As learned and told by Fytheias Faen!
Major Sources: Igneus, Rilla, Zephyr, Archon
Time of Writing: Post-E5
Long ago when Tilmere was still a living human world, there were many nations in it–Tilmere had its own Caeden, for instance–but the two that concern us most for this purpose are Plyth and a nation called the Endless Empire. The Endless Empire waged a war on Plyth, and was known for obliterating the culture and especially religions of nations that it conquered. So it was to be with Plyth as well. Plyth was one of the few nations still keeping the old faith, a religion that worshipped what it called the Stalwart Dream, but it had no chance of winning a war against the Empire. In a time of desperation a young priest named Igabod began to have strange dreams that lead him, seemingly by divine providence, to an ancient map which seemed to lead to even more ancient objects of great power. Igabod tried to convince King Aukana to allow him to pursue this map’s ends, but the king refused and urged him instead to flee. The king’s son, Archimedes, overheard this plea. Refusing to give up, the two gathered their closest friends: Rilla, Zeke, Tiberius, and Eve, and together the six sought the artifacts together.
When they found what the map described, laid out before them were six sort of "stones,” for lack of a better term. Concentrations of elemental power. Each took one, and gained the power of the Gods as we see them now. They were unpracticed, but effective, and turned the tide of the war in a matter of days. Just as Plyth seemed victorious… the One Who Slumbers woke, and the world was rent asunder. Desperate, the Gods tore a hole through the After into the Void, using their powers to create a new world where humanity could settle safe from harm.
Igabod nearly left those of the Endless Empire in their prison camps to die in the apocalypse, but instead showed them mercy, evacuating them to the new world that Archimedes had styled as Aukana. In thanks, the survivors set themselves to guarding the portal that would become the Origin and the Endless Hunt was born. Plyth settled the lands that would become Cintainn and Zamen domain, and Caeden remade itself anew. The others I forget, though they were told to me as well. In the confusion, however, Rilla was lost, unable to flee through the portal.
Though new to their powers, the Gods did their best to nurture humanity. They took up new names, by which we still know them, and set about raising a new world. Zephyr’s first attempt to make air left the entire world high and Igneus’ first sun made the Estrallian Plain, but in time and with practice they made a world in which humanity could go on. Now, seven hundred years later, here we are: taking the fight back to Tilmere and ending the One Who Slumbers once and for all.
