Immo Builds A World

Here I will attempt to put together all the bits and pieces of a fantasy realm that have floated around in my brain for some years now.

[the-eightstar]

Creation Myths: Water

When all the world was new and young, it was also untaught and chaotic. Fire scorched and raged, wind howled and tore, earth was unmoving and stagnant. 

From a distant, divine, place- an ‘other place’ not of the world’s at all- a greater power looked and saw the infant world in its disorder. It saw and felt need to improve, to teach and quell. This world was not its child, was perhaps no one’s child at all, but sorely needed a keeper.

The power outside the world crossed into its realm, and summoned onto itself a form of substance with infinite shape. The great water fell upon the world with a striking force, cutting the land to hold it in cupped depths and winding veins. Its haven carved from the young land, it bore forth its great children.

First came an embodiment of temperance and knowledge, The Scholar. Tall and calm, his flowing robes the deepest colours of the largest waters that bore him, a tome beneath his arm with endless pages on which he could ever write the truths of the world about him. A mere breath behind him came his sweet sister. Artistry and love were her domains. She danced out from the waves of their creator on graceful foot and lithe limb, sashes of every blue and green fluttering about her.

Beautiful were they both, and glorious were their powers. But they bore no weapons nor physical strengths. For that, came the third child. The Alluvion, a creature of fierce strength and unflinching loyalty. Its scaled coils ran through every river and stream; it’s bright eyes saw every image reflected on the water’s surface; it’s powerful roar echoed in every wave crash and each whispering ripple. With this protector ever at their side, Scholar and Dancer did walk the world to calm its chaos and fill its lack with knowledge and culture.

[the-eightstar]

A zephyr /swarm/? Tell me more.

The Zephyr Swarm is one of the more unique deities of the Eightstar. A genderless creature(s) of nearly constant and complete neutrality. Those who claim to have met the Zephyr describe it’s manner as “Both infinitely childlike and wise in eerie tandem.”

At it’s core, the Zephyr is an observer, chronicling the uncountable tales of all existence. From the greatest king to the lowliest insect, the Zephyr follows every story from beginning to end and learns it by rote. The trick is getting it to tell any of those tales in an understandable fashion.

The Zephyr speaks in a constant dance of riddles, jests, and half-truths. It delights in word-play and puns. Never will it give a direct statement or straight answer, there is always a trick to puzzle out before one can even begin to interpret it’s message.

While Airbloods in general are not ones for organised religion, there are some universally accepted sigils and practices that many use to honor the Zephyr. Such as collecting and carrying masks of most any sort.

[the-eightstar]

Deities of the Eightstar

It is a worldwide held fact that each element has at least one deity and that all eight were involved in the forging of the world. “By The Eight” is a common exclamation you might hear anywhere.

Within each element, though, there are more detailed mythologies and beliefs built around the patron deities of their element.

Earthbloods have The Allmother and The Father of The Fields

Firebloods have The Combined

Waterbloods have The Scholar, The Artisan, and The Diluvian

Airbloods have The Zephyr Swarm

Lightbloods have The Exemplar

Voidbloods have The Widow Eternal

Shadowbloods have Mother Pitch

Chaosbloods… have a dead god with no name.

[the-eightstar]

Curious Eightstar Phenomena: The Faire

Airbloods are, usually, a wide-spread people who dot themselves all around the Eightstar. A dozen or so at most may reside in one area at a time, with great distances between families. Yet, regardless of where an Airblood is found, they will speak the same base language, know the same legends, and have many of the cultural habits of any other Airblood.

This is because of The Faire.

The calling comes on the wind itself. A soft whisper only Airbloods would even notice, let alone understand. Once they have heard the calling they will prepare to leave, no matter where they might be or what they are doing. No other race of the Eightstar knows where the call comes from, and following an Airblood to the source is difficult at best, impossible on average. Afterall, no one else can literally ride the wind as an Airblood can.

For a full turn of the moon the Airbloods will gather together for The Faire. There is celebration, telling of stories, singing of songs, and sharing of memories made.

Some outside of Airs influence have TRIED to witness The Faire for themselves, but it has ended in vain. Either they simply fail to reach the location or...

Consider a flock of birds. Moving as a whole in a complex dance where no one animal leads the others. Now where you saw a flock picture people. Then disturb the privacy of those people. You are now facing a disgruntled mob with the unity of a swarm. This mob can also fly.

There are no documented outsider accounts of The Faire.

[the-eightstar]

Creation Mythology: Fire

In the first times there were two. The bright and warm Son of the Sun, and the vicious and dark Daughter of Flames.

