2nd December 2001

The First Namer

All stories begin….

Damp earth, dark and rich. Solid ground unyielding, potential-filled. Old hands tear at the black soil, ripping flesh from earth's bosom. Creative hands kneaded and shaped. A form emerged, always there perhaps, but newly exposed to the world.


From the blackness, consciousness emerged.


He looked about himself.

Stark landscape, empty land, lifeless. In need of a name. With the first words that he spoke, his surroundings were named. World. He labelled the hardness beneath him that begat him, Earth - his mother. The first one gave himself a name, eternally secret. He looked above and saw the empty sky and named it darkness.
He felt his heart and named it lonely.

Cold tears washed the ground. His soul's blood flowed freely into the ground. An image carved itself. A perfect image. Alike but unmoving. It stirred. She looked at his face and smiled, a grim stone image.
His heart was glowing, reaching for her he could not move her. She sat and stared. His skin crawled, a cold breeze swept through his soul. His heart felt numb. Cursing he named the stone thing misery.
He ran.

Swiftly, with rage in his soul, he ran.
Cold breath. Painful legs. He rested.

The namer looked above. Darkness came to him.

"What do you see with those black eyes?" the earth-bound one asked of the dark.
"I see only my master" the dark spectre repeated.
"How can that be? I didn't make you"
"You named me, and so have my power in your palm. You wish me to destroy the sadness in your name?"
"No!" screamed the Namer "I need her to define myself, showing me the truth of this cruel reality" Confused, king of shadows retreated.

Defiantly the first man stood, realising he stood at the edge of the world. Curiously, cautiously, peering beneath he saw the maelstrom.

Colours shifting, brightly patterned rays, golden rivulets, struggling to free themselves of the storm. Black clouds also danced there, covering the colours wherever they could, smothering them and holding them down. Darkness returned and watched the scene with him.
"I try to keep it there" it said from within its dark empty face.
"Why? It is so beautiful" he turned to the deep void that was the other's eyes. "If I truly have power over you, then I command you to release it"
"No! I obey not, with it free, my power shall be felled!"

Exasperated with the disobedience of his false servant, the first namer gazed beneath. He watched the shifting play of shadow and imagined a word…
"Light" he said


Blinding flash. The world turned white.


Name maker awoke, or thought he did. A world of shapes and textured feelings flew or swam about him. This is an unreality, he thought, knowing that the world at that time was still interwoven with other strange realms. 
He could not see the hard ground or the void-like dark. He was beckoned to stay, by unheard voices and unseen speakers, but could not, fearing for his world's health. His mind felt ease, and a strange light came to him, seeking to heal his hurt. He left, with hope in his heart.

Name giver rubbed his eyes. With fiery hair and crimson eyes, Light watched him. Concerned.
"I am sorry to hurt you, master" uttered the bright swirling spectrum
"Worry not, I am perfectly fine." He whispered at last, "I was dreaming"

The man of light then told him of the changes that had occurred in the world, whilst he was deep into unconsciousness. The Dark had fled from light, taking cold despair with him. With the Namer gone, they had been busy. Hiding together at the other side of the world, they had created dark beings from the flesh of their own bodies.
"Something they plan," feared the white one, "shall be to your detriment and end, my master"



Under the world dark things stirred. They clawed at each other in their birthing chamber. They screamed at each other and bickered plans of falsity and lies. Mother and father of dark brood watched over them grimly.


On the surface light handed a gift. Two shining torches to the naming one, for lighting the world. In each hand he took them. One, he named hope, making it in the form of his dream.
Turning his back on the brightness. Entering the dark hole in the earth's belly. Fear gripped him, but he still held hope in his hand.

Fear slunk away. Other dark ones approached. The name-maker held his light above the writhing ebony monstrosities. Saw a fissure in the rocky cavern beneath the writhing hordes, uttered its new name. The crack opened up. Chasm became scorching as it grew from the expanding fissure.
Erupting flames pronounced destruction, a vast pit opened and swallowed the dark beasts.
Red and searing.
Blistering, sweltering agony.

Darkness and his whore bride departed. Taking their final gaunt child with them. After one disgusted look upon the naming one, they left the dark birthing cavern.


