Creation:
In the great before, Chronos and Cosmos begat many children. First born were the twins Anduiras and Cyril. Anduiras was made the sovereign ruler of the universe and Cyril was his servant, who was given powers of creation. Next born was Magic, and she was granted powers of renewal of life and was made to assist Cyril in the creation. Then Matter was born, who completed the creation and gave it substance.

Matter created the inner cosmos to provide materials for the creation.

Anduiras and Cyril created the other gods with assistance from the forces. Magic determined to create a perfect wife for her brother and they created Basaļa. Basaļa did love magic but was too devoted to her husband Andurias, and too much like him to satisfy Magic's creative spirit, and so they created Vorynn. Chaos helped create Brenna. Matter assisted in the creation of Reynir in the image of Cyril, and Masela in the image of Anduiras. Evil disguised herself as Anduiras and with Cyril created Azrai, the whole circumstance of which was not understood until Azrai fled after his creation. Cyril created the world, and in so doing, became the world.

Chaos seduced Magic and during their brief affair, they created the Elves, after which Chaos passed into the form of the force by which we now call him.

Matter was delighted with the creation of firmament and with the god Reynir, and wished to create more, but Cyril had departed to become the world. Evil, tricked him into creating fire, and Chaos tricked him into making air to feed the fire. Matter, realizing what he had done sought out Cosmos, who proposed creating Moradin to harness fire and air. This Moradin did by creating the forge. Chronos proposed that Moradin be given a wife who would record the deed of harnessing fire and air, and Matter and Cosmos
created Berronar. Matter attempted to create Abbathor, to be a servant of Moradin, but Evil corrupted Abbathor and Moradin petitioned Cosmos and Matter to create Dumathoin and Vergadain to counter the powers of Abbathor.

After which, Cosmos became the structure of the universe.

Evil created the non-human pantheons to combat the gods already created, corrupted a few from others creations, then gave way into the force by which we know her name.

In order to strengthen the forces of good, Magic, Chronos, Anduiras and Matter made two more pantheons.

Magic and Chronos created the Gnome pantheon, and passed into the forces by which we know them. This race did not survive the Shadow war and was extinct before the Battle of Mount Deismaar.

Anduiras and Matter, perhaps the most powerful of the beings, already began passing into the forces which they would become, but before they were finished, had enough power of creation to create the Halflings. Then Matter joined Cyril and gave the world and universe matter.

Chaos and Evil hated the creation and fought Cosmos and Chronos and their children. Their battle created the outer universe where the gods dwell. Chaos was an unreliable ally and betrayed Evil, though was never an ally of the others.

Anduiras became the laws of nature which governed all other forces. He was noble and warlike and always defended his rule by acts of courage and battle, imposing law where submission did not occur. Reynir served his noble lord as master of the land and its produce. Brenna served as the guardian of order. Vorynn possessed domain over magic and knowledge. Masela devoted herself to Anduiras as his champion. Basaļa, the wife of Anduiras offered him companionship, advice, and counsel.

Moradin was likewise made noble and warlike, and charged with dominance over fire and air and given powers of creation so that he might maintain this dominance. He created the forge, where he trapped fire, and billows, where he trapped air. There he made them his servants. Berronar had been charged with the task of keeping the record of Moradin's creation of the forge, and so took to upon herself the task of recording all of the universe. Chronos had also desired that Berronar be created as a consort to Moradin, and Berronar upheld the role faithfully, and championed the role of partner. Abbathor had been corrupted by evil, but he was created
to be Moradin's servant and to create materials from which Moradin might craft what he would. But, now he had no will to create, and used his powers only to take for himself what he desired. His mastery over materials had been perverted into pure greed. Moradin had pertitioned for the creation of Dumathoin and Vergadain to thwart Abbathor. Dumathoin was granted the powers of creation so as to supply the materials Moradin desired, and Vergadin was charged to watch over the wealth of the world so that it might be guarded and preserved in the hands of the the gods, and where it was lost, that it might be recovered.

Azrai hid himself in the shadow of the creation, where the gods did not find him. From there he watched their activities.

When Anduiras encountered Moradin, they each asserted that they were the more noble and the better warrior. Anduiras called upon Reynir and Moradin called upon Dumathoin for the means to defeat the other. Reynir and Dumathoin summoned up metals from the earth. Reynir fashioned a sword for Anduiras and Moradin crafted himself an axe. They battled until both warriors recognized that the other was his equal and both pledged loyalty to the other as equal chiefs. Anduiras granted Moradin sovereignty over any lands he desired, and Moradin walked the upon the world, desiring the mountains as his own. This Anduiras gave to Moradin as a gift. Moradin, who until now had had no part in the world, but had been master of the elements, gave as gifts to Anduiras fire and air, which he had captured, and water, which he had created to tame fire. In this way they sealed their bond.

