The First Thread
Adventurer's siren call.
The legend of the First Thread, also called the Birth of the Gift of Magic, the Tale of Xyrthana the Starshepherd or the Mountain's Loom, is a Crendamite myth born from several cave carvings and a handful of ancient texts nicknamed the Seamstress' Diary. The myth explains how the control and study of magic was introduced into the world through the exploits and sacrifices of Xyrthana, the Fourth Chieftain when climbing the Second Wife's Fallen Needles, resulting in the arcane practices that are so commonplace nowadays.
The myth has oftentimes been cited by adventurers and explorers as their reason for wanting to climb the Nameless Mountain south of the Kingdom's edge, with the place attracting hundreds of these pilgrims, scholars, arcane enthusiasts and other individuals every year in hopes of finding the fabled Cradle's Crevasse, where Xyrthana is said to have discovered the means to control magic.
Evidence supporting this myth is scarce, with most information pointing towards the facts presented within the telling as exaggerations or allegories to phenomena long forgotten. However, some argue that the Nameless Mountain's unnatural geography and location can be explained by events found within the myth.
Though its veracity is contested, the myth is an important staple within Crendamite's arcane studies, serving as the theoretical starting point for the field. Certain mage cabals in Yōken and Al Ramalwhil have been known to pay homage to the myth by integrating a pair of silver needles into their emblems.
Igtraz Megzor, the famed historian, was responsible for restoring, interpreting and translating both the carvings and the original text as accurately as possible. To date, his greatest regret is not having the full text readily available for translation.
The myth has oftentimes been cited by adventurers and explorers as their reason for wanting to climb the Nameless Mountain south of the Kingdom's edge, with the place attracting hundreds of these pilgrims, scholars, arcane enthusiasts and other individuals every year in hopes of finding the fabled Cradle's Crevasse, where Xyrthana is said to have discovered the means to control magic.
Evidence supporting this myth is scarce, with most information pointing towards the facts presented within the telling as exaggerations or allegories to phenomena long forgotten. However, some argue that the Nameless Mountain's unnatural geography and location can be explained by events found within the myth.
Though its veracity is contested, the myth is an important staple within Crendamite's arcane studies, serving as the theoretical starting point for the field. Certain mage cabals in Yōken and Al Ramalwhil have been known to pay homage to the myth by integrating a pair of silver needles into their emblems.
Igtraz Megzor, the famed historian, was responsible for restoring, interpreting and translating both the carvings and the original text as accurately as possible. To date, his greatest regret is not having the full text readily available for translation.
Summary
The myth is told through song in two parts. Before beginning, however, the singer invokes the powers of the stars that shine far above in order to grant them courage to speak about the Starshepherd's achievements. As translated by Megzor, this exhortation is as follows:
it is after this brief prologue, which tells the listener part of the story before it has even begun to be told, that the first part of the myth begins. Called the Weavethreader's Elegy, it briefly touches upon the Crendamite myth of creation by talking about the Worldforger's exploits. The focus of the tale shifts into a longer explanation of how the Weavethreader, also called the Second Wife, spent her waking and sleeping hours tending to the creation of the Weave, which can be succinctly be described as magic itself, but not the way to brandish and use it. For an untold number of years she threaded with her silver needles, described as being impossibly cold so as to not tire their wielder, stopping only to attend her Husband's call, until:
The Seamstress' Diary is damaged at this point. It is unknown if the other gods of creation wept her demise or if her passing had some impact on reality.
Be that as it may, the story resumes with the following fragment, which serves as the introduction for the second and longest part of the myth:
Often called Starshepherd's Ascension, this part describes how the first thinking beings came out of the freshly formed earth as beings of clay. Slowly they would shed their earthy crust and begin to show their true forms of flesh and blood. Amongst these was Xyrthana, who is associated with the epithet 'starschild' or 'daughter of the skies'. The myth goes to great lengths to demonstrate Xyrthana's connection to divinity by referencing waking visions and prophetic dreams that the young chieftain had of the fallen needles, now having frozen the lands and the air where they fell to create a mountain unlike few in the world, and how these visions instilled a need to go to this place, a great ways away from her and her charges. However, doubt casted long shadows on her resolve. She knew not the way and although her fingers were quick and her mind was sharp, the ways to keep herself from harm were unknown to her.
