Post by M.R.Blackthorn on Mar 20, 2017 22:41:17 GMT
Etahoro, magic as his name means, was once the god of Magic and the Unknown. His story is a long one, a tale he is not always open to telling, even to those closest to him. Here, however, is all known lore on the creator and great Lord of Utur-Vyta!
Etahoro, The God of Magic
Long ago, Etahoro was born to the fire goddess Eira, and her husband, Havardr, the lord of the Night and protector of mortals. Etahoro brought to the mortal realm, his father's chosen home, a gift to mortals, and that was the gift of his own power. Mortals would come to call this gift many things, most commonly, "magic". He taught his craft to mortals, but was careful in this, making it so that different races could only learn certain types of magic. He learned from the other gods and divine beings other forms of power, and formed these into new types of magic which he could teach to mortals. With his help, the sick could be healed, the weak made stronger, and no one ever had to be alone again.
However, many mortal manipulated his gifts to them, changed them to their own uses. Some used them for good, but others for evil. When Etahoro tried to stop this, Utura, his great grandmother, stopped him, saying he was becoming blind to the truth like his grandfather Time. She showed him how these things he called "evil", were not necessarily evil by their nature. Shadow Magics, for example, could be used to harm another, yes, but at the same time they could be used to conceal oneself from one who wishes to harm them. Utura promised him that her Order would keep the balance of forces in check, and Etahoro listened to her wise words.
During the Dark War, when the Dark Goddess, Etahoro's grandmother, brought eternal darkness upon Terra Fera, Etahoro fought alongside his brother, Magni, the god of Truth, and Agnar, the fallen-god of Wrath and their cousin, against the Dark Goddess' forces. In the final battle, one where many other gods joined the fight, Sorrow, Etahoro's older half sister was killed by the Dark Goddess, Sorrow being only half divine and half mortal. Etahoro, who so loved his sister and always protected her, joined by Agnar and Magni, attacked and defeated the Dark Goddess. It was Etahoro who stuck the final blow and released the world from the darkness. Like his father before him, he would be remembered and loved as a defender of mortals. He lived the rest of his divine existence in the mortal realm, supposedly in Niana in the Argipari region, where Sorrow was said to have been born.
Etahoro's Last Gift
After the defeat of the Dark Goddess, centuries passed, and the mortals grew restless. Many among them began to believe they didn't need the gods anymore, and so they rebelled against them, even though the gods had done nothing to provoke this. They did this by destroying the temples and sacred places of the gods, and killing their guardians. The Ketertaz, ancestors to all Ket, were the primary guardians of these temples, and each clan champions to a different deity. It came to a point at which only three, dwindling clans and their temples remained.
Theron, god of the hunt and lord of the forest, ordered his clan, master hunters, to abandon their temple, scatter, and return to the highland forests, where he would guide them. They would become the ancestors to today's Ketzateri.
Utura's clan, the mightiest of all, and members of her holy order, was saved by Utura, but in doing so, she had to change them in many ways. They would become the first Ketio.
The third, stubbornly loyal to their patron, mighty and wise Etahoro himself, stood alone against the army of mortals who had forgotten the gods. Most of the gods by now had abandoned this world to its fate, believing it no longer deserving of their attention. Etahoro alone still sought to guide this world, hoping mortals would open their eyes and see that they needed the gods. He also did not wish to leave Utura, his great grandmother, and loving mother of all that walked the mortal realm, alone, suffering and in tears.
When only one temple still stood, Etahoro’s clan only had but a dozen warriors left, and both Ketertaz and god were determined to see things through, no matter how it ended. It ended in complete destruction of the temple, and death for all the Ketertaz. During the battle, Etahoro’s physical form was slain by a dragon, and soon, his champions fell with him. Having just slain a god, albeit only his physical body, but the very god who freed them from darkness and had so loved and blessed them, the mortals who rebelled against the gods now at last saw the error in their ways. Not once in the fight did Etahoro use his power to do anything but protect without harming. The rebellion dispersed, hoping Utura would forgive them for turning on her blood.
Amidst the rubble, all was not as it seemed. A crying went out to ears that would not hear it. Nestled by the sides of their mothers, who were now lifeless bodies, orphaned cubs of four Ketertaz lionesses somehow survived the battle. All these cubs bore spotted pelts, their spots dark against cream, tan, and golden fur. Their cries went on for hours, hoping someone would hear them, that one of the adults had survived as well. None had, and as the scavengers circled in, it seemed their fates were sealed.
