Not present at the Creation (1/4/-4004)
This is a fragment(?) of recent discovery by the Questing Acolytes of the Temple of the Unknown Gods in Delos. The words are reported to have been written on a thin adamantine sheet of curious flexibility found embedded in a long cold magma flow and inscribed in a language and syllabary not known to Man, Dwarf, Troll nor Elf but translated only with the reluctant assistance of the Goddess Marliao, the Ancient Mystress of Words. As for the God, Goddess or Entity styled Lao, little information is available beyond this fragment.
The Words of Lao
I. The beginning was Lao.
II. And the first thing Lao wrote was Herself.
III. After Lao had wrotten Herself, the second thing Lao wrote were the laws of the worlds so that stars would understand how to shine, so that firmament would know how to stand, so that seas would know how to flow and so that rains would know how to fall.
IV. But as Lao wrote, Lao had many thoughts and thus Lao wrote many laws for many different worlds that they might behave in many different ways.
V. And, having wrotten the worlds, Lao looked upon them and saw that the rains fell as Lao had wrotten, that the seas flowed as Lao had wrotten, that the firmament stood as Lao had wrotten and that the stars shown as Lao had wrotten and Lao saw that this was well.
This may, perhaps, be the oldest account of the origin(s) of the multiverse and offers some philosophical explanation for why the worlds differ one from another. This does not, however, account for the paths between worlds and some scholars suggest that many – if not all – of these pathways such as the Well of the Worlds are of more recent or secondary origins.
VI. But also, having wrotten the worlds, Lao saw that the worlds were empty because, despite the many laws, one rain drop was very much like another, one sea was very much like another, one firmament was very much like another and one star was very much like another.
VII. Having seen this, the third thing Lao wrote were new laws which created life. And, again, Lao had many thoughts and wrote many laws that life might behave in many forms and many ways.
VIII. Thus Loa wrote plants and animals and peoples in many forms. And Lao looked upon these and saw that they were well.
While Creation myths abound, the preceding three verses are not contradicted by any known evidence and, in general, are seen as a succinct statement of the possible origins of life.
IX. But still Lao saw that these were not enough. That one bird was very like another bird, that one tree was very like another tree, that one fish was very much like another fish, that one people was very much like another people.
There are many schools of thought attempting to account for the diversity of lifeforms throughout the Multiverse and those interested are referred to the Compendium of Diversity Philosophies, compiled by the Department of Unknown Certainties at University Magistrie, in Delos and soon to be revised in a new edition.
X. So Lao thought deeply. And the fourth thing Loa wrote was a gift to Her creations; the gift that they might create as well.
XI. But the gift of creation could not be wrotten alone and, therefore, Lao also wrote the gift of death such that the worlds would not become overburdened and so that Her creations would not lack for space to strive and to recreate themselves. And Lao looked upon her words and saw that they were well.
There are many schools of thought attempting to account for the diversity of lifeforms throughout the Multiverse as well as the lack of diversity in the matter of deaths (since it is known that Death comes to all Beings … including, eventually, the Gods themselves.) To refer to this as a gift is not without precedent and might, in some measure, serve to explain this universality.
XII. And, as well, Lao wrote to Her creations the gift to seek to understand; for each, according to their natures, to strive to know and, potentially, to read and admire Lao’s words as they might.
XIII. But having wrotten the gifts to create and to destroy, to be and to cease and to seek to understand; Lao saw that Her creations used these gifts in many different ways. But having wrotten the gifts, Lao could not erase these gifts and, in time, Lao saw that this was also well.
XIV. Thus the words of the firmament were few and wrote only of quiet stability; the words wrotten by plants were of sunshine and rain while the words wrotten by animals were much of foods to eat and of protection from being eaten but the words wrotten by people were the most complex of all … saving only those wrotten by Lao, Herself.
