The map and Mythology. Frae. Primordial of Souls.

    

    Divided by the World-Split Ocean, the landmass is divided in five major continents, WestSight (under the compass), EastCore (or the Chipped-Axe Eastland), Temple of Frae (middle), Frozen Confluation (Northern Pole), and the Barren Ice (South Pole).

    Shortly after Frae (Primordial of Souls, the one that created life and named the stars, giving purpose to the purposeless) isolated herself in the far ends of the High Plains (the realm where most minor Gods live), She noticed that the mortal creatures She had created were rapidly changing (humans were evolving). Intrigued by this, She took a new mortal form, wandering the world. She took it upon Herself to guide these curious creatures in their natural development, and was astonished by the vast capabilities of the life She had created. She learned a lot from humans, from the making of fire and tools, to even spoken language (until that point, She and Her Gods were communicating using telepathy).

    The first era of humanity concluded with humans being fully capable of development, learning, arts, and culture. Frae had lived among them and as such humans began calling her First-Mother or Embrace.

    Knowing what Her brother, Gradoth, was planning, her heart began to fill with sorrow, and began exploring the rest of EastCore. Through her travels, she encountered a nomad. The concept of a nomad was familiar to Frae, yet She still was surprised to see a mortal willingly adopting that life-style. The human, named Elendry, was a tall, thin man, with a long, grey beard and a wide forehead. His body was covered with inscriptions, hidden under a leather robe, unlike anything Frae had ever seen in mortals.

    Intrigued by Elendry, She accompanied him in his travels. In all Her cosmic wisdom, there was much to learn about mortals, as both Gods and especially Primordials were distancing themselves from them. They were vastly inferior, by the lack of magic and short life-span. But with all that, the Higher Beings failed to understand the core principle of life. It's innevitable conclusion. Not only was it a reality for mortals, but it was a reality reached quickly. Not telling Elendry about her true identity, Frae was still surprised, after all those years, that he was so willing to have Her as a companion.  Elendry told Frae about the world, about how the old stories tell of the two types of creatures. The made, and the grown, respectively the creatures that were made as they were at that time, and the ones forced to change in order to avoid or delay the unavoidable conclusion. Elendry had drawn a vast wisdom from that concept.

    "What are you? Sincerely, please..." asked Frae.

    "I am simply a withering old man holding a stick, Frae"

    Having shown Frae most of what he had known, Elendry knew his up-coming ending.

    "Beg you, Elendry. You are not just an UpperApe. You are more. The ideas about mortality that you posses are unique among everyone I have ever met..."
    "As you are more, I am simply less." replied Elendry.

    Frae was shocked. She quickly turned her head towards Elendry, dropping the piece of cooked meat. The immediate silence ensued shortly after the mortal's response was only gently filled by the crackling of the campfire, and the lively concert performed by the hundreds of insects. A couple of sparks suddenly fly towards Frae, blinding Her for only a moment, making Her turn Her upper body, shielding her face from the upcoming hot particles.

    As the sparks stopped, she slowly looks at Elendry, carefully opening her eyes, just to find Elendry standing in front of her. His staff was glowing, and a scarlet gem was spinning rapidly above his open palm, held towards Frae.

    "I grew to realize there was more about this world, just as there is about You, Frae."

    "Elendry...?"

    "All-Mother. That's who You are, is it not?"

    "I-I...." Frae was struggling to respond.

    "Your gentle nature has brought You to me, Primordial."

    The ground around them started to rumble. She quickly came back to Her senses, standing on Her feet. The air felt like collapsing around Her, as the campfire burst into an incredible luminous vortex.

    "How do you know of that, mortal?!"

    Closing his fist, as the shine from his staff and the gem, faded, Elendry spoke calmly. "I know, because I must." He hands Frae the gem. Frae glances over at the gem, as small sparks would traverse its edges. "I am yet to understand my abilities, but I am aware that I am the first mortal to wield magic."

    As the pressure decreases around Her, Frae continues "Is that because of this object?"

    "Not only. Far before I had discovered the first gem, I was capable of seeing differently than others. I was able to feel differently than others. I could hear the flapping of a bee's wings, the heart-beats of the wolves, and the extensions of the trees' roots."

    "Why did you not tell me of this, Elendry?"

    "For the same reason as You, All-Mother."

    "Are there others?!" Frae said full of hope.

    "I do not know, but I can see others' energies as I see mine, so it is possible."

    Holding the piece of stone tightly in Her hand, she takes a rapid step towards Elendry. "There MUST be others. Help me, Elendry, HELP me!"

    "Are You sure that changing the course of this world is a good choice? Are You sure that helping humans, draglins, elves, and all other wield magic will hold positive results?"

    "It has to be, Elendry. It is your only chance against my brother's plans! I have already witnessed two extinctions! I DO NOT want to see another."

    "Gradoth.... What is His plan?"

    "As it has always been. An unfortunate result of my wishful thinking."

    Elendry lowers his eyebrows in a visible confusion. "Wishful...?" he repeats.

    "Yes."