Emerging from the edge of the pit that he named pain. Bleeding, he crawled up to the surface and into the enticing arms of light.
Light watched as he held one globe high, struggling to stand. Tenderly, he told his secret name to the lamp, then cast it down on the ground beneath. The earth glowed with spilled globe light. The naming man fell unconscious.

Back to the dreaming he released the second globe, knowing that it would be beyond harm there. Smiling, he returned one last time across the open gate to the world.

Even the white man was blind to the approach of the thin and pale one. Dark tattered rags covered its body
it stood next to Namer.
It was not unruly as her other black siblings.

"I have come to take you" it said through bony cheeks.
"I no longer fear. My names shall be remembered"
"I ask for a name of my own"
"Darkness child, offspring of sorrow, I name you death." The thin one nodded at this, with a grisly smile. "But your work is not finished"
"But how? My sole purpose is to destroy your life, then help my family dismantle the world and all the named things."
"My life may be bleeding from me, but my seed has been sown in the earth beneath you." Both looked upon the spreading light and the pulsing of @@@@new life within the earth. "Even now, new children are forming. And each one shall be a Namer, and shall hold in their heart access to the dreamlands. They shall never give in to your kin whilst hope perpetuates"

Death nodded, took his hand and led him to a new world.



Eden Kindled

Life was known to the moist, fertile earth. Green things grew as a lush carpet. Humans. Springing from the sodden earth they looked at each other. They knew kinship, they knew love and named all that they saw and felt.

A white man stood tall over them, making them feel awe and fear of his amazing strength. They lived in joy for a long time, protected without from the dark things by the light and from fear within by hope.

But dark was beckoned by their fear. Fighting his way, and casting the light from the world. Bringing his children forth he let them prey upon the people.

They felt hunger that ached at their bellies. And ate from the herbs they stood upon and were satiated.
Lust took her turn, touching each one's loins. In rebellion to her temptation they turned their desires upon each other. The first flesh children were conceived, the first mortals.
As they grew, these blood-borne humans were susceptible to the dark ones that helped make them, and fell into their power. They fought and killed each other, eating flesh and raping. Their minds twisted. Madness and brother wrath claimed most of their minds.
Death silently claimed each soul as it was born and took it when it departed from its mortal body.


In the chasm beyond the world, light feared what he could not see. He created, then sent his children to the earth.
The first day began. Sun rose and brought confidence with her that the still pure earth-borne absorbed. They ran to the edge of the world where the sun first shone, to live eternally in the light of sun's home.

With sun's reign beginning and her position was kept high above the land, beneath the void. She sent her brethren to rout the dark ones, who fled once more. But they had left shadows behind them, parasites on mankind's heart and soul.

The green life loved sun and her lovely face, and grew tall to reach her. The great forest grew and obeyed the sun as her queen. Within the heart of Forest, creatures were born, many beasts that had simple souls and lived on green stuff.
Eternal Sun was a long lasting throne, but not eternal.
Dark plotted, and once again entered the world. Weakly he approached sun's bright strength and bowed before her. With plotting in his heart, he asked for forgiveness, but his lies were transparent to Sun, who immediately banished him beyond the void above. Moon felt sorrow for the merciless treatment of the dark and went to visit him.

Together they spoke:
"You are necessary for the world, o dark one" began moon
"I am powerless in the light, suns kin I need your help and I shall give you a throne"
Moon heard these words and granted him immunity from his light. Together they returned from the void beyond.
Sun was angry when she saw her brother holding hands with the darkness. She attacked with all her power and brought her siblings to her aide. But they could not fight. It was forbidden of them to fight a sibling.
"What do you ask of me brother?" asked sun
"half your throne is not too much to ask, big sister" replied moon
Sun's face filled with fear but then with hope she spoke. "I shall grant this if only you share your reign with a child you bear with darkness"

Night was born, and darkness obeyed the deal and left the world to fight with the light beyond the world. To cover the void so darkness was kept beyond, sun commanded her daughter to sit beside her throne. Then begged of the earth.

Earth awoke for the first time since she conceived the forests. Agreeing with sun that the fragile life needed shielding from the void above, she created a worthy son.

