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2. The Fifteen Ancients of Valenntenia

The Ancients of Valenntenia

"Fifteen Gods from a time and place far beyond our mortal scope. T'was they who found our small, pitiable world when we were but a speck of dust in a void of nothingness. T'was they who descended with generosity and courtesy unfettered, using their infinite powers to craft the beautiful and pristine world we now inhabit to this very day. T'was they who bled upon the stones, imbuing them with the power of our Makers. We are the children of these Fifteen Ancients, and it is our duty to forever safeguard and uphold that which they gifted us, so long ago."

[Keir of Blood and Eislyn of Dreams authored by JJ.]

Fire

Arrogath is the first Ancient, progenitor of fire, heat, and rebellion. In contrast to many other Ancients, revered for the gifts they blessed the world and looked upon as positive symbols of Valenntenia, its culture and its history, Arrogath is instead invoked in a more negative and cautious light. Stories tell of the Fire Ancient’s aggression, rebelliousness and volatility, constantly at odds with the other fourteen Ancients, particularly Yemryn of Power.

Yemryn, thought to be the strongest and most commanding of the gods, took issue with Arrogath’s disregard for the creations of his peers, burning the lands they forged without thought, and scoffing at their calls for his flames to be quelled. This disagreement turned into one of the few written-0f instances of Ancient clashing against Ancient, the ensuing battle so catastrophic and destructive that it strips bare the one lush lands of what is now known as Amol-Kalit, and destroys a large portion of the continent, leaving what is now called the Cortosi Coast.

Arrogath is depicted as a young, broad chested and muscular man with wild and unkempt hair, glowing ember eyes, and orange tongues of flame clothing his body. While not as commonly regarded as the other Ancients, he is considered by many of the younger generation in Valenntenia to be a symbol of masculinity, personal ambition, and male vitality, with a small movement among the more rebellious youth sprouting up in recent years of troublemakers and delinquents. This movement, unorganized and unofficial as they are, consider themselves the gatekeepers to the next generation of Valenntenains, promoting a looser and less structured way of life, beyond the strict teachings of the Tower.

The Embers, as they call themselves, linger around the Province and Old Town, interjecting themselves wherever they see fit. Bearing the Fire Rune’s mark on their sleeves, they engage in activity ranging from vigilante justice to blatant vandalism.

Water

Faylea is the second Ancient, progenitor of the seas and oceans. Unlike many of her godkin, who held both friends and enemies amongst her peers, Faylea was aloof and distant. In the teary eyes of the Water Ancient, the world they’d created was imperfect and flawed, and there was no time for fraternization before she made it as beautiful and as striking as she. Faylea was a figure of constant motion, never lingering in one spot, allowing herself to be carried by the harsh and powerful winds of a world in infancy. It was she who danced across the barren, molten rock that made up our world, and filled it with vast bodies of water, borne of the tears that ran down her cheeks.

Faylea is depicted as a young woman with silver hair wrapping around her neck and draping over her breast. Her face is always depicted as teary-eyed and sorrowful, and she is only displayed from the waist up, always partially submerged in water. This particular point has led some to claim that Faylea was a merfolk, but it is more likely that she simply never left the waters.

The reason for Faylea’s constant tears is speculative at best. Some scholars believe she did not wish to leave our world behind, having fallen in love with the seas she created. Others believe that Faylea could never find happiness, so long as there would always be land to break apart her waters.

Today, Faylea is worshipped primarily by sailors and traders for the health of the seas and oceans, often thanked for bounties of fish and other sea life. An effigy of Faylea is traditionally carried aboard any Valenntenian ship, in the hopes of safe travels.

Light

Karikal is the third ancient, progenitor of light and the forger of the sun. Whilst the Ancients as a whole are depicted as fifteen humanoid beings, who birthed the Descendants in their image, Karikal is unique, along with her sister, in that there is very little recorded about what she looked like as a woman, for she spent nearly all of her time in a different form. This was that of a feline, with a silken glowing golden coat, and a tail so long it wrapped around her own body like a serpent around a meal.

