The Origin of the Bubble

The Origin of the Bubble is a set of books produced and published in Stomish territories. Their author or authors are disputed and not known, although most Amnari believe that the publication was at least financed and supported by the Congress of Stom. The books constitute a set of stories and legends surrounding the origins of High Ashad Isha, many of which reflect the antipathy felt toward The Amnari Alliance, Amnar, and Isha herself. The Congress and its principal Houses deny that this is the case, and claim to have no knowledge of the books' authors.

Summary

There are nine books in total, most of which cover the period from the end of the Five Empires' Last War, to the conclusion of The Gap War. The final three books detail Isha's decision to found Amnar and the Amnari Alliance. The essence of the narrative of the three middle books is that it was Isha herself who staged the opening of the first Gap at Amin Duum, in order to force the First Five Tribes into uniting to stand against the armies of the Five Empires.

According to the myth, Isha did not gain her powers through a legitimate use of The God Machine, but was corrupted during the process. The authors use her ability to communicate with the highest order of deities, the Gods of the Void, as evidence for this. The authors further build on the original myth that Isha must possess demonic powers, by specifically pointing to her discussions with the leader of the Shades.

Spread

The most likely explanation for the spread of the original myth is that it served the Five Empires, and the Council of the White Tree to attempt to sow doubt in the minds of their populations about Isha's motivations and origins. As more and more populations were displaced by ongoing hostilities and outright war, Isha's message was growing more and more popular. It is generally felt by Amnari commentators on the books that the myth was essentially propaganda, and the books an extension of this process. They assert that the intention on the part of the Stomish must be to promote antagonism toward the Amnari among the populations living between Stomish and Amnari territories in the north.

Date of First Recording

3608 AA/SA

Date of Setting

500 EFA – 500 AA/SA