The Creation of the World and the Coming of the Gods

 

A popular artistic depiction of Thalor during the Creation. Though painted many centuries after the event itself, such imagery reflects the widespread belief that the Creator fashioned the World as an artist creates a masterpiece.

Introduction

Among all the questions that have occupied the minds of scholars, priests, and philosophers throughout the ages, none is older than that of our world's beginning.

How was the World created? Where did humanity come from? And by what means did the Gods first come to walk amongst mortals?

Though these questions have been pondered for countless generations, definitive answers remain frustratingly elusive. The events of the Creation Era lie further removed from us than any kingdom, dynasty, or empire. Much that was once known has been lost to the passage of time, preserved only in fragments of ancient texts, weathered cave paintings, and the oral traditions of peoples long since vanished.

Fortunately, a number of invaluable sources have survived. Chief among these are Thalor's Journal, regarded by many as the oldest written account of creation; the Fragments of Elion, whose surviving passages provide some of our earliest descriptions of both the World and the First Realm; and the Songs of Alaric, a collection of ancient oral traditions whose origins remain a subject of considerable scholarly debate. The identity of Alaric himself remains uncertain, though that particular mystery deserves an article of its own. For now, however, we must reluctantly leave the matter aside.

Whilst these sources often agree upon the broad strokes of history, they frequently differ in matters of detail. As such, this article shall endeavour to distinguish established tradition from scholarly interpretation, whilst acknowledging that some mysteries may never be fully resolved.

What follows is the account most widely accepted by modern historians of the Citadel regarding the creation of the World and the coming of the Gods.

Before the World

Before the creation of the World, there was Aethyr.

Known to modern scholars as the First Realm, Aethyr is described in the oldest surviving texts as the homeland of the Divine Family and the place from which the Gods first came. Though countless works have been written concerning its nature, remarkably little can be stated with certainty.

The earliest surviving reference to Aethyr appears within the Fragments of Elion, where it is described simply as "the First Realm from which all Divine feet first walked." Beyond this, the surviving sources provide only scattered glimpses of its nature. Some portray it as a realm of endless beauty and light, whilst others suggest a vast kingdom beyond mortal comprehension.

What all traditions agree upon is that Aethyr existed before the World and was home to Thalor, the Divine Family, and countless other divine beings. It was from this realm that the Gods would one day descend, forever altering the course of mortal history.

Whether Aethyr itself was created, or whether it has existed eternally, remains one of the oldest unanswered questions in theology. Neither Thalor's Journal nor the surviving Fragments of Elion provide a clear answer, and scholars have debated the matter for centuries without reaching a consensus.

For the purposes of this article, however, it is sufficient to understand that before there were seas, mountains, forests, or even the stars above our heads, there was Aethyr—and within it dwelt the Creator.

Thalor's Great Work

If the surviving sources agree upon one point above all others, it is that the creation of the World was the work of Thalor alone.

The reasons behind this undertaking have been debated by theologians and scholars for centuries. Some have suggested that the World was created to provide a home for humanity. Others have argued that it formed part of a grand design whose purpose remains beyond mortal understanding. Such theories, whilst popular, find little support within the oldest surviving records.

Instead, the earliest sources present a surprisingly simple explanation.

They describe Thalor as a creator by nature.

Throughout Thalor's Journal, the Creator speaks not of conquest, necessity, or destiny, but of creation itself. The World is presented not as a solution to a problem, but as the culmination of a desire to create something greater than any work that had come before.

According to the surviving accounts, Thalor conceived of a realm unlike Aethyr; a world of oceans and mountains, forests and plains, where life could grow and flourish beneath its own heavens. It would become the greatest undertaking of His existence and the masterpiece for which He would be remembered throughout all ages.

Whether this vision came to Him in a single moment of inspiration or emerged gradually over countless years remains unknown. The sources differ considerably on this matter. Yet all agree that, at some point before the creation of the World, Thalor resolved to begin His great work.

What followed would shape the course of history forever.

The Making of the World

Precisely how the World was created remains a matter of considerable debate. Whilst all surviving traditions agree that Thalor was its sole creator, they differ greatly in their descriptions of the process itself.

The most widely accepted account, derived primarily from Thalor's Journal and supported by several passages from the Fragments of Elion, describes creation as a gradual undertaking rather than a single act.

