Young Writers Society

Hello!

This is my first piece of writing to be posted here, but I'd still appreciate helpful and honest criticism. This is just the prologue so there's no real plot involved, but if you'd like to read more, I'll probably post the first few chapters at some point. Thank you!

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Extract from the Chronicles of Arafstrea, Volume 1: The Beginning

“At the beginning of Time, when the universe was still a newborn babe and the world was yet young, Father Night joined with Mother Day to bring forth ten children. Each was granted the eternal life their parents had passed on to them and given a certain part of life to rule. Later came the second and then the third generations their immortal parents had formed, but these ten were the first and always secretly favoured in their creator’s minds. Their siblings became lesser gods and goddesses of minor races, each dying out before the immortals consented to their own deaths, for there is no other way a god can be slain. Nine other races, however, survived the uprising of the humans on Earth, fleeing into the darkest corners of a world that existed in its shadow and biding their time, bid to recall patience by the deities. Each of the ten brothers and sisters had sworn to protect a race, assigning themselves to be the patron of their chosen species.

The oldest of the ten High Gods is Krethin, god of death. Often appearing as a tall, skeletal man with sunken eyes and skin so pale it is almost translucent, he is feared by Man but understood by the other High Races and often welcomed. He decreed that the other nine would each choose their subject race in turn, going in order of age from the eldest to the youngest. He had an easy choice to make. For his people he took the vampires, a fanged race of undead humans who feed on the blood of others. Contrary to the myths surrounding them, not all vampires will drink solely from humans. Indeed, the majority of the race feed only from animals. They do, however, have a darker side that is less commonly known. They are expert necromancers, serving under the god of death who is also the god of necromancy. They can call the souls of the dead forth and bid them to do as their caller commands.

The second of the ten High Races was the centaur. Half man, half horse, these stargazers have faded into the books of legend, believed to be a myth. Despite belief to the contrary, they are real, existing quietly in the hearts of forests that even the might of human machines cannot penetrate. Great philosophers, they argue constantly, though they do so with a diplomatic and open mind. Coming in a variety of colours, from the normal horse coats to rare pale greens that match the leaves around them, their horse halves determine their physical strength. Distinguished archers, they are wary of company and are hostile to any but their own kind. The goddess of healing, Talmya, chose them for her race; also the goddess of teaching and childbirth, she reinforced her elder brother’s decision to make each of the ten choose for themselves.

Only second in age to Talmya by a few human hours, the god of dreams was to chose his people next. Called Jasto, he was also versed in the ways of darkness; he became known as the god of the night. For his High Race he chose the werebeasts. These strange creatures are humans during the day, but transform at the first touch of moonlight into a different beast entirely. Most take the common form of large wolves, igniting the first whispers of savage werewolves. Some, however, become lions, leopards, panthers and other large predators. While their bodies change, they can maintain an entirely human mind, giving them intelligence animals could never hope to obtain. As a result of their animalistic natures, however, they make aggressive and hostile humans, often more merciful when in their beast forms, as they feel less threatened by perceived dangers.

The next child of the Creators was Festan, god of the oceans. The relationship between sky and sea was such that he also became the god of weather. For his people he chose the merfolk, exotic creatures that are rarely seen above water. Living in the depths of the oceans, mermen and mermaids are men and women with a scaled, fish-like tail instead of legs and feet. They are renowned for their hauntingly beautiful singing voices, though they speak Mermish, which is a language only understood by the merfolk and Festan himself. This is a mischievous race; fond of fooling unwitting sailors into thinking they have been driven mad, they are often found popping up out of the water with a cheeky grin only to vanish in the next instant. This exterior is, however, a front that reflects the mask their god often adopts; in reality they are a quick-witted and deadly race, with immense speed when swimming and control over nearby fish and aquatic animals.

The elves are perhaps the most mysterious of the remaining non-human races and are most likely to be able to pass as human. Unusually tall, they are otherwise roughly shaped the same as the average adult human. Slender but muscled by nature, these are creatures born into the shadow of the forests, and there they stay. Expert archers by the time they reach adulthood, elves are also known for their cool heads and legendary tracking ability. Though many dislike the idea of book-learning, believing that the forest can teach all one needs to know to live, they are highly intelligent and have a variety of skills that allow them to blend in with their surroundings. Their songs are so pure and beautiful that many humans who hear them become enchanted, their souls bursting free of their bodies to be lost within the music; they are often called arrogant, for they scorn other races as impure. They are masters at illusion, most commonly found to make themselves invisible, all the better for hunting. They have been adopted by the goddess of nature, also the goddess of animals, Lithra.

Shezrak, god of war, was hard-put to find a race to his liking. After much thought, he chose the dwarves; their affinity with the forging of weapons was what drew his attention. Short, stocky creatures, dwarves are vaguely human-shaped. Males and females alike have short, squat bodies with barrel chests and bulging arm muscles, due to the amount of time they spend as smiths, creating mostly weapons, though a few choose to make more artistic and decorative items. Dark skin and hair are traits usually assigned to dwarves; they are often teased about being so dirty all the time that they became the colour of soot. Dwelling underground, dwarves are an aggressive race, warrior-like and wild when the heat of battle takes them. They are usually quite slow, though a rare few have shown sparks of astounding intelligence.

The most well-known of the High Races, and perhaps the one that draws the most disbelief, is the fairy kingdom. Contrary to what Man has come to think, fairies are not tiny, bug-like creatures. They are the same size as a short adult human, though there the similarity ends. Fairies have very pale skin and usually have light eyes. Their hair is often kept long, as they prefer the natural way of things, including a lack of clothing that is not at all embarrassing to them. They are kind and gentle-natured, though they look somewhat odd at first. Butterfly-like wings spring from the shoulder blades of every fairy, infant or adult. The colours can range from white to black and anything in between, as can their hair and eye colours. They pay homage to Engra, goddess of love, who is also the goddess of the moon. Due to the links between the moon and the fertility cycle, Engra is also heralded as the goddess of women.

Younger than the majority of her siblings, the goddess of knowledge is perhaps the least heard-of deity and the most feared. Named Bersc, she is also the goddess of time, a heavy responsibility that she bears well. Cool and calm, she chose the most beast-like race as her people. Dragons come in all shapes and size, from the large, winged breed most commonly told of in fairy tales to the snake-like würm, without wings or legs. Dragons are revered scholars and masters of manipulating time so that they can travel from one place to another quickly and without being seen. Fiercely independent, they are never approached but in the direst of emergencies, as they are inclined to dislike visitors they do not know.

Mest was the penultimate god to make his choice. He is the patron of shapeshifters, god of trickery and thieves. Shapeshifters are a bizarre mix of human and animal, their bodies able to morph into whichever shape they choose. Most settle on one humanoid form that they usually take, though some prefer to live as animals or even inanimate objects. When they transform, the change is so complete that they are not able to be traced, which gives them a distinct advantage when attempting to trick those around them. Great practical jokers, many shapeshifters have a malicious streak, and as a result they are commonly thieves, though they become far more skilled than the average human.

The youngest of the ten, you ask? My name is Anomi, goddess of the sun and daylight, also given dominion over fire. I am the patron goddess of the final High Race, a species which none of my brothers or sisters would take on. Man is the dominant population of Earth, short-sighted and close-minded as they are. They come in a variety of types, each unique in a way that nothing else can be. They possess average intelligence, but they have an ability to build and create that is rarely seen in other creatures. They fascinate me, and I often appear to them as a moment of inspiration or the whisper of a conscience. They are my people and I am theirs, to serve one another as best we can. It is with Man that our story begins.”