The myth then diverges to a section where Xyrthana is taught how to defend herself against the 'darkness that the world's unfinished cracks spawn' and the physical prowess needed to endure such a long journey, explaining her training process and the distance she kept from the other sentient beings. The Starshepherd isolated herself because she was not able to fully connect with them due to the messages that were constantly being sent to her by the gods. Eventually, their beckoning became a persistent, commanding scream that forced her to train quickly in the hopes that it would soon quiet down.
When Xyrthana finished her training, she left her encampment, often called the first settlement. She brandished fire to force the shadows to retreat, avoiding them altogether whenever she could. Xyrthana would contemplate the world, unexplored and with all footprints yet to disturb the grains of sand, the blades of grass, the gravel's small pebbles, while also pining for the 'unseen gems of the far horizon'.
Twenty-five days later, the sun hid from her for the first time. The shadow was cast by a great mountain, one whose height
Xyrthana's ascent is normally portrayed as the most tragic segment of the myth. Due to the extreme cold, the Starshepherd loses her feet and resorts to using her hands to continue the journey, frozen into claws and subsequently needing to use only her left hand to continue. At some point, her face also freezes over, as told by what Megzor considers to be the most moving passage in the entire telling:
Xyrthana then found a crevasse where a bright light is said to exist. Her eyes could not see what this was, but the text oftentimes describes it as a star cast down into the bowels of the earth. it is believed that it was an exposed bit of the needle, a shard that came from it, the Weave made manifest by the needles' fall or some other phenomenon that the Diary does not describe. Whatever the case may be, Xyrthana wished to be warm after touching it, with her wish being granted. The first spell had been cast. Soon after, the text devolves into abstract retellings of how Xyrthana remained in the crevasse for years on end, learning how to wield the gift of magic and recieving both guidance and knowledge from the gods above, now fading in sight and sound. After five years, Xyrthana stoped hearing them and had not known a meal since her last day in her encampment, being sustained by the font of magic and her own will. With her acquired skills, she lea the crevasse using a displacement spell of her own making, making her appear in the middle of the encampment. It had grown in her absence, becoming the first town.
With her remaining strength, she taught everything she knew to those who could understand her words. She had discovered during her interactions with the gods that had it not been for her actions in the crevasse, mortals would never had been able to alter the foundations of reality. There would be no need for anyone to ascend the mountain. They had everything they needed.
After she finished teaching, Xyrthana Starshepherd faded away in the same manner the Weavethreader had done, becoming one with the stars and leaving behind nothing. She had accomplished her goal and would now rest.
Sing, o frosted lights in the cloth that wraps us following the crepuscular interregnum, of the power of the bold one whose name is carved into the intangible firmament that life doth give to the world and whom we invoke under today's light in sweets song with which we unmake and remake the tangible and immaterial threads of this life we tread upon.
it is after this brief prologue, which tells the listener part of the story before it has even begun to be told, that the first part of the myth begins. Called the Weavethreader's Elegy, it briefly touches upon the Crendamite myth of creation by talking about the Worldforger's exploits. The focus of the tale shifts into a longer explanation of how the Weavethreader, also called the Second Wife, spent her waking and sleeping hours tending to the creation of the Weave, which can be succinctly be described as magic itself, but not the way to brandish and use it. For an untold number of years she threaded with her silver needles, described as being impossibly cold so as to not tire their wielder, stopping only to attend her Husband's call, until:
[...] the crude shape of the Weave that all binds was finished. Spent were her energies, for greater was the effort needed to sew the threads with each other than that of birthing ten thousand little mortals. Once her Task was complete, her needles, of an astral lustre, left her weakened grip, and thusly did She Who Bore The Stars On Her Brow vanish into the sky, now called night.
The Seamstress' Diary is damaged at this point. It is unknown if the other gods of creation wept her demise or if her passing had some impact on reality.
Be that as it may, the story resumes with the following fragment, which serves as the introduction for the second and longest part of the myth:
The Wife's instruments of gleaming silver to the newly shaped world did fall, giving rise to the First Mountain, whose voice can still be heard in the wind's call.
