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The Tale of Mortibe from the Song of Hannari by Threetails
Now it came to pass, when the generations since the Time of the Shears when life became mortal were fourteen thousand, four hundred and sixty-three, that the Gods of Old became as mortals, indolent and corrupt in their ways.
Dai Yel, He of the Highest Branch, was inconstant with the sun, and varied the days so that the crops of mortals failed.
Marellia, who ruled the seas, brought many a tempest upon the shores of the seas, and mortals were sore afraid of her wrath.
Balilikei, who held the Shears of Mortality, wielded them with great fury agains the sons of mortals, and slew them before their days were run.
And every other god became likewise corrupt in their ways, and the creatures of the earth lived in fear of the gods, for there was no kindness among them.
There was, in the city of Kai, a wolfess named Faha-Ar. Now Faha-Ar was with child, the seed of Xalet, God of the Winds within her, for Xalet had come as a great and mighty wind in the night and known Faha-Ar when her husband Morkeslo was not in the city. And from the seed of Xalet Faha-Ar bore a son, whom she named Mortibe.
And Mortibe grew strong, and became a mighty swordscreature, and was greatly respected in Kai, for there were none who could defeat Mortibe in battle.
Now it came to pass, when Mortibe grew to his eighteenth year, that the Great Truth spoke in him, saying, “Mortibe, know you not who you are?”
And Mortibe said, “Am I not Mortibe, son of Morkeslo and Faha-Ar?”
And the Great Truth said to Mortibe, “Truly, you are the son of Faha-Ar, but not of Morkeslo; for your father is Xalet, the God of the Winds, and you are thus heir to a divine birthright.”
And Mortibe cried out in a great voice, saying “Then what is my destiny? What is my birthright? Great Truth, do not hesitate any longer!”
To this the Great Truth replied, “Truly, the Gods of Old have become corrupt, and sit in the High Places on the Tree of Ages making their time in error. Mortibe, yours is the task of facing the gods. Rebuke them for their ways, and if they do not repent, O Son of the Wind, I beseech you slay them all. And when you have done this, the high branches of the Tree of Ages shall be yours to appoint to whomever in earth or in the heavens you choose.”
And so Mortibe climbed to the top of Mount Chalada, that high place where the stem of the earth touches the Tree of Ages, and climbed even the stem of the earth to the bough of the highest places.
And the gods saw this, and were afraid, for never had the Sons of Mortals climbed to their highplaces. And the gods said to Mortibe, “O Mortibe, Son of Mortal Flesh, why do you climb to this high place that is forbidden of mortals?
And Mortibe raised his sword and said, “Truly, I am come to charge that the Gods of Old are corrupt, as the Great Truth has spoken. Therefor, stand down and repent your ways, and return to the goodness you have abandoned, or it has been appointed me by the Great Truth to slay you.”
And the gods asked among themselves if any one could test Mortibe, for none could believe that the Great Truth was in him.
Then Xalet, God of the Winds who knows the farthest places of the earth and heavens came forth and said, “Mortibe, if the Great Truth is in you, then you must know the face of the Great Truth. Take your sword and in the ground, draw the face of the Great Truth.”
And Mortibe drew his sword saying “The Great Truth is without face, but behold Its footprint!”
And Mortibe made with his sword that sacred shape, the fertile ground, the stout bough, and the three circles of the earth, sun, and moon that mortals know as the sacred Hannari Oak.
And the gods were afraid, for the wisdom of the Great Truth was in him; but they were proud, and said to Mortibe, “Do you know not that it is the gods you make demands of? Away, you mortal! We may do as we please!”
But Mortibe was not afraid, and stood firm, and said “Truly, the Great Truth has willed it so. Heed my words, for when I speak again it shall be by the point of the sword.”
And from among the gods Balilikei strode, and held his shears aloft, and calling out Mortibe's name, he closed their blades. But Mortibe did not fall; and when the gods saw Mortibe stand even against the shears of Balilikei, they wept, for they knew that he was a god among gods.
And Mortibe slew Balilikei with a mighty blow, and held the shears of the fallen god to the heavens. And the shears of Balilikei became as a great spider, and spun a web of fortune across the heavens, even between the branches of the Sacred Tree of Ages. And in that web the spider of fate spun the death of all the gods, and Mortibe advanced without fear, his sword crimson with the blood of the corrupt Gods of Old.
And when this was done, and Mortibe stood upon the highest branch of that sacred tree, he said, “The Great Truth has done well, and I shall do well by the Great Truth.”
“Let therefore the most righteous of the mortals ascend to these branches, to rule as the Saints of Hannari, and they shall rule in the stead of the Gods of Old, and it shall be good.”
“And let the stars record what has been done this day, that no mortal may forget the Gods of Old, of their goodness in days past, and of their downfall.”
Thus was begun the Age of the Saints, and when mortal creatures saw the story of the gods written in the stars, it was known
throughout the world that the most righteous of all creatures would ascend with Mortibe, to rule upon the Tree of Ages.
From Inakara, the dominant religion in my Goldenlea/Cirrostratus universe.
This is the second of three important tales that represent the three ages of the Inakara faith: the Age of the Gods, the Age of the Saints, and the Age of the Protector.
The creation story, which ushers in the Age of the Gods, can be found elsewhere in my gallery.
Now for some TL;DR world-building explanation:
I was inspired by reading through Judeo-Christian theology about how the "demons" of the Judeo-Christian faith were the coopted gods of previous religions. In the case of Inakara, rather than demonizing the previous religions, it co-opts them and creates an apologetic story as to why they are a "previous age" that no longer applies.
In this case, the earlier, polytheistic religion has been replaced by a transcendental one that values virtue over fate, and the "saints" of Inakara are more like gods in the truest aspect; but this was later replaced by yet another faith that had to explain why no one could ascend to the god-like level of "saint" any more without stripping the saints of all their significance.
Notice that the Great Truth (a divine but intangible force) and the Hannari Oak or Tree of Ages are the two threads that remain consistent.
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