#telar

Artesano de telar de pedal

Hilando el caracol. 

Caracol zapatista, Chiapas. 

History - The Old Gods

No one knows for sure where the Old Gods came from or how they came into being. Regardless, their appearance marked the beginning of the First Age as they sculpted the land to create the continent of Norvath. They brought forth new life hoping to rejuvenate the land, and eventually created sentient creatures which later came to be known as the High Races. While it is the most widely accepted interpretation, some historians argue over whether the High Races were truly “created” like figures sculpted from clay. A few believe the races could have been birthed directly from the Old Gods themselves, while fewer others think the Old Gods may have chosen existing creatures and gifted them with rational thought.

Though they were powerful, the Old Gods were much too peaceful and kind to fight back against their creations, who had come to hate the Old Gods by the end of the First Age. It is unclear what these Old Gods looked like as their depictions and descriptions vary wildly from legend to legend. Some say they looked as regular as the creatures they created, others tell of massive entities that roamed the land. The exact number of Old Gods that existed is also up for debate, with some believing there could have been as many as 22. What is known for sure is that there are seven Old Gods whose names and existence have been proven:

Euriphidus Described as being proud and passionate, Euriphidus carefully crafted the desert and plains in Norvath’s southeast. They are said to have had a strong rivalry with their sibling, Urphiddeus, who was jealous of Euriphidus’s skill. When the Old Gods created the High Races, Euriphidus wanted to create a lively race who shared their passion, and thus crafted the humans.

Urphiddeus  Though Urphiddeus admired their sibling, Euriphidus, they envied them greatly. Urphiddeus often felt outshined and became stubborn and eager to please. They broke off the western islands from the mainland and carved winding channels between them. Urphiddeus had hoped their hard work would be noticed by the other Old Gods, but they were largely unnoticed as the others admired the sparkling sands in Euriphidus’s desert. When creating the High Races, Urphiddeus believed if they could make a race similar to Euriphidus’s race but better, they would finally get some recognition. Thus they created a race virtually identical to the humans, with a few minor differences: the elves.

Grummas Grummas had a one-track mind and was incredibly hard-headed. They pulled the mountains up from the land and created imposing peaks that bisect Novath’s northern and southern regions. Grummas was imaginative and first suggested the idea of creating new races. They made a strong a sturdy race known as the dwarves.

Molokstra Often cautious and wary, Molokstra often kept to themself. They blew snow and ice over Norvath’s northern region, and dwelled there alone most of the time. Molokstra was the last to create a new race. They contemplated long and hard, and eventually come up with the hardy and loyal race of arags.

Zel Often referred to as the “head” of the Old Gods, Zel was very kind and charismatic. They were the one to go to for advice or a nice chat, but they often had to settle disputes between Euriphidus and Urphiddeus as well. Zel dug a vast ocean to Novath’s south and sculpted the peninsula that ran along its border. In the middle of the sea, they pulled up a small island and filled it with sand and palm trees. Zel wanted to create a race that was kind and joyful, and thus created the mara.

Ogren Ogren was often lazy and forgetful, but also very free spirited. Borrowing the idea from Zel, Ogren pulled up the southeast island from the ocean and gave it a little bit of everything: glistening sandy beaches, dense tropical forests, and a single monstrous volcano in the center. They created the easy-going race called the tekkar.

Telar Telar was quiet and grumpy, but enjoyed the company of the other Old Gods, particularly Zel. When not building their respective regions of Norvath, the two could often be found enjoying each others’ company and partaking in the fine art of conversation. Telar chose a small section of Norvath’s east coast to build upon. There, they spent a very long time crafting, destroying, and re-crafting a dense forest and a small, muggy swamp until the area was just right. Though Telar did not create one of the High Races, they spent some time bouncing ideas off the other Old Gods in order to help them create their races, especially Ogren, who was at a loss when it came to creativity.

During the rest of the First Age, The Old Gods traveled the continent and shared their knowledge and wisdom with the new mortals. When the mortals began to reject the Old Gods, they promised each other not to harm the mortals and to do their best to bring peace back to Norvath. The old gods were diligent in their effort, but slowly, one by one, they were slain by the mortals who had once worshiped them.