User blog:ChazmanianDevil/The Lay of the Titans, Book 1, Creation

Okay so me and DD2 have been putting tons of work into preparation for a certain Titans RP. It combines much of Greek, Norse, and LOTR mythology, with our own personal touches. There are even some Egyptian and Indian references if you can catch them. Well I've been makeign a huge collection of lore, and I decided to share it with you guys. Here is book 1.

Now before we begin I would like to explain the concept of the nine realms because it can be hard to grasp. Think of it like this. You are standing on earth. All around you is earth and farther out endless space. While you are standing in one realm there are eight parallel versions which also have earth and far out space in the other realms, but each is fashioned differently. Now connecting them all is like a dimensional transit that forms a whole new reality. This take a form of a tree, Yggdrasil. It can be hard to grasp but I think you'll get it. With out further ado, The Creation!

In the beginning there was Chaos, the Ginnungap, the Void, the endless mists. Out of chaos came two extremes, fire and ice. With them came the first Titans, massive begins of legend and Gods of our time. They embodied the two elements, Fyra, was the Titan of fire, and Ymír, the Titan of frost. First they were alone, and then the mixed. They had four children, Hespera, the light of life and day, and Pontos, the lord of water, Gaia, Titan of earth, and Aither, Titan of wind. Then many more Titans came forth, of every aspect and thing. All these Titans were gathered together and looked upon the darkness in the Void, and wondered what was their lot in life. Then Hespera brought them to the mixing point of fire and frost. Gaia fashioned them and gave it shape and form. In it, she planted a small seed. Then Pontos touched the seed with his waters and Aither with his wind and it grew into a little sapling. Then it grew and grew until it's tree dominated the void, a bright point of life in the darkness. Then at the very center of Yggdrasil an egg hatched, and out of that egg came Ma'at, the winged Titan of order and justice. She went to the other Titans and proclaimed, "Behold your creation! From fire and ice comes Yggdrasil, the world tree! Look and be glad! Guard it with your life! For if Chaos takes hold, Yggdrasil shall fall back into the mists of Ginnungap, and take all of life with it!

After Ma'at the wise came to the Titans, the two oldest, Fyra and Ymír, felt a strange spirit come upon them. Then they came to the first fire and the first frost, and then looked upon in a new light. Then Ymír took the frost and fashioned it into a shape, and Fyra did the same with the fire. Then they stood back and admired there work. The first two realms had appeared. They were Niflhiem, the realm of ice, and Muspelhiem, the realm of fire. They were not part of the tree, but connected to it, and one could travel from one realm to another by way of the tree. Ma'at brought the other Titans there and showed the realms to them. Then a strange spirit came upon the other Titans and they were amazed at the creations, but they also saw five other realms similar to them. Ma'at commanded them, "Go now and fashion your visions!" The Titans then went forward and created five other realms. First they fashioned Asgard. Asgard was a huge city, floating upon a massive sea, the creation of Pontos. Next they created Vanahiem, a beautiful realm of sunny fields and sweet tricking streams. Then Hespera went to Vanahiem and covered it in grass, the first other living thing. Then hundreds of animals were created, and smaller versions of Yggdrasil, trees. They were spread far across the grassland, providing spots of shade. Vanahiem was a beautiful land. Then the Titans created Jotunhiem. It was a wild land full of canyons and snowy mountains. Wild evergreen forests graced it's rocky crags. Many vicious and powerful beasts were created to roam the land. Next the Titans created another realm, Alfhiem. It was full of light forests and glades, with many shady groves and glades. Many hunting creatures and powerful deer raced through the forests. Finally the Titans crafted Svartelhiem. Svartalhiem was an enormous cavern, full of mountains and dark caves. The Titans stood back and admired their handiwork, for they were happy. When this was done the Titans went into their favorite realms and their was happiness in the world tree.

Hespera now shed her light upon all the realms, and their was glorious day in them, though as of yet there was no sun. Then at the end of the day the strangest thing happened. The light of the day turned red and purple and orange, and then it was gone. All was black. The Titans were disturbed and angry at this defilement, but Ma'at only smiled and called up to the heavens, "Let the dark lady come forth, you will receive no evil here!" Then from the darkened sky came Luna, Titan of the night. Immediately Hespera fell in love with her, and Luna fell in love with Hespera. For Luna was beautiful like Hespera but in quite different ways. Then the other Titans were angry with her and attacked her honor, but Hespera defended her, and Ma'at proclaimed, "Look now, for not all is dark." Then the Titans looked at the sky again and saw sparkling above the night, were stars, Luna's second creation. Then Ma'at proclaimed, "Without night there shall be no day, and without day there shall be no night! Let the light of the stars shine down in every realm!" And from then on there was both day and night, but Luna often stayed far removed from the other Titans, and would often only talk with Hespera.

