In the beginning, there was a lifeless planet floating in space. It had water and all the ingredients for life, but there was no spark. The sea of chaos delivered two beings to the planet: Calx and Bel Elodocos.
Calx, the lord of darkness, and Bel Elodocos, the lord of light, immediately engaged in heated battle, for each wanted credit for the genesis of the world. Their war created ridges for mountains and gouges for rivers. Their clashing magic provided the spark, and life began.
As eons passed, Calx and Bel Elodocos lay grievously injured. Knowing their ends were upon them, they cut away the living portions of their bodies from the dead and split into three offspring apiece. Their parting message to there children was this: only the one left standing could leave the lonely rock of a planet and return to their original plane of existence. Thus did Calx and Bel Elodocos perish.
The six creatures remained and saw the life slowly evolving around them. They named themselves gods of all they surveyed. Two of the creatures – one light, one dark – were impatient to leave the mortal plane and engaged in battle. They died simultaneously, just like their predecessors.
It was then the remaining gods understood that their powers were too similar in essence and strength. They could not kill each other without also being killed. The next several eons were spent experimenting with ways to destroy each other.
It seemed like a lost cause until the dominant species on the planet, humans, evolved to the point where they noticed the creatures and began to worship them. Eventually one of the humans prayed to one god to protect herself from another god. The magic injured the god, and they hatched a new plan. The gods would use the humans to destroy one another. The discovery invigorated the eternal war.
Each of the gods tried a different tactic. The dark god Xalsias began her search for the single magician strong enough to defeat the other gods. The light god Areikenthas became a god-king. His sister Tioheris started a religion with her at its head. Xalsias’ brother Ruderis gathered an army of dark magicians.
By this time the oldest gods, Xalsias and Areikenthas, realized that their predecessors had lied. There was no going home. There was only their cursed existence on the lonely planet. If they could not go home, they would have to reign supreme.
Areikenthas was satisfied with his empire, sampling mortal delights as he reveled in his power and glory.
Xalsias, however, was not content with an empire. She desired the world entire. And so she continued her search. Then she found Áine.