The story of Karikal, and her contribution to the world, claims that the Ancient wanted to do little but sleep, initially. Almost immediately upon her arrival, Karikal shifted to the form of a cat and lounged upon the bare, lifeless earth while her kin began to shape the planet. The world was cold, however, too cold for the God’s taste. She tossed and turned, curled up into a ball, but could not settle.

It was for this reason that Karikal mustered up all of her power to create a source of everlasting heat; a ball of flame that would bake the land for all time, bathing it in endless light. She bounced the sun on her paws, toying with it like a ball before launching it high into the sky, where it remains to this day. That would have been all she contributed, were it not for the interruption of her sister, Arevyln of Darkness. Discontent with endless light, Arevyln forged the moon and shot it towards the sun, creating an eclipse that snuffed Karikal’s light.

The two feline Anicents batted the spheres of light and dark back and forth, their frenzied movements setting the world into the slow spin of day and night. When at last they were exhausted, the Sun and Moon were in harmony, and with every long day came a long night to follow. Today, both Karikal and Arevyln are used to represent the passage of time, with their likeness often found on calendars and clocks throughout Valenntenia.

Earth

Terralen is the fourth Ancient, progenitor of the soil and the vast, varying landmasses spreading the wide expanse of the world. The eldest of the Ancients, Terralen often wandered the void, observing the emptiness of the heavens in the hopes of finding some new fixation that would help him to forget the long and endless crawl of time for a while. It is said that Terralen found our world, little more than a blank speck amidst the black, and saw potential. He led the other fourteen to the small little ball of rock, and proposed a grand undertaking. Together, they would shape something beautiful, more grand and breathtaking than anything else in the sky.

Before the world could be blessed with the gifts of the Ancients, however, it had to be shaped. Terralen took our world into his hands, and coated the small rock in mountains of fertile soil, saturated with raw life. Some of this soil hardened into tough shells, and some he kept soft and pliable. He chiseled mountains into the world, gouged deep valleys and vast basins. Underneath the surface, he placed hidden treasures; metals, oils, and jewels, keepsakes from himself, for his children to one day find and reap the benefits of.

When the work was done, and the other Ancients lowered themselves onto the earth to begin their own work, Terralen oversaw them. When Arrogath and Yemryn caused destruction with their scuffles, he held the world together. When Faylea filled his basins with deep blue oceans, he steadied the tides, protected the land from becoming submerged. When Karikal and Arevyln set the world into a spin, Terralen rested his finger upon the axis, slowing and pacing the sphere until night and day were equal.

Today, Terralen is the symbol of cultivation and harvest for Valenntenia. At the beginning of each season, agriculture workers and farmers travel in droves to pray to Terralen for blessings. Natural disasters, especially earthquakes, are attributed to actions by society that have angered Terralen, and a period of mandatory rest for all Valenntenians is taken.

Air

Pallum is the fifth Ancient, progenitor of the air, sky, clouds, and stars. Pallum was a dreamer and an artist; a God so full of creativity and vision that even during an endless life they found new ideas to bring to life, and new beauty to create. Depicted as a tall, slim figure wrapped from head to toe in white shimmering robes, Pallum is thought to be genderless, their face concealed by a blank, featureless white mask upon which they painted their expressions.

When the Ancients set about creating the world, Pallum carried with them a palette, forged from the bedrock of the earth. It’s wells were filled with pure color, distilled from elements offered by the other Ancients. Blue from Faylea, Red from Arrogath, and so forth. With this palette, Pallum painted the grim black skies a warm welcoming blue, dotting puffy white clouds wherever they saw fit.

As the heat of Karikal’s sun beat against Pallum’s paints, however, the colors would slowly begin to bleed and distort into bright oranges and purples, sometimes even dull greens as time passed. Eventually, the paint would run off completely, leaving the sky as black as when it began Only pinpricks of white remained in the sky, still shimmering with Pallum’s energy.

