Vadath Folklore

These stories are told in the way that they would have been told to children around a campfire. At the end of each section will be a brief explanation of the story.

The Seven Lands

There are seven worlds in this reality. All in a line, with Vadath being the first. When we die, we are judged. Should we do well in life, we are reborn in the next world. We must then set out on a journey to reach Vaseul.
Ours is the land of giants, Vadath. Before people, it was a land of titans. They trampled upon the earth and lived in peace.
The second is the land of birds, Vasiren. This world is closest to us, and it is where the birds come from. The birds were granted the power of flight. Their people are called the Harpies and rarely visit our land. From this world, you must gain the gift of flight.
The third land is the land of monsters, Vathu. The monsters from this world are evil beings of immense strength. Nine monsters are known to travel from their home to tempt us with evil. From this world, you must gain the gift of strength.
The fourth land is the land of the Ancients, Vaeald. This is a world for the weary souls who have bested Vathu to rest. It is full of halls of food and merriment, and a soul may move on to greater challenges when they are ready. From this land, you must gain the gift of humility.
The fifth land is the land of the dead, Vadesa. This world is full of the souls who have given up hope. Those who destroy themselves or fall into the sky below are trapped here for eternity. The spirits of the lost tempt and pull at those who try to travel through. From this land, you must gain the gift of immortality. The sixth land is the land of magic, Vaschie. This is where the witches, fae, and gnarled originate. It is a strange world and the greatest test for the souls who pass through. From this world, you must gain the gift of magic. The final world is the land of spirits, Vaseul. This is the final destination for the spirits of the dead. Here, they may be reborn again on Vadath. Or, they may oversee a descendant as one of the three spirits.
The people of Vadath know that there were other lands, even before they could sail the skies. They knew this because birds would fly to other islands. These strange lands stroked the imagination of the Vadathan storytellers. Eventually, the stories became their belief.

Origin of the People: Land of the Giants

The land of giants is so called because it was once the home of titans. There were many titans upon this land. Groad, the terrible. Jotang, the tricky. Loki, the fierce. But none are more important than Jotun, the greedy. Jotun was the smallest giant in the land. He was filled with envy and sought after the amazing heights of his fellow giants. Jotun killed and devoured his brother, Jotang. After he finished his meal, he found that he had stolen his brother's height. His greed grew larger with his height, and he began to devour more and more of his fellow kin. With each meal, he grew in height, hunger and greed. Soon he had become a terrible beast, slaughtering hundreds of giants at a time. Only three giants were able to flee his hunger. Loki, who lept to Vathu. Roc, who lept to Vasiren. And Groad, who hid underground.
Eventually, there were no more Giants for Jotun to eat. He grew hungry and weak. When he succumbed to hunger, he fell with a great thump. This fall was so mighty that a third of the land broke and fell away to the reflected sky. Over time, his body became stone. This stone body was called the Jotun mountain range. From Jotuns gaping mouth, a cave known as Jotuns Maw, the Giants crawled from his belly. However, their size was stolen from them so giants there were not. These were the first Vadathans.
Every culture has a myth on their origin. In Vadath, there is a massive mountain range which is known by all. Over time, this mountain range was named Jotun, and myths began to grow from it. This story gives an explanation why the edges of the land seem to have been cut or broken from other lands.

Roc, The titan of the skies.

One of the three giants who fled Jotuns hunger was Roc. One day, during Jotuns hunger, Roc ran into the monster. She could see the blood drip from Jotuns jaws, so he ran. Roc ran as fast as she could until she reached the edge of the island. Rather than being devoured, Roc lept as far as she could. She soared through the sky, going further than anyone had seen. To her surprise, Roc landed on another land. Vasiren, the land of birds.
The birds of this world were curious of Rocs sudden arrival. Roc spent time in this land and learned of the other five as well. Bayag, the raven queen, gave Roc wings as payment for tales of Vadath. Bayag told Roc of Vaseul and how spirits who make it there can watch over their descendants. She made Roc a deal. If Roc would guide the souls of the dead to Vasiren, then Bayag would teach them to fly in payment of their stories.
Roc accepted and flew back to Vadath. When she arrived, however, Jotun was dead. She refused to guide Jotuns soul to Vasiren, so now his soul haunts the interior of the Jotun Mountain. Roc waited for many days before the Giants crawled from his mouth. Overjoyed, Roc soared into the air and cried out in triumph. A cry like that of thunder so loud it broke the clouds. While it rained, the rest of the Giants crawled from Jotuns belly and were washed.
This story tells the origin of the Roc. A breed of eagle that has the body the size of a moose. The Roc were an oddity which Vadathans always held in high respect. Some of this story is actually true. Bayag is real. The raven queen is one of the oldest witches whos domain is that of birds and flight. Her stories can be found all throughout the world.

Loki, Rage of Fire

Many millennia before Jotuns rage, the giants lived in peace. Vadath at the time was covered in thick ice and snow. No fire burned. Loki was an angry Giant. Many other giants would avoid him because of his rages. As time went on, his anger grew. More and more giants hated him, and he hated them in return. One day, Jotang say Loki sitting alone. Loki was depressed and needed a friend. Jotang saw this, but instead of showing him compassion, Jotang played a trick on Loki. Jotang carved out of ice and snow a beautiful woman. He kept this ice statue at a distance to Loki. One of Jotang's talents was the ability to change his voice. He used this to call out to Loki as the woman. Over many years, Jotang tricked Loki into falling in love with this statue. One day, Jotang told Loki that the mystery woman would like to meet face to face, atop a small hill. When Loki arrived, he found the statue of ice. At first, Loki was confused. Soon, he realized he was tricked. His rage grew to unimaginable heights. His hair lit afire and his blood burned like lava. The statue of the beloved woman melted which only grew his rage further. Loki spit and spat at all of Vadath. Everywhere he spat ignited a fire which burned for days.
This story is a tale told to children who become too angry but also serves as an origin of fire. Wildfires were thought as Loki being angry.

Groads Swamp, A Humorous Tale

When Joten ate and ate, Goad was afraid. He was so afraid that he dug himself a hole to hide in. He dug deep, and dove in head first. The giant hid well but unfortunately was stuck. He struggled and struggled, but was unable to get out. With nothing but his rear end sticking out of the ground, Groad had no choice but to eat worms, dirt, and other nasty things. From his nether regions, he spawned the land known as Goad's Swamp. A foul-smelling and poisonous place.
This is a story children tell each other to get a few cheap laughs. It is also the mythological origin story of Goad's Swamp.