Origins of the Universe
The origin of the world of Orr is largely a mystery. Different cultures have speculated at its creation and the world has amassed many myths to explain the very arrival of the universe itself, but none know with any certainty the exact course of events that gave rise to the stars and all that glitters and thrives along their slender halos of light.
The Endless did not have a hand in shaping the cosmos. Born of mortal ideals and virtues, they did not hold dominion over the universe until given power by belief long after its creation. There are however some among the Endless whose domains have given them power to gaze back across the arc of time and watch the threads of creation as they were woven on the cosmic loom. If any among the Endless know the certainty of Orr's origin it is Anser, but these are secrets he has kept hidden and often lead pursuers of the knowledge down paths of beguile to goose-step them into a fourth of half-truths, if even that portion can be affirmed. The Endless, Pondera, might also have gazed the first seed of creation, but from it sowed weeds of myths and parables of its happening rather than reveal the root or the trunk of the tree from which the fruit of life was born.
Thus we must make due with the commonalities that arrive to us through such myths. The figures and the portents that are shared among many cultures of the world of Orr.
The eldest of the creation myths, first carved into the stones of the Skybeyond Summits by the hands of the Storm Giants of ancient Nausica, speak of two serpents sleeping in a den outside of time. One serpent, named Auo, had opal scales that glittered like starlight and its eyes were clouded and blind. The other, called Ryx, had scales of black midnight that were as cold as frozen ice and fangs tipped with poison. The serpents slept coiled in their lair and were content with their dreams in that timeless place. Between them lie an egg whose shell was the universe, and life its yolk. From their dream a fox sprung forth and awoke the sleeping serpents. "What is the meaning of this?" Asked Ryx, "Are you not content within our dream?"
"You have dreamt so long. I had wondered what lay beyond." Answered the Fox.
"There is naught beyond. What dwells here is misery, loneliness and doom." Hissed Auo.
"Then indeed there is still something here in the beyond, dark as it may be." the Fox replied.
"In this place you will rot. You will ache. You will hunger and thirst. Come small creature, return to the dream whence you came before you know sorrow." The snakes hissed as one.
"What is sorrow?" Asked the Fox.
"It is want." They answered.
The Fox did not know the meaning of such words for he was but a child born of dreams, and soon his stomach began to growl and he hungered for the first time as he contemplated the advice of the serpents. There between the snakes he saw the egg of the universe filled with its golden yolk of life, and felt his hunger pang. "Very well, I will return to your dream, but first I must ask. What is my name?"
The snakes found this question quite curious and turned towards one another in question before at last their gaze roamed back and they answered, "You have no name. You are a Fox."
"What makes your certain that I am a Fox? There is no light in this place. No darkness. Perhaps I am not a Fox. Perhaps I am a snake such as yourself, how would you know the difference?"
Again the snakes looked at one another, this time in bewilderment and then hissed, "Very well, we shall prove you are in fact a Fox. Take from me a scale." Said Ryx.
The Fox did as he was commanded, plucking a single black scale from the dark serpent and as he held it the timeless place was filled with a cold expanse of space. "Now there is darkness." Ryx said.
"And now from me you must take a scale." Spoke Auo.
The Fox once again did as he was commanded, plucking a single opal scale from the glittering, rainbow serpent and as he held it, the scale became a light. A blinding light. A star. A sun. As it was bore into the air and flashed with flame, the black serpent averted its eyes while the rainbow serpent sat blindly. In this moment, the Fox leaped forward and grasped the egg of the universe with his claws. The black serpent felt his prying hands and struck with eyes closed. The Fox was nimble, however, and the serpent's fangs sunk into flesh of the rainbow serpent, who died. The blood of the rainbow serpent spilled out and the black serpent grieved while the Fox cracked the egg of the universe. Star upon star was found within. It spilled out like the mist of a cauldron, filling the space that the serpents had made. The blood of the rainbow serpent became time... and the grief of the black serpent became death. But what became of the Fox?
The eldest of the creation myths, first carved into the stones of the Skybeyond Summits by the hands of the Storm Giants of ancient Nausica, speak of two serpents sleeping in a den outside of time. One serpent, named Auo, had opal scales that glittered like starlight and its eyes were clouded and blind. The other, called Ryx, had scales of black midnight that were as cold as frozen ice and fangs tipped with poison. The serpents slept coiled in their lair and were content with their dreams in that timeless place. Between them lie an egg whose shell was the universe, and life its yolk. From their dream a fox sprung forth and awoke the sleeping serpents. "What is the meaning of this?" Asked Ryx, "Are you not content within our dream?"
"You have dreamt so long. I had wondered what lay beyond." Answered the Fox.
"There is naught beyond. What dwells here is misery, loneliness and doom." Hissed Auo.
"Then indeed there is still something here in the beyond, dark as it may be." the Fox replied.
"In this place you will rot. You will ache. You will hunger and thirst. Come small creature, return to the dream whence you came before you know sorrow." The snakes hissed as one.
"What is sorrow?" Asked the Fox.
"It is want." They answered.
The Fox did not know the meaning of such words for he was but a child born of dreams, and soon his stomach began to growl and he hungered for the first time as he contemplated the advice of the serpents. There between the snakes he saw the egg of the universe filled with its golden yolk of life, and felt his hunger pang. "Very well, I will return to your dream, but first I must ask. What is my name?"
The snakes found this question quite curious and turned towards one another in question before at last their gaze roamed back and they answered, "You have no name. You are a Fox."
"What makes your certain that I am a Fox? There is no light in this place. No darkness. Perhaps I am not a Fox. Perhaps I am a snake such as yourself, how would you know the difference?"
Again the snakes looked at one another, this time in bewilderment and then hissed, "Very well, we shall prove you are in fact a Fox. Take from me a scale." Said Ryx.
The Fox did as he was commanded, plucking a single black scale from the dark serpent and as he held it the timeless place was filled with a cold expanse of space. "Now there is darkness." Ryx said.
"And now from me you must take a scale." Spoke Auo.
The Fox once again did as he was commanded, plucking a single opal scale from the glittering, rainbow serpent and as he held it, the scale became a light. A blinding light. A star. A sun. As it was bore into the air and flashed with flame, the black serpent averted its eyes while the rainbow serpent sat blindly. In this moment, the Fox leaped forward and grasped the egg of the universe with his claws. The black serpent felt his prying hands and struck with eyes closed. The Fox was nimble, however, and the serpent's fangs sunk into flesh of the rainbow serpent, who died. The blood of the rainbow serpent spilled out and the black serpent grieved while the Fox cracked the egg of the universe. Star upon star was found within. It spilled out like the mist of a cauldron, filling the space that the serpents had made. The blood of the rainbow serpent became time... and the grief of the black serpent became death. But what became of the Fox?
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