The Fall

There once was a minor god. Perhaps one of harvests, or of hunting, or some other seasonal deity. This deity could see a short-ways through time, as many gods can, and one day they saw something terrible. They saw a dark god, fighting the other gods, corrupting people and lands. And so they want to warn the greater gods.
First they warned Toc, who laughed and told them no god could beat him in a fight. And so the god moved on. They attempted to warn Bandar, but she was much too busy to help them. Then they tried to warn Maximus, but he wasn't worried about any dark gods, his lightning was too powerful, he said. The god tried to warn Sersik, as she was known for her kindness. But the little god could not reach the sun, and she was much too high to hear them.
And so the god cried. They cried for help from those who could hear them, and those who could not. And something reached out. A voice told them it could help, it could give them the power it needed. And the little god accepted this, oblivious to the malice behind the voice.
And so the little god grew, but it was the voice that was in control now. And the little god's vision came true indeed, for now it was a dark god of the voice's making. A corruptive god. A Fallen god.

Variations & Mutation

Several variations make the fall more of the god's fault, whereas the ones with a more sympathetic god are often used by the Cult of Shadows and the like. Some of the darker variations make it the fault of the other gods for not listening.

Cultural Reception

Many cultures use the tale as a warning against trusting strangers. It is also often used as a lesson on self reliance. This myth in particular seems to be the cause of much common wariness towards thaumic artifacts.