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Etahoro’s body stirred, the cries of the cubs waking him from eternal rest, or maybe Utura had given him strength to at last stand. Using his power, or what was left of it, he banished the scavengers. He came to the cubs, stunned, but thankful at least they survived this terrible, blood stained day. Etahoro looked to the heavens, looking to his grandfathers, and made one last request before they turned their eyes from this world.
“Give me a *mortal life,” he spoke to them. “Dara has already taken their mothers, so let me be their father, and let me teach them my ways, so never again will mortals turn on each other with tooth, claw, and sword. Let these cubs be my light to guide this world in the dark that is sure to come. I beg ye, I beseech ye, my grandfathers, answer me this one last and only request. Take my immortality and divinity, and give its power to these cubs, these orphans whose parents died in your names.”
Time and Hakon, rulers among gods, looked at each other, and then at their grandson. They healed his body, made it into a form like that of the cubs, and then granted Etahoro’s request. They took his power, split it between the cubs, of which there were thirteen, six of them males, seven of them females, and then turned their eyes away from this world for the last time, abandoning it to Utura’s care. These cubs were the first Ketep, and Etahoro’s last gift to the world was his blood. Years later, the oldest of the females would marry the former god, and their children and their descendants would be kings among their new race.
(*It should be noted that Etahoro's immortality could not actually be taken from him. What he means by a "mortal life" is a non-divine life, to take away his divine status.)
Etahoro, Lord of Utur-Vyta
Quite some time had passed since Etahoro first gave his power to those cubs that became the Ketep, many centuries in fact. The Ketep had grown in numbers, as had the Ketio and Ketzateri. Etahoro had seen generations and generations pass of the Ket races, and there had long been peace between the three, but now, trouble began to stir among them. It all started when Utura's Order banned Ketep from now joining them. Although this was not the fault of the Ketio, the Ketep king, Etahoro's own blood, blamed it on them and two generations later, all Ketep and Ketio were at each other's throats.
Utura was not happy with this, for it was Time's wolves who had banished the Ketep not her Ketio. No longer under Time's influence since he had turned away from all mortals, wolves became arrogant, power-hungry, and ambitious. They had not the strength to even attempt to exclude the Ketio from the Order, but had they, they certainly would have done so as well. The Ketio leaders tried to make the Ketep listen to reason, but Etahoro's beloved Ketep would not. They too had become full of themselves and had strayed from his ways. They would not listen to him anymore.
There were a few, however, rare Ket who longed for peace among the races. These individuals sought Etahoro out, hearing rumors of him and his power, and his former godhood. They hoped he could bring sense to their kin, but upon finding him, he told they he already tried and failed. No one believed in the gods anymore, Utura the only exception, and so the Ket believed him just a rambling, foolish, old leopard. No longer the divine being he once was, Etahoro was unable to show them the full strength of his power, and so was unable to convince them otherwise. These Ket who had sought him out, however, knew of his former power and status, and respected him for such.
Utura saw these Ket and took pity on them and her great grandson. She sent Etahoro a message in a dream, showing him a place where all Ket could live in peace with one another, and where he could guide them and be happy. When Etahoro woke, he saw before him Luhatia, the daughter of Eira his mother, his once sister and messenger of the gods. She beckoned him to follow her, and he did. She led him to a field in the land known as Liahetur, and in this field she showed him the portal to the land Utura had promised him. He followed her through the portal and found the land to be even more beautiful than in the dream.
"I must go, brother," Luhatia spoke once they had explored the land for some time together. "This is not my home, but yours and those who seek peace as you do. You are to lead them, protect them, and teach them. My responsibilities lie elsewhere, and that is to guide them here. Good bye brother, for this is the last you will ever see of me." With that, her form floated away, turning into the breeze that gently brushed against his fur.
"Good bye, sister," Etahoro whispered into the wind.
The first Ket to be guided to that place was a golden leopardess, her name Jeliah, meaning "light". She reminded Etahoro of a lioness he once knew in his divine life who was bold enough to challenge a god and clever enough to win such a challenge. The two would later fall in love and marry. Not long after Jeliah came, two familiar faces came through the portal, in the form of his son and daughter with his first Ketep wife. They had inherited his immortality, but less than a few decades after their births, they parted ways with their father after the death of their mother. He welcomed Bjorn and Kelda with open arms. Soon, they would be joined by more and more Ket, of all different kinds, and they named the land Utur-Vyta, "Mother's Dream", in honor of Utura and the dream she showed Etahoro of this land.
Bearer of Mother's Light
Another title bestowed upon Etahoro is Uturlia'ka, meaning something along the lines of "Watcher of Mother's Light", "watcher" usually meaning guardian or protector. He is given this name for the necklace he constantly wears around his neck, which is not only a symbol of Utura, but the gem it has is said to be a part of Utura's essence.
