The End and the Beginning

Many peoples of the world have myths about the end of the world. The Universal Church has one, for example, as do the Ninifins, but these are things seens as far off and having little relevance to life and worship now. According to the Isyar, however, the world has already ended. Thousands of years ago, Redranavior (meaning "First World") became Porvanavior (meaning "Second World"). This belief forms one of the biggest differences between human and Isyar religious beliefs. One thing in common with all religions is that there are four divine beings, usually with the same or similar names and roles. It is merely how they are worshipped which distinguishes the religions. According to the Isyar, however, there were gods before the current four. Called the Redraszoladritta (literally "First Gods", but more frequently translated as "Old Gods"), these ten beings (one for each of the ten disciplines of magic) governed the First World, and the Isyar of the time followed them devoutly.

Out of Magic came the Old Gods in the earliest years of the universe. These ten most powerful of beings were the embodiments of Magic Itself, giving to the evolving creatures of the many worlds the ability to harness Magic, and to use It to better their lives and prosper, which is the will of Magic. The Old Gods ordered the disciplines of the universe, dividing Magic amongst Themselves, thus creating the Circle.
— excerpt from The Circle (translation by Jorvanultumn 2333 S.E.)

Despite their devoutness, it was the Isyar themselves who brought about the end of the First World. They mastered magic to a level that threatened the natural world itself, and still they reached for more.

As great and powerful with Magic as the Isyar were, they were only mortal. Nevertheless, they tried to invoke the powers of the Immortals, powers reserved only for the Old Gods. And so punishment was wrought. Navior was knocked into a new orbit, bringing it closer to its sun, and causing devastation to the once-frigid planet.
— excerpt from The Circle (translation by Jorvanultumn 2333 S.E.)

The world was wrenched apart in the cataclysm, and countless creatures died. Entire species were wiped out. The world that emerged was a very different one: warmer and more violent with the emergence of the first volcanoes, earthquakes, and other geophysical processes. The Isyar, a people adapted to the frigid temperatures of the First World, had to flee to the north polar region, the only land-covered area still cold enough to support them. There they began the work of rebuilding their civilisation. But the Isyar were still vain, and in their vanity, they did not notice that the cataclysm was not yet over. The Old Gods did what they could to preserve the world and as much of its life as possible. They also began the process which would eventually see the development of brand new species better acclimated to the warmer world. Amongst these beings, a new intelligent species appeared: Humans. But the humans were not alone.

With the Humans came four New Gods, who challeneged the power of the Old Gods. The Isyar who lived at the time saw terrible things in the sky; massive battles of magic beyond mortal ken. The New Gods sapped the power of the Old Gods, who in the end stepped aside and withdrew from the universe, allowing the New Gods dominion over the Second World.
— excerpt from The Circle (translation by Jorvanultumn 2333 S.E.)

The New Gods took over governance of the world, and continued the work begun by the Old Gods to rebuild the world and repopulate it with new species. Although the Isyar were initially angered at the loss of their Old Gods, they eventually came to realise three of the New Gods were worthy of their worship. Whatever had caused the conflict between the two generations of gods, it was not due entirely to evil intent, though the fourth of the New Gods, Night might have been the provoker. The full story, and more, is told in The Circle, the Isyar holy text, which details the history of the Isyar from their earliest beginnings to the end of the First Era of the Second World. Unfortunately, due to its size (several thousand pages) and the complexities of the Isyar language, it has very rarely been translated. It is advisable to be fluent in Isyarian before attempting to read it.

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