Anduiras desired to honor his wife, and created for her a great palace of fire, which would move so as to observe all of the world, and in this way she would always delight in an ever-changing scene. To maintain and control this palace, he gave his wife, Basaļa, mastery over fire. To Masela, his champion, he gave the secrets of water and mastery over half of the world. To demonstrate to all who was master over her part, she filled it with water. Anduiras gave the rest of the world to Reynir, to whom Matter had given mastery over earth at his creation. This he filled with life, covering the world with fertile soils which bore great forests. Vorynn was fasinated by the great palace which Anduiras had given to Basaļa, and its power to oberseve the whole of creation. So, Anduiras created such a palace for Vorynn, but to preserve the honor reserved for his wife, made it of fine marble, and not fire, so that it would not light the sky, except as it was itself lit by Basaļa's own palace, elsewhere in the sky.
In addition, he placed Voyrnn's palace lower in the heavens, but that suited Voyrnn as his view was improved by the measure. When Abbathor realized he could steal from the camp of Moradin only with great effort, he began to steal from the camp of Anduiras. So Anduiras called upon Brenna, his patron of order, to watch over the wealth of the world so that it might be guarded and preserved in the hands of the the gods, and where it was lost, that it might be recovered, as Moradin had charged Vergadin to do. In order to preserve this wealth, Brenna, who had been created with the help of Chaos, kept the character of the great order a secret, and strove to hide the wealth with cunning.

Thus the gods had all gained mastery over some part of the world and its opperations. Except for Azrai, who lusted after the whole of it.

Moradin and Anduiras saw the elves upon creation and called upon them to worship them, but the elves did not. Wishing neither to offend Magic or Chaos, both gods determined to create their own races to whorship them, and in this way make themselves more powerful. Moradin created his race in his forge and tempered them in the center of the world. From there they struggled to the surface, and the weak among them perished. Andurias decided not to fashion his race alone, as Moradin was doing, but to seek
the advice of his servants. Because he took some part of all of their advice, the race he created was very versitile. When Magic, saw what was happening, she protested. Anduiras resolved to placate his sister by promising to place his race in only half the world. This she accepted, as she knew Moradin's race would not venture far from his mountains. The place where Anduiras placed his race was then known as Andu, after him. The other land was called Cerilia, after his twin brother. At least one other place existed, but its name has been lost.

Azrai cursed the creation as his makers Evil and Chaos had done before him. Now he commanded his servants, Kartathok, Torazon, and Yeenoghu to form servants of their own and then to make races to rival those of elves, dwarves and humans. This they did do. Kartathok's goblins made emnity with the elves, Torazon's orogs warred with the dwarves, and Yeenoghu's gnolls, fought with humans.

At this time, Moradin and Berronar had their first child, Torvald, to whom Moradin delegated the powers of justice so that he might devote more time to prosecuting the wars of his people. Moradin came to feel that his race of dwarves needed so much of him as their god of war, with the orog threat, that he was not devoting enough of his power to his spheres of sovereignty and creation. So, to assist him as an exclusive war god, Moradin created Clangeddin. Berronar suggested as well that a god be created to collect the knowledge of the world for the use of the dwarves. So, Moradin created Muamman, who would patronize dwarves among the elves and humans where they would collect their knowledge. Some time after this, Moradin and Berronar gave birth to Kalvia, a daughter. Kalvia invented the bow and shared its secrets with the dwarves for their protection, for war, and for hunting.
Kalvia eventually married Clangeddin and they begat Nikor, Kurag, and Raeg (Victory, Courage, and Rage). Moradin and Berronar also gave birth to Laduguer, Zohra, Zahra, and Kalmirn. Laduguer, however, desired to usurp his brother Torvald's place in his father's service. Laduguer felt that Torvald was too accepting of weakness, to tolerent of failure, and too much like their mother. Laduguer possessed a dark view of Moradin. He idolized his father's qualities as an uncomprimising, harsh judge who demanded merit
and only rewarded work. Laduguer, though, rewarded only that work done under the harshest conditions. Eventually he came to belive that his father, and all the gods with him, had grown soft, and then lazy, indolent and feckless. Moradin would not reject Torvald, and remained a fair judge who valued the qualities of his wife, Berronar. Moradin and Laduguer broke and Laduguer sought his own domain in the outer planes where the force of Evil was strongest. Laduguer had always found in Moradin's test of his
creation, demanding the dwarves mine to the surface from the center of the world, the greatest and most noble test. So, those dwarves who followed him were commanded to return to the depths of the earth and to forge a life without the comforts and ease of the surface world.