Where He shone with the light of dawn and the soft embers that coax life and comfort, She was surrounded in ash and destruction, Her skin so hot none could touch it safely. But yet they loved each other endlessly. Their hearts were molten and undying.

As time continued, the Daughter observed the gentle life of the Son and began to grow jealous. His was a life loved by all things, where Hers was one feared. While the roar of bonfire and dead-hush of an ash-covered land filled Her with satisfaction, She yearned for more. None embraced Her, none even dared look upon Her. When She tried to touch base things and shape them into more, they burst aflame in Her hands, their black remains blowing through her fingers.

Try as she might, she could not create, only destroy. She could not have a life like the Son. That being so, She swore HE would not have it anymore either. With all the rage Her wild heart could muster She fell upon him, tearing and burning, bent upon His destruction that She may never feel the pang of jealousy again.

The Son was terrified to die, but knew only love for the Daughter and would not bring Himself to fight back. Instead, with open arms, He embraced Her. The heat of her burned deep and painful, even for Him. But as the shell of His body began to fall away, His molten heart shone bright and reached for Hers.

In a blinding flash of heat and light, the two became one. Forged into a single body, with pieces of both remaining. Two hearts beat within the chest. Two souls shone within the body. Two voices spoke from a single throat. Two visions of life looked out upon the world.

No longer the Son or the Daughter alone, the Combined knew neither jealousy, nor loneliness. No longer limited by lack of what the other possessed, the Combined looked out upon the world with great knowledge and power. From there, it began to forge its children, its laws, and its land.

[the-eightstar]

Horn Variation in Earthbloods

Earthbloods are the only Eightstar race predisposed to horn growth. (Although Chaosbloods do occasionally sprout a pair, but that's another matter entirely.)

One can usually surmise where and Earthblood hails from by their style of horns. Both males and females bear them, with the males often being more showy and developed. 

Yes, mountain Earthbloods do sometimes literally butt heads. It's usually all in fun and you will more often see children doing so than adults. Unless there is a competitive sport involved and the favored team just scored a point. then all bets are off.

[the-eightstar]

Creation Mythology: Earth

The earth began empty. It was nought but simply earth alone, with no life nor movement of any sort upon it.

The emptiness of it all demanded to be filled, howled for it in the void of unlife and silence. So the earth pushed it’s heart to the surface. It grew from the soil, fully formed, as the Earth Mother.

From her very first moment on her own feet, the Earth Mother was large with pregnancy. No child did dwell in her womb, rather it was the great seed of life itself. The power of the seed pulsed through her veins and glowed upon her perfect skin. The Mother need only think, touch, breathe, or speak, and from these actions new life would spring. Her laughter gave birth to her children, sweet creatures of nature and soil. All upon the earth flourished, thrived, and multiplied.

As they grew and made more of their own, the many lives born of the Mother began to crowd upon the earth that created it. Soon they imposed upon each other, spilling over into lands not meant for their kind. Clan clashed with clan, race with race, creature with creature. The flourishing creations of the Earth Mother were billowing out into a raging horde of chaos. There was no room. The old things growled and yearned for the young days as yet more young sprang into the fold.

As she saw what her unchecked fertility had wrought, the Earth Mother became deeply sorrowed. She wished only joy and fortune for her children, not this crowded suffering. The truth of life’s much needed balance came upon her, and the thought broke her heart.

Kneeling upon the last un-crowded patch of precious soil, the Earth Mother wept. From the clay of her tears striking dust, rose the necessary sorrow that would save her children from themselves. The Father of the Fields.

He was old and wise even in the first breaths of his being. His eyes looked upon the Mother’s world and pitied what had come of good intentions. Knowing balance must be struck, he took up his great scythe and set to grim and constant work.

Thus did balance come to the world of the Earth Mother. While there was sorrow in what the Father was charged to do, it made room enough for joy, and so was known as a gift, respected and honored.

[the-eightstar]

Welcome to The Eightstar

The world of the Eightstar has been forming in my mind for years upon years now. It is a world ruled by a compass of elements; Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Void, Light, Chaos, and Shadow.

Each Element has a race of people with their own natural skills, characteristics, culture, and religion springing from their element. The gods are very real, and while the mythos preached within each element may not be entirely correct, it is firmly based in truth.

The civilization is at a vague level like onto many a fantasy setting with some interesting tricks of engineering mixed with element influence.

Think... DnD meets Avatar: The Last Airbender.

I plan on fleshing out more and more details on this blog, both with writing and art.

You fine folks, I hope, will pepper me with questions and theories as we go along. My ultimate goal is to have a functional world for others to play in, to make OC and headcanons and just have a fun time.

So let us begin!