The Act of Creation

We had nothing, for nothing was all that Was...

— traditional opening lines to the myth

The Act of Creation is the name given to the myth of the world's birth for both Worshipers and Templers of Renath. It details how the world came to be roughly in its current shape, although the Degradation has changed some of the natural landscape of the world in the millennia since.

In the Beginning

Before the world existed, there was a void full of potential. The energy and materials to make the world exist were there, but it needed some kind of force to pull it all together.
At this point, the two major religions of Renath diverge, with either the Pantheon or the Powers taking this raw energy and materials, and slowly sculpting it into land, seas, mountains, deserts and hills. The Pantheon choose their colours in this new realm, such as Walos choosing the colour pink and Vebrath picking the colour orange, and then their domains if they already exist, such as Portrana taking up residence in the sun and moon. The Powers simply start at one end of the world and make their way to the other, a wave of non-living creative force.
After what was a few thousand years of labour, the creative forces of the world, whichever form they took, began to work on the living things of the world. They started with sea creatures and sea plants, then moved onto land, then finished their work on the first of the races of the world. The second that they breathed life into these new beings whose intelligence could one day rival their own, they began the count of years. Knowing that their creative energy would one day fade unless they return to the astral spaces they inhabited, they gave themselves one thousand years to ensure that their creations would function in their absence.

Date of Setting

Records claim it to be 3882 years ago.

Related Locations

• Renath

Related Articles

the Pantheon of Renath
The Powers of Renath

Common Variations

Most variations to this myth are small things, as large scale references to the myth are a regular fixture of Templer or Worshiper meetings and theology. That being said, not every layperson is sure on the details, so variant stories get spread around as well.
One common one circulated in certain theological circles is the so-called Francisan variant, named for the Grequin researcher who wrote it down and studied it. It details, rather exhaustively, the exact order and reasoning for the Pantheon's choice of colours and domains, while the official story is much more vague in this regard. While the majority of Worshipers don't see it as canon, it is definitely a very common story told to children.