Short Stories from Abberthorn - The Elder Race

The Elder race

I

Before the common age of Abberthorn, in a distant land called The Drugnur Peninsular, could be found the Elder Race. These were the first of the mortal people to inhabit the world, these were the people from which all others descend.

In the early days of life, the Gods had little to occupy their time. They would watch the animals that they created and tend to their every need. In time this ceased to be enough. As time passed, the mundane duties of caring for their simple creatures was not enough. Seeking more excitement, they expanded the world so that it might itself provide for their creations. Over time more creatures were created, some with a more devious means of sustaining themselves. These new creatures would sustain themselves by preying on those that came before them. This brought the excitement back into their world.

However, as time passed, the Gods discovered an unintended consequence to their new addition. As the eons passed, some of their earlier creations began to adapt, they found ways to protect themselves from the attacks of larger, stronger creatures. Over time they developed tools to help them fight off their attackers. They found safer places to sleep, and eventually started to build safe places where none existed before.

Over time these creatures ceased behaving like purely beasts and started observing the magnificent beings that walked among them. They saw the Gods and noticed how the creatures they feared, would themselves fear these beings. They decided that if they wanted to be safe, they would have to be more like these glorious beings that feared nothing. They began to cover themselves up, and started to walk upright. They kept themselves clean and would harm only that which meant them harm.

Studying these colossal beings ever closer, the mortal beings began to communicate with each other, much as they had seen the Gods do. They would worship the Gods from afar and make offerings that they thought would please these omnificent beings. They started building bigger and bigger structures, hoping that they would be able to earn the attentions of their Deities. Needing new tools to construct their ever-growing structures, the mortals quickly discovered faster and easier methods of construction and farming to better please the Gods. Like their Gods they started to keep animals and train them to show only the traits they wanted. They saw how plants that they liked to eat would grow, and quickly learned how to make them grow in more convenient places.

Having piqued the interest of their Gods, the Elder Race was soon able to talk with the Gods and learn from them. The Gods explained how the three moons each affected how the world around them worked. The first and smallest of the moons, affected the waters. The second and second largest, affected the winds, and finally, the last, and largest, affected the animals, which they were no longer considered to be. They were told how if all three moons could be seen in the sky, they should seek a safe place, where none would be able to find them.

As more time passed and The Elder Race was able to learn more from the Gods, they began to divide into different tribes. Each tribe chose their favourite deity whom they would revere over all others. Each tribe soon started to act and even look more like their favoured God. They would live in different places, dress differently and treat the other tribes and the world around them differently. Eventually the differences in each tribe became more apparent in their appearance. Some grew large tusks, and their skin grew thicker and changed its hew, others grew pointed ears to help make their hearing more acute. It was not long before each of the tribes migrated to new and distant lands where they could live in the way that they felt was best.

Wars began to break out little by little. They started small at first as mere arguments over who had the best God, but as with all things, they did not stay petty arguments for long. The different tribes quickly invented tools that would help them win their arguments. Before long, the age of weaponry had arrived in the world.