In the beginning there was nothing and then the nothing witnessed the birth of the Radiant Star and the Silver Moon. Between them, they brought life to the day and the night. Under the Radiant Star, the World grew and bloomed and under the Silver Moon it rested for the next day of life and growth. Each day the Radiant Star would bring forth new life under its heat and each night the Silver Moon would give it rest and peace; so necessary for life’s toil under the Star’s day. As the Star saw life grow and multiply beneath its warmth, it grew arrogant that it was only its radiance that Life craved and that the periods of soft darkness brought by the Moon were no longer necessary. Each day, the Star would grow bigger and warmer, each night the Moon saw Life weakening. She tried to speak to it but the Star was not listening. The Moon worried over Life knowing that it was between them, as between Man and Woman, that Life was created and sustained; a delicate balance. For the Moon had thought long and hard in her quiet nights and learned Wisdom and that there was a purpose to both of them.
But the Star saw only that Life grew and changed each time he grew larger and hotter. Life moved this way and that and changed. While the Star saw only the new form of Life each morning, it was the Moon that saw how Life struggled to survive each day. And each night she watched as Life became more-from swimming until the water grew too hot, to crawling until the earth grew too hot and then flying until the air grew too hot. At long last, the Moon saw Life begin walking and hiding in caves, learning to cover itself when outside, and survive each day that was hotter than the one before it.
All Life was precious and the Moon knew that the Star would not see that being so impressed with the changes it had wrought. And a voice spoke to the Moon from the darkness between the stars. A serpent that slithered between the light to hide its form and spare its eyes. It whispered of the Star’s arrogance and its concern for the Life that walked the earth. For, it reasoned with her in the dark, as the Star continued to swell, how would Life survive when there was no longer any water to wet oneself, or earth to cover oneself, or air to cool oneself?And the Moon listened.
And yet, for all her Wisdom, she was unaware that while the Star hid away from her each night, that the Serpent whispered to it also. And it whispered of the great power of the Star and the wondrous events that took place each day under the Star’s benevolence. The Serpent spoke of how it watched the Life the Star worked so hard for each day shrivel in the darkness under the Moon. How much is lost, it wondered, when Life struggled and suffered under the dark? The Serpent whispered and the Star listened.
And so the Star grew and the World suffered. And the Moon worried. And the Serpent whispered.
And at last, as the Moon saw that this wondrous Life and all that had come before it would perish under the Star, the Serpent spoke of her dedication and what would she give for her children. What would she sacrifice for the Life that walked below?
That next day, the Moon saw that the Star was returning for the Day. The Radiant Star had grown too large and too hot. She knew that Life would not continue past a day of that scorching brilliance. And so she lingered and the Star came to its place on the side of the World and waited for her to leave that it may begin the day. But the Moon lingered and spoke to the Star, pleading and begging that it not do this and trying to show it that Life was too fragile for all of its greatness. But the Star was already suspicious for the Serpent had told him that the Moon thought to trick him and hold it back from another day of creation. And so the Star ignored her and, without waiting for her to leave, rose above the World in all its terrible glory.
And the Moon, the first mother of creation, knew what she must do.
Though pained by the Star’s radiance, she rose up and placed her body between the Star and the World. To save Life, she would sacrifice all. And, that sacrifice shook the Star from his contemplation of his own glory. It shook the Star such that he saw in an instant what his radiance would do to her, the soft and dark Moon that was so loving and what his brilliance would do to the World. And so the Star turned to flee but it was too late.
For when the Moon eclipsed the Star, it gave birth to the Black Moon.
And below the Black Moon, on our World, Man looked up and was afraid. And the Great Whisperer, the Serpent That Hungered For Sun and Moon, did work its own acts of creation through the Black Moon’s power. It twisted the Life below it and brought forth new forms from its darkest imaginings, it created domination and power and injustice. It created malevolence and envy. And all of this it poured into Man like a torrent of filth. And, there in the unlight of the Black Moon, the Dark Elder were born; made to dominate, to enslave and to bring forth destruction.
For the Serpent hated both the Star and the Moon. The Serpent had long watched from the darkness between the stars in envy of their creation. Unable to bring forth the light nor to comfort in the darkness, it had watched and imagined and plotted until it had conceived of a way to use both the Star and the Moon to create its own forms of Life.
In that terrible moment, the Star knew it was wrong and knew that the Moon would die under its brilliance. And so the Star fled into the darkness, bringing cold and pain to himself so that the Moon would be spared. And spared she was, burned and disfigured, blistered and scarred but still alive. She lay in the dark and healed; such as she could and waited for the Star to return.
And so the days of the World grew dark and the plight of Man darker still. For the Dark Elder brought wickedness to form and enslaved the tribes of Man across the whole of the World. And an eternity of darkness lasted while the Moon healed and the Star hid in shame and guilt for what he had done.