It has long been suspected that Gods are created by their followers. Attempts in the deliberate creation of deities, however, have been largely inconclusive; one notable exception being Wik, a minor deity created by the Experimental Priests of the Norpal pantheon who is responsible for concealing minor trifles in an annoying fashion. (Note: the Experimental Priesthood of Norpal was disbanded shortly after as its members sought to avoid the wrath not only of their parishioners but of the other members of the pantheon as well.)
XV. Watching her creations, Lao saw that they also wrote new creations; that they wrote Gods after their own natures and imbued these Gods with their natures and gifted these Gods with powers beyond their natures … but this was in the nature of Lao’s words and Lao did not interfere.
XVI. And Lao gazed upon these Gods and the gifts they each were written and Lao observed much that Lao had not expected. Looking on, Lao found Gods of fear and Gods of terror and Gods of anger and Lao was not pleased but Lao did nothing for such was the nature of the gifts She had wrotten on Her creations.
XVII. Lao also found Gods of destolity, Gods of denial and Gods of cruelty. But Lao found Gods of love, Gods of pleasure, Gods of kindness and Gods of compassion as well.
XVIII. And, in time, those who created and followed the Gods of destolity ceased to exist – for such was the nature of destolity and so was it forgotten – and thus their Gods ceased as well and their words, in the fullness of time, erased themselves. And Lao read and this also was well.
The corollary to the creation of Gods by their followers – that Gods can not continue without followers – is an accepted fact testified to by the demise of more one Deity as recorded in long-deserted temples and other mausoleums of past worships. Those interested may also refer to the records of the deceased God Lig who was explicitly and deliberately expurgated, terminated and obliterated by his (?) followers who, having accomplished this task, quickly followed Lig, seeking a new incarnation.
XIX. In like fashion, the followers of the Gods of denial denied them both themselves and their Gods and also ceased to be. And Lao saw and this was also well.
XX. But, if the Gods of cruelty were cruel to their followers and their followers cruel to others, the Gods and their followers did not fare well and did not readily find others to join them nor did their ranks increase. And Lao saw and this was well.
XXI. And so to it was with many of the other unkinder Gods while those Gods who benefited their followers and made much of them attracted more followers and, in time, became greater Gods with many attendants to do them homage and worship them, each in their fashion. And Lao read and this was well.
XXII. And Lao discovered as well that another God had been wrotten; a God not merely of joy but of laughter. And Lao – being singular and alone – had not known laughter but read and was pleased and thus Lao smiled.
XXIII. And then Lao laughed both in pleasure and surprise; Lao had been written a gift by her creations and this too was well.
The Priests of the Laughter of Jokus as well as the Fraternity d’ Frere Marques claim their origins to lie in the gift to the Ancient Lao – this being the only prior extant reference to such an entity.
XXIV. And because a gift wrotten should be regiven, the fifth thing Lao wrote was another gift to her creations; she wrote their Gods with a part of herself, such that the Gods could better serve their attendants and such that their service to their attendants should better empower the Gods themselves.
XXV. But Lao did not give the Gods those gifts she had wrotten on her earlier creations; the gifts of life and death and understanding were wrotten already to her original children. Thus any gifts received by the Gods – excepting the single gift Lao had wrotten on them – could only be those wrotten by their followers.
XXVI. And Lao read and saw that it was well.
XXVII. And Lao laughed. And it was well. For so Lao had wrotten.
XXVIII. Thus endeth the Words of Lao.
Annotated this 93 year of the Century of the Silver Dragon by Hargon, Initiate First of the Order of Questing Acolytes of the Temple of the Unknown Gods, Delos.
The Words of Lao
I. The beginning was Lao.
II. And the first thing Lao wrote was Herself.
III. After Lao had wrotten Herself, the second thing Lao wrote were the laws of the worlds so that stars would understand how to shine, so that firmament would know how to stand, so that seas would know how to flow and so that rains would know how to fall.
IV. But as Lao wrote, Lao had many thoughts and thus Lao wrote many laws for many different worlds that they might behave in many different ways.
