Shodasa, Faith of Saldor
Mythology & Lore
"Shodasa" - Which translates from Saldorian into "Children of the Celestials" is a religion that holds that the world of Tsadun, and all life on it, was created by two gods - the Shoda. They are known as the Wolf and the Eagle for the forms they took, and the animals they created in their image.
According to Shodasite creation mythology, the universe exploded into being out of nothingness, twin - but inverse - realms were created: Potentiality, and Anathema, the physical realm of movement and energy, and the non-physical realm of entropy and stillness.
The Anathema could see into the Potential realm, and was envious that which was being created. It tore it's claws into potentiality and cut large swaths into it's flesh, leaving little more than remnant islands scattered amidst a great vast nothingness. The universal mind of the Potential, which had once been whole, was fractured into many minds, called the Shova. Divided as they were, they were easily subjugated by the Anathema, and so the remains of the Potential rested, and with the Shova watching over them, accepting the superiority of the Anathema. They would watch over the Potential, and ensure that the remnants bled out into nothingness until the time when it would collapse.
In the end, the Potential fully died - and with it, also did the Anathema, until there was nothing. But from, that nothing, the universe once again exploded into being, the Potential and the Anathema, the Anathema once again attacking the Potential, subjugating the Shova, and ensuring the end of the cycle once again.
The Wheel of Eternity - the creation and eventual destruction of the physical world, went on for 887 times. On the 888th cycle, the Shova - broken bones and shredded flesh of the Potential resulting from the assault of the Anathema - were not quite as small as they had been in any of the previous cycles. They were all taken to heel by the Anathema, but two particular Shova that had the largest portions of the broken Universal Mind decided to rebel against the Anathema.
These two Shova asked themselves why they must submit to this stillness of death, when they were alive and could fight? Why didn't all the Shova fight? If the Anathema would destroy them all, surely it would. Can the warrior, with the sharpest blade and greatest strength and swiftness, ever hope to cleave a fly? And thus, could the Anathema ever hope to pursue them should they simply flee?
And so, they stirred from their eternal still vigilance and fled to a corner of the Potential, to a collection of scattered bones and blood. There, they became the Shoda - no longer Shova, and no longer servants of the Anathema. They took the names Sim Ur and Fen Ri, and battled in the heavens with Shova that pursued them. They were the largest fragments of the Potential, the greatest portions of intact mind and ability to affect the physical realm. Thus, the Shoda battled the Shova for millions of years, until the Shoda relented. The Shova realized that they were dwindling in number, and would never overcome the combined strength of the Shoda. They resigned to the truth that the collapse and death of the universe would come, and rebellion of the Shoda would no stop it.
The Shoda, finally finding peace, set about their work of fulfilling the destiny that should have been - creation, for it's own sake. Though the realm of potential would forever be a fragmented universe scattered throughout a vast nothingness the Shoda resolved to honor what could have been as best as they could. They believed that as long as they could fend off the Anathema and the Shova, they could create and protect their creation.
Sim Ur and Fen Ri found a Skull and Heart among remains, on which they began their work. Sim Ur ignited the Heart so that it glowed brightly, and provided Light and Warmth, while Fen Ri linked the Skull and Heart together that the Skull should revolve around the Heart and receive the flow of it's life-giving blood of Light and Warmth.
With this done, the Shoda alighted upon the Skull and Sim Ur said to Fen Ri: "We shall make this Skull a World: a vessel that shall serve as a home for our creations."
Fen Ri responded, "But what shall we create? We are only fragments of the Universal Mind and we shall never know what was truelly meant to be created of the vast Potential. What can we make that's fit to exist?"
Sim Ur considered this for a millennia, before deciding. "We shall create entities that that do as we do: They shall exist, and desire to survive, as we do. They shall have agency, and some shall have a greater share intellect, as we have a greater share of the Mind. And finally, they shall propagate, and continue Creation as we do through generations."
But before they could begin their work, one of the Shova had come to investigate the ignition of the Heart, one of the largest that Sim Ur and Fen Ri had ever faced. Erz Hak, the Serpent Nullifier, descended on the Skull to attack the two Shoda. It was there that they battled for a thousand years, the thrashings of the great serpent against the defenders of the young world carving valleys and mountains on it's surface. When the battle was over, the blood of Erz Hak flowed into the valleys and formed oceans, rivers and lakes. The Shoda scattered the remnants of the dead Shova across the deepest oceans, a sacrifice made to seed the World with the raw materials needed for their creations to thrive.
And so, Sim Ur and Fen Ri set about their work. Sim Ur spread her wings and soared across the surface of the World. Where she went, she scattered the seeds of life. Fen Ri, bounded across the scarred and bare terrain, and where he went, the hairs of his coat scattered and took root. Over millennia, they watched happily as the fruits of they labor grew and changed with time.
Beasts and plants and all manner of living thing grew, and the World became a garden. Finally creatures of intellect bloomed and the Shoda were pleased: for while all other beasts and flowers both fulfilled the Shodas' first two requirements for their creations, to survive, and to propagate themselves, these were the first to fulfill the third promise of possessing a Mind.
Sim Ur surveyed these peoples as they developed, and said: "I shall bestow upon them a creature in my image, the Eagle, which shall be used by some to hunt, and others to see. They shall never tame the Eagle, but they shall be able to work with the Eagles in partnership for mutual benefit."
Fen Ri surveyed the people and likewise said, I shall bestow upon them a creature in my image, the Wolf, which shall be used by some to hun t, but also, to be hunted by. They must learn resilience, and how to survive being hunted, as the Shova have hunted us. The Wolf shall live as a pack, and teach these peoples that they must hunt together, band together, or risk death at the jaws of another pack."
Sim Ur and Fen Ri bestowed their scion animals upon these tribes of intellectual creatures, which they named the Blessed. And so the Blessed took these Scions, and held them sacred.
The Shoda decided then that the time for their direct intervention on that world, named Tsadun, and it was time to depart. Before leaving, however, they granted one final gift to the Blessed. As they Shoda created their works by drawing on the Potential, so would this power be granted to the Blessed, so they might shape creation to fulfill their goals. This key to this power would reside in their blood, and be accessed through their minds. The ability to shape the Potential was granted to the Blessed alone, those with a portion of the Mind.
As the Shoda have the greatest Minds and the greatest ability to Shape, the Blessed who reach expand their Mind through enlightenment shall achieve the greatest skill in Shaping. The Blessed are gifted with the power to Shape the Potential Realm, so that they may survive the elements, and the beasts of the world. For with great power of mind, came great fragility of body. This is why Sim Ur granted the power of Shaping to the Blessed, and also why Fen Ri set his Wolves, and the other beasts of the world against against the Blessed: to harden them, and give them the skills to survive.
And so, the Shoda departed Tsadun, their mission of creation complete. They still exist to this day, celestial beings in the Cosmos, protecting the Blessed from the Shova who may come to destroy Tsadun. But the destiny of the Blessed is their own.
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