User blog:ChazmanianDevil/Lay of the Titans, Book 2, The Early Days of Midgard

Here's part 2 of the Titans lore. For part 1 look here.

http://middle-earth-roleplay.wikia.com/wiki/User_blog:ChazmanianDevil/The_Lay_of_the_Titans,_Book_1,_Creation

Eventually, as time went by, the Titans began to move farther away from each other. The realms were far apart on a great tree and they needed a place where they could meet safely and easily to discuss things. However whenever they decided on the realm the Titans who stayed in that realm felt more powerful than the others. They tried alternating turn but then those Titans whose realms held meetings for a lesser crisis felt cheated and were angry. In the end they asked Ma'at for her counsel, and she commanded them, "Go forth and ask the wanderer. Only he shall be wise enough to help you." The Titans pondered her words for many days and nights, but at last they decided they must appeal to Eru. He was by no means an extraordinary Titan. He always wore ragged clothes, carried a staff, and was much smaller than the other Titans. He would wander the eight realms solving disputes between animals and sometimes even Titans. When the powerful Titans asked him for guidance he was most surprised, but quickly took control of the situation. For Eru was no minor Titan. He was a Titan of harmony and creation, and it was he who had protested the plan to capture Shal'vor. He was the wisest of the Titans, and he knew just what to do. He came to them and said, "It has been let known that I must decide on a meeting place for you, but I can not. For there is no place in Yggdrasil without affiliation to some Titan or higher power. Therefore it has become known to me that we must make another realm! This will be a combination of our thoughts and dreams. Let it be so!" And then Eru brought them to the middle of the tree and their he assembled them, "Here we shall make a new realm! It will have affiliation to none, and yet be brighter and more prosperous than any before! We will call it Midgard, or the middle realm. Let it be so!"

Then Eru used the thoughts and dreams of the other Titans to make a new realm. This was Midgard. He placed between Nidavellir and Jotunhiem, and between them he brought up the tallest mountains in the realms and filled them with a thousand monsters. Then he made a moat around Midgard that all must cross. He did this so Midgard might be the most defensible of the realms. Then he made the realm itself, and it was very different from the others. It was full of diversity, for in some places there were tall mountains while in others there were low deserts.Then Hespera came among it and filled it with many forms of life, animals, plants, fungi, protista, eubacteria, archaebacteria and all manners of life. But most Titans looked upon it and were disappointed in the might of the realm and halfheartedly congratulated Eru. For their was little might or splendor in the appearance of this realm, and they could not see it's beauty and potential. So they wandered back to their own realms disappointed, and quickly forgot about lonely Midgard. But Eru knew he had created a realm that would be more magnificent than the others, the other Titans words did not fool him. But he was happy to wait, so he went among the other realms and ignored Midgard for now.

Now when Midgard was created two beings else loved it greatly. These were Gaia, Titan of earth, and Ouranos, Titans of sky. They had looked upon each other before, for ere in each realm as the sky and earth, but never before had they come so close together. Gradually the two began to speak with one another often. One thing led to another and soon, the two powerful Titans had their first children. They were twelve in number, each was fair to look upon and strong, but compared to Ouranos and Gaia their power was little. They began to become the first true inhabitants of Midgard, and they went far around the land and explored it's many crevices. Then Gaia and Ouranos had another set of children, and this time there were three. These were Kyklopes. They were strong and had great skill with crafts, but they were misshapen. and hideous to look upon. When Ouranos saw their horrid form he took them and tossed them into the darkest pits of Helhiem, Tartoi. Gaia screamed and shouted in horror, but Ouranos was relentless. For his time with Gaia had gradually made him cruel and vicious, and he had no want for things not of his beauty. Then Gaia and Ouranos had yet another set of children, and these were even more hideous. For upon their chests they had a hundred arms and fifty faces graced their heads. Because of this Gaia names them the Hekhatonkheires, or hundred handed ones. Ouranos was once again horrified and pried them from their mothers arms and tossed them into Tartoi. Gaia was filled once again with revulsion for her pitiless husband and began to plot against him.