According to this tradition, Thalor first fashioned the heavens. The sun, moon, and stars were set in place, illuminating a realm that had previously existed only within the Creator's imagination.

Thereafter came the waters. Vast seas stretched across the newborn World, covering much of its surface. From these waters rose the lands; mountains thrust upward toward the heavens, valleys formed between them, and rivers carved their paths toward the sea.

Once the foundations of the World had been established, life followed. Forests spread across the land, grasses covered the plains, and countless forms of plant life emerged. The World, once barren, began to flourish.

Animals came next. Creatures of the sea, sky, and land filled the World with movement and sound. Many traditions describe this as the moment creation truly awakened, transforming the Creator's work from a landscape into a living realm.

Finally came humanity.

Here the sources become less certain. Most surviving accounts describe mankind as the final work of Thalor's hand, created only after the World itself had been prepared. Supporters of this interpretation often point to passages within the Songs of Alaric that describe humanity as "the last brush upon the canvas."

Not all traditions agree. Certain later texts instead claim that humanity came before the animals, with the creatures of the World being fashioned afterwards as companions and provisions for the First People. Whilst this interpretation remains popular in some regions, it finds relatively little support within the oldest surviving sources.

An equally persistent debate concerns the duration of creation itself. Some traditions claim the World was fashioned over the course of six years, others six centuries, and still others six ages beyond mortal reckoning. The evidence is insufficient to favour any one account over another. However, most scholars agree that the number six likely holds some significance within the creation traditions, owing to its continued appearance in both the six-day week and the six holy days observed at the end of each year.

Whatever the truth, all surviving traditions agree upon one point: the creation of the World was not an act of destruction, conquest, or war. Rather, it was an act of craftsmanship. The oldest sources consistently portray Thalor not as a conqueror, but as an artist, patiently shaping what would become the greatest of all His works.

The Birth of Humanity

Of all the acts attributed to Thalor, none has inspired more debate than the creation of humanity itself.

The traditional account, accepted by both the Faith and the majority of modern historians, holds that mankind was the final work of the Creator's hand. Having completed the heavens, the seas, the lands, and the countless forms of life that inhabited them, Thalor turned His attention to the creation of a people capable of thought, reason, and imagination.

Unlike the beasts that roamed the forests and plains, humanity possessed the ability to reflect upon the World around them, to create, to remember, and to dream. Many theologians have argued that these qualities reflect the nature of Thalor Himself, though the surviving sources offer little certainty on the matter.

What is known is that humanity spread across the World long before the coming of the Gods. Archaeological evidence, most notably the cave paintings discovered throughout Eldoria and beyond, suggests that the First People possessed language, culture, and artistic expression even in these earliest ages.

The precise appearance of these first communities remains unknown. The surviving evidence points to small tribes and scattered settlements rather than great kingdoms or cities. They hunted, gathered, crafted simple tools, and passed their histories from one generation to the next through stories and song.

Not all traditions accept that humanity was created directly by Thalor. Several later accounts attribute the creation of mankind to the combined efforts of the Divine Family, claiming that each deity bestowed a different gift upon the First People. Such stories remain popular in certain regions, though they are largely absent from the oldest surviving records.

A smaller, though persistent, school of thought proposes that humanity emerged naturally within the World itself. According to this interpretation, Thalor created the conditions from which mankind eventually arose, whilst the Gods merely guided and nurtured an already existing people. This theory has gained some support amongst modern philosophers, though it remains controversial within theological circles.

For the present, the available evidence continues to favour the traditional view: that humanity was created by Thalor during the final stages of creation and that the First People walked the World for many generations before the Gods themselves descended from Aethyr.

Much of their history has been lost. Yet the fragments that remain reveal a people who were already creating art, telling stories, and building communities long before they ever looked upon the face of a God.

The First Settlements

Though the earliest years of humanity remain shrouded in mystery, most scholars agree that the First People did not remain wandering tribes forever.

Over many generations, families grew into communities, and communities gradually developed into permanent settlements. The process appears to have occurred independently across numerous regions of the World, suggesting that the desire to gather, cooperate, and build was present from humanity's earliest days.