Father Sky held the abyss from seeing the earth. Beneath him the eternal cycle of eternal cousins brought day and night. Over which ruled the great sun and moon.
To protect the world he brought water from his mother earth's womb and drew them in great swathes around the world. Oceans roared in defiance at the edges of the world and above the firmament of sky.
Within the depths beings stirred, great serpents, leviathan monsters and swarms of swimming fish.

Sky did saw himself as guardian with no crown. He demanded the sun and moon to bow to him, threatening the return of darkness. Reluctantly the sibling royals released the sovereignty of world.



Earthly Renewal


Father teased animals from the forest, giving them wings and letting them into his domain.
Then father took his hands to the earth, moulding mountain hulks as his mother's new giant children.

He looked down and saw no respect in the eyes of the violent blood men who eternally fought and bickered. The men of blood birth made sacrifices to dark things and committed evil acts each night.
Feeling repulsion for them, and seeing no saving them. He ran water over the land. Dark oblivion claimed the men of flesh and their souls descended into the fiery pit.
Deluge washed away much, trees felled and most men perished in the chaotic flooding.

It was said that some dark men were hid deep beneath the earth.

Afterwards the world had changed forever. The land was broken and scarred. Though life resolved to beautify the maternal earth.
Angry at her son, earth commanded her gargantuan sons to rule the new soil. They obeyed and forced sky back to his position upon high, his power made impotent by their hands, though they respected his word as they did all the sky dwellers.

The titans had managed to save a scarce few worthy men of flesh birth. They set them to tilling the earth, then taught them to grow crops. Peacefully they lived and fought only on occasion. Soon they were forced to build dwellings to protect them from the makings of sky. He of the sky became the storm father, creating the weather elements and dark clouds in his wrath at power loss.

The giants realised that they still gave too much power to the sky and a faction of them decided to ascend to take control of the elements. Below men of the plough cowered as giants fought in the sky.

Soon sky calmed, agreeing powers of his control to be shared by the new sky lords. They still argued. As their numbers grew they mostly protected men, asking for sacrifices in return. But as they were replaced by younger heavenly ones the faction between fertility and weather beings was clear.

The giant's earthly mother was annoyed at her children who were squabbling over control of the skies and were forgetting her mortal people. So she beckoned her earth-bound titanic children to take over and rule.
The heavenly giants did not realise that they had drawn so far from man. Earthly giants had taken control in their absence and those of heaven thought them arrogant.

Angrily war began once more. The world was upturned, rocks and great winds killed many beings. Afterwards, most giants were banished back into the earth from the womb they came. The sky gods took final command.

Celestial Roots

To bridge the gap they had created, the gods of heaven created messengers. To the earth people of the sun lands they gave a choice.
Join us in heaven or be sent to live away from your sun.

Many took the offer of wings willingly, some reluctantly. Others preferred to live away from their beloved light than obey these new gods.
Lately sun intervened and saved the remnants of her kingdom, keeping it safe from prying hands of new gods.

Their new servants were given wings, and a holy fire to guide their souls. They were granted power at expense of their humanity.
Men had grown cities and ruled themselves away from much godly influence. But when angels descended, religious praise of gods took a hold of their hearts.
Over the ages the gods grew fickle, playing with men's lives for their own enjoyment. The celestial slaves grew weary of their cruel tasks. One night one talked of rebellion. He was a favoured one, he was given more power than was wise. He saw himself bringer of justice and saw that the gods must pay for their arrogant rule. Plotting with those who were reluctant servants, they formed a rebellion.

The gods were too busy with earth, they noticed not the ambition in their underlings. They watched some of the earthly messengers that had bedded with humans. Coming too close to their charges
Some of those angels that were closest to mankind, speaking directly. Loved mortals and created unusual people who were called mongrels by the gods. They were persecuted by the faithful angels of the gods, the watcher celestials were gradually imprisoned.

The rebellion in heaven began, the gods for the first time since the old gods feared their existence. The battle was long and hard, many angels were cast from heaven and accepted into the abyss. This hole into the pit opened in the world by the banished earth titans.