Now Ouranos went to the sky and Gaia to the earth and they no longer spoke together. Gaia constantly plotted for a way to avenge her fallen sons, so she waited and planned. But as she did so cruelty crept into her heart as well. Eventually she gathered her first children, the minor Titans, to her, and spoke to them, "Your father has defiled me and your brothers! He has broken our sacred union and brought nothing but death and unhappiness to this family! We must end his short and pathetic reign of terror!" But her children were scared by her could mood and feared the wrath of their father. They all backed away and made excuses, which enraged Gaia. "Are their none among you great enough to take up this task! Do I have fools for children! Whoever excepts my offer will be made ruler of all Midgard!" Then the youngest of them, Kronos by name, jumped up, "I shall mother! I alone am above these shivering fools! Let them bow before me!" So Gaia embraced him and called him her favorite child and promised him many great things. But Kronos was already different from his siblings. His heart was twisted and malign, for he had inherited his father's cruelty and his mother's passion for vengeance. He was neither the strongest, most powerful, smartest, or even fastest Titan, but his nickname among his siblings was "The Crooked One." For he was wily and clever, and would do anything to achieve his goal. He lusted greatly for the power his mother offered, for he was always shunted by his siblings.

However, Kronos had a want for power greater than even Gaia imagined. He first asked her for a weapon, powerful enough to destroy Ouranos's form forever. But his mother was too caught up in her plan to see what Kronos might do after Ouranos was dealt with, and she vowed to retrieve one for him. But as of yet there was no need for Weapons, as no wars had been fought or murders been committed. For the longest time Gaia was stumped. Finally she decided to ask the only being ever to take the life of another at the time, Shal'vor, Titan of death. Now Shal'vor was not easy to track down, but Gaia was embodied in every grain of sand or clod of dirt, and she located him. At this point Gaia informed him of her desire. Perhaps history may have been different, if Shal'vor had kept the knowledge to himself. But Gaia was very beautiful and persuasive, and Shal'vor had a great dislike of Ouranos, for he was always watching him, and he wished greatly for revenge. So Shal'vor told Gaia of his death scythe, the legendary weapon he used to take the lives of all creatures. Then Shal'vor went into his realm and forged from it a twin, which he gave to Gaia. But he reduced the power of the second scythe, for he still wished to keep his weapon monopoly.

Then Gaia came back to Kronos and gave him the scythe, and his eyes shined. Then Kronos told his mother and siblings his plan, and they went to carry it out. First Gaia went to Ouranos and apologized to him, pretending to be madly in love. At first Ouranos was skeptical, but he had forgotten how beautiful and kind Gaia could be, and eventually agreed to come down to earth. Then while the two talked peacefully and Ouranos was entranced by her beauty, the other Titans attacked form their hiding places. Three of Kronos's brothers, Iapetos, Hyperion, Koios, and Krios, each held down one of his limbs. Ouranos pleaded for help from Gaia, but she smiled cruelly and mocked him, and Ouranos realized his mistake. Then Kronos came out of hiding and approached his father. Ouranos saw the scythe in his hand and was frightened, so he pleaded with his son, "I beg of you son, do not do this to me." But Kronos kept coming. Ouranos tried again, "Please! We can overthrow you're mother! You'll be my favorite son!" But Kronos only got closer. Ouranos felt panic surging through him, "Come now, I'll let you be king!" But Kronos only smiled at the pitiful sight. Then the sky Titan turned to his other sons and begged them in turn, but they were all loyal to Kronos and Gaia now. Finally Kronos stopped in front of his prone father. Then Ouranos realized there was no escape, and his expression filled with hatred, "Let it be known! That if you strike this blow upon me, you shall be cursed! And your own son will strike you down from your throne!" Kronos finally spoke, "Then I'm glad you won't be there to see it." And he brought the scythe down.