Present Day Lore II

Shortcuts:
– The return of Life and two best friends – Arwii, the God of Life, Donii, Goddess of Healing and Birthing and Ruda, Deity of Children
– The tragic tale of a dead Deity – Ra’d, the Deity of Thunder and Emotions
– The return of Fury – Assur, the Goddess of War and Fury
– The return of Wind – Imdir, the Goddess of Air and Wind

 

Winter had once again set in on the lands of Prehistoria. In spite of the cold that was getting stronger every day, the mortals were nevertheless excited. It was time for the Winter Festival. A time of celebration where everyone gathered to spend a festive moment with family and friends. And since his return two years ago, the Snow King had been presiding over the festival. And under his encouragement and presence, the winter suddenly became a little less long.
But that year, the Festival had special guests.

The return of Life and two best friends – Arwii, the God of Life, Donii, Goddess of Healing and Birthing and Ruda, Deity of Children
The old Bear arrived suddenly, as if out of nowhere, while the mortals were busy preparing the Winter Festival at the Great Standing Stones. Accompanied by his daughter, a younger female with golden fluffy fur, called Lady. The Snow King smiled and welcomed them warmly to the soon-to-be festival.
Old Bear immediately drew attention to himself when he appeared before the curious mortals. Despite his gray fur, great age, and slow movements, he had a stature that commanded respect and when he spoke, people stopped to listen. Old Bear and Lady were warmly welcomed and encouraged to participate in the preparations for the Festival.
 
The day of the celebration finally arrived, and Old Bear began to treat his audience with many stories. Stories that made you laugh, stories that scared you, and stories of life that made you think and philosophize. But no one forgot the Story of the Rise and Fall of the God K’Malou that he told in the middle of the night, in front of the huge bonfire in the center of the Standing Stones. To a few mortals gathered that night, the gray Old Bear seemed to glow like the metal of Crismon Fex’s bells.
 
When the festival was over, Old Bear and Lady greeted the participants and went their own way. Many tribes had the honor of having them as a visitor when they asked for hospitality to rest. The Old Bear told more of his stories to the delight of all, young and old alike.
Nevertheless, some people noticed that he didn’t look as strong as he did during the Festival. It was as if, little by little, his strengths were dwindling and that age was catching up with him…
 
Until one day, as he parted ways with his daughter, his strengths gave up on him. A simple obstacle made him trip and he fell. Despite all his efforts, he couldn’t get up again.
It was the Snow King who found him, weak but still alive. Without a word, the great white Ursus took Old Bear on his broad back and set off…
 
Meanwhile, it seems that the Arwii’s Caves were no longer abandoned.
An old female Ursus with gray fur and blue eyes was one day spotted by mortals coming to pay homage to the departed God, Arwii. She welcomed them warmly, happy to see that the Caves and their symbolism had not been forgotten with time. She presented herself as Kala, Guardian of this place.
Long ago, she was entrusted by Arwii to take care of the Caves and to welcome those who want to try their hand at his trials, she explained to the curious mortals.
 
But she had no time to say more. For the Snow King appeared in the Caves carrying Old Bear on his back, whose life seemed to hang by a thread.
Kala seemed absolutely distraught as she rushed to Old Bear’s side as he collapsed on the floor of the Caves. In great distress, the she-bear circled around him, nuzzling him, pushing him, begging him to wake up, to get up, to stay with her…
Old Bear didn’t move and didn’t seem to hear her desperate cries. Despite Kala’s pleas, his breathing gets weaker and weaker, only to finally stop…
 
As Old Bear exhaled his last breath a strange phenomenon occurred. The body of the venerable bear suddenly begins to glow softly, as if illuminated with stardust. Soon, the entire body was engulfed in a brilliant light that hurled the eyes. Around everything, the air seemed to vibrate with raw power and a strong wind started to blow.
 
“My beloved, you are back among us! You have finally come back to me!” Kala exclaimed suddenly with immense joy in her voice.
The vision before everyone’s eyes was magical, out of this world. Instead of the tired grey body of an Old Bear, now stood the massive shape of a huge bear whose entire body seemed to emanate pure light. His mane floated around him like mist and many of his markings glowed like the engravings on the Golden Tablet. There was such a primal force flowing from this apparition that the first instinct was to kneel respectfully before it.
He had been gone a long, long time. Many thousands of years. But still, everyone seemed to recognize him. He was none other than Arwii, the God of Life himself.
He was back!
 
