Tales from the Mouth of Darkness [Hiatus]

Meager Origins

I could recount the story of stories, tale of time and ages, of Glory and justness and purity, and blah. But I much prefer a little whoa in my woe, do you not? I'll dispense with the once upons, if thou doth not protest, and speak of the beginning. Some score of time ago, before all else, there were three. Creadt, the passive hand of creation; Vanmoriel, light and good; and Caladhiel, dark and evil. The great Triumvirate. Creadt tends to be more passive than the peaceful dead and the other two make perfect balance without any interference. The Three like to think of that period before all else as the everything and nothing. It's simultaneous ridiculousness, if you ask me, but anyone rarely does.

After divine epiphany, during this everything and nothing, Creadt conjured up this hunk of earthen mass and filled it with the spark of life. Humans and $^!+. Post earthen establishment, do take note, Vanmoriel and Caladhiel had to manifest in a physical form. They chose light and dark respectively, as well as a crystalized form of each. There came a time after the creation of Creterra-aforementioned earthen mass-when the crystals came to a point of contention. Naturally, each felt as though their own mechanism of direction was best for this fresh realm of life. Vanmoriel went to petition Creadt for a realm of creatures to act as guardians over the humans. Peace keepers, they say. Tight wads, I say. While good ole Vanny worked that pure light charm, Caladhiel went down to raise a little hell. Eh?

While Scouring the shadows of this new physical realm, the dark crystal came across the body of a newborn child onto which clung echos of the faint cries of an infant soul. Sensing opportunity to gain the upper hand, Caladhiel stuffed the dying soul back into the child's body and bound them together with darkness. Thus the spawning of The Man of Caladhiel, Dark Lord of all, who casually refers to himself as Manny. When Manny's soul was bound to his body by darkness, he mutated into something inhuman. Imagine jamming twelve inch lava rocks into a seven inch steel box and you'll hit close to the mark on that whole ordeal. Possessing the potential for immense power, yet not quite diety, this inhuman was set on a path that would soon earn him status and fear unparalleled.

To satisfy his lust for more power, he subjected himself to the knowledge the great sorcerer Magus. After the great sorcerer fell to an irreparable disease-love? Bah!- he bestowed upon his brilliant protégé all of his ability and knowledge of magic. When said magic married itself to the soul of the child born of the dark, it became the blackness of that to which it adhered. An eruption of said power resulted in the formation of Mahiel, a residence that cannot be reached by those who do not belong. Call it...a sub-realm. He now lives for chaos, corrupting the susceptible souls of the humans that open themselves to his darkness. Whether it be lust of power or need of disparity, many do fall to the enticement. It's a gorgeous modus operandi he's come up with...genius, even. That's right. The Dark Lord of All conceptualized dark magic. He is It and It is Him. Be ye warned, little sorcerers.

What's the third layer, you ask? Keep up. Creadt said /#%* the Universe and created an upper realm and christened it Skyrelle, at the petition of Vanmoriel. Innovative, I know. All the creatures of light pretty much keep to themselves. But what do you expect from a population of the high and mighty? If they were a tea, they'd be a particularly boring brew of pallid white steeped in antiquated religion and magical entitlement. The only faction of purity that relentlessly ventures into the lower levels is the Order of Saints. They're Vanmoriel's army of elemental warriors under the orders of the Priesthood. They like to poke their swords and scepters into everyone else's hash. Of course, none of them ever make it all the way down to Mahiel.

Skyrelle above, Creterra, and Mahiel below. Unus, duo, tres. Meager as origin stories go, but that's our little realm. So I was supposed to tell you a story. About His Darkness, that's right...did I mention he's got a hound? Its purpose is to seek out those who have let the beginnings of darkness seep into their souls. He drags them to Mahiel for a special sort of conversation. He's like a hell hound on steroids. The official lore title is Mannahound. He's essentially a gigantic, smoldering, shadow wolf with an ember heart. A terrible fright in the shadows, I've heard. I'm not personally convinced, but Houndy does make for a great day bed.