Rather than be angered by this development, Pallum embraced it. Each day, they decided, they would return to the world and repaint the sky, differently than they did before. Some days they would forgo any of the clouds, and others they would coat the sky with massive blankets of gray. Some days, they would use watercolors, which would run off and fall to the ground below as fresh water, and sometimes they would use paint that flaked off into small little bits of Pallum’s energy.

To this day, it is thought that Pallum returns every morning to repaint their masterpiece. They are the icon of creativity, expression and artistry, and their shrouded masked figure is depicted in nearly every district of Valenntenia, perhaps moreso than any other Ancient. Most notably, though, is the large statue of Pallum that rests in the center of the fountain within the Tower’s Courtyard, reaching high into the sky with their fingers coated in paint from their easel.

Darkness

Arevyln is the sixth Ancient, progenitor of shadows, night, and the moon. Like her sister, Karikal, Arevyln is depicted as a feline creature, with a flaxen coat of ebony fur as dark as the night itself and a tail long enough to coil around her own body several times over. Arevyln is notable for her laziness and aloof attitude, showing no initial interest in what would become our world. She accompanied the others only to lounge and nap in the empty space that was their canvas, to watch from the darkness and judge silently while they worked. The dark ball of rock floating in an infinite void served as the optimal spot for a long slumber, especially for a Goddess of Darkness itself.

Of course, things didn’t stay dark for long. Pallum’s meddling palette soon filled the sky with vibrant color, and if that weren’t bad enough, her sister Karikal had weaved together a mass of light so hot and bright that the somnolent cat would never find slumber again. Vengeful and scorned, Arevyln stretched herself long upon the land, gathering dirt and rock in her paws and rolling it into a mass rivaling that of her sister’s. When the heat of the imposing sun had baked and hardened the sphere into a thick, round stone, Arevyln flung it at the sun, knocking it out of place and casting darkness over the land again.

In no time at all, Karikal had swatted that pesky ball of stone out of the way and rolled her sun to its rightful spot in the sky, only for it to be batted away again by Arevyln. The ensuing struggle was akin to little more than two cats playing with balls of yarn, but so powerful and massive were the two Gods that their play set the world into a slow spin within the void it floated in, with the Sun and Moon resting in the sky, ensuring equal parts light and darkness at last.

Today, both Karikal and Arevyln are used to represent the passage of time, with their likeness often found on calendars and clocks throughout Valenntenia.

Blood

Keir is the Seventh Ancient of Valenntenia, Progenitor of health, vitality, and blood.

Once the world was created, the Ancients wished for life.

They all tried. Earth created figures out of clay that could not speak or breathe; Fire found its flames drove its creations to insanity; Water’s attempts could not leave the seas; and those of Air were as fleeting as a cloud. Darkness and Light came close with shadows but they were only imitations and puppets that left neither satisfied. Frustrated, they went to Keir.

“You heal the injuries we suffer with stardust and aether, a combination of both into our creations will surely give them life.”

Keir hesitated to do what the Others asked. He had never held a desire to create like the Others did. He was content instead to be a support for them on their ambitious mission. But Keir loved those he had come to regard as family and as it was a wish of theirs, so Keir granted it.

He traveled to the stars where he spent a single year gathering the ingredients he needed and experimenting with them in his workroom. Eventually, he approached his kin with his creation: blood.

“Pour this into your creations and it will give them Life. Just like you or I. But heed my warning - there is a finite amount and without it your creations will return to what they were.”

The Ancients were pleased with Keir's work and carefully issued blood to each of their creations. Life as the world knows it now, begun. Years passed and bit by bit those the Ancients had made lost their blood through wars and sickness. When they came to him for more the Healer refused.

“My creation was a gift for you, if they have squandered it then they must learn the consequences.”

And so it was that the Ancients could only watch as their most treasured of all creations were undone.

