Twin Goddesses of Life and Death
The first sentients in the universe Maodin, God of Creation, Stars, and Grand Designs created were two twin sisters. One a healthy vibrant sort, Eresh Lai and the other a sickly creature, Eresh Dao. Life went to Hjolder and light followed behind her. Wherever she walked flowers bloomed, trees grew, and the animals began to take shape. Waves became the fish of the sea, the creatures of land walked out of the mud, and the clouds became the birds of the sky. Life lived there for a time, populating the world when she decided she wanted to share it with her sister.
Dao was very weak at this time, living sad and alone in the darkness of her domain. Lai hoped that bringing her sister Dao to Hjolder would cheer her up and that she might get strong like all the creatures that Lai had raised. After some convincing, Dao agreed to leave her domain.
When Dao came to Hjolder, darkness followed behind her. She stood in awe of the world her sister had created and was freed from the melancholy that had gripped her since creation. Lai was thrilled to see her sister happy for the first time, and asked what more she could do for death. Dao pointed to the biggest tree and asked if she could have it and take it to her domain. Lai said yes, and when Dao touched the tree a deep rot took hold of it. It decayed all the way through until it was nothing but dust.
Lai was upset to see what Dao had done to her creation, but before she could scold Dao, she saw that her sister's frail frame had began to fill out a little. When Lai saw this she offered the entire forest to her sister. Dao was thrilled and accepted the gift, and upon taking possession of it, it began to rot and decay, and as the forest got worse, Dao got better. Her posture corrected, and she was no longer a hunched wretched thing, but stood as straight as the trees.
Lai said to Dao "Sister, you look better the more you take from here, please ask anything you want, and I shall give it"
Dao replied to Lai "Sister, this world is so fantastic, how can I ask for just a piece of it? Oh how I wish I could have it all."
Lai responded "Then you shall have it all" and all things began to rapidly age and die. And when Hjolder was a husk again Dao was greater and more beautiful than ever, even more so than Lai, who suffered greatly from losing all her precious creations.
Dao reveled in this new feeling, but could not enjoy it for long after seeing what it did to Lai. "Oh sister, your gifts now fill my domain, but I can not enjoy them at such a cost to you. Let me give something back to you!"
And from Dai's gift a great fungus, that would grow to become Mykona, The God of Nature, Perpetuality, and Regrowth, began to grow amongst the dead vegetation, maggots began to break down the dead animals, and worms turned the remains to new dirt. And from this dirt life began again. Flowers again bloomed around Lai, and and the world was filled with beauty again. But the more life grew, the more Dao weakened.
Lai did not want Death to become the frail thing she once was, and so Lai promised Dao that she would still give her everything on Hjolder, but it would all come in due time.
