Chronicles of Valdoria
Seven tales of a world shaped by gods, scarred by war, and defended by those who refuse to surrender.
The Four Restless Powers
The earth held fast, the sea remembered, the wind wandered, and the fire refused to sleep.
The scattered gifts of Tibiasula settled into their places, not by agreement but by their very natures. Earth became the solid heart of Tibia, bearing mountains, caverns and valleys yet unnamed. Water surrounded it as the great sea of Sula. Above spread the air; beneath stirred fire, warming the depths with an ancient and dangerous pulse.
None of the four knew gentleness. The sea climbed cliffs as if it wished to swallow them. Storms tore across unfinished plains. Fire opened wounds in the rock. Mountains rose where rivers had been only moments before. Each element possessed strength, but not the balance of the goddess from whom it came.
Fardos looked upon the turbulent world as an unfinished promise. Uman studied it and noticed what their first attempts had lacked: within every element lay the potential to become something other than itself. Yet that potential could not be commanded into life merely by a word.
The gods learned that new beings could arise when divine power joined with an element. Fardos entered into the realm of fire, and from their union came two radiant children, Suon and Fafnar, remembered as the suns. Suon carried steadiness and restraint. Fafnar loved the brilliance of her own flame and refused to believe that any other power should limit it.
When Fafnar scorched the young world, Suon rose to confront her. Their struggle painted the heavens with heat and fear. At last Fafnar withdrew beneath the earth, while Suon remained above to keep watch over fields and oceans. So even the light of day acquired its stories of rivalry.
Other powers awoke in the forests, waters and skies. The first patterns of growth appeared: places where stone wore moss, where rain fed roots, where quiet valleys offered shelter. The world was learning how to sustain life, although no living race yet knew what to make of it.
Far away, Zathroth studied the suns with an interest that was anything but innocent. If the elements could produce children, perhaps they could also produce servants. The thought pleased him greatly, and the age of peaceful beginnings drew to its close.
An original Valdoria retelling inspired by the established creation mythology of Tibia. This text and its illustrations are newly created for Valdoria Next.
