Ulé and Ména

From the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female,’ and ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. (Mark 10:5)

The universe of Time and Space, the Ethereal and Material Realms, and all the that live therein, were created by God. From the elements of air and fire God created unseen spirits of the ethereal realm. From the very substance of the earth and seas, God created life in the material world of Uléa.

The First Parents

In the days of creation, God sent the Elemental Spirits to provide order and function to his natural creation, subject to God himself. He also created the many natural creatures of Uléa, according to their kinds. As the last of his work, God chose to create a pair of creatures unlike any other, beings whose life was composed of both matter and spirit. And so, from the clay of the earth, and the breath of his Spirit, God gave life to Ulé and Ména, male and female, and blessed them to be fruitful and multiply. With the outward form of earthly creatures, and ethereal power of heavenly beings, God granted the authority to serve as the vice-regents of and stewards of the natural world.
When God first created Ulé and Ména, he brought them to God’s own Estate — called Elvala in the ancient tongue — to tend and care for the land beneath the heavens, in the glow of the radiant pillar of falling light that touched the top of God’s mountain. Ulé and Ména were given the fields and orchards of Elvala to steward. With the aid of the elemental spirits, they prospered under the light of heaven, the dwelling-place of God. At times, the ethereal spirits took possession of earthly creatures, to help accomplish specific responsibilities under the direction of the children, such as earth and stonework, and other tasks requiring great physical strength.
The spirits were free to depart from physical forms, as well as to ascend and descend upon the glimmering Celestial Falls of heaven. Ulé and Ména, however, were forbidden to do so. They were made from the clay of the earth (Uléa), which was to be their dwelling place. They were warned that if they were to climb the mountain to grasp the power and glory of God, they would die.

The Four Children

During their time in Elvala, while still in Phae'radis (garden), four children were born to Ulé and Ména:
Sa'ada = The first son (Cain), whose name means "get/acquire," was the son who killed his brother and was banished from Faeria to Epieros, where he made his way south to the Sun Sea. In his fear was given grace by God. He would be recognized by his golden hair and pointed ears. His life would not just be 70 years but seven times 70 and (regenerative powers?). Encountering darker-skinned Mena in the south, his ancestors became the Solari (nobles) and Thrau (commoners).He made his way to south-eastern Wessa, where he became the father of the people who would become known as the Solari. The civilization he founded was based on a rigid cast system. Those born with elvaen features of golden hair and pointed ears ruled as nobility (priests nd kings), whereas the the more "mannish" indiginous population served as the worker class, peasants, and slaves.
Vaeltaja = The first daughter (Sa'ada's wife), whose name means "wanderer," was the bethrothed of Sa'ada. After he was banish from Faeria, she sought him out in Epieros (Wessa). Upon finding herself much later in time, she eventually settled in the forests of the Greenwood. She formed a relationship with the creatures of the forest, eventually bonding with the Metsanvaki. Her descendants became the dimorphic race of dryads and satyrs. Some time later Cain's wife, Meleki went out to seek him. Not realizing that she entered Epieros centuries after Cain, she gave up the search in the Greenwood. There she had met Tapio the ruler of the Metsan-vaki. Through ethereal adaptation, they were able to produce offspring (ie. Satyrs and Dryads).
Usva = The second son (Abel), whose name means "vapor, mist," was murdered by his brother Sa'ada. Losing his life, legend says that Abel's lifeblood became part of Faeria, almost a sentient entity.
Elva – The second daughter (Usva’s wife), whose name means "living," became the matriarch of the Elvaen people. Functioning as an Enoch-like figure, she was the only one among the first children to remain in Faeria. Over her centuries of existence, she had many mannish husbands and Elvaen children. These were the first Elder fae, enhanced ethereally beyond the power of the children of Mena. Elva remained in Faeria (Arkhea). Her ancestors would be the Fae.

Historical Basis

Humanity is a race and species of bipedal creature unlike the six-limbed creatures native to Arkhea . Known as the Children of Ména), human beings were created and given sentience by God himself, and would become the ancestors of all the human races. In mythical terms, the human race had both material bodies of clay (water and earth), as well as a spiritual essence of spirit (fire and air). They were the living stewards for which the world was created, and were the crown of God’s creation. The legends and stories of SpiritQuest are told from the human perspective.

By the Fae, the name Ulé is pronounced "OO-lay" and the the name Ména is pronounced "MEY-nah."