Often called Starshepherd's Ascension, this part describes how the first thinking beings came out of the freshly formed earth as beings of clay. Slowly they would shed their earthy crust and begin to show their true forms of flesh and blood. Amongst these was Xyrthana, who is associated with the epithet 'starschild' or 'daughter of the skies'. The myth goes to great lengths to demonstrate Xyrthana's connection to divinity by referencing waking visions and prophetic dreams that the young chieftain had of the fallen needles, now having frozen the lands and the air where they fell to create a mountain unlike few in the world, and how these visions instilled a need to go to this place, a great ways away from her and her charges. However, doubt casted long shadows on her resolve. She knew not the way and although her fingers were quick and her mind was sharp, the ways to keep herself from harm were unknown to her.
The myth then diverges to a section where Xyrthana is taught how to defend herself against the 'darkness that the world's unfinished cracks spawn' and the physical prowess needed to endure such a long journey, explaining her training process and the distance she kept from the other sentient beings. The Starshepherd isolated herself because she was not able to fully connect with them due to the messages that were constantly being sent to her by the gods. Eventually, their beckoning became a persistent, commanding scream that forced her to train quickly in the hopes that it would soon quiet down.
When Xyrthana finished her training, she left her encampment, often called the first settlement. She brandished fire to force the shadows to retreat, avoiding them altogether whenever she could. Xyrthana would contemplate the world, unexplored and with all footprints yet to disturb the grains of sand, the blades of grass, the gravel's small pebbles, while also pining for the 'unseen gems of the far horizon'.
Twenty-five days later, the sun hid from her for the first time. The shadow was cast by a great mountain, one whose height
[...] did threaten the celestials in their high abode, so impossibly tall and straight did it rise from its silver slopes, trapping life beneath white death.
Xyrthana's ascent is normally portrayed as the most tragic segment of the myth. Due to the extreme cold, the Starshepherd loses her feet and resorts to using her hands to continue the journey, frozen into claws and subsequently needing to use only her left hand to continue. At some point, her face also freezes over, as told by what Megzor considers to be the most moving passage in the entire telling:
In shards was her face frozen, ice as fine as crystal blossoming and turning her countenance into carved ivory. Pressed was Xyrthana, whose name had been left with her right hand's final digit, by the torment of memory and the fleeting promises of a vanished tomorrow. Little could her eyes capture from the unnamed mound's vistas after its enraged strikes stole warmth from her hidden hearth. Her movements slowed still, pearls in the night shining where tears of agony had once flowed.
Xyrthana then found a crevasse where a bright light is said to exist. Her eyes could not see what this was, but the text oftentimes describes it as a star cast down into the bowels of the earth. it is believed that it was an exposed bit of the needle, a shard that came from it, the Weave made manifest by the needles' fall or some other phenomenon that the Diary does not describe. Whatever the case may be, Xyrthana wished to be warm after touching it, with her wish being granted. The first spell had been cast. Soon after, the text devolves into abstract retellings of how Xyrthana remained in the crevasse for years on end, learning how to wield the gift of magic and recieving both guidance and knowledge from the gods above, now fading in sight and sound. After five years, Xyrthana stoped hearing them and had not known a meal since her last day in her encampment, being sustained by the font of magic and her own will. With her acquired skills, she lea the crevasse using a displacement spell of her own making, making her appear in the middle of the encampment. It had grown in her absence, becoming the first town.
With her remaining strength, she taught everything she knew to those who could understand her words. She had discovered during her interactions with the gods that had it not been for her actions in the crevasse, mortals would never had been able to alter the foundations of reality. There would be no need for anyone to ascend the mountain. They had everything they needed.
After she finished teaching, Xyrthana Starshepherd faded away in the same manner the Weavethreader had done, becoming one with the stars and leaving behind nothing. She had accomplished her goal and would now rest.
Historical Basis
Most of the myth is a construction of fantasy elements and tropes that look to find an explanation for a naturally occurring phenomenon. Although it is true that the Nameless Mountain exists and that its height and geography scarcely resemble any found in the world, there have been little to no findings of the Weavethreader's fabled needles or the Starshepherd's crevasse. Moreover, there is evidence that suggests that the practice of magic is more recent than what the myth would have one believe. It is imperative to understand that the myth was written at least two thousand years ago, but the tale it tells stretches further back than any other document, text or even artistic representation that has been found so far.
Something that has puzzled scholars for the entirety of the myth's existence is the language it is written in. Although Megzor was able to translate it, it took well over fifty years of research, investigation and divination to begin an attempt at translation. This language, called First Script, has been found all over Ar'Nuhûn and in parts of Ni'Hel, though there is little indication of the type of people that used it to communicate or how they were able to develop such a writing system.