Etahoro, The God of Magic
Long ago, Etahoro was born to the fire goddess Eira, and her husband, Havardr, the lord of the Night and protector of mortals. Etahoro brought to the mortal realm, his father's chosen home, a gift to mortals, and that was the gift of his own power. Mortals would come to call this gift many things, most commonly, "magic". He taught his craft to mortals, but was careful in this, making it so that different races could only learn certain types of magic. He learned from the other gods and divine beings other forms of power, and formed these into new types of magic which he could teach to mortals. With his help, the sick could be healed, the weak made stronger, and no one ever had to be alone again.
However, many mortal manipulated his gifts to them, changed them to their own uses. Some used them for good, but others for evil. When Etahoro tried to stop this, Utura, his great grandmother, stopped him, saying he was becoming blind to the truth like his grandfather Time. She showed him how these things he called "evil", were not necessarily evil by their nature. Shadow Magics, for example, could be used to harm another, yes, but at the same time they could be used to conceal oneself from one who wishes to harm them. Utura promised him that her Order would keep the balance of forces in check, and Etahoro listened to her wise words.
During the Dark War, when the Dark Goddess, Etahoro's grandmother, brought eternal darkness upon Terra Fera, Etahoro fought alongside his brother, Magni, the god of Truth, and Agnar, the fallen-god of Wrath and their cousin, against the Dark Goddess' forces. In the final battle, one where many other gods joined the fight, Sorrow, Etahoro's older half sister was killed by the Dark Goddess, Sorrow being only half divine and half mortal. Etahoro, who so loved his sister and always protected her, joined by Agnar and Magni, attacked and defeated the Dark Goddess. It was Etahoro who stuck the final blow and released the world from the darkness. Like his father before him, he would be remembered and loved as a defender of mortals. He lived the rest of his divine existence in the mortal realm, supposedly in Niana in the Argipari region, where Sorrow was said to have been born.
Etahoro's Last Gift
After the defeat of the Dark Goddess, centuries passed, and the mortals grew restless. Many among them began to believe they didn't need the gods anymore, and so they rebelled against them, even though the gods had done nothing to provoke this. They did this by destroying the temples and sacred places of the gods, and killing their guardians. The Ketertaz, ancestors to all Ket, were the primary guardians of these temples, and each clan champions to a different deity. It came to a point at which only three, dwindling clans and their temples remained.
Theron, god of the hunt and lord of the forest, ordered his clan, master hunters, to abandon their temple, scatter, and return to the highland forests, where he would guide them. They would become the ancestors to today's Ketzateri.
Utura's clan, the mightiest of all, and members of her holy order, was saved by Utura, but in doing so, she had to change them in many ways. They would become the first Ketio.
The third, stubbornly loyal to their patron, mighty and wise Etahoro himself, stood alone against the army of mortals who had forgotten the gods. Most of the gods by now had abandoned this world to its fate, believing it no longer deserving of their attention. Etahoro alone still sought to guide this world, hoping mortals would open their eyes and see that they needed the gods. He also did not wish to leave Utura, his great grandmother, and loving mother of all that walked the mortal realm, alone, suffering and in tears.
When only one temple still stood, Etahoro’s clan only had but a dozen warriors left, and both Ketertaz and god were determined to see things through, no matter how it ended. It ended in complete destruction of the temple, and death for all the Ketertaz. During the battle, Etahoro’s physical form was slain by a dragon, and soon, his champions fell with him. Having just slain a god, albeit only his physical body, but the very god who freed them from darkness and had so loved and blessed them, the mortals who rebelled against the gods now at last saw the error in their ways. Not once in the fight did Etahoro use his power to do anything but protect without harming. The rebellion dispersed, hoping Utura would forgive them for turning on her blood.
Amidst the rubble, all was not as it seemed. A crying went out to ears that would not hear it. Nestled by the sides of their mothers, who were now lifeless bodies, orphaned cubs of four Ketertaz lionesses somehow survived the battle. All these cubs bore spotted pelts, their spots dark against cream, tan, and golden fur. Their cries went on for hours, hoping someone would hear them, that one of the adults had survived as well. None had, and as the scavengers circled in, it seemed their fates were sealed.
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Etahoro’s body stirred, the cries of the cubs waking him from eternal rest, or maybe Utura had given him strength to at last stand. Using his power, or what was left of it, he banished the scavengers. He came to the cubs, stunned, but thankful at least they survived this terrible, blood stained day. Etahoro looked to the heavens, looking to his grandfathers, and made one last request before they turned their eyes from this world.
