Varu and Dakri

The Varu and Dakri were two peoples that were created at the dawn of Vodari's existence, the first two mortal lineages to ever exist. Created by Aubori and Sindri to join the dance of Okeano, they shortly afterwards separated, with the Varu remaining in the shallows and the Dakri dwelling in the deep.
This split followed the battle lines between Taeva and Vesi, and each became the army that served their respective goddess in the wars that followed. Each of the twins used these servants as expendable soldiers, throwing away countless lives for the purpose of proving their own worldview correct.
None remain to this day, either destroyed in the war or reduced to the point where they died out on their own.

Basic Information

Anatomy

No reliable records exist of what either the Varu or Dakri looked like, though they must have been aquatic or at least amphibious. Some believe that the two were not created with any differences, that the names were simply given to two factions and that they were all the same race. Most cultures depict them as resembling their own dominant race, though few dispute that they were humanoid in some way.
In art, the Varu usually take on attributes similar to Taeva herself, with dark skin and golden armor or clothing.
The Dakri are typically depicted as pale-skinned, like many deep-sea or cave-dwelling creatures. Their eyes are usually white and sightless or empty sockets, after they were burned by Tero's sunlight.

Civilization and Culture

History

In the beginning, there were no mortal races, as we would understand them. The immortal gods and all wild forms of life existed, but none that created, that had society, that would think and reason and use that knowledge to craft civilization.
It was the goddesses Sindri and Aubori that would form the first mortals, the Varu and Dakri as dance partners for the god Okeano. As they danced with him, they crafted his Palace Under the Sea, and when it was done, the mortals took their leave.
The Varu would travel to the sunlit shallows, becoming the servants of the Goddess Taeva. They would serve as the backbone of her armies, spilling their blood gladly for their divine general. She would imbue five of them with power, creating the Varuva, her greatest champions and leaders.
The Dakri would descend into the depths, and there encounter the Goddess Vesi. She showed false sympathy and offered empty promises, and tales of torture and pain would float up to the surface on occasion. However, they were as devoted to their goddess as the Varu were to Taeva.
The Varu faced Vesi head on, fighting with skillful tactics and the might of the Varuva. The Dakri would use cunning ambushes and stealthy spies to match their power. The two sides would slaughter each other, but the Varuva Scatho was ruthless and efficient, winning every battle he fought. However, his methods were not appealing to Taeva, and Vesi lured him to her side with unknown promises or secrets.
Scholars dispute what happened next. Most believe that the Ancients, the first peoples of Varanu were the Varu and Dakri, and that they destroyed each other before even the elves emerged from their forests, leaving only their works. Others believe that they became the peoples of Vodari, the subtle differences between them becoming various species over time. None know but the gods, and all refuse to speak of such matters with mortals.

“Brother,” said Sindri, “Why is it that we create and you frolic like a fool?”
“I dance,” said Okeano, “and when you make me creatures who will dance with me, you will see what I create.”
Sindri and Aubori took up his challenge, and they brought into being two races who could dance: the Varu who loved the sunlit shallows and the Dakri who cloaked themselves in the darkness of the deep.
Varu and Dakri joined Okeano’s dance. They were young, new, and open to strange delights. As they danced, their arms and legs drew out a large pattern with many complexities. The pattern rose from the ocean floor as the dancers created walls, arches, windows, towers, halls, balconies. The dance lasted through many dawns and dusks, and when the dancers at last had completed their creation, Sindri and Aubori were amazed to see an enormous structure raised by ritual: Okeano’s Palace Under the Sea.
Inside the Palace, Sindri found a workshop where she would forge marvelous artifacts. Aubori found a greenhouse and coaxed her plants up columns and down hallways.
The Varu returned to the shallows. There they met Taeva, who loved them well and adopted them as her children. The Dakri dove to the cold, dark depths, seeking their own mother goddess. They found Vesi, who greeted them with false sympathy and empty promises. Tales of torture down in Vesi’s dark realm floated up to Tero and Taeva, disquieting their hearts.
High Priest Chasan Lumira, The Terovian Illuminations, Grand Archives of Istori