Old Gods/Legends/Highfather
As written in the Scrolls of Orbis, translated from Children script
In the beginning all that was and ever would be was The Highfather. He made The World from a portion of his essence, shaping it as a sculptor makes a statue. He gave it form and rules, an order seprate from the chaos of his existence. Thus he made a place that he could not go for fear of destroying it, he made The World. And yet even as The World was completed, The Highfather knew that it was not yet whole; for though The World was complex and beautiful it was barren. So The Highfather used a spark and made life, to grow and populate his creation. A multitude of creatures were made, from the fish in the sea to the birds in the sky and yet none were as unique as the Creatures of Soul. Fashioned from a pure spark of The Highfather's own essence the Creatures of Soul were the pinacle of all creation. So while the Creatures of Soul explored The World, The Highfather watched on and was pleased. Still as time passed The Highfather came to realize that just as The World was not complete until life was born, so too was The World isolated amidst the chaos of his nature. So The Highfather knew that he could make many amazing gifts for his creation and yet though he longed to build many more wonders he could not. The World, a creation of order and beauty, could not survive his all powerful touch. Thus The Highfather made the Ancients to be his servants, made them from the wind and the rain, the stone and the sun. So the Ancients entered the world and listening well to The Highfather they shaped the gifts for The World that he could not make himself and he was pleased.
Alas trouble began to brew. Many of the Ancients became jealous of the Creatures of Soul, envious of their freedom to enjoy The World while they had to do the bidding of The Highfather without rest or pause. Some of the Ancients began to grumble that they should be allowed to enjoy The World too. So these rebellious Ancients began to meddle in the affairs of the Creatures of Soul, to grant them wishes and ease their lives; still others began to torment the Souls and bring suffering. Playing at gods the rebellious Ancients continued for many an age until finally they were uncovered by their peers and hence forth known as The Betrayers.
When the Betrayers rose up the Highfather was dismayed, and yet he could do nothing to return his wayward servants to the path. Those few Ancients that remained loyal to the Highfather tried in vain to turn their brothers back to the divine plan but the lure of freedom was too great. Thus a war broke out in the heavens as the Betrayers and the Ancients fought. The Ancients knew they were right in their devotion to the Highfather and adherence to the divine plan, but the Betrayers refused to surrender their freedom. The Creatures of Soul found themselves caught up in the war of the heavens as the Betrayers offered them all the gifts they could ask for or threatened them with that they most feared. Appalled at the suffering of the Creatures of Soul as the war raged, the loyal Ancients pleaded with the Highfather to save the greatest of his creations. Moved by their plea despite what suffering it would bring to the Ancients The Highfather touched The World. The touch was not great, but as a musician may tune the strings of a violin to change its tone, The Highfather could alter the rules. No longer would the Ancients exist as they once did, no longer could their powers be turned indiscriminatly against the Creatures of Soul. With the barrier in place between them the Betrayers lost much of their grip on the world, but they raged all the more to gain their freedom.
In the end the Betrayers proved too great for the Ancients and they were cast down, imprisoned in a land far from the Creatures of Soul and cut off from the Highfather. Henceforth while the Anients raged against their cage the Betrayers played their games with the Creatures of Soul, immersed themselves in The World and reveled in their freedom. Alas the seed had been sown, the war in the heavens tainted the World and soon conflict spread among the Souls bringing death and misery like never before.
So while the Betrayers enjoyed the World, the Ancients suffered their imprisonment cut off from the direction of the Highfather. But they would not flinch from their duty, they would struggle to return the World to the divine plan set down by the Highfather no matter the cost. But they were so few and the Betrayers had tricked so many Souls to their ranks, and so the Old Gods, bereft of the wisdom of the Highfather, lost faith in the Souls. So they created their Children from the earth and the sky to continue the divine plan in the place of the Souls.
Thus things continued for many an age, the Children followed the divine plan that remained, the Ancients did as best they could to interpret the Highfather's will, their jailers allowed them their fun and the other Betrayers and Souls amused each other. But then the Souls found the Ancients' prison and everything changed.
The Ancients could no longer pretend that all was well; the corrupt Souls came and ruined the last vestige of the divine plan and in their dismay the Ancients almost reached to burn their homes to ash and cast down their nations to dust; all save one. One Ancient alone said that no matter how far the Souls had fallen they were still creations of the Highfather and could be redeemed. Thus the Ancients test the Souls that come to their prison, test them to see if they are truly strong enough to resist the lures of the Betrayers and walk the divine plan. So the Ancients test the Souls as the blade is tempered by fire, as the cliffs weather the ocean waves, and as the mountains the relentless rains. They test them against the Children, the elements and all they can think of.
