Vati (VAH-tee)
This Notion of Undead
Ambient sounds courtesy of tosha73 and EminYILDIRIM
Greetings to those below. I am Death, though Azrael is the name I prefer. Today we will discuss the vati, mythical monsters that have a decidedly real origin. But before we progress further, I have to say, being Death, that the notion of vati are an interesting peculiarity to me. They are neither living nor dead, but are in fact a thing the undine scribes have labeled “undead.”
I will tell you now there is no such state of being on Orosta. Pure fantasy. And I wonder if it might even be offensive to suggest such a thing. Mere corpses somehow evading me? Please. Still, allow me to fill you in on the basics. Now that I’ve scoffed at the concept, no doubt my brother might try to make them real, after all. My brother can’t create, of course, but he can . . . well, let’s just explore this fanciful myth, shall we?
Summary
by cocoparisienne from Pixabay
Historical Basis
by J. L. Gryphon via Artbreeder
Tt all began in the year 1792 in Orosta’s Middle Sphere (MS) of history. Well, actually it began quite before that. The year 1667 in Orosta’s First Sphere (FS) of history might be a good benchmark. But before you ask, no, I can’t tell you about the First Sphere of history. There is too much . . . buried there. Purposely. And for good reason. So, for the sake of discussion, the myth of the vati began in 1792 MS because that was the first time anyone bothered to write something down about it; and really, it’s much safer for you if you just accept this date, all right?
Good.
Now, moving on. You must understand that in the world of Orosta, there is something of a structure to the different peoples that inhabit it. There are, of course, the originals—the true natives of Orosta created directly by my master. These are the dragons and the Sithuwaye elves. Then there are Those Who Came After, various groups of people that came to exist via one thing or another. For example, the jeenta, the first of Those Who Came After, were the product of a dragon experiment gone dangerously wrong. Not as wrong as the experiments that made the abominations, mind you. The jeenta still have souls, which was a relief to everyone, myself included.
After the jeenta came the merrow, the sirens, and on and on until we get to the point of our topic today. The last of Those Who Came After, at least so far, are none other than the Zurrinaih elves, also known as shade-elves. They are actually the ones who began appearing in the year 1792 MS, which is what inspired the first written tales of the vati.
No one knew what a Zurrinaih elf was back then, you see. Of course everyone knew the Sithuwaye elves, but Sithuwaye have skin of pale, sunny gold, and these elves looked, well, dead. Ashen gray skin, an otherworldly aura, and eyes that burned in luminous colors like ghosts from the void. They were quite beautiful, as well, which only added to the confusion and fear. An attractive monster is always worse than an ugly one, at least in my opinion. You know it’s bad, but a part of you still wants to approach it because what a feast for the eyes it is. I’ve always appreciated that extra layer of tension.
But, despite the initial panic caused by the shade-elves’ unexplained appearance, I will inform you they are not monsters. They are not dead or undead, they don’t drink blood, and their hearts are very much alive and beating as being alive would require. They are quite decent people, in fact, at least when they are not being manipulated by a certain self-proclaimed goddess. It could be said they share many similarities to their Sithuwaye cousins, though they do and always have had a distinctly separate culture. Not to mention their appearance, which still leaves people confused as to whether they like the aesthetic or find it unsettling. I like it, personally, but I’m biased. I have a similar complexion.
Variations & Impact
Spread
by J. L. Gryphon via Inkarnate
Entertainment
by Iván Tamás from Pixabay
Crime
by Darkmoon_Art from Pixabay
Cultural Receptions
by Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay - Modified by J. L. Gryphon
Signed your bemused narrator,
Azrael the Star of Death
Book Information
To learn more, hop on over to the books page OR hop on over to the teaser and get a sneak peek of Chapter 1! For more articles like this one, have a peek at my Worldbuilding Journal and explore Orosta.
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Date of First Recording
1792 MS
Date of Setting
1667 FS
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