As soon as the news was relayed from mouth to ear, a great joy invaded all of Prehistoria. Many took their belongings and headed to Arwii’s Caves to see the returned God with their own eyes. The Caves soon began to swarm with people and Arwii presented himself to their astonished eyes. And what he announced generated a huge wave of excitement: To celebrate his return, he was going to lifemate his beloved Kala right here. At his Caves.
 
The excitement spread to the Caves, where the news of the lifemating ceremony attracted even more people. Mortals went above and beyond to give their newfound Creator a ceremony he would remember forever, helping the God and his bride-to-be get ready. And so, in front of a huge crowd of mortals and gods alike, Arwii and Kala were married, officially becoming lifemates.
 
But after the joy of the reunion and the ceremony, seriousness started again.
Far from the eyes and ears of mortals, Arwii called to him the Gods as well as his own children. Among the returned Gods, only Larkka didn’t show up. She hadn’t even come to greet him, nor to the wedding ceremony. This had upset him. And so he asked the others to tell him everything that had happened since he had retired to the depths of his Caves…
 
Meanwhile…
 
Like her father, Lady immediately attracted the curiosity of mortals when they joined in the preparations for the Winter Festival. Where the Old Bear looked imposing and aged, the young bear with fluffy light fur looked as warm as her looks. She immediately mingled with the participants, helping to prepare for the festival while having fun, laughing, and playing with the children.
But almost immediately, her gift for healing became apparent. When someone was injured, she helped clean and close the wound. If someone was sick, she was at their bedside, preparing remedies and monitoring their recovery. Everyone was in awe of her abilities, just as they were of Old Bear’s stories.
 
When the Winter Festival ended, Lady and her old father set out again. Stopping at every tribe that offered hospitality to them for a while to rest their paws. While her father told other stories, the she-Ursus made herself useful to help those who needed it. Not hesitating to share her extensive knowledge of plants and healing techniques with healers. In one of these tribes, she even helped a mother-to-be to deliver her child, the birth having been chaotic.
 
Then the two Ursus set off again. Crossing the Imdir Spine with care until they were not far from the Arwii caves.
 
And there, Old Bear asked his daughter to leave him, his instinct was to go to the Arwii Caves alone. Despite many reservations, Lady agreed. Especially since her father’s weakness had not escaped her. But she knew that inside, she didn’t belong where he was going…
So, Lady headed to the Amaguq Desert where the Inua Lake was located. Deciding to settle there for a while in order to help the few brave ones who survive there…
 
Meanwhile, at the Donii Lake’s shores, the explorers Esger, Ura, and their beasts had a curious visit at their Merchant Hut.
It was a Suntouched Terror Bird.
Their back was covered with a large animal skin and fastened in place with a leather strap. Hooked onto the strap were multiple pouches filled with a wide assortment of items. Around their neck, ankles, and feet were pieces of handmade jewelry that clinked and jingled pleasantly whenever they moved. A small group of young beasts surrounded the bird. They all varied in age but were all still too young to be left alone in the wild. The bird looked friendly and greeted the merchants warmly, being mostly here to trade some of their items to get some more. To take care of their little protégés.
 
The Terror Bird and their children stayed one full day with Esger, Ura, and their Beasts, chatting and asking some questions about Prehistoria and what happened in the past days. Then they all went their own way. Despite their very natural appearance, the Explorers and their Beasts could sense that they met someone very special…
Following this appearance, other mortals had to see the mysterious Terror Bird and the little ones under their protection. More or less close.
 
Soon, their steps led them to the Amaguq Desert.
But, although their little protégés lack neither water nor food, one of them fell ill.
It was a fairly common childhood illness, but the little one was nevertheless weak. Despite all the care the Terror Bird gave him, keeping him safe in one of their large pockets when they had to go back on the road, the little one seemed to get weaker and weaker every day…He had to see a healer or a shaman as soon as possible.
Luck smiled upon them, however, when a mortal attracted by their small group approached them to see what was going on and told them reassuring news. This mortal had met a healer Ursus named “Lady” in this desert! Having taken up residence momentarily on the shores of Inua Lake! So, without further words exchanged, they ran toward the direction of the lake.
 