Something that has puzzled scholars for the entirety of the myth's existence is the language it is written in. Although Megzor was able to translate it, it took well over fifty years of research, investigation and divination to begin an attempt at translation. This language, called First Script, has been found all over Ar'Nuhûn and in parts of Ni'Hel, though there is little indication of the type of people that used it to communicate or how they were able to develop such a writing system.
Spread
The myth of the First Thread is not something one would find in a compendium or hear from the lips of a bard. By no means is it locked away behind forbidden tomes or spirited away in some forgotten grove, yet it requires a degree of intimacy with the arcane arts to hear of it. This is due to the fact that most arcane studies take this tale as a point of possible origin, slowly developing their understanding of their respective schools of magic from this precept.
With the advent of the present age, however, the myth has gained more popularity due to its appearance in plays and other works of art.
With the advent of the present age, however, the myth has gained more popularity due to its appearance in plays and other works of art.
Variations & Mutation
As with most myths, the First Thread has suffered through numerous iterations throughout its two thousand years of existence, primarily due to the fact that it is a translation, and an incomplete one at that. Much and more of the original meaning has been lost to time and to artistic licence.
However, there are several versions of the myth that are still being told to this day, most of which focus on different aspects of the original telling and change them for heightened tension or greater effect. For example, the N'tedr version posits that Xyrthana perished while inside the crevasse and that it was the wind that carried her teachings to the settlement, while the Desval telling claims that she was hale and whole by the time magic was introduced into the world.
However, there are several versions of the myth that are still being told to this day, most of which focus on different aspects of the original telling and change them for heightened tension or greater effect. For example, the N'tedr version posits that Xyrthana perished while inside the crevasse and that it was the wind that carried her teachings to the settlement, while the Desval telling claims that she was hale and whole by the time magic was introduced into the world.
Cultural Reception
In recent years, the verses that describe the Starshepherd's journey to the mountain have turned Xyrthana into something of a patron for travellers and wanderers. It is not uncommon for learned individuals belonging to these groups to cite the verses when asked what their purpose is.
More traditionally, the myth has found its way into many a mage association's coat of arms in the way of the Weavethreader's two needles, with some of these representations being present in lands far away from where the myth supposedly takes place in.
More traditionally, the myth has found its way into many a mage association's coat of arms in the way of the Weavethreader's two needles, with some of these representations being present in lands far away from where the myth supposedly takes place in.
In Literature
Igtraz Megzor dedicated the better part of his life to the study and translation of the First Thread. Along the way, he wrote over thirty treatises where he documented his findings and the subsequent reflections these cause him to have.
The myth and its themes are commonplace in Crendamite literature, with works and even myths from all races having some element that can be traced back to the First Thread. Most notably, Duke Hagren Tol'Direl has been known to use the myth as a template for songs and plays. The Solaris Royal Theatre has shown Mystra, a play where the myth is turned into a prologue for the titular goddess' life and her later conflict with the god Celestian.
The myth and its themes are commonplace in Crendamite literature, with works and even myths from all races having some element that can be traced back to the First Thread. Most notably, Duke Hagren Tol'Direl has been known to use the myth as a template for songs and plays. The Solaris Royal Theatre has shown Mystra, a play where the myth is turned into a prologue for the titular goddess' life and her later conflict with the god Celestian.
In Art
The theme of magic's origin has fascinated scholars and artists alike. Much like the mage cabals use the silver needles in their sigils, artists resort to that same image to refer to the mystery that surrounds magic's existence and its prevalence in the world.
Ambitious artisans have attempted to bring the myth to life through tapestry and carving, often resulting in murals that fail to encapsulate its entire extension or in striking depictions of contained episodes, the most common of which is Xyrthana's plight as she climbed the mountain. Insofar as the Kingdom is concerned, a carved or marble-like face will always be associated with the Starshepherd's suffering.
Ambitious artisans have attempted to bring the myth to life through tapestry and carving, often resulting in murals that fail to encapsulate its entire extension or in striking depictions of contained episodes, the most common of which is Xyrthana's plight as she climbed the mountain. Insofar as the Kingdom is concerned, a carved or marble-like face will always be associated with the Starshepherd's suffering.
Date of First Recording
Unknown.
Date of Setting
At least two thousand years ago, during the time before the Age of the Map or as it dawned.
Related Locations
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