City of IF

[Masterweaver]

Creation

At the start of reality, there was a great sphere and around it was a sea of lights. And each light was a spirit, but the greatest of lights was Gariel, who existed before reality. So he descended upon the sphere that was featureless, and found with it potential. And thus did he create the seven elders;
Lumani, the one of many arms and large eyes, whose element was the glorious light, and whose soul was intellect;
Manwe, the one of two feet and two hands, whose element was the passionate fire, and whose soul was power;
Loriel, the one of eight limbs and patterned webs, whose element was the soft earth, and whose soul was contemplation;
Serpas, the one of great length and twisting spines, whose element was the deep rock, and whose soul was curiosity;
Alivos, the one of broad wings and powerful beak, whose element was the capricious wind, and whose soul was dignity;
Nyamph, the one of six flippers and speckled skin, whose element was the mysterious water, and whose soul was generosity;
and Murkal, the one of armored carapace and curled antenna, whose element was the surrounding shadow, and whose soul was honor.

To these seven did Gariel give the order; to go and shape the featureless sphere in whatever way they saw fit, to create things new to fill the landscape, to present creatures that could populate the world. Only one rule did he give them; never to break the world, only ever to bend it. And for a time it was so; the seven making such wonders as the sun, which Gariel put in the sky, and proposing such creatures as the trees, which Gariel breathed life into and scattered across the land. There were regions for all the elements, and beasts for all the elders; there was a sharing of ideas and power that created wonders.

But Serpas came to wonder about the rule, thinking that if the world was broken the elders could fix it. Manwe saw the proposal as a test of strength; the fire lord goaded Alivos into joining them. Nyamph offered the depths of the water's realm for the experiment, and Loriel joined to see the true nature of the elders. Only Murkal and Lumani stood aside, warning great devastation if the elders broke the law of Gariel.

The five went out, each twisting the elements to their purpose. A great mountain rose out of the water, its inside a long crater with walls of ash. The very air was stilled, never to rise again in that place. Then and only then did the five puncture the great sphere, and so Murkal and Lumani's warning proved true.

Swarms of the depraved burst forth. Of varying size and power were they; but all wished the defilement and destruction of the world. And the five tried to stand against them but they could not; grievous wounds were inflicted upon them. Then came Gariel, with Murkal and Lumani at his side, and he caused the puncture to be healed.

But already had the depraved escaped into the world, and so they would continue to invade if nobody stemmed the tide. So Gariel took residence on the isle, and became the guardian of the world. And as punishment for the five that disobeyed, he robbed them of their power and immortality, which split each of them in two. Murkal took one group to the main lands, and these became the Hufolk, which means those who scream; Lumani took the other group, and these became the Wofolk, which means those who weep. Thus did five elders become the Five ancient fathers and mothers of the five races.