Lady’s stay was coming to an end, and she was about to leave when the Terror Bird, their protégés, and the mortal arrived. As they got closer, Lady and the Terror Bird seemed to recognize each other. Lady called the Terror Bird under the name of “Ruda”. And the Terror Bird called Lady under the name of “Donii”.
Their mutual surprise was replaced by pure joy, the bear and the bird quickly ran toward each other to exchange a warm embrace. But their happy reunion was cut short by the sick little one who started to cough once again and the fluffy Ursus immediately approached to take care of him.
 
Once the child’s condition was stabilized, Lady and the Terror Bird gave some explanation to the puzzled mortal that they were indeed Donii, Goddess of Healing and Birthing, and Ruda, Deity of Children. Much like the other Gods, they had gone on a quest thousands of years ago, although time meant very little to the immortals. But now they were back, and this time they were not leaving again anytime soon. Prehistoria and its inhabitants needed them more than ever…

 

He paused and took a few steps back. The sun’s rays that pierced through a large opening above his head were the only source of light available to him, but it was enough to illuminate the wall in front of him.
The cave painting was beginning to shape, but he still had a lot of work ahead of him to get the effect he wanted. It was for them so that they wouldn’t be forgotten, he had to pay them this tribute…
After a final look at the unfinished painting, Dreknar took a deep breath and resumed his work.

The tragic tale of a dead Deity – Ra’d, the Deity of Thunder and Emotions
After his return during the Lifemating ceremony of the God Arwii and his mortal companion Kala, Dreknar had always been present in the lands of Prehistoria. Meeting mortals, stopping at tribes to regain his strength, or being seen in the distance walking towards a goal known only to him.
But after a while, it was as if the great Lyti had vanished. There was no trace of him; it was as if he had been a ghost…
 
Intrigued by this sudden disappearance, some mortals decided to go in search of him. Their steps led them to the Amaguq Desert where the Nogon Tribe lived. After a few questions, one of the members of the tribe told them that he had seen Dreknar enter the Amzi Undergrounds, carrying bags. And obviously, he hadn’t come out yet.
 
Since its rediscovery during a Bloodmoon Festival, the Amzi Undergrounds had rarely been visited by the Prehistorians. The stories that were told were enough to scare even the bravest of all. They were said to be haunted because of the indescribable whispering sounds that could be heard there and the many bones that lay on the ground. Thus, no one knew what had happened in these places, and they were avoided by mutual agreement.
Only Dreknar didn’t seem to be bothered by the sinister atmosphere of the Undergrounds. For those who lived nearby, it was a common sight to see the Lyti going in and out without anything happening to him.
But still, it had been a long time since he came out…Something must have happened.
 
Despite their fear and the warnings of the tribe, the mortals also decided to enter the Amzi Undergrounds to get answers.
The place was dark, sinister. There was a deep silence, bones lined the floor and there was a constant sense that someone or something was watching the mortals. The Undergrounds were for sure true to their reputation…
After what seemed like an eternity, their attention was drawn to a cave painting whose shapes and colors seemed familiar: It was Dreknar!
Taking this painting as a hint, they continued their advance and soon, their determination was rewarded.
In a vast cave, they finally found the Lyti…but also other cave paintings. And these had nothing to do with the magnificent paintings of Arwii’s Caves. They were silhouettes representing strange but familiar beings. Drawn with aggressive strokes, like claws. With their mouths open, they all seemed frozen in nameless horror, their deformed and improbable bodies entangled on top of each other…
 
These paints, explained Dreknar, were himself and some other unfortunate souls. This cave was where he and the others were born, under the claws of K’Malou The Banned who created them all.
But that was not all.
 
