TwinWorld origin

This is the creation story of TwinWorld

First Retelling

In the beginning there was only the Adamant. Then God stirred the adamant with his finger, and wrote a glyph which means "sink down" and in the adamant there was made a great void. God then wrote another glyph "breathe out" and the adamant began to breathe out air and filled the void with vapors. As God knelt over the void his presence set the vapors all ablaze, and the Outer Fire was created. Then God wrote another glyph "protection" in the fire, and God blew into the glyph, and from his breath the Aether descended on the void and covered it, and hid the void from his consuming presence. He looked on the void and saw that it was full of tumults, caught between the frigid adamant and the glowing Aether. Then God wrote a fourth glyph, a glyph in the air "bring forth life" and the glyph swelled with water and a single great drop fell and splashed onto the tumult of the void. Wherever the water fell plants sprung up and flourished. Then a second smaller drop fell, and where it landed the Great Tree grew up into the air and sent its roots deep into the tumult. Then a third drop fell, smallest of all, and as it fell it broke into two parts. One fell in the branches of the Great Tree, and one fell among its roots. From this one drop the two peoples of TwinWorld came forth, the Fay and the Zarth.

Notes on the first retelling:

I think this version is a bit... stupid. It seems too childish, like a story from Mesopotamia. Perhaps elements from it can be incorporated into the racial stories, but we should come up with something more profound for the "actual" story. On the other hand, I like the idea of a glyph being the basic mode of communication, instead of speech. Ziggy 22:33, 30 April 2010 (UTC)

Second Retelling

In the beginning Tanodai placed the first glyph in the void and there was the adamant, smooth and flat without wrinkle or mark. It reflected the light of Tanodai's presence, and everywhere there was a vast expanse. Then Tanodai wrote a glyph in the midst of the adamant and the flow of the adamant began. His glyph carried the adamant ever downward beneath it, until a great pit was formed. Tanodai wrote another glyph on the adamant, and the adamant welled with gems, crystals, metals, stones, and glittering sand. The pit was filled with beauty, and the whole of the world was clothed in splendor, but it was still and silent, for no air was made and nothing moved save for Tanodai Himself.

Then Tanodai wrote on himself the enduring glyph which means "I will create life to share in my joy and my riches." From Tanodai's self-glyph, creatures sprang forth, the Toruhl and the Fala, of the depths and the Outer Fire. The creatures filled Tanodai's creation, and burrowed in the fruit of the adamant and swam in the void. Tanodai saw the Fala's joy, and placed another glyph on the void to fill it with light and warmth. When Sultar, one of the first Fala, saw the glyph being made he coveted Tanodai's power. So it was that when the glyph was completed, that Sultar went to it and sought to weild it. The warmth and light took on Sultar's will, and grew into a mighty inferno. Many of the Fala fled far from Sultar, but those who desired strength over others drew near and learned of the consuming fire that Sultar had created. But the Toruhl withdrew deep beneath the earth and hid themselves from the fury of the heat. Thus was the surface of the ground scorched and wilted and made un-lovely. Then Tanodai, seeing that the kindly light he had created had scorched the ground, engraved the void a third time, and wrote above the pit a glyph of protection. The SoidCloud descended on the ground and flowed out over the surface of the fruit of the adamant and wreathed all in a dim light. Then Tanodai wrote a glyph of exhalation in the pit, and the air came bubbling up from the depths and churned in the fruit of the adamant, and the Sultar were dismayed. The air rushed up and supported the SolidCloud like a tent and fanned the flames of Sultar's flame into an all consuming blaze that none but the flaming Fala could withstand. From Tanodai's life-glyph then came forth a new thing, plants grew in the space between the SolidCloud and the tumult of the pit, and steadied it, and made it firm. The Toruhl were displeased with plants, however, and withdrew closer to the adamant, and grumbled among themselves, "Tanodai means to consume our treasures with creeping things." and they grew jealous of that which Tanodai had made to be enjoyed freely, and began the first hoards.

Then Tanodai saw the greed of the Fala and the Toruhl, and wrote on himself a second time, "I will not allow living spirits to long abide to steal and ruin, and all will come to naught at last." and from the glyph came forth death and decay. The Fala grew dim and burned to cinders, and the Toruhl turned slowly to stone, and the SolidCloud grew thin and powerless as it went, and the fruit of the adamant was consumed by fungus and rust, and the adamant itself began to ripple and carry all things into the outer fire that it would be consumed by Sultar's wrath. But still the adamant bore beauty as at first, and the SolidCloud still protected the pit. Tanodai then wrote on himself a third time, "I will create a pair of stewards to guard the air and the fruit of the adamant." Thus the first people were made, the Fay and the Zarth. The fay loved the open expanse, and cavorted in it and danced in the light. The Zarth loved the fruit of the adamant, and made deep delvings within it and rejoiced in Tanodai's craftsmanship.

Thus the world was made fast and the two peoples filled the pit and the sky while the Fala blazed belong the clouds and the Toruhl skulked in the depths.