesome power of the children of the Primordial Dragons and worshiped them as personifications of the elements. The most clever, loyal, and fierce of these tribes were rewarded with rituals that transformed them using the power of Dragonblood that contained echoes of the power of the Primordial Dragons.
The Goblins responded to the power of this “Gift of Abraxis” in the most dramatic and profound way, the selected tribes undergoing a total transformation and becoming the species known as Kobolds. A species who with surprising speed (and probably aided by the lack of a written history) seem to have abandoned all memory of once being Goblin and now think of themselves as dragons who have been reincarnated into more compact and convenient bodies (despite this never being proven or ever even suggested to them by their Dragon benefactors.).The changes among the Lizardfolk were more subtle and gradual, often resulting in no noticeable differences outside of scale coloration (Dragonborn scales all have a strange yet unmistakable sheen). However through physical and mental training, Dragonborn were known to be able to tap into the latent potential of their Draconic blood and become fearsome warriors able to masterfully wield the powers of their heritage.
At a certain point the Primordial Dragons would depart Terra entirely, eager to explore other planes of existence. Lesser dragons through the ages would on occasion still demand fealty from a tribe discovered on its land (or in rarer cases act as true protector or patron). But rarely would these dragons have anywhere near the power or wisdom of the forebears or blood of sufficient potency to evoke a transformation (though according to legend some Dragons were (and still are) strong enough to awaken sleeping potential in Dragonborn with untapped power). Many of the Dragonborn would come to resent Dragons who did not embody the lofty ideals of their tribe, while the Kobolds would view them as overgrown, unpredictable, violent, and unruly relatives. After the departure of the Primordial Dragons conflicts between Dragons and Dwarves became increasingly common as a golden age of exploration and heroism swept through the Dwarven culture. The Father was the last Old God to seed Gyea with his people; an event that occurred near the very end of the Age of Green Life. Humanity however, would swiftly spread and multiplied. Growing his Pantheonic family rapidly and greatly increasing his power; some of his children would even go on to create life of their very own. Only after human expansion really began in earnest were the first Halfling settlements discovered. Generally content to stay out of harm's way (and taking great pride in being superb hosts) and having no major ambitions outside of community and safety no one save the Halflings know exactly how long their people have been on Terra. A fact that the jovial people are notoriously tight lipped about. Many cities host a Halfling community or nearby population and never really know. A traveling Halfling knows that they will be treated well or can seek help if they can find others of their own kind.
Much would happen during this age where creation could truly flourish for the first time. Many beasts and monsters would come to walk the earth with the Dragons as the undisputed top of the pecking order. Ivar was the first of the remaining Old Gods to have his creation dwell upon this new realm. Settling them deep in Sub-Terra so that the earth itself could be used as another layer of armor for the sturdy and indomitable people. Due to this conflicts with the dragons who typically hunted along or close to the surface were seldom. These relatively quiet days were disrupted when one day a new realm just appeared, somehow perfectly woven into the tapestry of the Sacred Barrier. Unfettered by the constraints of time and causality the lord of this realm took their place amongst the thrones of the Old Gods high above the Astral Sea as if they were always meant to be there, an enigmatic entity known simply as the Great Panjandrum.
Although Ivar took offense at a being who’d let the souls in their care grow wild, free, and unkempt (in contrast to the painstaking labor of love that the tempering of the Soulforge provided) none could deny the Great Panjandrum their claim and rightful place amongst them. In fact due to the strange nature of time in their realm some were unsure if in some ways the Great Panjandrum was now the oldest of the Old Gods in existence. The Great Panjandrum would not spend a great deal of time amongst his brethren but it is believed he had words with each of the great Old Gods, though none know of what they spoke. Not long after the Great Panjandrum had made his presence known to the powers of Gyea and beyond, that same being would undergo a drastic metamorphosis, splitting into King Oberyon and Queen Titania while simultaneously forming a bridge composed of sparkling starlight that stretched between their home (which the Great Panjandrum had named “The Unbound Kingdom”) and the world of Gyea. Those that crossed wound up in many places across the entirety of Gyea. The Elves were the first to trek across this ephemeral link between worlds and join Ivar’s dwarves as being among the world’s first people. They were soon joined by the Gnomes, Pixies, Moonhares, Kitsune, Bellabufo and various other Fey. The first interactions between the Fey settlers and the dwarves occurred when the stout folk encountered the Dark Fey in Sub-Terra (Drow, Deep Gnomes, Ratfolk, Ananzi, and Moonhares). The Dark Fey were naturally attuned with the workings of the Wyching Court (also known as the Weirding Court or Winter Court), rather than Oberyon’s Faerie Court (also known as the Reverie Court or Summer Court) and felt far more comfortable claiming their own kingdom deep within the infinite shadows of Sub-Terra. There is still theological and philosophical debate between Elves and Dwarves as to who was truly the 1st race. It is worth noting that only these two cultures are in any way invested in this debate. Immediately after the Fey came to Terra there was an unprecedented blooming and expansion of forests and jungles. Orcs, Lizardfolk, Tortles and Goblins would arrive next, seemingly spontaneously created from the world itself. This wave of green life manifesting from deep jungles, wild forests, dense primordial swamps, and jagged valleys. Seemingly beholden to no Gods besides the Earth Mother, and blessed with a deep instinctual connection and reverence for the elements and nature (or in the Goblins case a willful irreverence for nearly everything).