Dreknar guided the mortals to the cave painting that he had spent much of his time making. Now it was finished.
It was a huge woolly rhinoceros. Lightning seemed to fly from its mane and it had a proud, divine posture. However, a morbid detail stood out in the sunlight; there was a red ochre stain on the rhinoceros’ mouth. As if the figure was spitting blood…
 
Dreknar then explains that it’s a deity. And that he had made this painting in homage, at the very place where they had died from the claws of K’Malou the Banned…
“The Fallen Deity”
 
After a time of silence, Dreknar led the mortals out of the Amzi Undergrounds to the Nogon Tribe, who seemed relieved to see them all safe and sound. They offered their hospitality for as long as they wanted and then the Lyti got to the heart of the matter.
He needed help.
 
With time, the Fallen Deity was unfortunately forgotten, and even his own memory of them was very hazy. Their story, name, and everything about them needed to be rediscovered to get the respect and mourning they deserved. He asked Arwii himself, but the God of Life refused to answer. He who was so proud of his creations, why did he keep silent about this deity?
So, the Lyti scoured some parts of Prehistoria on his own to seek answers, but alone he won’t be able to do this colossal task. The mortals agreed on helping the Lyti and together they travelled around Prehistoria in search of answers.
 
They went to Mamota’s territory, where they were received by his Guardian. Even though the Tortoise refused to let them enter the Whispering Forest and its mysterious ruins, it advised them to go to the Seeing Stones and ask them a question “right in the eyes”.
And from the Stones, they got some answers to their questions. They were a Deity of Thunder and Emotions and K’Malou had killed them so that Chaos and Corruption would spread more quickly throughout Prehistoria. After these answers, they set out again.
 
On their way, they found the Explorers Esger, Ura and their Beasts after setting up their Merchant Hut on the banks of the Stern Stream. Knowing that through them, parts of History had been discovered, Dreknar and the mortals told them all they knew about the Fallen Deity. Perhaps the Explorers had found something during their travels? They had indeed found something within the Savage Steppes, bringing with them a small tablet they had found. Delicately drawn on it is a figure of a Wooly Rhino with a thundery mane…Just like how Dreknar depicted them!
 
After a long journey and a crossing of the Imdir’s Spine, the small group traveled to the Savages Steppes. And after almost a whole day of searching, they found what was left of a tomb. A once beautiful tomb, now damaged by time and overgrown. The epitaph had suffered the same fate as the grave, but a name could be read as best they could.
“Ra’d”.
 
Following these rediscoveries, everything happened very quickly.
The news of the mysterious Ra’d, Deity of Thunder and Emotions, spread throughout Prehistoria like wildfire, helped by the Explorers Esger, Ura, and their Beasts.
The Savage Steppes, usually avoided by everyone because of their inhospitality, were full of curious prehistorians who made the trip to see the grave of the deity for themselves.
 
Even Kala, the Companion of the God Arwii, and her two children, Donii and Dettlaff, made their way to the Savage Steppes. And all together, mortals, gods and demigods restored the grave to its former glory and made superb offerings to the soul of the deity who rested here from their last sleep. The time for celebrations had come. Bonfires were lit, yummy dishes were cooked, and many prehistorians showed off their artistic talents to celebrate Ra’d, the Deity of Thunder and Emotions.
 
All this animation attracted Arwii’s attention. At first curious about all these people and celebrations, his expression quickly became one of deep sadness. Never had such sadness been seen on the God’s face since his return to Prehistoria.
Silently, Arwii went to stand slowly in front of the grave and the altar, observing with shining eyes the colossal work that had been done. Then finally, the emotion was too much for Arwii, and he started to cry.
And suddenly, a violent thunderclap broke the respectful silence that had been established, surprising everyone.
 
Was it a sign of Ra’d?

 

Since the return of Arwii after millennia of sleep, no one had seen Larkka since the last Bloodmoon Festival. She didn’t even show up at the Lifemating ceremony of the Alpha God.
But the Goddess was not far away in reality. Silently, hidden by the shadows, she was watching. And she had seen Arwii return, which had made the Corruption that stained her heart and soul react.
It was time for her to act more strongly now.
It was time for Assur to come back.