“Give me a *mortal life,” he spoke to them. “Dara has already taken their mothers, so let me be their father, and let me teach them my ways, so never again will mortals turn on each other with tooth, claw, and sword. Let these cubs be my light to guide this world in the dark that is sure to come. I beg ye, I beseech ye, my grandfathers, answer me this one last and only request. Take my immortality and divinity, and give its power to these cubs, these orphans whose parents died in your names.”
Time and Hakon, rulers among gods, looked at each other, and then at their grandson. They healed his body, made it into a form like that of the cubs, and then granted Etahoro’s request. They took his power, split it between the cubs, of which there were thirteen, six of them males, seven of them females, and then turned their eyes away from this world for the last time, abandoning it to Utura’s care. These cubs were the first Ketep, and Etahoro’s last gift to the world was his blood. Years later, the oldest of the females would marry the former god, and their children and their descendants would be kings among their new race.
(*It should be noted that Etahoro's immortality could not actually be taken from him. What he means by a "mortal life" is a non-divine life, to take away his divine status.)
Etahoro, Lord of Utur-Vyta
Quite some time had passed since Etahoro first gave his power to those cubs that became the Ketep, many centuries in fact. The Ketep had grown in numbers, as had the Ketio and Ketzateri. Etahoro had seen generations and generations pass of the Ket races, and there had long been peace between the three, but now, trouble began to stir among them. It all started when Utura's Order banned Ketep from now joining them. Although this was not the fault of the Ketio, the Ketep king, Etahoro's own blood, blamed it on them and two generations later, all Ketep and Ketio were at each other's throats.
Utura was not happy with this, for it was Time's wolves who had banished the Ketep not her Ketio. No longer under Time's influence since he had turned away from all mortals, wolves became arrogant, power-hungry, and ambitious. They had not the strength to even attempt to exclude the Ketio from the Order, but had they, they certainly would have done so as well. The Ketio leaders tried to make the Ketep listen to reason, but Etahoro's beloved Ketep would not. They too had become full of themselves and had strayed from his ways. They would not listen to him anymore.
There were a few, however, rare Ket who longed for peace among the races. These individuals sought Etahoro out, hearing rumors of him and his power, and his former godhood. They hoped he could bring sense to their kin, but upon finding him, he told they he already tried and failed. No one believed in the gods anymore, Utura the only exception, and so the Ket believed him just a rambling, foolish, old leopard. No longer the divine being he once was, Etahoro was unable to show them the full strength of his power, and so was unable to convince them otherwise. These Ket who had sought him out, however, knew of his former power and status, and respected him for such.
Utura saw these Ket and took pity on them and her great grandson. She sent Etahoro a message in a dream, showing him a place where all Ket could live in peace with one another, and where he could guide them and be happy. When Etahoro woke, he saw before him Luhatia, the daughter of Eira his mother, his once sister and messenger of the gods. She beckoned him to follow her, and he did. She led him to a field in the land known as Liahetur, and in this field she showed him the portal to the land Utura had promised him. He followed her through the portal and found the land to be even more beautiful than in the dream.
"I must go, brother," Luhatia spoke once they had explored the land for some time together. "This is not my home, but yours and those who seek peace as you do. You are to lead them, protect them, and teach them. My responsibilities lie elsewhere, and that is to guide them here. Good bye brother, for this is the last you will ever see of me." With that, her form floated away, turning into the breeze that gently brushed against his fur.
"Good bye, sister," Etahoro whispered into the wind.
The first Ket to be guided to that place was a golden leopardess, her name Jeliah, meaning "light". She reminded Etahoro of a lioness he once knew in his divine life who was bold enough to challenge a god and clever enough to win such a challenge. The two would later fall in love and marry. Not long after Jeliah came, two familiar faces came through the portal, in the form of his son and daughter with his first Ketep wife. They had inherited his immortality, but less than a few decades after their births, they parted ways with their father after the death of their mother. He welcomed Bjorn and Kelda with open arms. Soon, they would be joined by more and more Ket, of all different kinds, and they named the land Utur-Vyta, "Mother's Dream", in honor of Utura and the dream she showed Etahoro of this land.
Bearer of Mother's Light
Another title bestowed upon Etahoro is Uturlia'ka, meaning something along the lines of "Watcher of Mother's Light", "watcher" usually meaning guardian or protector. He is given this name for the necklace he constantly wears around his neck, which is not only a symbol of Utura, but the gem it has is said to be a part of Utura's essence.