Keir is very rarely worshiped outside of those in the medical profession. Despite the texts depicting him as a healer with great talent, he is often mistaken as cruel for his actions against the other Ancients. Amongst the general population they would rather pray to the Ancients of Dreams, Disease or Power for a loved one to recover from a fatal illness.

Keir is often depicted as an older, stern looking man with a long beard and wrinkled skin. He is always seen with a vial hung about his throat which is usually clutched jealously in one hand. Those that do worship Keir often do so by giving a small offering of their blood upon one of his statues, usually on the vial he is holding. By returning the gift he gave the world, it is thought you will earn favour to ask for another gift in return less precious.

Silence

Garrethi is the Eighth Ancient, progenitor of justice, morality, and balance. Whilst The Fifteen Ancients are indeed the revered and omnipotent beings who shaped our world and enabled our very existence with their benevolence and power, they were not the only beings that existed in the universe. It is written that there were others; dark and evil motes of life that sought only to destroy and consume. Feeble compared to the might of the Ancients, but numerous beyond comprehension.

As the Gods forged our world, these motes did make efforts to infest the newly fertile soil, to pollute our crystalline waters and blacken the sky with their darkness. It was Garrethi, a warrior and paragon of justice, who slew every one of them.

Rather than assist in the construction of the world, Garrethi’s role was that of a peacekeeper and mediator between the other powerful beings. When Arrogath and Yemryn’s battle began to tear the land apart, it was Garrethi who separated and isolated them within the birdcages that hung from his neck. When Karikal and Arevyln sent the world into a spin with their antics, Garrethi placed them both into a deep and inescapable slumber until the effects of their tumbling about could be managed.

As the Stone he left behind implies, The Ancient of Silence did not speak. Indeed, even today he is depicted as an imposing warrior clad in armor as black as the night, with magical seals placed over his mouth and a chain of stone holding his jaw shut. His visage is used to represent the justice system of Valenntenia, appearing in courthouses and prisons. Even today, the cells in which criminals are confined are built to resemble birdcages, paying tribute to the Ancient who kept the balance when no other being could.

Void

Narrathi is the Ninth Ancient, Progenitor of the Void that stretches beyond our world, and Mother of the lost. It is written that the Fifteen Ancients arrived from the blackness of the void atop the back of a great and powerful dragon, one with wings so powerful it could soar through emptiness itself. It is believed by today’s philosophers and holy ones that those who rode the dragon were Fourteen, with Narrathi herself being the winged beast who guided them safely through the Void to their destination.

Even The Ancients could not safely traverse so vast and inhospitable a space. Without the great Narrathi, wings of onyx and scales of ebony, they would never have found our beautiful world in the first place. Even after their arrival, Narrathi kept a watchful eye over them from above as a protector.

Her dominion over Void, however, did not stop at the vastness of the skies beyond. Specific definitions of ‘Void’ as a concept are difficult to come by, and somewhat arbitrary at the very best, but it seems to also encompass Voidness of the mind. When the Wisdom Ancient, Quientis, lost his mind during his attempts to record every action the Fifteen performed during their work, Narrathi’s form shifted to that of a beautiful woman. She appeared to Quientis, consoled and comforted his mind, so addled that he felt nothing. It was through that nothingness that she guided and saved him.

Today, The Void Ancient’s name is sometimes invoked in insults, particularly to the mentally unwell. To call someone ‘Touched by Narrathi’ is to refer to them as insane or sociopathic, and the phrase is considered offensive in most circles. Despite this negative connotation, there are recorded instances of Valenntenians, specifically, suffering from traumatic disorders and mental instability undergoing miraculous recoveries. These people are often said to have been “Guided through the Void.”

Power

Yemryn is the tenth Ancient, progenitor of strength, might, and tenacity. Standing out among the other Ancients, Yemryn is depicted as a being made entirely of stone, ten times the size of his fellow Gods. As the world was created, much of the difficult labor involved with said creation fell upon Yemryn’s shoulders, quite literally. It was Yemryn who constructed Quientis’ Vault, who forged Garrethi’s armor, and who quelled Arrogath’s destructive outbursts.