The return of Fury – Assur, the Goddess of War and Fury
The first acts of the Goddess of Darkness and Void went almost unnoticed by mortals. They saw beasts and hooded men behaving a little more shady than usual. Some came to trade for rare ingredients or other magical items or seek help to find recipes of forgotten potions.
Then, they were sudden disappearances, beasts or humans dying in strange conditions…
And also hooded figures who made their way quietly to the Nukkik War Grounds. To the Beasts who crossed their path, they told them that they wanted to bring back the Goddess Assur, to restore Balance and Peace. And to do this, they needed help to activate the “forsaken essence”: a strange substance that can only be found in the heart of Maukai…
All of this happened so subtly, so far apart, that no one made a connection between these events…
 
In the meantime, the Explorers Esger, Ura, and their Beasts, Thiri and Atyae, made another major discovery.
Their steps led them not far from the Warrior Stones where something caught their eyes: half out of the ground was something reddish. This was a bit of a stark contrast to the lush, green grass-covered ground. They immediately set about digging up the thing, which turned out to be a large piece of tablet. Looking at it more closely, they noticed that it was covered with almost illegible inscriptions. It was impossible to decipher it completely, so they decided to find the other half.
 
The red tones of the stone used for this tablet caught their attention. This kind of color was rare and present in particular places. And the Explorers’ first thought was the Nukkik War Grounds.
After preparing themselves for the journey, they wasted no time in making their way to the sacred moors of the Goddess Assur…
 
When they finally arrived at the place after long days of traveling, they were struck by the strange aura that was swirling around them. Accentuated by the sky that gave the impression of being red with fresh blood oozing from a wound. Something was definitely wrong…
It was with redoubled caution that they made their way through the War Grounds and set up their camp at its borders. They weren’t alone though, having spotted a hooded person accompanied by Beasts. Their behavior was so strange that they decided to remain cautious and not to seek hostility.
 
For several days, the Explorers and their Beasts scanned the area without finding anything yet. During breaks, Esger inspected over and over the piece of a tablet they had in their possession, trying to decipher the inscriptions. After many attempts, he managed to guess that the tablet spoke of Assur, Goddess of Courage and Honor. But nothing more despite all his efforts.
 
One day when Ura and Thiri had gone to explore a place they had not yet visited, Esger found himself alone at their camp with Atyae, still trying to decipher the tablet. He was discovered by some Prehistorians who agreed to help them in their search once he explained the situation. But as time went by, Esger seemed more and more nervous. Ura and Thiri were taking a long time to come back and, knowing his partner’s taste for risk, the young man was worried about her.
 
Without wasting any more time, Esger, Atyae, and the Prehistorians followed Ura and Thiri’s tracks to find them being attacked by a group of hostile humans and beasts. Outnumbering the two. But now that the two females had reinforcements, the situation turned in their favor and the attackers were chased off.
Nevertheless, this attack didn’t seem to have dampened Ura’s excitement, and she immediately drew everyone’s attention to something. Before the attackers came, she was about to unearth something: a tablet fragment!
 
Without missing a second, everyone joined in the effort to dig up the treasure and bring it back to camp. With renewed excitement, Esger realized that the tablet was now complete. But as the pieces were put back together, the forms discreetly carved into the stone began to glow a bloody red. Stylized figures suddenly appeared on the tablet, it seemed that their carved eyes were following every moves the Explorers, their Beasts, and the Prehistorians were making…
There were also inscriptions, that Esger tried to decipher, his excitement soon changing into dread… Something was very wrong.
 
At the same time, in the heart of the War Grounds, many hooded people and Beasts had gathered in a circle, chanting an incantation. They had been waiting for this moment since Larkka had asked them to get into action. Their excitement was at its peak as the chanting grew louder, echoing through the Nukkik War Grounds.
 
Far away from there, the Goddess of Darkness and Void was at the Warrior Stones, standing in front of one of its standing stones. This one was different from the others, red instead of the usual grayish and its silhouette wasn’t unlike that of a Terror Bird.
And as the sordid ceremony took place at the War Grounds, Larkka could see two aggressive red eyes open on the stone figure that seemed to grow…gain in form and life…until before the Goddess stood a real heavily armored Terror Bird. With their head raised to the reddish sky, they let out a bloodcurdling war cry from their wide-open beak that could be heard from the entirety of Prehistoria.
 
“Welcome back, Assur, Goddess of War and Fury…”, muttered Larkka with an expressionless gaze.