The ultimate of earthly mothers was repulsed by the actions of her sky-borne children that shunned the earth, and walked the skies. She hated their lies about being the creators of the cosmos. Finally she denied them access to walk upon her. Though she granted all celestials - as descendants of her earth people, free entry.

Many faithful angels turned aside, unwilling to fight. They formed a union and approached the battlefield. The unified angels proposed that the rebels were banished.
The leading rebel screamed revenge as he fell.

Heaven was re-ordered.

No longer would the gods be quite so fickle, they were organised into a hierarchy as a mirror of the already existing celestial choirs of the united angels. Both bodies of power met to make decision is a committee. The angels would agree a certain subordinancy without being thoughtless in their obeying of godly commands.

They turned their attention to a damaged world.

Fire in the Darkness


Rebels and fallen celestials littered the world.

It took many eons for the wild world to be tamed by the celestial forces, this is the tale of what happened.

The heavenly collective saw that many of the rebels had been hid beneath the earth and joined forced with dark powers, so any further prisoners were kept in the heaven-holding.

On the surface of earth many celestials - neutral in the war, bred with man, forming strange races. These offspring were forced o hide themselves in the dark forests as their creators were borne to the prisons of the lowest heaven. These strange beautiful beings became known as the fair folk, and used their hybrid magiks to protect themselves.


Meanwhile many rebellious angels also lived upon the face of mother earth, they spread discord to counter the wishes of angels but few managed to survive either the tempting of the underground or the imprisonment of the holy ones.
Tempted rebels and those who fell helplessly into the put were under the power of the rock titans. But when the rebel leader stood up he saw he was stronger than them and took power by force of his rebels and forged a throne for himself.
Pit ruler kept his love of man and saw the titans had decayed into bitter haters of the world above under the torturous pain of the flames and evil utterings of the ancient dark ones.
Many of his race had fallen under their spell and tore their wings from their bodies, their flesh becoming charred and thorny. The underworld king fought many battles with the various factions of titans, breakaway rebel angels, new demons and bloodthirsty sinner men of the violent age.

When peace came, it was fragile, battles still occurred. He created order in that he created the great underworld re-forging.
The fiery pit was left to the fire devils and punishment of the worst sinners. The mountains of purgery were raised to allow escape of the worthy. Limbo was created for the lost souls that entered his dark realm. Upon a plateau, he also created a imitation of heaven for his rebel fallen ones to rule from. Other arenas were created in the plains by the many enemy factions of hell.

Peace kept uneasy hold of the hordes of underworld.



Reality Schisms


The gods were not pleased with the hybrid angel races in the forests of earth, and the angels agreed to remove them. But they could not bring themselves to destroy them.

They helped them with more power and together they wove great magic to remove their domains to a place outside the world, this was the great departure, and much magic left the world except at the many havens.



At the same time the world of the dead was becoming too full to cope with the influx of new souls. This was a shadow realm, close to the living world, created when the name-giver's soul was taken by death to the edge of the world.
Only death ruled this world, but as a busy dweller of the living world, she had little time to rule her shadow realm. When it was sparsely populated this was little problem, they spent their time retelling their life stories. Later an uneasy anarchy developed.
The afterworld changed forever when incoming innocent dead of the blood men came. Most of their violent kin had been cast into the sinner's pit. Squabbling soon broke out, factions developed. Some spirits thought only of rest, others wanted to forge a new parallel life, others desired a return to the world of the living.

The bridge between the dark and light realms was blurred and indistinct, many of the new men praised their elders. And with the world still wild, many crossovers occurred between these realms, allowing false life to walk the sunlit ground.

The gods could no longer allow this perversion of their will. The dark ones actively encouraged this cult of undead races. Only the angel union could see a solution.
A schism was decided upon and using the power of gods, the realm of the dead mists was separated from that of the living rock. The Fallen in hell now took interest and desired control of this new source of souls. The deep king arrived with his followers, before the more violent underworld denizens. Together with the heavenly angels they drew an agreement.

The afterlife was to be neutral ground, souls entering there could either go to the heavens or the underworld, depending on their own will and the decision of the gates guarders of the holy and profound realms.
Within the dead lands, the most stern-minded were drawn from the ranks of dead to judge the souls and rule over their realm. The cities of the dead were built and a kind of feudalism developed.