Of Abzu and Tiamat

Of old, the Dragons taught us these things, for they knew them to be true...

First there were the waters. Abzu's waters were calm and clear and fresh, their currents ordered and stable. Tiamat's waters were tempestuous, salty and deeper than light. Abzu flowed through the unformed world until they met TIamat, and where their waters mingled, there came life.

The life was unformed and wild and swirled among the rivers of Abzu and the seas of Tiamat. But in the unformed life, islands began to appear, and on them, persons - the first gods. First came Iskandros upon his island, a great volcanic mountain jutting up from the raging seas of Tiamat. Afar he spied, amid the placid waters of Apsu, another island of rolling hills and groves. And it was here that he met Saras, and loved her. But the crashing waves kept them apart, for his island was of Tiamat and hers of Apsu.

Now Saras had spoken much to Abzu and learned much of wisdom, and she told Abzu of Iskandros. Abzu had pity for their denied love, and spoke to Tiamat that they should allow these island to meet and merge, that dry land might appear. Now Tiamat was less kind, but more cunning than Abzu, and warned against this plan, saying, "Little though they be, my heart forebodes that these creatures may prove greater than thou or I."

"It may be so," spake Abzu, "Yet if there had been aught to separate me from thee, then life would not be on this world. It may be that this was fated that a greater thing may be revealed." And for love of Abzu, Tiamat yielded, and Iskandros's island met and joined with Saras's.

Now Iskandros loved Sara, and two children were born to them - Ishara and Erebys. Ishara was youthful and bright, radiant like her father, but gentler. Erebys was dark and calm and new many secrets. And Iskandros though there must needs be more lands for their children and those children who would come after. Perhaps in those lands there might even be others who might join their company and merge their lands with his own domain, and he was ever abroad searching, though Saras counciled patience.

"Let us speak to Abzu and Tiamat, our creators. Perhaps they will consent to bring these lands to us." To this advice, Iskandros consented, though he still longed to travel the seas and find new things, rather than to await for what was given.

Abzu heard their desire and consented, yielding up more of the fresh water to allow further lands to appear, and into these lands went Iskandros, sometimes alone, sometimes with Ishara his daughter. And they made the new lands their own. And of the journeys of Iskandros and his meetings with the other Archons, much is told in other places. And with each discovery, Abzu yielded up more land, confining their waters to narrower channels and rivers to give space for the children of the ancient waters.

Now Tiamat had been long away in the deep, and upon returning to the surface they saw what had become of the world. They looked in horror at the narrow channels that now confined Abzu their love and the rolling fields and forests and mountains, and the expanse of dry land. And their surprise turned to rage, and they rose with their waters against the dry land, seeking to drown it.

And there was war.

Iskandros had become master of the sky and met the hurricane of Tiamat with his tempests and lightning, and into that battle came Brahm the Great Wolf, lord of hunters, and Agni of the flames forged weapons with which the Archons defended themselves against the monsters born of Tiamat's fury. In the forefront of all this was Iskandros, and he warred with Tiamat and the heavens warred with the sea and the lands were broken in tumult until all fell exhausted, and there was silence.

And in that silence, the voice of Abzu came to Tiamat.

"Beloved, be not grieved. This loss I have taken of my own will, for love of our creatures, that they might grow and increase. I take this loss gladly, for I deem that from it new wonders may be seen in this world."

And Tiamat again yielded, and they withdrew into the sea and the land had peace, though often Tiamat's grief would become too great, and the seas would rise again against the land until Abzu spoke words of calm to bring peace.

Variations & Mutation

This is an account given on a very ancient tablet preserved at Emberhold. In the Istragan period, the Church of Eternal Dawn taught that Iskandros defeated Tiamat and imprisoned them in the the depths, and thus claimed the titled Ahura Iskandros, Lord of Eternal Dawn.

Another version of the tale includes a closing dialogue between Abzu and Tiamat in which Tiamat responds to Abzu's plea as follows:

"My heart, I will yield for a time, and yet I know that which you have not said. These the children of our adoption may have the mastery for now. Yet I know that within the earth yet dwell the children of our bodies, and they shall be greater in might and splendor still. So let these small gods dwell upon the dry land. Our children shall have fire and storm to command when they come of age, and they shall overthrow these creatures."

"Of that I cannot say, for I do not see so far," said Abzu.