Present Day Lore I

Shortcuts:
– The first to return – Umbru, the Goddess of Moon and Stars
– The return of Darkness – Larkka, the Goddess of Darkness and Void
– The return of Light – Hasswei, the God of the Sun and the Hunt
– The return of Water – Hathar, the God of the Waters and Rain

 

Some mortals more curious than others and whose soul craved for exploration and adventures used to scour the lands of Prehistoria in search of rare objects for sale or to exchange them for beads.
A small group of Explorers eventually found an ancient stone disc on their journey on which inscriptions had been engraved, but also the divine silhouette of a giant Sabertooth. This discovery aroused their curiosity and they wasted no time in deciphering it. It told of an ancient festival that was celebrated to thank the depicted Saber for bringing light into the dark. In order to summon it, enough stardust has to be collected and brought to the sacred Starstones when plunged in darkness.

The first to return – Umbru, the Goddess of Moon and Stars
That year, the Shadow of Umbru Festival was celebrated for the first time after thousands of years, even though the reason behind the celebrations was a different one than back in the day.
The discovery of the stone disc was learned by word of mouth in all parts of Prehistoria and all made the dangerous pilgrimage to the Sacred Stones, their saddlebags filled with stardust
 
The excitement was palpable through the joy of the festivities. Did the inscriptions on the disc tell the truth? Or was it a bad joke of the Explorers? Soon they could see for themselves.
When the moon was round and full above the Stones, illuminating the offerings placed on the altar, the massive shape of a female Sabertoothed Tiger was summoned, sparkling with stardust.
 
After several thousand years, Umbru, Goddess of the Moon and Stars had returned to Prehistoria.
But mortals, having forgotten the gods and what they looked like, reacted with dread to her appearance. Some braver than others brandished their weapons and sought to attack her. Confused, not understanding what was happening, the gentle Goddess of Night chose to flee and hide in a forest not far from the Stones where she was summoned.
 
The first to approach the Goddess after her return was Owl, her Trial Guardian. Umbru welcomed it warmly to her side and listened to what it had to say.
Through its words, she learned everything that had happened since her departure until her summoning. The Goddess was sad to see what the world had become, but was even more determined to regain the trust of mortals and teach them what had been lost. Now that she had returned, she didn’t intend to leave again anytime soon.
Arwii would have wanted it that way.
 
With the help of Owl and its kind, the Goddess called upon the help of various guardians, asking them to go out to meet the mortals so that she could quietly regain contact with them. She continued to make appearances so that the mortals could get used to her presence.
And the first mortals to approach Umbru were the Explorers who had discovered the stone disc. The humans Esger and Ura, and their Beasts, Atyae the Equus and Thiri the Worg. The Goddess welcomed them warmly, thanking them for her return and allowed them to set up a camp at the Star Stones for as long as they wished. Little by little, their fear faded away and was replaced by curiosity.
 
Umbru spoke to them for a long time, answering all their questions. They seemed very interested, however, when the Goddess told them about the Spirit Trials. These Trials were created by the Gods themselves to test the resilience of mortals and to find among them those capable of leading, or helping to restore peace to Prehistoria.
Seeing their curiosity, Umbru offered the Explorers to perform her Trials in an attempt to get her blessing. They agreed and set to work once the Goddess presented them with the first Trial.
After thousands of years, some mortals completed all five parts of her Trials, earning them a generous blessing. Because they had found the stone disk and managed to decipher the engraved inscriptions, the Goddess blessed their future explorations, giving them a better chance at finding more relics from ancient times that could give clues on how to bring back the other Gods.
As with the discovery of the stone disc, word spread by word of mouth that Umbru was giving her blessing to the most deserving. The Explorers helped greatly in this.
Little by little, the Goddess received fewer and fewer aggressive reactions from mortals and was able to explain to them what had happened so that they were no longer afraid of her.

 

After long hours of wandering in the Boneyard and thwarting its traps, your steps lead you in front of the remains of a woolly mammoth. Time had scattered its bones so that all that was left of it was a huge skull with its two tusks still attached.
As you approach with curiosity, you notice that the bone and ivory had been engraved with strange symbols, giving it a mystical nature under the glow of the blood moon.
Suddenly, one of the skull’s eye sockets began to emit strange filaments of light that danced like flames. Despite this out-of-this-world appearance, you feel secure. The spirit that still haunted this skull didn’t seem aggressive; even its soft whispers invited you to approach.
To listen to its story…

The return of Darkness – Larkka, the Goddess of Darkness and Void
From her lair in the Spirit World, the divine reappearance of Umbru hardly escaped Larkka. Still too weak to physically go to the mortal world, her shadow reappeared, darker and more menacing than ever, listening to what the mortals were saying to each other, or listening to what the Guardian Rats of her Trials were telling her.
She was not happy about the situation.
The mortals’ ignorance was to her and Assur’s advantage, making them easier to manipulate. The Goddess thought she had enough time before one of the Gods was summoned back. Her dark goal might become more complicated if she didn’t act fast enough. So, after having thought long and hard about it, the Goddess started to plot.
 
