History

The First Age

No account has survived from the First Age into the second age when the world was made anew. The text below is one of the few accounts of what transpired in that long distant time and is taken from the book of creation a holy text of Eolis.

It is said that this was penned by Eolis himself soon after the end of the first age and is now the cornerstone of the origin of his worship.

The Book of Creation

In the beginning of days when Ea created the world it was a dull and lifeless place, darkness enshrouded the waste and none save the Angles, the first children of Ea, knew of it; but already, over its waters stirred the breath of Ea.

Such origin the world had in the days of its fashioning that no mortal existed to make record of it. Thus the Lord Ea decreed that life shall come to be on the land. Ea created the plants and the animals the things that would swim in the sea or walk on the earth or fly in its skies.

Ea was pleased with what he had made but the Angels came to him and said. “We bask in the beauty of your creation and rejoice in its majestic glory but we despair that it cannot share our joy in what you have accomplished.” Ea listened to the counsel of his children an extended his hand and created the second children of Ea, the race of Man, Elf and Ork to share the world.

The elves made their home among the trees in the forests and leafy places of the world. The orks took to the dry places, the sun filled deserts and rocky hills where their kind could flourish. The humans lived between them in the parts of the world where neither elf nor ork would call home and the mortal races prospered in this time of peace and plenty. The Angels rejoiced at the coming of the mortals for at last they had others to share in the splendour of their god.

The Angels were so moved by the lives of their mortal siblings that they came unto Ea and said. “May we not take care of our brothers and sisters; we have seen their struggle and toil and desire in our hearts to protect them and make them strong.” Ea replied neither yea nor yea saying merely. “It is a burden to those who chose the path of teacher and guardian, one heavy to carry but rich in its splendour.”

Time passed and the mortal races began to spread over the face of the land. And the Angels saw how beautiful were these people and took them as husbands and wives so that they could be closer to them. Giants walked the land in those days, when first the Angels mated with the mortals and by them had children; these were the heroes whose fame has come down to us from long ago.

The land entered a time of prosperity and growth led by the Angels of the lord god Ea. Mortals did indeed grow strong in faith as was promised by their masters but for some, as Ea had warned, the burden of responsibility weighed down too much for them and they began to covet that which did not belong to them.

There was one among the Angels who had grown arrogant and strong and under his leadership his people turned away from the true worship of Ea to the false worship of himself. Zeroth, The Prince of Lies, the Deceiver and the Lord of Darkness he came to be called.

When the frontiers of his power ceased to extend he spoke to his people. “Increase,” he said, “and multiply, and fill the land. All the beasts of the land, and the winged things of the sky and the creeping things of the earth are to go in fear and dread of you, and I give you dominion over all the fishes of the sea. This creation that lives and moves is to provide food for you; I make it all over to you, I give you the world. Go forth and occupy it all.”

The people on hearing this blessing from their master at once gave heed and began to spread like a plague across the land. Conflict, war and death overtook the world as the people of Zeroth did as their lord had decreed and the world was plunged into darkness.

And then Ea found that the world was full of iniquities and that the whole frame of mortal thoughts was set on evil; and he repented of ever having made them. He was smitten with grief to the depths of his heart and said, “I will blot out my second children from the face of the land, and with them all the beasts and creeping things, all the fish in the sea and all that flies through the air. I repent of ever having made them.”

This was heard by all who lived then and the fear of god was set in their hearts. Eolis an Angel of Ea came then to his Lord and said. “Cast not the spear of blame into the hearts of your second children. For the source of this evil you must look elsewhere but the mortals of the world. It is one among us who is at fault and whom must be held accountable.”

And God looked out and saw that Eolis spoke true and so said. “I cannot unmake that which is my first creation, but whosoever has done this must be punished and the world must be purged of evil. I mean to destroy all mortal life and the world with them to remove the dark stain of oppression that now fills the land. Choose from among your people those that will be saved for you have shown me the truth. But choose wisely for if your selection is not pure the whole world and everything in it will be unmade.”

Eolis went down and chose from the world’s people those who were accepted as being faultless in this age of wickedness. Ea was pleased at the choice and set them aside so that they may rebuild.

Then the world was torn asunder as seas rose to overtake the land and mountains cracked and spewed forth their molten fire. The sky was turned black as lightning blazed and thunder roared. Those who were saved watched as the world they knew was destroyed and the Prince of Lies was cast out of the light along with those who served him. Cast into the darkness of the realm below into the tortured pits of despair.

Then the Lord Ea began again his crafting and soon the world was made anew, clean and fresh after the fury of his rage. He breathed deeply and smelling such a scent as pleased him then turned to Eolis and the Angels. “Never again will I plague the world on mortals’ account, never again will I send affliction such as this upon all living creatures. While the world stands, seed-time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall keep their course unaltered.”

And Ea pronounced his blessing upon those who had been saved. “Here is a covenant I will observe, with you and your children after you and with all living creatures, your companions, the birds and beasts of burden, and the cattle that walk the fields and the wild beasts beside. Never more will creation be destroyed; never again will floods devastate the world. Never again shall the earth erupt in cataclysm to destroy living creation by my hand.”

And thus Ea, to make good his promise, destroyed himself. Such was his love and devotion for what he had made that he chose to break apart his own being than to risk using his power to destroy what he had made. As each part of the mighty creator fell away his aspects came to be; each one carrying with them a small part of his divine purpose.

Thus is the tale of the First Age of creation as it has come down to us.

The Second Age

The beginning of the Second Age was marked at the Sundering of Ea and has been in place for a little over 2100 years. Nations and empires have risen and fallen in those years and conflict remains though on a much smaller scale than gave rise to Ea's wrath.