The races of Kartathok, Torazon, and Yeenoghu were inferior to the elves, dwarves, and humans. As they proved superior to the evil races, Azrai plan failed. So Azrai turned to another scheme. He corrupted some of the humans and used them to attack themselves. Then as some fled the corruption and escaped to Cerilia, Azrai turned humans and elves against each other.
When ever peace would grow between humans and elves, Azrai would use weak humans and elves to violate the agreements. Azrai tried to use humans to venture as well into the mountains, but while there was some skirmishing between humans and dwarves, the pact swore by Anuiras and Moradin was invincible, and their races did not war upon each other in the same genocidal fashion, limiting themselves to limited wars over hills, and mines, and farms, never questioning the right of the other to live in its own lands. In their wars with the elves, the humans were able to call upon their gods in battle and were able to learn the secrets of magic as well
through the aid of Vorynn and Basaļa. Magic, seeing what Azrai was doing, declared she would not take sides to protect her elves, and permited Basaļa, to bring her tribe, the Basarji to Cerilia to aid the humans, so that Azrai might not succede in his plan to destroy the races.

The elves were nearly extinguished, and the humans dominated Cerilia. This angered Chaos, who hated the creation of everything except his elves. Indifferent in the beginning, the success of the humans put Chaos in an ackward situation. Either Choas could abandon his neutrality and and join Anduiras, or he could return to his old ally Evil. For reasons known only to Chaos, he returned to Evil and broght with him a plan. He would give the elves over to Evil and to Azrai, if a final and climactic battle could be fought to steal creation away from Anduiras and Moradin and grant it to Azrai. They conspired.

First, Azrai presented himself to those races created by his servants, the goblins, orogs, and gnolls. Next, Azrai visited the Vos, the humans living in the most northern regions. Never realizing that Azrai was the Shadow from whom they had fled generations ago, they succumbed to his offers of stength and power. Vorynn, seeing his people become corrupted as the Empires of Andu had become, he withdrew from them powers of divination and illusion. This did not sway the Vos as their neighbors, the humanoids knew
the mace and sword and they fell to Azrai. Then Azrai went among the elves and Dwarves. Chaos brought the elves to Azrai, but the dwarves remained true to Moradin's way of cooperation with humans. Only Laduguer was willing to join Azrai with his dwarves. The elves burned with revenge and prepared for a great war.

The Anuirean, Rjuven, Brecht, Basarji, and Masetians united to face the forces of the shadow. When the dwarves saw the whole body of dwarvenoid races joining to destroy the humans, they knew that the humans were infinitely preferable to the orogs and the others and joined the humans against the orogs, goblins, gnolls, elves and Vos and the long corrupt empires of Andu.

Anuiras had as his champions twin brothers, reminiscent of himself and his twin, Cyril. These twins leading the Anuireans, Halyn and Roele led the whole assembled tribes as well. Erik was the high druid leading the forces of the Rjuven under the twins. Nesirie was the captain of the Mastian fleet serving Anuiras. Ruornil, one of the most respected wizards in Cerilia, was a Vos who remained true to the knowlegde of Vorynn, and whose arcane knowledge of the Shadow proved invaluable. Sera was the guild master who represented the Brecht at the war counsils of the twin bothers.
Avani was the Khinasi scholar and wizard who oversaw the twin's sieges and engineering.

On the side of the foul Shadow, Belinik, the chosen champion of Azrai led the Vos and commanded the whole dark army. However, Belinik delgated direct control of his Vos forces to their high priest, Kriesha. Azrai's third champion was the older brother of the twins, Haelyn and Roele, Black Prince Raesene, who led a great band of warriors and magicians in the elite corps of the Shadow's army. Rhuobhe Manslayer lead the elves under Azrai's army, serving as second in command under Belinik, though Prince Raesene was the commander of the battlefield. The goblin king Talkazr commanded both the goblins and gnolls under Belinik.

