The Shattering

The shattering is an epochal catastrophe in Sarakt's history. It marks the end of the Tribal era and the beginning of the Nation's era. It is the sole largest terraforming and reshaping event on The Mainland. Its direct outcomes er splitting the landmass into two new continents and erecting the biggest, in terms of the tallest and longest mountain range. The entire human population suffers relocation and resettling, destroying the old clan-tribal system and accelerating the formation of nationalities and nations. The shattering is caused by Aurial The Father when He pacifies and placates the warring tribes, ending the raging war.

Prelude:

After Aurial saved Priestess Mella, He took her, and they withdrew into His personal realm. There they got lost in talks, feeling and shared interests, effectively leaving Sarakt and its inhabitors on themselves. That caused tension and stress among the humans, forming three warring factions. Some became ashamed and guilty of their previous lack of faith, while others felt betrayed by Mella's departure. The smallest one continued to reject Aurial as their God and Master. The tension quickly built up and soon escalated, sparking the first collisions. Then they ignited a much larger confrontation which grew into a global clash of tribes. Aurial and Mella were too lost to each other, so they completely missed the point when tribes started massacring each other by the name of God and His priestess.

Reaction:

The ongoing conflict had already become a raging war when Aurial fixed His gaze upon Sarakt again. Many tribes bled heavily and suffered immense casualties, so severe some of the tribes already perished. The Aurial's heart had filled with grief and sorrow but with rage and anger, too. Such anger He didn't feel from the war with Primordials. The burning rage quickly overtook Him and pushed Him into an extreme result. The enraged God stretched His bare hands and reached Sarakt's Mainland. He dug His fingers into the landmass and pulled it with full palms apart. The surface cracked into three separated tectonic plates. A deep chasm tore the land and split it into two parts. The left part, the west plate, floated freely in the west direction, while the other two were used to go opposite. The Ocean immediately filled the chasm, forming the so-called Dividing Sea. However, the easternmost plate didn't move but stood motionless, so the central one collided with it on its move in the eastern direction. Their edges crash on each other, bending, rolling over and rising in the skies. They formed an entirely new mountain range, crossing all of The Mainland. The enormous energy of the clash fused most of the plates' edges solid. Only a few cracks were left unsealed, and their periodic eruptions of lava, smoke and rubbles gave the new mountain nick-name Smoky Mountain. The other name, it is known, is Spine Mountain due to its span across the entire Mainland. Any other landmasses, such as Southern Lands or The Archipelago, remained unaffected. Then Aurial gathered all surviving humans, regardless of their beliefs and opinions, for Him and Priestess Mela and talked to them. He granted them the free will to worship anyone - or anything - they want as long they don't kill each other and have mutual tolerance. Aurial strictly forbade the bloody sacrifices in His name and gave some other Commandments. Then He took each person individually and resettled him or her into a location with other people with similar beliefs. The old tribal or blood bonds were shattered, just like the lands. Now humans had to rebuild their lives, depending on completely strangers or even on yesterday's adversaries. But now they had something in common - their faith and mindsets. The new priorities and ideals forged a new kind of bounds between humans. Instead of blood ties to human Elders, crafted originally by Aurial, the humans developed nationalities and nations.

Aftermath

The shattering brought the end of the Old World. Its order was drowned in the Dividing Sea and burrowed under the Spine Mountain. The face of Sarakt had changed. The large plainland, which had given home to many different tribes, was reshaped and parted. The west lands became a stand-alone continent, connected to The Mainland only by a tiny strip of rocks - the landbridge, formed by remains of a former mountain. The central and east lands were separated by a colossal mountain range with very little in number and all unwelcoming passes. Human societies were completely shaken and reformed. Freed from aged tribal traditions, the new communities were free to establish their new lives based on their beliefs. This new binder united them much better, and soon first countries were formed. Regarding Aurial, He returned to His realm to the only human being that genuinely impressed and intrigued him. Priestess Mella awaited Him there, quite concerned about Him. Aurial quickly calmed her and gave her most of His attention. But now, he didn't allow Himself to be fully occupied by her. He dedicated a part of his mind to observing and overseeing the Sarakt for the Ethernity. Mella noticed this and fully supported Him.

Long-term consequences

The shattering had some consequences over Sarakt that would stay hidden for centuries. The carefully crafted lay-line network was now torn and bent. The drift of once-beautiful Rcor Mountain not only destroyed large plainlands but deeply wounded their Nature Spirit. Also, the very same fabric of the world was weakened and became susceptible to breaching.

Legends

The shattering is an essential event in many legends in almost all Sarakt religions and pantheons. They all say it is Aurial's Punishment for the mass murders. However, some more apocryphal fables tell stories outside of the official version. One such tale is about an entire peaceful tribe that refused to fight other humans and was taken by Aurial as His personal Watch. Another story insisted when the collision of tectonic plates erected Spine Mountain, a tribe or multiple tribes were captured beneath it and never left.

Type

Metaphysical, Divine