Legends of Terranis

Vallahaatu spun to face the source of the voice. Standing now before him was a strikingly beautiful woman. Her silken black hair fell loosely on her slender shoulders. Piercing emerald eyes glowed fiercely beneath a silver crown, illuminating the details of her smooth grey skin, on a face so perfect Vallahaatu wondered if perhaps one of his old friends was playing some sort of trick on his eyes. But no, he knew that the woman standing before him was very real. He felt strange. As if for the first time in his long existence, he could not move. Or rather, he did not wish to. What was the reason for this? Was this fear, or something else entirely?

As the stunned ancient puzzled over the new emotions bombarding him, the woman began moving toward him. She moved with such grace and poise that it almost appeared that she was floating, though Vallahaatu knew that she was not. The woman circled around him, never turning those piercing emeralds away for a moment. When at last she seemed satisfied with what she saw, she stopped in front of him.

“I have met many gods in my lifetime, but none quite so perplexing as you” she began. “Your aura is not that of a mortal, nor even a magic user, yet you cannot be a god” she scowled, somehow even that did nothing to dull her beauty “what are you?”

Suddenly regaining his composure, Vallahaatu stated plainly “we’ve really never given much thought as to what to call ourselves, it did not feel important.” “Go on” the woman prodded.

He began to recount the events of his life, from his awakening, to the ordering of the universe, right up until the present moment. All the while, the woman listened, intrigued.

“So you are not exactly a god” she concluded “you have neither the need nor the desire for worshipers, and yet your power is vast on its own. I would name you Elder god then. The gods before gods. Fascinating.” She paused a moment, her eyes seeming to dig into his mind “come with me.”

Vallahaatu followed his new companion back into the temple dedicated to her. Inside was a truly incredible scene. Delicate tapestries hung down from the ceiling, depicting her various actions and trails. It would seem, mused the elder god, that she was a goddess who dedicated her power to the dominion of others. A goddess of domination, perhaps?

As they moved through the temple, a question burned in the back of Vallahaatu’s mind:

“Why do you have your worshipers, the people who love and adore you, slay their offspring? How is that a sign of love?”

The woman cackled, the sound echoing throughout the chamber. When she turned back toward him, he could see she was smirking.

“Love? Why would I need their love?” she asked “Why should I spend my time fighting and begging for their love, when I can simply make them loyal?”

Vallahaatu furrowed his brow. “So all their loyalty, their dedication to you, it’s all fake?”

“Not exactly” she replied “well, perhaps at first it was, but now it is much easier. They obey because it is the only thing they’ve ever known. And besides, a few dead infants will hardly matter to their society, and with how protective they are of their young, it proves their loyalty to me.”

“But why?” Vallahaatu blurted out. “What purpose does it serve to have these mortals obey your every whim? Slaying their own creations, for what?”

calmly, the woman replied “because from their obedience, comes order.”

That word. Order. It echoed inside his mind, pulsing loudly, drawing forth emotions he had not felt in a very long time. What if this was his chance to find his new purpose? He could not simply walk away from that.

He took her hand. Much to his surprise, she did not pull away.

“Would you teach me?” he asked, his voice trembling. The woman merely smiled, and led him deeper into the structure. Turning her head slightly back toward him, she announced:

“My name, which you have not yet asked, is Vaerhal’ia. Welcome to my world, elder god.”