At first, she sent some of the followers she had gained over time to instill doubt and terror in the hearts of mortals who were the most hesitant to approach Umbru. But despite all Larkka’s effort, Umbru managed to gain trust from the mortals. She was also giving them back the knowledge about the Trials from the Past Time.
Slowly but surely, the work done by herself and Assur would be wasted. This would not do; she had to do something and fast before they knew too much.
Her corrupted mind plunged even deeper, making her suddenly remember the time of year. It was almost the time of the Bloodmoon event, her own festival that wasn’t celebrated for thousands of years anymore, during which her power was the strongest…
 
It was time for her to return to the land of Prehistoria.
Among her most loyal followers, Larkka chose six of them. And gave them the task of challenging the mortals during her festival. Six challenges that allowed them to gather special ingredients that were necessary for their ultimate goal…
With the help of the mortals, Larkka’s followers found the mysterious ingredients they were looking for. And they were still watching as the Followers came together in a circle, right under the light of the Blood Moon, and performed an even more mysterious ritual.
Soon, an antlered shadow appeared at the center of the circle…gaining in shape and mass. Then mortals and Followers faced Death herself. She barked orders to her followers to continue gathering materials and examined the mortals assembled there.
Larkka has been summoned!
 
And now that she was back, Larkka was a real thorn in the side of Umbru. Her soul, corrupted by K’Malou, showed her as a traitor who wanted to take everything she held dear.
Despite all her attempts, Umbru was unable to regain contact with the Goddess of Death…or rather, Goddess of Darkness and Void as she had proclaimed herself to be.

 

It was a flash of light that guided your steps towards the Sunstone half-hidden in the grass illuminated by the spring sun. As you approach, you realize how big the stone is. Much bigger than the ones you have collected so far.
With curiosity, you observe the amber stone, turning it delicately to admire it at your leisure until your eyes notice something. Delicate lines could be seen engraved in the rock. After careful examination, you recognize the familiar shape of a worg in these lines.
But not just any worg. A divine worg with a flaming mane.

The return of Light – Hasswei, the God of the Sun and the Hunt
The past.
After the Corruption of Assur and Larkka was discovered, the Gods of Prehistoria urgently met and agreed to go on a quest to find answers to free their sisters from the clutches of K’Malou.
But among them, Hasswei was the most torn.
 
The God of the Sun and the Hunt was significantly affected by this situation. Larkka was his lifemate after all. The love of his life. Although like the others, he wanted answers, his heart didn’t want to abandon Larkka. Despite the fact that she didn’t want to see him at all. He tried to call for her, to go to the places where they used to date. But Larkka never answered. And it was as if she was nowhere to be found.
He couldn’t abandon Larkka. He had to at least try to talk to her. Try to reason with her. Try to bring her back.
So he went to ask for Umbru, his best friend, his big sister at heart. He begged her to give him more time while he tried to find Larkka or convince her to come back to him. Umbru agreed, albeit reluctantly.
 
Then, storing much of his power in the sun to continue its journey through the sky without him, Hasswei went to Prehistoria in his mortal form. When his paws touched the ground, autumn was setting in, but he didn’t realize it—calling and searching for his beloved.
Time passed, and the days grew shorter and shorter without Hasswei to fully control the sun.
This merry-go-round continued until Umbru called Hasswei back, begging him to return to his place in the cycle of day and night as soon as possible. Otherwise, the world would plunge into an eternal night.
Reluctantly, Hasswei returned to his duty. It was Spring and the days began to lengthen again.
But the God of the Sun couldn’t stand still and managed to convince Umbru once again to leave in order to continue searching for Larkka. Again and again.
And as the days grew shorter again, the mortals locked themselves away to fight the bitter cold and prayed for Hasswei to succeed in his mission.
 
