A Fable

In the Beginning

First, there was only Night, which was all-encompassing and enveloping. Then Osis was born into the night. Though He loved Night, He desired a world beyond. Heartbroken, the Night let him free.

In darkness, Osis cried out. Night did not return, but sent the Moon in its place, which shone light on him for the first time. Newly lit, Osis explored the world, growing larger and stronger. Once, the two came to the edge of the sky, which was not empty. Petty spirits swarmed in a sea of ether, who were separate from Night. Osis reached out, and was bitten. His blood was shining ichor, and the spirits drank from it.

Seeing this, the Moon asked a companion of Osis. It carved from itself a shard, and with it Osis bled light into the void. It was the Sun, which was brilliant and fierce in aspect. In the new light, Osis saw a stone that floated in the void, dead and old, and resolved to make it alive once more. He gave wind from breath, seas from tears, and spread His life-blood. From the divine ichor and the dead earth rose life, multiplying across the world. Osis commanded that the Sun and Moon attend to life on Earth, and departed, promising to return.

The Second Coming

And one day, He did. Life had spread to every corner of the world, in million on million forms. Osis revealed Himself to each of these beings, who plead for mercy and favor before their creator. Foremost among the favored were the dragons, who bridged the earth and sky, and bent the elements to their will. But they were prideful, and from them Osis learned that the Earth contained a seed of evil, which had corrupted them.

Osis saw the twin dragons Rahab and Tannin, greatest of their kind. Wrathful Tannin breathed smoke that choked the air around him, and prideful Rahab strangled the very Earth with its coils. He demanded the fealty of the dragons and their repentance of the corruption. They believed themselves the true masters of the world and mocked Osis.

Osis descended upon Tannin, whose scales were silver and iron and platinum, whose blood was molten gold, whose ten thousand eyes were precious gems. He carved the metals and drained the gold from its body, shattering them and spreading them through the earth. He split the gemstones and buried them deep. The flesh of Tannin became salt and silt, absorbed by the rivers and seas.

Rahab grew enraged, and battled Osis. Each day He chained the dragon again, for it twisted around the whole of the earth. After thirty days and nights, when the Moon finished its circuit, Rahab knew it was defeated. So Osis chained its head to its tail and banished it to the spaces between, where it set the boundaries of the world above, and was named Leviathan.

The Search

Yet still the lesser dragons refused to repent, and so Osis rebuked them. He searched among each of the living forms for one that could match the dragons, beat them back and resist the seed of evil. None of the plants, nor animals, nor strange forms of the deep ocean or upper sky could swear this. When all other beings had been questioned, Osis found a clan of humans, who walked on two legs, spoke and bore tools.

But even they held some taint of below, and gloried in the body of Tannin. Among them, Osis found a farmer. Her name was Tayv, a tender of the surface earth and its life, who delivered the children of humans and animals alike. Her crops were blighted, her animals were sick and the people around her schemed. Osis came in the garb of a farmer, and showed her the devil, a corrupted spirit of from below. It was Astaroth, the Poisoner, whose influence was felt by plant, beast and human. With the aid of Osis, Tayv cleansed the devil's influence, and banished it from her home.

Then, Osis found a soldier. His name was Tubul, who judged, guarded and blessed the deceased. The dead rose from their graves in evil forms, and the people brought wicked claims against one another. Osis came in the garb of a soldier, and showed him the devil. It was Baal, the Deceiver, who set the living against one another and led the souls of the dead off their proper road. With the aid of Osis, Tubul cleansed the devil's influence and banished it from his home.

Then, Osis found a sailor. His name was Karn, who warded the people against the dangers of the sea and provided them its bounties, who kept the confidence of others and was so trusted. The people broke contracts, told secrets and sought evil knowledge from below. Osis came in the garb of a sailor and showed him the devil. It was Zagan, the Betrayer, who delighted in the breaking of covenants and loosing wicked things from bondage. With the aid of Osis, Karn cleansed the devil's influence and banished it from his home.