    A moment of silence ensued, as the fire's crackling regained its former harmony.

    From the tall grass, a slithering sound shily makes its way towards the warmth of the campfire.

    Smiling, Elendry notices the small legless creature, and reaches to lift it up, as gentle as he can. The small creature, sticking its tongue out to sense the taste of the air barely noticed that it has been picked up, and curiously inspects the strange large creature.

    "Do You know the name of this, Frae?"

    "Yes."

    Elendry lifts up the creature, and they faced each other off for a moment.

    "I don't... Why did you pick it up?"

    "Because I can. And because I find it fascinating." he placed the creature of his staff, and strangely, the creature found comfort on the wooden object, resting on the top of it. "See this, Frae?"

    Bewildered by how the creature relaxed, Frae asked. "Are you not afraid of it, Elendry? And is it not afraid of you?"

    "We are both afraid, Frae. But that fear drew us both close to this fire, and to its warmth. This fire urged us to make an exchange. I gave it safety, and it will not harm me."

    "But how were you so sure it will not harm you?"

    The wind was gently caressing their bodies, as both the mortal and the Primordial looked at each other with calm, yet curious expressions.

    "I did not. But I did know how cold the ground is. I knew the nature of this snake, and the primal will to stay alive we all mortals posses. Our little legless friend, here, while truly capable of harming me, has chosen to share the warmth of the fire with us. This is mortality's blessing."

    "Blessing? That you all will meet an end?"

    "No. Embracing its inevitability."

    "I do not understand, Elendry" Frae was visibly concerned, as a small tear shined on her cheek.

    "That is why you have found me, All-Mother. In our hearts, physical or ethereal, we all share the same desire. The desire of existence. The desire that gave birth to our change."

    "Therias..." said Frae in a soft voice, remembering Her love for Her sister.

    "Yes. From your deep, true connection, we have been born. Me, this snake, the trees surrounding us, the crawlers under our feet and the feathery creatures that fly above our heads. We have changed and have grown from our desire to stay alive."

    "But you are all so... limited... flawed. And it is my fault. My fault for not seeing past my own ambition."

    "Ambition, purpose, they are both the same. In its limitations, Heth has adapted and figured out, throughout millennia, a way to stay alive."

    "Heth?"

    Giving a soft chuckle, Elendry continues. "Yes. Our new companion. We all exist, and breathe the same air that others have breathed before us thanks to You. You gave us our lives, our names, and our purposes. I am simply lucky enough to feel the magic to have realized what my purpose was from an early age."

    "The gem...."

    "Yes. The gem. And there are many others like-..."

    "THE GEM! There are more?!"

    "Yes. Some reside in the mountains, others in the tangled branches of the forests."

    "We need to find them, Elendry!" Frae grabs Elendry's hand in Hers, as hope fills Her face.

    "Why?"

    "For your purpose, Elendry!"

    "What do you mean, Frae?"

    "If you can wield them, so can others. This shall be my last gift to you all. We shall search for the gems, and help all that stand to learn magic. To use it, and as such... Maybe, just maybe... You stand a chance."

    Releasing a long, deep exhale, Elendry holds his staff with both hands, and looks downward, contemplating.

    "Something concerns you, Elendry."

    "I suppose You are right, All-Mother. But what will stop the people from using magic wrongly? Will our tree bear the fruits we desire?"

    "There is only one way to find out, is it not?" Frae smiles playfully.

    "That, there is. Very well."

    They both take their former seats of the log next to the campfire, their face illuminated by the dancing flames.

    "Heh..."

    "What?" asks Frae.

    "I now see something more clear than before"

    "What do you see, Elendry?"

    "We are the same, You and I. As is all of creation. We are simply an extension of You."

    "How so?" asks Frae, playing with a leaf She found between Her feet.

    "We all feel. The sorrow, the joy, both the hope and the fear. We all reach out to fate and plea to her will."

    "I suppose that is true."

    As the night became colder, Frae and Elendry retreated to their tents after Elendry extinguished the fire.

    From the next morning, the three began their long journey, searching for the gems and learning of their properties, sorting them in five different groups. The Soul, the Flow, the Stability, the Substance and the Implosion.

    They had visited all sorts of places, spreading knowledge and magic to all, but only some were truly capable of accessing it.

    As Elendry grew older, he and Frae founded the First Magical Order, training the best Magos in the arts, ensuring that magical capabilities were properly used, at least for a while.

    While expected, Elendry's passing bore a great weight on Frae. She and the Heads of The Magical Order placed a grave in the middle of a flowery field. Heth crawled on top of its former friend and companion's grave. Seeing this, Frae granted Heth a blessing. She made Heth the spirit of hope, that still wanders the forest, guiding lost creatures and guarding them.

    One of the Heads approached Frae. "Why the snake, and not him?" pointing towards Elendry's grave.

    "It is not what he would have wanted. He fulfilled his purpose and this blessing would have just been a curse."

    Frae, knowing that she had found a way in which mortals could have a chance of surviving Gradoth's plans of destruction, returned to the High Plains to live amongst Gods and guide the world from the Heavens.