Time passed. A long time for the mortals, a blink of an eye for the Gods. But finally, Hasswei found his lifemate.
Or rather, it was she who came to him.
Hasswei was so happy to see her again, to touch her, to hear her speak to him, that he forgot all caution. He didn’t notice the strangely elusive and distant behavior of the Goddess. He followed her without hesitation. Wagging his tail in joy at the knowledge that he had a chance to bring her back.
 
When the trap closed on him, it was too late.
Larkka had guided him far, far away. Away from the eyes and ears of the mortals and the gods. There, Assur was waiting for him. And blinded by his joy and hope, Hasswei didn’t even defend himself when the Goddess of Courage and Honor knocked him down.
At their mercy, the two Goddesses could get rid of Hasswei once and for all. But Larkka refused. Corrupted as she was, and despite K’Malou’s oily words in her mind, her heart didn’t want Hasswei to die.
 
So the two Goddesses proceeded to extinguish his fiery mane, which dramatically weakened the God to the point that he fell deeply asleep.
The released power escaped the corrupted Goddesses who could do nothing to control it. Carried by the wind, the small flames traveled for a long time, all around the world, before coming into contact with small pebbles who took on a slight orange hue and began to glow in the sunlight.
Mortals called them “Sunstones” but ignored them for the most part.
 
The present.
Years passed. Then millennia.
Until one-day, Umbru returned to Prehistoria after being summoned by mortals.
Despite all of her calls and searches, Umbru couldn’t find Hasswei, and she didn’t like the look on Larkka’s face when she went to ask her one day if she knew where he was.
 
As she reacquainted herself with the world that had changed so much after her absence, the Goddess was visited by Esger, Ura, and their Beasts. The small group of Explorers had some strange little pebbles in their bags that glowed slightly in the late winter sun. Unsure of what they were exactly, they came to the Goddess to ask if she knew something about them.
Immediately Umbru sensed that these Sunstones contained some of Hasswei’s powers. The Goddess then had an idea.
 
Calling upon her demigod son Shaggy, she asked him to reach out to mortals with his “Valentine Festival” to celebrate the coming of spring and love. Then, to the Explorers, she gave the idea of using the Sunstones as currency for their Event Market.
Intrigued by Umbru’s son, mortals flocked to meet him and participate in his “Lovely Adventures”. During their expeditions, the mortals found many things, including Sunstones, which they used to trade with the Explorers.
 
As the festival progressed, the mortals brought back many, many Sunstones. The power contained in the small glowing stones became more and more powerful as their numbers grew.
Then one day, there were enough of them gathered to summon Hasswei.
 
In a secret place hidden from view by Larkka and Assur, eyes opened after millennia of sleep. His mane bursting to flame on his neck, Hasswei leapt across the sky to the sun, making his presence known to mortals with a bang.
Hasswei, God of the Sun and the Hunt, had returned. And like Umbru before him, he was not about to leave Prehistoria just yet.
The God was nevertheless heartbroken, betrayed by Larkka, who had used his feelings for her to trick him. But despite this, he didn’t want to give up. Thus, he continued trying to search for her every winter.

 

In spite of the Corruption and the forgetfulness of the History of Prehistoria, all the mortals still gathered at the Donii Lake in order to celebrate the coming of spring and also to honor the Forgotten God. Myths and legends said that he had the power to command the waters and the rain, that he could give life as well as death. Thus, the Rainy Skies Festival had lasted thanks to these stories.
Nevertheless, despite the countless number of Festivals, the Forgotten God had never shown himself to mortals. He was said to be hidden and asleep deep, deep in the lake where the festivities were held.

The return of Water – Hathar, the God of Waters and Rain
Countless years later, the Prehistorians experienced the most chaotic spring months they ever lived.
It started with a storm that has lasted for days and doesn’t seem to be letting up any time soon. The newly sprouted plants are thankful, but too much could harm them as well as flood the other wildlife of the land. Then, Beasts from all corners of the land came to seek help. Crazed beasts and men committed terrible acts, driving people from their home and desecrating their sacred places. The families of these corrupt beings report that they were perfectly normal just days before and they say they don’t know what happened.
The storm seems unnatural much like the crazed beasts and humans, and many shamans believe that only the long Forgotten God of the Waters can stop this and wash away the corruption that has emerged and restore balance to the cycle of Spring…
But while chaos was setting in, another page of history was about to be turned…
 
Always on the move, always searching for treasures of the past, Esger, Ura and their Beasts decided to try their luck in the Amaguq Desert.
These desolate lands were harsh, dangerous, and the living fought daily against death from which only the strongest could survive.
In spite of all their preparations and bargaining with the few nomadic natives who lived there, they soon ran out of water. And in these stretches of sand where resources were scarce, this could quickly spell the end of their adventures.
 