Unfortunately, the names of these first settlements have been lost to history. Whilst several sites throughout Eldoria have been proposed as the location of the oldest known settlement, the evidence remains inconclusive, and no consensus has been reached amongst historians.

What little evidence survives paints a picture of a simple but increasingly organised society. Small communities formed near rivers, forests, and fertile lands. Tools became more sophisticated, shelters more permanent, and the exchange of goods and knowledge more common. Oral traditions grew alongside them, preserving stories of ancestors, remarkable hunts, and the changing world around them.

Particularly noteworthy are the cave paintings discovered throughout Eldoria. Many depict animals, hunting scenes, and communal gatherings, whilst others portray symbols whose meanings have long since been forgotten. A handful of sites contain figures that some scholars interpret as representations of Thalor Himself.

Such claims remain controversial.

The traditional view maintains that these images were created after the Creator's descent into the World. Others argue that they represent an earlier awareness of the divine, passed down through oral tradition long before Thalor first walked amongst humanity. The available evidence is insufficient to determine which interpretation is correct.

Regardless of their precise meaning, the cave paintings reveal an important truth: humanity possessed culture, memory, and artistic expression long before the Age of Gods began.

By the time Thalor descended from Aethyr, the First People were no longer merely surviving. They were building communities, preserving traditions, and laying the foundations of the civilizations that would one day follow.

The Coming of the Gods

At some point following the establishment of the first settlements, an event occurred that would forever alter the course of human history.

Thalor descended from Aethyr.

The reasons for His decision remain a subject of speculation. Some traditions claim that the Creator wished to dwell within the World He had fashioned. Others suggest that He desired to walk amongst the people He had created and witness firsthand what they had become. Whatever His motives, all surviving sources agree that Thalor was the first divine being to set foot upon the World.

The impact of His arrival can scarcely be overstated.

For the First People, Thalor was not merely a visitor from another realm. He was the Creator Himself. The one who had fashioned the heavens above, the lands beneath their feet, and humanity itself. Unsurprisingly, many communities came to regard Him as a king, and accounts from both Thalor's Journal and the Fragments of Elion suggest that His presence brought together peoples who had previously lived apart.

It was not long before news of the World reached the rest of the Divine Family.

Whether through reports carried back to Aethyr or through Thalor's own writings, the surviving sources suggest that the Gods became increasingly fascinated by the Creator's work. They beheld a realm unlike any that had existed before: a living world of forests, mountains, oceans, animals, and mortal peoples whose lives changed with each passing generation.

Curiosity soon became admiration.

One by one, the members of the Divine Family descended from Aethyr to join Thalor within the World. With them came countless other divine beings, many of whom would later become figures of legend in their own right.

The arrival of the Gods marked the beginning of what modern historians refer to as the Age of Gods. Unlike the ages that preceded it, this period is supported by a substantial body of surviving evidence, including divine writings, early records, inscriptions, and oral traditions that can often be corroborated across multiple sources.

For this reason, many historians regard the coming of the Gods as the dividing line between prehistory and recorded history. Whilst much remains uncertain about the ages that came before, the descent of the Divine Family marks the point at which the story of our World begins to emerge from myth and into history.

What followed would shape every kingdom, culture, and faith that exists today.

Conclusion

Though separated from us by countless generations, the events of the Creation Era continue to shape the World we inhabit today.

The six-day week, the holy days observed at year's end, the stories passed down through families, and the teachings preserved within temples all trace their origins to these distant beginnings. Whether viewed through the lens of faith, history, or philosophy, the creation of the World remains the foundation upon which all later ages were built.

Whilst many details have been lost to time, the broad outline remains remarkably consistent across the surviving sources. Before the World, there was Aethyr. Thalor conceived of a great work and brought it into being. Humanity emerged and began to build communities of its own. Then, in time, the Creator descended from the First Realm, followed by the Divine Family and countless other divine beings.

With their arrival, the Age of Gods began.

For the first time, the World possessed not only people and settlements, but teachers, rulers, advisors, healers, craftsmen, and beings whose influence would be felt for millennia to come. Kingdoms would rise, faiths would take shape, and legends still told today would be born during this extraordinary age.

It is to that age that we shall turn our attention next.

For whilst the creation of the World is remarkable, it was during the Age of Gods that history truly began.