And Man was alone against the Dark. And Man fell into bondage and misery for there was no comforts to be had under the cool light of the Moon and no creative to be found under the Star’s radiance. And Man’s fate was all but sealed and consigned to nothing under the heel of the Dark Elder. But they found the means to survive in creation itself. And so a voice spoke to Man and Woman as they lay weeping in their misery. This voice was strong and quiet, compassionate but loud. For the very elements of creation, the first children of the Star and the Moon, had come together to save Mankind.
With the Star gone and the Moon helpless, the elements themselves did come forth to aid Man in their time of need. They were lesser, of course, and could not fight the Great Serpent who called Itself, Kototh, on by themselves but together with Man, they saw a way. And yet they knew not how to speak to Man. And so they came together and brought forth Domiel, the King of All, to speak to Man in their Four-Fold Voice. And Man and Woman listened.
Woman gathered up Water, Man gathered up Earth, Woman reached up high for Air, and Man dug deep for Fire. They brought these things before the Four-Fold Voice and it spoke to them more. Man set down Fire and Woman placed Air into it and together they grew. Then Man took up Earth and placed it in that Fire of Air until it melted and ran in a long river. Seeing this river run, Woman threw Water on it and it stopped running. And the Four-Fold Voice spoke to Man and Woman of what they had done.
This, the Voice said, is Iron and I am Domiel. It is a Gift.
And so Man and Woman had the tools to stand up to the Dark Elder but lacked the courage. They lay in the dark again, shivering and fearful, for they had suffered so long under the Elder lash. And when their spirits would break and their hopes of freedom shatter into pieces, a soft silver light bathed them in stillness and peace. The Woman looked above to find the Moon, scarred and still hurting, but She smiled down on Woman and Man. She had seen what the World had done in her absence and knew that it was her turn. So once again, despite the agony, she brought forth the comfort of old and Man and Woman were reassured and slept soundly.
And on the next day, when the Elder brought the lash to Man and Woman, they stood and defied its crack and ignored its pain. Man lifted up Iron and brought it forth against the Dark Elder but was no match for its strength. And Man stood and tried again. And again. And again. Each time, the Elder and its lash brought Man to his knees and drained him to weakness. And when Man could move no more, the Woman took Iron from his hand and brought it before the Elder and its lash cracked and Woman was dashed to her knees. Yet she stood, inspired by the Moon, and did it again. And again. And again. Until she could not rise again and weeped at her failure.
And the Elder, vengeful for the Iron, made to end Man and Woman. For the Iron, something the Elder did not know and yet still feared in its shriveled heart, was a danger. Man and Woman, it knew, must never be allowed to rise again. And so the dark corruption of Life stood over Man and Woman, lifting its dark power to end them when the golden light of the Star blinded and burned the Elder.
And the Star burned brighter than ever before. It had nothing but guilt for companionship all this while. And it had returned now, to make things right. And He burned hotter and bigger than ever before, so hot and so large that the Star could feel its radiance burning away even as the Elder writhed in pain.
For the Elder had known nothing but darkness since its birth under the Black Moon and the Star was something it could not face. The Elder had known of the Moon and laughed at Her weakness as she hid on the edges above. Her cool light was something the Elder had learned to endure much like Life had endured the Star. It fell back before the radiance, never knowing the secrets that Life had learned over those long days and cool nights of eternity.
The Elder turned to flee but then the Moon lay her comforting balm upon Man and Woman. She, once again, stood before the Star and though it hurt her, together they knew that it was time to once again work together. And Man and Woman realized that, together, they too could accomplish their task. And so Man with his right hand on Iron, Woman with her left hand on Iron, leaned on each other to stand and face the Elder. And together they struck the Elder and freed themselves even as they toppled to the ground in a stupor.
And the next day, when they awoke, it was the soft warmth of the Sun that greeted them at the dawn. For Moon had watched over them all of night. And the Sun smiled for it had spent its fury and its power against the Elder such that Life could once again thrive beneath him. And, when He grew angry in remembrance, the Moon could ease him away from the World and soothe it beneath her own pale radiance.
And when all was right and Life returned, Man and Woman thanked the Queens of Air and Water. And Man and Woman thanked the Kings of Fire and Earth. And together, they thanked Domiel-the Prince of All.
And that is how Earth, Air, Fire and Water gave birth to Domiel as a gift to Man and Woman to repay the Sun and the Moon for creating them. And that is how we, before we came to be called Rhuani, came to possess Iron and freed ourselves from the Dark Elder.
And that is why we crossed the great waters of the Western Ocean to bring Iron to this Land and free you from the dark bondage of the Elder. For Life without bonds and Mankind without Elder is our unending obligation to them for their most precious of gifts to us all—freedom.— From the High Book of the Rhuani