The forces of the Shadow generally proved superior to the human and dwarven force. In a deperate moment the moment of decision came at Mount Deismaar. The clash on the slopes of the mountain was truly epic. Man and monster battled in vain to attempt triumph. Despite the skill and bravery of many Cerilain warriors, it seemed sunset would see the defeat of the army of Anuiras and Moradin. However, within the army of Azrai, the elven queen of the Aelvinwode, Tuar realized they were fighing on the wrong side
of this battle. Through stirring oratory she convinced most of her army to follow her across the lines to join the humans agains the Shadow. Rhuobhe was unswayed and his followers stayed to fight the elves of Tuar. It was then that Haelyn saw his moment of opportunity and he made his way across the battle to Raesene. Higher upon the slopes of Deismaar, the gods themselves took physical form to defeat Azrai. They poured every energy into the effort to destroy the shadow that had fallen across Cerilia. In
the final moments of the battle, all the gods had been killed, except Anuiras and the two gods from the dwarven camp, Moradin and Clangeddin. At Anuiras's insistance, Moradin and Clangeddin combined to drive the gods Kartathok, Torazon, and Yeenoghu from the field, while he, Anuiras faced Azrai alone. During that fight Anuiras and Azrai destroyed each other while Moradin and Clangeddin put the dwarvenoid gods to rout. The destruction of the gods caused such an explosion that Mount Diesmarr was destroyed creating what is now known as the Straits of Aerele, seperating the lands of Audu and Cerilia.

In their close proximity to the gods, their greatest champions had absorbed the devine essence released by their destruction. The forces of Cosmos and Chronos raised the heros to replaced their vanished offspring. Haelyn assumed Anduiras' reign over nobility and war; Erik the druid ruling the woods and streams in Reynir's stead; Sera taking the place of Brenna as goddes of fortune; Avani taking the mantle of Basaļa; the Vos warriors Kriesha and Belinik absorbing the powers of Azrai to become the Ice Lady and the Prince of Terror; Nesirie absorbing the powers of Masela and gaining power over the sea; Ruornil inheriting the magic of Vorynn.

Other champions, such as Roele and Mjö?vitnir Rockhammer found themselves imbuded with Anduirias' bloodline. Many of the minions of Azrai fought, and they discovered that they could rip the godly power from their enemies.
They soon would call this bloodtheft. The minions of Azrai hid out, emerging occastionally to kill those who carried divine bloodlines, using the power to keep themselves alive and twisted. Among these were the Kraken, Ghost, Raven, and others. The elves were the first to notice this phenomena and called the abominations "blood of darkness", or awnsheghlien.
The mightliest of these was the Gorgon, formerly the half-brother of Haelyn and Roele, Raesne.

After Deismaar, Moradin and Berronar gave birth to Mirvald, Diirinka, Sivia, Diinkarazan, Kalgraf, and Dugmaren. With Azrai destroyed and the dwarvenoid races thrown back, the younger children of Moradin were less warlike and stern and tended more toward civilization and sophistication. Mirvald oversees the functions of marriage, partnership, and home. Diirinka was
chaotic and exploratory, concerned with the unknown, an inveterate aquirer of useless knowledge, an experimenter and fiddler who pursued knowledge for its own sake. Something of an errant, he turned toward the force of magic, which had been foreign to the creation of Moradin and his pantheon and all his works. Moradin and Berronar disapproved and Diirinka withdrew, resentful. Sivia defends the equality of all dwarves. When Diinkarazan also tended to embrace the forces of Chaos, Diirinka convinced him to run
off with him to the planes where the Force of Evil was strongest. There they might ally with their brother, Laduguer, and become more powerful than Moradin. Young and inexperienced deities, they were enticed by Ilsensine, the illithid god. In his own quest for power, Diirinka betrayed his brother, Diinkarazan, to Ilsensine who imprisoned and tormented him.
Diirinka was rejected by Laduguer for his act of betrayal, but was seduced by Chaos and settled where Chaos and Evil were united. There, Chaos presented Magic to Diirinka and Magic showed Diirinka knowledge and gave him gifts foreign to Moradin.

Berronar, now having lost three children to Evil doted over her children.
Kalgraf was devoted to his mother and became the patron of community.
Dugmaren, Berronar's last child was most dear to her and she spoiled and indulged him. Even when he became interested in knowledge neglected by the dwarves, she favored him. Moradin was forceful, as always, and strictly forbid his unconventional ways, and continually pushed upon Dugmaren the failure of his brothers to safely defy the established forces.
For some time, Dugmaren remained a devoted scholar in his mother's pattern.
Indeed, by Moradin's force of will, Dugmaren was subject to his mother's high standards and his sibling's watchful eyes. After an exceptionally long apprenticeship, Dugmaren struck out on his own. Having been so often warned by the example of his fallen siblings, he desired to know what went wrong with their growth. This led him, much to the consternation of Moradin, to the embrace of Chaos, however, he always rejected Evil as the downfall of his siblings.

By Kenneth Gauck

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