 

Since its conception, the Rainy Skies Event has been a beloved festival for Prehistorians. So much so that, even after the disappearance of the Gods and the slow oblivion of history, everyone continued to travel to the Donii Lake to celebrate the renewal of the land after the long winter months.
This year was no exception, and many humans and beasts made the journey to the lake. Hathar himself graced the entire event since his return, mingling and feasting with mortals. Occasionally, the God would stand a little aside, gazing at the sky with a sad, nostalgic expression. But no one dared to bother Hathar with questions that were perhaps too personal.
But this year, something special happened. The Rainy Skies Event was about to go down in history.

The return of Wind – Imdir, the Goddess of Air and Wind
This Festival had begun in the most normal of ways.
Crowds of humans and beasts made their way to the shores of the Donii lake, assembling tents, stands, and bonfires. Decorations were made, eggs were delicately painted for the Egg Hunt and the delicious scent of food being cooked wafted around the temporary camp. Everyone was pulling out all the stops to make this Festival a memorable event. Hathar hadn’t arrived yet, but no one was worried about not seeing him. They knew he was coming.
 
The Prehistorians were so busy that they didn’t immediately notice that something strange was going on in the meantime…
 
And then, suddenly, the feverish excitement of the preparations turned into something quite different. A young boy mingled with the crowds, shouting to all who would listen with rounded eyes: It’s raining fish!
And no sooner had the boy finished circling all the amassed crowds, then another excited Beast came running up: Birds! Strange, beautiful birds that nobody had ever seen before!
 
For long minutes, it was all anyone could talk about. Fish raining from the sky and strange birds foreign to the skies of Prehistoria. This Festival was definitely not going to be boring this year!
A few Prehistorians decided to investigate.
 
Some decided to see for themselves whether fish were really falling from the sky or whether the young boy was playing a joke on them. Although it wasn’t raining fish when they arrived on the scene, they could see the animals flopping weakly on the ground and being picked up by beasts and humans alike.
Then they noticed Hathar. The God of Rain and Water was standing a little way back from the festivities, but his intense excitement and barely concealed joy didn’t escape them. He was undoubtedly the cause of the rain of fish that fell on the festivities.
 
When questioned, the God remained evasive, acting as if he knew nothing of the situation. Nevertheless, he had listened attentively to the mention of the strange birds, and the descriptions he had heard were familiar to him. He had therefore set himself the task of investigating these birds and following them wherever they took him. The Prehistorians accompanied him.
 
Meanwhile, other Prehistorians approached the Beast who had mentioned the strange birds. When asked which direction the birds had flown, they replied that they had seen them fly off in the direction of Imdir’s Spine.
Imdir’s Spine. That was strange. Apart from the fearsome Tamasun Tribe and a few animals built to live in the mountains, there was nothing for these birds to live in. With their rich colors, they were probably native to Tetlcuamiztli Island.
So why Imdir’s Spine?
These Prehistorians decided to find out and made the journey to Imdir’s Spine, even having the courage and stamina to make the dangerous climb. But as they drew ever closer to the peaks, the unknown birds began to sing. And these strangely beautiful songs bolstered their courage and gave them the determination they needed to continue their climb.
The higher they climbed towards the snowy peaks of Spine, the louder the birds began to sing, flying over them in an aerial ballet of colorful feathers before they began to fly over a precise point nestled between the mountains.
There, standing proud and almost ethereal, is Imdir, the Goddess of Air and Wind. Her birds fly and perch around her and she bows her head to the Prehistorians. “I hope my arrival is welcomed.”
 
And her arrival was welcomed.
When at last Hathar laid eyes on his beloved his joy was unparalleled. Laughing and blubbering, he ran to her and hugged her tightly. His strong emotions caused a torrent of water and more fish to fall from the sky, forcing the Prehistorians gathered around the Donii lake to find a quick shelter.
Nevertheless, those who had followed Hathar and those who had discovered the presence of Imdir came running back and spread the incredible news:
 
The Goddess of Air and Wind had returned!
 
And when Hathar and Imdir returned to the scene of the festivities, having spent some quality time to reunite after an eternity apart, the mortals greeted them with great fanfare. An explosion of joy such that the Goddess’s usually cold face broke into a very discreet smile.
It was an unforgettable Rainy Skies Event.