Nadunite Creation Myth
“The other gods weren’t at all interested in creating more things; they stayed in their home on Hazan and enjoyed their godhood. They bestowed Enaekel with the title of god of the Earth and its animals, and he ruled independently. He often roamed the Earth and watched the animals as they lived and took great joy in creating each thing from the smallest worm to the largest predator. Eventually, the other gods took notice that the animals had overrun the planet they had created. They couldn’t set foot on the Earth without squashing an animal, which Enaekel would get cross with them for. So the King of the Heavens commanded him to do something about their animal problem. But he couldn’t bear to destroy his creations and lamented this conundrum to his wife, Is'turon, the goddess of the air. He spoke so earnestly of how much care and passion went into creation of a new animal, causing Is’turon to want to feel that for herself.
While Enaekel slept, she would sneak out to Earth. She tried three nights to create something. First, she made two beings out of rock and breathed life into them, but this creation didn’t please her. Rather than destroy them, she set them off to wander on their own. The next night she attempted to create out of grass, but it wouldn’t hold form. On the third night, with a quarter moon in the sky, she moved on to try to make a creation out of the waters of the Earth, but that refused to hold form as well. She was about to give up when she noticed how easily the mud under her feet changed and retained shape. She made the first human there in a form similar to her own and placed the mark of a quarter moon and an open hand upon his back to distinguish him as her first creation. After creating him, she made a handful more.
They came alive after she breathed the breath of life into their nostrils. She gifted them with language and reason, and left back to Hazan. She had planned to keep her project a secret for some time, but before the end of the next day, Enaekel cried out in a voice that shook the Heavens. Wretched creatures had sprung up seemingly out of nowhere and tore into one of his creations, devouring it. He wanted to destroy the humans, but the King of the Heavens commanded him not to lay a finger on them as it seemed to be a solution to their animal overpopulation problem. All the other gods were ecstatic, but Enaekel’s heart hardened with each kill the humans made.
Is’turon would sneak away to the Earth when Enaekel slept and planned to keep her part in the humans’ existence a secret. She was able to keep that secret for a short time, creating a new human each night and showing them how to grow, build, and further themselves, for she loved her creations. She even gifted some with the ability to harness the Earth's magic. But one fateful night, Enaekel woke from his slumber before Is’turon returned. He looked for her and felt her presence on the Earth. He appeared in a flash and demanded to know the truth of what she had done. She admitted that she’d been the one to orchestrate the creation of the humans. He was angry with her and though he could not punish the humans, he could punish her for what she had done. Enaekel bound Is’turon and locked her in a cage under the sea.
Without their patron to provide them with knowledge and protection, Enaekel aimed to indirectly bring about their destruction. He caused the Earth to shake and split apart, storms to rage, and animals to stampede. The humans were rightfully terrified at this god’s anger and pleaded with him to spare them. He heard their cries and said that nothing would please him save the death of humans. The humans made a bargain; they would sacrifice one of their own if he would release Is’turon and let her protect them. Deciding that this wouldn’t directly disobey his orders to not lay a hand against the humans, he agreed. The humans decided that Is’turon’s marked human, who had chosen the name Awal, would be the optimal sacrifice as he was the first slight against Enaekel.
After Awal’s blood was spilled, Enaekel was pleased and released Is’turon. He stopped the onslaught of natural disasters and let the humans live in peace for a time. But each time he would grow angry, they would choose a human to sacrifice. These sacrifices became known as Awalshira, the Kin of Awal, and all who were due to be sacrificed from then on out would have Awal’s symbol of a quarter moon and an open hand branded on the backs of their necks.
Historical Basis
Whether or not these events are the actual precursor to human sacrifice in Badun, it is the story that is told. Human sacrifice had been practiced there for all time.
Spread
It is believed by most of the Badunite population and is one of the best known myths.
Cultural Reception
All other territories in the kingdom find the idea of human sacrifice abhorrent.
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