All was happy in these seven realms once again, but a blight was to come upon them. It happened when Ma'at was away in her birth hollow in Yggdrasil, for she often went their to meditate on the world. With her gone a certain being judged it was the perfect time to reveal himself. As Hespera wandered through the fields of Vanahiem, she found a rabbit, not altogether unusual, but this was a strange rabbit. It was dead, and no creature had yet died in the universe. Filled with horror, she ran to the other Titans and showed them the blight upon the perfect realms. Then the Titans watched in horror as other creatures died as well, faster and faster. Energized by this calamity, the Titans hatched a plan to catch the culprit. They would wait invisible by a deer, one that was old, and they could tell would soon fall prey to this new blight. Then when the culprit showed himself, they would catch him and bring him back to be judged. The other Titans had no inclination that this creature was any smarter or more powerful than a deer, so the plan seemed perfect. Only one Titan protested. He was sure that this creature was smarter than that, and it must be able to go invisible, for, he reasoned, if not, how would it sneak up on it's prey? He thought they should wait for the creature to show itself. But the other Titans mocked him and were anxious to be off. So the Titans found an old deer, by the name of Eikthrymyr. They turned invisible and waited. Meanwhile, the culprit of the deaths approached. He was cloaked and hooded, so they couldn't see his face, but he radiated darkness. As he got close to the deer the Titans attacked, jumping on him and holding him down. As he was dragged off to by the Titans, he smiled under his cloak. Everything was going according to his plan.

For the creature under the cloak had a history that none of yet knew. He was Shal'vor, the Titan of death. He was in reality the son of Ma'at, created to balance out the realms. He had the power to take away the vitality of the animals and plants. But he also had the power to go invisible, travel through shadows, and whisper in creatures ears. Over time he could convince almost anyone, even a Titan, into doing things his way. Shal'vor looked upon the peace and prosperity of the other realms, and was jealous, but he convinced himself he meant no harm. At this point in time he had decided to reveal himself to the Titans, the better to influence them. Shal'vor was brought before the Titans and judged. Ymír spoke, "Creature! You have brought a foul blight upon the nine realms! What have you to say for yourself?" Shal'vor spoke, "I am Shal'vor, like you I am Titan. I am the Titan of death." His voice was slow and melodious, it seemed to slip into their heads. He walked around them as he spoke, "I am the son of Ma'at. I am here to protect Yggdrasil and it's realms." Hespera challenged him angrily, "If you are truly the son of Ma'at, Titan of order, then why do you sow chaos in the seven realms, and destroy our beloved creations!" Shal'vor quickly countered her, "Once again you see only the bright side of the coin. From death comes new life, just as from night comes new day." Gradually Shal'vor convinced the other Titans to let him into their ranks, all but Hespera and the Titan who had objected to the plan to capture Shal'vor. Ma'at decreed that he would be let into their ranks, was worried, for in the hollow of Yggdrasil she glimpsed what her son might one day become.

With this Shal'vor joined the Titans, and his advice often helped them in years to come. But Shal'vor lacked a realm of his own, and he often looked upon the other realms in anger, for he came their only as an enemy, while the other Titans were honored and welcomed. After at length enduring this annoyance, Shal'vor took it upon himself to create a realm to be his own at all costs. Shal'vor went to the very roots of Yggdrasil, where the realm of Niflhiem stood. and There he found a pool of pure darkness. Liquid mist of Chaos, condensed at the start of creation. Shal'vor raised his hands and the darkness moved with them. Then he willed it to form itself into magnificent shape, and it did as was told. Then Shal'vor willed it into the shape of a realm, one that could be his dark fortress. The pool hurried to comply. It rose in huge towers and gates. It solidified into huge walls and castles. It expanded, until it was a jet black huge fortress, nestled in the roots of Yggdrasil. Shal'vor took his perch on the highest tower and looked out over his land, naming it Helhiem, or Hel. It was connected to Niflhiem, really no more than a lower layer. In days to come this closeness would bring Ymír and Shal'vor together as the rulers of the realm. But another spirit did come into existence then, though he was unimportant to Shal'vor at the time. Tartarus, Titan of the pit. He was a voracious monster, the Titan who lived in the primal, darkest, most dank pit of Helhiem, which one day became known as Tartoi after him. Shal'vor ignored him most of the time, and for a while he slept, not important enough to be a bother. However, for a long time Helhiem was empty of any besides Shal'vor and Tartarus, for when an animal or plant was lost to death it's spirit was simply reincarnated into another animal, unless a Titan chose to intervene. One animal who avoided this rule was Eikthrymyr, the deer who had been used as bait for Shal'vor. Shal'vor had been taken away before he could die, and the deer became immortal as a result. He wandered the branches of Yggdrasil, and later would prey on travelers as a result. He knew the branches better than envy other creature, until the coming of Ratatosk, many years later.