And, most importantly, it was Yemryn who constructed the Tower. His most vital and monumental task was to erect the great structure that would be their most visible and permanent mark upon the world, the one that their children would protect and inhabit long after their departure. To accomplish this feat, Yemryn used pieces of his own massive body, tearing off chunk after chunk of his stone form to build a Tower imbued with the power of the Ancients itself, immune to the effects of weather, war, and time.

Unfortunately, this effort took its toll on Yemryn. Now missing much of his body, and his size having decreased dramatically, he began to crumble apart under the weight of his own overwhelming power. By the time the Ancients set about creating the Runestones and departed, Yemryn did not join them, using the last of his body to imbue his power into his Rune, and the Stone of Life and Death.

Yemryn is notable in Valenntenian culture as the only Ancient who is written to have perished, and therefore is spoken of purely in the past tense. While respected and revered for his contributions, and the construction of the tower, the terrible curse that his power has passed onto the Guardians of his Stone has somewhat tarnished his perception in the eyes of the people.

Passion

Lorryn is the eleventh Ancient, progenitor of Passion and Desire. Often depicted as the most beautiful and alluring of the Ancients, her monuments, often splayed across chapels, nurseries, and childcare centers, paint her as a tall and voluptuous woman, her form draped in fine silks with shimmering raven-black hair running from her head to her ankles.

Lorryn did not actively contribute much to the world herself, instead serving as a muse and advisor to the other Ancients. Her beauty and countenance was sought after by her peers in moments of trial and difficulty, and only through the support she provided was their task completed.

Lorryn was coveted by many of the other Ancients, but she held a special bond with Illias the fourteenth, of Faith. While Lorryn’s nature as a being of desire made it difficult for her to devote herself to a singular partner, her heart held true love only for Illias. At some point during the creation of the world, Lorryn and Illias conceived a child; a girl, whom they named Aevia. Stripping her of her Godhood and leaving her behind with the other children, she was their final gift to the world– A symbol of unity and love everlasting.

Today, Lorryn is worshiped as a Goddess of love, and fertility, and is an icon of all that the Descendants have accomplished through their undying will and desire to thrive. In addition, Lorryn’s Sanctuary in Old Town is the city’s most popular location for weddings, said to bless unions with long and harmonious outcomes.

Wisdom

Quientis is the Twelfth Ancient, Progenitor of Wisdom, Knowledge, and Education. Quientis’ role in the creation of the world was more hands-off than the roles of his peers, yet he was of no less importance; The Ancient of Wisdom was tasked with recording and cataloging every action the Ancients took towards building something substantial out of the meager ball of rock they’d found. Each word spoken and finger lifted was to be written and stored in a great vault beneath the surface of the world, a library where the Ancient’s infinite knowledge and effort could be deferred to by their children in times of great need or turmoil.

The Vault was constructed, and the texts began to be written by Quientis’ ever vigilant quill. Though his task was a daunting one, The wise young God was eager to fulfill his role, and to pass along all that they knew to their creations, those who would remain here after they had returned to the void beyond. Alas, such a monumental undertaking would prove too much even for an Ancient.

The stress of recording all of the happenings brought about by so many powerful beings was too much for the young Quientis to handle. His sanity began to slip, and his grip on reality tore as he bore witness to so many miracles in so short a timespan. Eventually, his writings became little but gibberish, and his mind grew unable to feel. It was only when his emotions had found this empty void that Narrathi, The Ancient of Void, found what was left of his sanity. The Dragon led him through the emptiness of madness, and Quientis returned to reality. By this time, the work had been completed, and his task failed. Nevertheless, Quinetis and Narrathi departed together.

Today, Quientis is depicted in libraries and schools as a young, scholarly man, often with a dragon draped across his shoulders like a scarf. The search for Quientis’ vault is one of the greatest archaeological endeavors of Valenntenia, particularly its academic community.

