Stars In A Lake

These lands were once peaceful. Creatures and man thrived beneath the Gods without separation. Frolicking was merry and freedom was a birthright. The seas belong to the Louz; daughters of Moja and the skies were reserved for the heavens to shine down on man. Flowers bloomed in rich fragrances with sweet nectars made to nurture creatures and man alike. Songs were played at celebrations of life and everything after. Fairys danced to sorcerers’ flutes. Cattle were honored and slew for sacrificial honors. Time was as it should be, moving forward but with ease. All good things do come to an end. This land of peace was changing. The greed of a few would soon destroy the freedom of many. Greed was only a portion of the ultimate sin; stealing. Not every creature had definitions for sin, but when wrong was cast it was in some form of this. To kill was to steal a life from the gods. To enslave was to steal the freedoms given at birth. To lie was to steal the truth in plentiful. All sins pointed toward the existence of a true thief. One that would steal power, lives, freedom and so much more from all that roamed in peace. Archang started as a man. He had a wife, and he lived amongst the living just like any other. He wasn’t born a sorcerer or any type of creature of magi, so of course, in secret, he held close to his heart the desire for more. Eventually, curiosity would push him to seek out just that. His nights were spent obsessing over ancient text. Research on lost gods that worshipped darkness, and rulers that triumphed overall man and creature. He wanted to know how to possess the powers he was not born with. With patience, he eventually contacted a long-banished god. His name was one long forgotten; Torchorian. He was cast away from the realm of gods because of his evils against good. He was merciless and a true tyrant. Torchorian’s strength was fed from preying on the powers of others. It had been long since anyone dared call upon him, so he was pleasantly surprised to be called from his limbo by a mere human man. First, he was unimpressed, but Torchorian saw something in this man that intrigued him. Archang had agreed for all he did not possess. he knew this simple man would make for a great vessel and allow him to get back at the gods that so easily cast him out. Intime Archang agreed to be just that and was given the tools that would allow him to ascend to power and glory. Archang first tested his new powers on his wife; a sacrifice asked of him by Torchorian. It was easy enough once he got past the begging and tears. He used a blade to rip her heart from her chest and feast on it. He felt power coursing through him, and he began his transformation. With every new sacrifice, his powers grew; and no sacrifice was the same. If he killed an elf, he would gain their abilities. There wasn’t much to get in his way and in no time, he had followers singing his god's name and praising his call to power. The more his influence grew, the more gifts Torchorian bestowed upon him. Soon Archang was raiding villages and places of prayer; living up to all that he had hoped for. His name was traveling fast and being whispered in fear. Darkness had fallen over all that was, shielding even the powerful gods above from seeing what was going on below them. When the gods had finally seen the mess that had brewed; it was too late. Far too many had now sung Torchorian’s name whether in praise or fear; he was now too powerful a god to be so easily distinguished. Like any higher beings, gods had their own rules that enabled them to directly interfere with the wars of man. Some waited to see how it all played out, while others chose their heralds. Before Torchorian completely cut off the gates to see and travel between worlds, a prophecy was cast. The gods of man each combined strands of their powers and sent it to the lands below hoping it would bring forth a king to rise above Archang. Moja was a craftier God. She spent most of her days away from the heavens and swimming in the seas below. Many worshipped her, but especially the Louz; to whom she put special attention. The Louz were daughters of her blood, they were no humans. They could control the energies within water; a gift that she bestowed upon her most loyal of servants. When the War of Wars began, Moja witnessed the toll far before the gods above. She acted quickly to shield her Louz from the dangers, pushing them into hiding far within the rainforest. She gave them the abilities to survive, and train for anything that was to come. In return, they continued to faithfully honor her. It was when she had been forced into the heavens that she knew the gates between worlds would be closing. Before she left the world she loved so dearly to join her companions, she sent a gift to the Louz. She would allow the waters to choose for her a noble Herold and they would carry inside them the last gates to the gods. Moja didn’t know where, or how long the seas would take to choose, but she trusted them to make the right decision. This decision would be a major pawn in a new prophecy. Moja’s Herold would reopen a gate to the heavens when the time was right, and when that day came Moja would be ready.