ON THE ORIGIN OF MORTALS
In the earliest of days, the world was overseen by no gods- just the ancient race of "quasi-mortals", who were the children of the Night. The world they inhabited was lifeless, its surface a stark white, standing alone against the starless sky. They knew not how they had been born, nor for what purpose- yet there they were. Beings of heart and soul and mind, eager to find themselves and their purpose amidst the absence there in the cold dark.
The world was much larger then- in the time before the cycles ever had a chance to begin- and the creatures were born alone. They wandered for ages until finally, they convened, feeling for the first time what it was like to hold one another. They spoke- creating the first language. They dreamed, and created all manner of plants and animals found across the world still today. And above all else, they loved. They loved each other as much as they loved the night that lorded over them.
These creatures were so unbridled in their passion, so prolific in their art of creation, that their worship of the Night, combined with their fear of the unknown which permeated every aspect of their lives, them brought forth a deity of their own creation. She was Aphelia- a light shining in the darkness, the new moon to grace their night sky and watch over them. It was their ultimate act of creation- they had birthed a new, strange god.
Over time, unfortunately, all they had built up began to decay. They were, at this point, an ancient race, and the Night which lorded over their planet and the god they had created were distorted. Their creation of a god was true, but not without flaw, and for some, this wasn't enough. Seeking perfection, and the ongoing euphoria of creation, the world became overrun with manifestations of their deepest desires, their fears, hopes, and dreams. Aphelia, a dark god of curiosity, did nothing to quell their passion. Some even insinuate that, with the death by the hands of their creations, the god was brought even closer. Her serene face infects the minds of those she is close to with all manner of absurd dreams, and those who succumbed to her began to create all manner of monsters.
The death soon became too much for the mortals to stomach. In their desperation, many solutions arose. Some believed they needed to call upon their new god, ask her for her help to aid them in their quest for survival. Others had different ideas. But in the end, no simple solution was reached. They could not make a decision- but they were out of time. The end was upon them, and so they had to take action.
Those dedicated to Aphelia, goddess of death, Lacuneis incarnate, sacrificed themselves to her and beckoned her ever closer. Those in opposition to her power sacrificed themselves in equal measure, and beckoned a new god- one of a form of energy they hadn't seen before, in stark opposition to the Night and her children- a god who took the form of a great dragon, who they named Callista.
The world in its original form could not be preserved. The mortals who once lived there were almost entirely extinct. The gods which ruled over this new world struggled for dominance over the now-barren landscape. Without followers, and in the constant struggle against one another, their power dwindled. They needed followers and their devotion to survive- and without them, they would rot.
The god Callista, using the form of magic she channeled, Ethyris, created a race of lifeforms to rival those which were nearly extinct. Using the last of her power, she fractured the world, cutting its size nearly in half, and populated it with creatures of her own design, birthing the twelve original dragons from which all others came. These dragons worshiped her, and loved her as their Allmother, and over time, she slowly regained her power.
The few mortals which had survived in the wake of the bygone apocalypse were angered by the encroaching god, believing this world belongs to Aphelia, the expanse of Night, and most of all, they who had made it possible. Callista was like a stubborn child, grown too big for her throne. They began to methodically slaughter these dragons, hoping that by killing them, they would weaken the power of Callista and return the world to the control of its proper heirs.
This plan could never fully come to fruition. As the first of the dragons fell, the unyielding god discovered the extant mortals' plot to harm her children, and punished the perpetrators with a curse unique to her abilities. The remaining mortals had their souls
