The Totalis Origin Myth
In the beginning, the light and dark struggled for dominion over the world of Totalis. A sharp divide between day and night lay bare, and each side fought for total dominion.
The wilds had begun to die, for each turn of night which was lain upon Totalis brought further horrors upon the land. Veo Kres, Mistress of Crows, led demons through the gates unto Totalis and ravaged the landscape, and even the great World Dragons slept the night to survive, unable to bade back the tide.
With the battle between such extremes laying waste to the land, it was then that Acanthus, the trickster God of Twilight, stepped in between the twin Gods of the Sun, Kyr and Oros, and Veo Kres, suggesting a manner to resolve their battle for dominion. Each side would be given a time of power, and in between these times, where neither light nor dark reign supreme, would lay the battlefield.
“Give me, an impartial judge, watchful dominion over the Twilight, and let your creations battle in your names during it for supremacy.”
After many threats and harsh words, the four Gods struck a deal: the year would be divided into a Triptych, with day, night, and twilight each having equal time. The day would be ruled by the sun Gods, the night by the Mistress of Crows, and Acanthus would watch impartially over the twilight battlefield.
The Night Lady, assured of her victory, drew upon the hordes of demons and devils from realms beyond to act as her champions and deliver her dominion of totalis. She too struck a deal with the wicked Bala’zar, greatest and most vile of the Chromatic World Dragons, for his support.
Seeing the Night Lady’s designs, the Sun Gods conferred amongst themselves - what champions could they create to stem the tide of darkness? Kyr, the brashest, flew to Vummut, the great Dragon Architect, and wisest of the Gods, and asked for his aid. Oros called to his love, the moon goddess Omera, a spy in the Dark Goddess’ dominion, for aid, and together the four Gods came to hatch a plan.
Upon the barren world the twin Gods of the sun Kyr and Oros stepped, and joined hands to become one, the Day Lord Kyron. From the power of their union sprung forth the Lifeblood Waters, which flowed out to the land and drew from the ground the first Terrans, who could walk in both day and night and could stem the pressing advance of darkness. Vummut, in his wisdom, knew that a diversity of power and experience would grant them strength against the Night Lady’s demonic hordes, and split their bloodlines into many, giving rise to elves, dwarves, gnomes, and humans, each with the ability to mix their blood with others and more to further expand across the land. Finally Omera, Mistress of Magic, shared the secrets of arcane power, giving Terrans the edge they needed to survive even in the darkness of night.
Thus, Terrans were born, and under the Day Lord’s blessing and guidance, they prospered and grew, multiplying across the land, and within but a few generations, the tide was turning against the Night Lady. With their magic and technology, the Terrans held dominion over both day and Twilight, and Veo Kres was forced to retreat fully into the solace of night.
Yet, fearing Kyron’s total dominion and the loss of his own station, Acanthus snuck into the darkness and gave the Night Lady a gift - he would use his own power as arbiter to weaken the veil in the Twilight, and let the most chaotic and mischievous forces through to harry the Terrans, leaving them struggling to hold dominion over the twilight. This was done in exchange for a favor from Kres: that she would not meddle in Acanthus affairs when he chose to play with the Terrans, even if he did so in the time of her domain. Deal made and favor extracted, Acanthus drew down the veil, and the Terrans were once again pushed back into strife, losing their dominion over the twilight and only holding true power under the Sun God’s light.
And so it is to this day: the righteous followers of Kyron seek to fight back against the darkness and horrors of Totalis. Acanthus works his mischief to corrupt the minds and hearts of Terrans to turn against their lord, and Veo Kres rallies stronger horrors in the night to prey upon Terrankind at every opportunity.
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