Then, Osis found a diviner. Her name was Saris, who consulted the stars and winds for knowledge, who studied and numbered the world around her and negotiated with the spirits. Her tools and books had been set ablaze, and the spirits were afraid to commune with her. Osis came in the garb of a diviner and showed her the devil. It was Flauros, the Destroyer, who burned things of value and terrified the spirits. With the aid of Osis, Saris cleansed the devil's influence and banished it from her home.

Then, Osis came upon a magician. His name was Jalla, who sold wonders for a pittance, gave sage advice and told the true meaning of dreams. The people were troubled by nightmares, and in the day their works were undone by invisible hands. Osis came in the garb of a magician and showed him the devil. It was Andras, the Mad, who whispered evil in the ears of the sleeping and released mischievous beings into the world. With the aid of Osis, Jalla cleansed the devil's influence and banished it from his home.

The True Gods

Osis gathered the Five, and cast of the garb of magician, diviner, sailor, soldier and farmer. They saw His true form, and plead for mercy and favor. Osis commanded that they take up their virtues against the evil below and its corruptions. Each was blessed with his ichor, and became the True Gods of Humanity.

Tayv gathered her clerics, women who knew the Earth and its people. They took up her virtues, the tools of the farmer and midwife, and each spoke, "I am Tayv."

Tubul gathered his clerics, men who fought and defended and had no children. They took up his virtues, their blades and words of law, and each spoke, "I am Tubul."

Karn gathered his clerics, men who knew the seas and kept the secrets of others. They took up his virtues, the sailor's tools, and each spoke, "I am Karn."

Saris gathered her clerics, women who studied the world and entreated with spirits. They took up her virtues, the crystal ball and tools of alchemy, and each spoke, "I am Saris."

Jalla gathered his clerics, who were the first sorcerers. They took up a straight staff to ward themselves and a curved rod to command magic, and each spoke, "I am Jalla."

So it was that the gods wandered about the world, hiding among the people until they were needed. So it was that Tubul slew himself on a dozen battlefields and Tayv delivered her own children. The gods could be found in towns and cities and in the remotest wilderness.

The Fall

The world existed in an age of heroes, where the aspirant and daring would seek the advice of a nearby god before their adventures, receive aid in their moments of need, and little by little beat back the darkness. But at the height of their power, wicked men convened with dragons and ghouls and greedy spirits, and devised a plan to rid themselves of the gods.

When the Moon blocked out the Sun, and so both were blind, they traveled to the world above, and made a deal with the Leviathan. In vengeance, Leviathan opened the barest gap in its scales, which were the boundaries of the world above. There the wicked found a gate drawn in starlight, and opened it. This merest break opened the edge of the sky that Osis Himself had not traversed, and allowed the entry of devouring gods. The wicked were destroyed, and the Five departed from Earth to the world above, where they still battle the outer gods.

With godly power in use above, the clerics lost their miracles. Humanity fell to false gods, both good and evil. Spirits of every kind became patrons of a new people. Good spirits kept the teachings of the Five, and even evil spirits were preferred to no patron at all. The dragons claimed their own cults, raised in their image to worship them.

So the word of the True Gods is passed down by faithful who must worship false gods to survive. Thus they learnt the final virtue; faith, for they must remember the power of the Five, even as they are seduced by miracles touched by the seed of evil.

Conclusion

If you read to the end of this, then ... well, I don't know what to say. Thank you. This is fodder for a fantasy/swords and sorcery setting which allows for the weird gods of say, Conan, with a larger, faith based belief system. It is a stylized telling, which glosses over a whole lot, but it quite close to the historical truth of the world. Moreover, it offers a framework for plenty of pre-fall civilization inhabited by new, false gods, legends of ancient heroes interacting with flesh and blood deities, and a weird little cosmology that mixes medieval coterminous structure with our modern understanding of the universe.