Nevertheless, luck soon smiled on them. No doubt thanks to Umbru who was watching them with her moonlight eye.
One day, in the horizon of infinite sands, something appeared to their eyes. They immediately thought it was a mirage, but nevertheless continued to move in that direction. They were surprised when their steps eventually led them to a magnificent water pool with a standing stone with an Equus painted on it.
 
The nomads had warned them about this pool and themselves had seen some of them during their expeditions, scattered all over Prehistoria. No one remembered the history of these pools, but there were rumors that they were cursed. That one sip would make you die in excruciating pain, or turn you into a corrupted monster, or other horrors that would give you nightmares…
So everyone avoided them. And Esger, Ura, Atyae and Thiri had done the same. But at this moment, the intense thirst they felt made them doubt.
It was Thiri who stepped forward first. The Worg with her powerful sense of smell couldn’t resist in front of this water, symbol of life. So, in defiance of prudence, she dipped her tongue in the liquid and took many sips under the horrified looks and exclamations of her companions.
 
Seconds passed… And Thiri didn’t seem to suffer or be in agony. Her appearance remained the same…
This was what decided the others to go and join her, and they all plunged their faces into the clear liquid. It was the purest and freshest water they had ever drunk in their lives. It gave them strength and courage again and they filled their skins with it.
 
As they made their way out of the desert, the Explorers sensed that they had made a great discovery. But, cautiously, they agreed to keep the water secret. Needing Umbru’s guidance first.
The Goddess of the Stars and Moon seemed enchanted when the water was presented to her by the four mortals. They told her where they had found it and the dark rumors told about these pools. Umbru seemed very upset when they finished. Then it was her turn to speak. To bring to light bits of knowledge lost with time and the corruption of K’malou.
 
These pools, in fact, were a gift. A gift from the one the mortals calls now “The Forgotten God”. From Hathar, God of Waters and Rain.
One day when his hooves took him to the desert of Amaguq, he was deeply affected to see how hard it was for mortals to find water. Many were losing their lives trying to cross the dangerous desert.
Moved, taken with great pity, Hathar then began to cry. His tears touched the sandy soil and the landscape changed, and a pool formed all around him. Mortals who had witnessed the phenomenon rushed in his direction, blessing Hathar while drinking their fill.
 
Thus, Hathar gifted this pool to mortals, creating others in the four corners of Prehistoria so no one would die of thirst ever. And the water of these pools is immensely sacred. Coming from the God himself, it was impossible to corrupt or soil it. The sun never made it evaporate and the freezing cold never made it freeze. This water couldn’t only quench thirst, but it could give strength to the exhausted and its purity could wash away Corruption.
 
It was indeed a great discovery and the Explorers were beaming with joy at Umbru’s words. But also, it brought a touch of hope in these sudden dark times with the sudden corruption.
 
When the Explorers set up their hut on the shores of the Donii Lake, there was a great deal of tension as they all prepared for the festivities.
Among their goodies, they had brought large skins filled with Sacred Water, which they poured into delicately crafted bowls. This sparked the curiosity of some peoples who approached.The Explorers then spoke about what Umbru taught them about Hathar and the gift of Sacred Water he had given to mortals.
The refound story and the Sacred Water was circulated far and wide. Hope and joy returned when crazy men and Beasts came back to their senses after being sprinkled with this Sacred Water.
Thus, thanks to the shared water and the passionate prayers of mortals, Hathar was coaxed to wake from his slumber.
 
His appearance was discreet at first, an equine figure that slowly gained in detail as it approached the surface of the lake.
It was his great pearl that mortals saw of him first. And as Hathar leapt out of water, the sky, heavy with storm clouds, immediately broke free. Returning to its usual blue color.
Hathar, God of Waters and Rain, had returned! And with him, the corruption that had tainted this spring had been cast out.
 
The mortals gathered around the lake welcomed his return with great joy. And although the Rainy Skies Festival was over, they soon decided to gather at the Great Standing Stones. A very large celebration was held there and Hathar was moved to have been so well received.
 
But after the joy of the reunion, the seriousness soon returned. After the celebrations, Umbru approached Hathar to tell him everything she had learned after her awakening. This saddened the God, but like Umbru and Hasswei, he was not about to leave anytime soon.
 
Prehistoria needed them more than ever.

Present Day Lore II