Tribal legends speak of the genesis of their races: The Earth Mother, as the lushness of nature expanded and elevated her to new heights of power, grew to love life so much that she bore 4 children to experience Gyea’s bounty. Knowing that the world (amazing though it was) was dangerous and would contain many trials for her children she bid each of them to ask a boon of her so that they too could flourish. The first Orc asked for the gift of bravery and strength and was blessed with the primal ferocity to take on any foe. The first Testudon asked for the gift of wisdom and understanding and was blessed with an awareness of the deep mysteries of nature and the cosmos. The first Goblin asked for the gift of change and was granted adaptability and the ability to survive where others would perish. Lastly the first Lizardfolk asked for the boon of balance, and in turn was granted a portion of each of the boons granted to the other 3. Thus were the 4 races able to grow and become plentiful upon Gyea. When these new green life forms encountered the Dragons who ruled this land they each responded in different ways.The Orcs were antagonistic towards the dragons despite suffering greatly due to their wrath, seeing the fearsome beasts as challenges that would one day all be conquered and slain. The Testudon listened to their Sages who are said to communicate directly with the sun and moon. Through their guidance and divination the Testudons were able to avoid large scale interactions and conflict with Dragons entirely. Several of the Goblin and Lizardmen tribes however, did recognize the awesome power of the children of the Primordial Dragons and worshiped them as personifications of the elements. The most clever, loyal, and fierce of these tribes were rewarded with rituals that transformed them using the power of Dragonblood that contained echoes of the power of the Primordial Dragons.
The Goblins responded to the power of this “Gift of Abraxis” in the most dramatic and profound way, the selected tribes undergoing a total transformation and becoming the species known as Kobolds. A species who with surprising speed (and probably aided by the lack of a written history) seem to have abandoned all memory of once being Goblin and now think of themselves as dragons who have been reincarnated into more compact and convenient bodies (despite this never being proven or ever even suggested to them by their Dragon benefactors.).The changes among the Lizardfolk were more subtle and gradual, often resulting in no noticeable differences outside of scale coloration (Dragonborn scales all have a strange yet unmistakable sheen). However through physical and mental training, Dragonborn were known to be able to tap into the latent potential of their Draconic blood and become fearsome warriors able to masterfully wield the powers of their heritage.
At a certain point the Primordial Dragons would depart Terra entirely, eager to explore other planes of existence. Lesser dragons through the ages would on occasion still demand fealty from a tribe discovered on its land (or in rarer cases act as true protector or patron). But rarely would these dragons have anywhere near the power or wisdom of the forebears or blood of sufficient potency to evoke a transformation (though according to legend some Dragons were (and still are) strong enough to awaken sleeping potential in Dragonborn with untapped power). Many of the Dragonborn would come to resent Dragons who did not embody the lofty ideals of their tribe, while the Kobolds would view them as overgrown, unpredictable, violent, and unruly relatives. After the departure of the Primordial Dragons conflicts between Dragons and Dwarves became increasingly common as a golden age of exploration and heroism swept through the Dwarven culture. The Father was the last Old God to seed Gyea with his people; an event that occurred near the very end of the Age of Green Life. Humanity however, would swiftly spread and multiplied. Growing his Pantheonic family rapidly and greatly increasing his power; some of his children would even go on to create life of their very own. Only after human expansion really began in earnest were the first Halfling settlements discovered. Generally content to stay out of harm's way (and taking great pride in being superb hosts) and having no major ambitions outside of community and safety no one save the Halflings know exactly how long their people have been on Terra. A fact that the jovial people are notoriously tight lipped about. Many cities host a Halfling community or nearby population and never really know. A traveling Halfling knows that they will be treated well or can seek help if they can find others of their own kind.