Disease

WIP

Faith

Illias is the Fourteenth Ancient, progenitor of Faith, Belief, and Willpower. The youngest of the Ancients, Illias lacked the vast well of power held by the other Gods, being more akin to a supremely powerful mortal than a Deity. Scholars debate over the reason for this, with cases being made for Illias being not fully matured, or his powers of Faith lacking the dynamic effects that all of his fellow Gods possessed.

Regardless, Illias’ strength came instead from his unwavering faith and belief in his peers, and their goal. No matter the hardships that met them, Illias always wore a smile and a positive outlook, reminding them all of their importance, and re-iterating the task set before them with a passionate fervor.

It is perhaps this Passion that led Illias into the arms of Lorryn, the Ancient of Passion itself. The two fell madly in love, and during the course of creation bore a child named Aevia. This girl, born of two Ancients, was the only to be conceived in the traditional sense, rather than crafted by magic, blood, and bone from the Gods. In a display of unfettered Faith in their creation, and in those other children created to succeed them, Illias and Lorryn stripped the Godhood from young Aevia and left her with the other Descendants.

The Stone of Faith, created by Illias, was crafted by both his and Aevia’s blood. The Runestone would awaken only when Aevia was able to build faith amongst her peers, and after her passing, would only obey those who extolled every bit of virtue, belief, and willpower that Aevia did. This doubled as a test, to ensure the continued virtue of their children in the Ancients who created them; So long as they believed, and dutifully safeguarded all that they left behind, the beauty of Faith would be their guiding light through any trial. It is for this reason that Faith Guardians are much harder to find, and often are seen as shining examples of Valenntenian pride, labeled as the Sons and Daughters of Valenntenia.

Dreams

Eislyn is the fifteenth and final Ancient, progenitor of the Dreamworld, Foresight, and Wishes

As her brothers and sisters found joy in their creations, their youngest sibling watched from the moon. She could not mold the way like her siblings of fire, earth, wind, and water; she could not heal or help the needy like Blood or Power; and she could not inspire or create like the lovers Passion and Faith. But Eislyn did not mind. She took joy in the pleasure the world brought her siblings and spent her time watching and listening to those they had created.

The world however, despite most of their efforts, was not perfect.

People still grew sick, went hungry, were homeless. And when the Others were too busy with grander problems to respond it was to the moon and stars the people whispered. Eislyn heard every single word. She collected them like precious gems until the Others could address the issues. But whenever they trapesed home, whenever Eislyn raised the question of who would help, her siblings would brush her aside.

“We’re too busy for this, Eislyn! Whole cities die, we do not have time to make the sun shine on one girl’s birthday.”

“Let them go, Sister. The weight of pleasing everyone will make you fall.”

“It is impossible to create perfection.”

Eislyn returned to her moon with her gathered whispers and got ready to cast them out as the Others had suggested. They were right, of course. The weight made her shoulders sag, her heart grow heavy, and her limbs feel… tired. The thought stayed her hands from throwing away the peoples whispers. She could not give life, could not create wonders, could not inspire… but Eislyn could Dream enough for them all. Gripped by a frenzy, the youngest sibling began to swallow all the whispers she had collected until she was so full she could not breathe. When she lay down upon the cradled hook of the moon and closed her eyes, she never opened them again. In doing so, she created the Dreamscape that forever hung between life and death.

Eislyn is often regarded as the patron of wishes, dreams and death. When she is depicted it is always alongside the moon. The most popular image associated with her is of a young woman asleep upon a crescent moon. Other times, she is depicted as wearing a crescent moon diadem or necklace. She is one of the most popular guardians amongst young children in particular, but also those who are grieving lost loved ones, and anyone who has a wish. It is a common belief that on a person’s birthday Eislyn will grant them a single wish for the year if a silver coin is left beneath their pillow. For this reason, people will also often cover a deceased loved ones eyes with two silver coins for the Ancestor.​