V. And, having wrotten the worlds, Lao looked upon them and saw that the rains fell as Lao had wrotten, that the seas flowed as Lao had wrotten, that the firmament stood as Lao had wrotten and that the stars shown as Lao had wrotten and Lao saw that this was well.
This may, perhaps, be the oldest account of the origin(s) of the multiverse and offers some philosophical explanation for why the worlds differ one from another. This does not, however, account for the paths between worlds and some scholars suggest that many – if not all – of these pathways such as the Well of the Worlds are of more recent or secondary origins.
VI. But also, having wrotten the worlds, Lao saw that the worlds were empty because, despite the many laws, one rain drop was very much like another, one sea was very much like another, one firmament was very much like another and one star was very much like another.
VII. Having seen this, the third thing Lao wrote were new laws which created life. And, again, Lao had many thoughts and wrote many laws that life might behave in many forms and many ways.
VIII. Thus Loa wrote plants and animals and peoples in many forms. And Lao looked upon these and saw that they were well.
While Creation myths abound, the preceding three verses are not contradicted by any known evidence and, in general, are seen as a succinct statement of the possible origins of life.
IX. But still Lao saw that these were not enough. That one bird was very like another bird, that one tree was very like another tree, that one fish was very much like another fish, that one people was very much like another people.
There are many schools of thought attempting to account for the diversity of lifeforms throughout the Multiverse and those interested are referred to the Compendium of Diversity Philosophies, compiled by the Department of Unknown Certainties at University Magistrie, in Delos and soon to be revised in a new edition.
X. So Lao thought deeply. And the fourth thing Loa wrote was a gift to Her creations; the gift that they might create as well.
XI. But the gift of creation could not be wrotten alone and, therefore, Lao also wrote the gift of death such that the worlds would not become overburdened and so that Her creations would not lack for space to strive and to recreate themselves. And Lao looked upon her words and saw that they were well.
There are many schools of thought attempting to account for the diversity of lifeforms throughout the Multiverse as well as the lack of diversity in the matter of deaths (since it is known that Death comes to all Beings … including, eventually, the Gods themselves.) To refer to this as a gift is not without precedent and might, in some measure, serve to explain this universality.
XII. And, as well, Lao wrote to Her creations the gift to seek to understand; for each, according to their natures, to strive to know and, potentially, to read and admire Lao’s words as they might.
XIII. But having wrotten the gifts to create and to destroy, to be and to cease and to seek to understand; Lao saw that Her creations used these gifts in many different ways. But having wrotten the gifts, Lao could not erase these gifts and, in time, Lao saw that this was also well.
XIV. Thus the words of the firmament were few and wrote only of quiet stability; the words wrotten by plants were of sunshine and rain while the words wrotten by animals were much of foods to eat and of protection from being eaten but the words wrotten by people were the most complex of all … saving only those wrotten by Lao, Herself.
It has long been suspected that Gods are created by their followers. Attempts in the deliberate creation of deities, however, have been largely inconclusive; one notable exception being Wik, a minor deity created by the Experimental Priests of the Norpal pantheon who is responsible for concealing minor trifles in an annoying fashion. (Note: the Experimental Priesthood of Norpal was disbanded shortly after as its members sought to avoid the wrath not only of their parishioners but of the other members of the pantheon as well.)
XV. Watching her creations, Lao saw that they also wrote new creations; that they wrote Gods after their own natures and imbued these Gods with their natures and gifted these Gods with powers beyond their natures … but this was in the nature of Lao’s words and Lao did not interfere.
XVI. And Lao gazed upon these Gods and the gifts they each were written and Lao observed much that Lao had not expected. Looking on, Lao found Gods of fear and Gods of terror and Gods of anger and Lao was not pleased but Lao did nothing for such was the nature of the gifts She had wrotten on Her creations.
XVII. Lao also found Gods of destolity, Gods of denial and Gods of cruelty. But Lao found Gods of love, Gods of pleasure, Gods of kindness and Gods of compassion as well.
XVIII. And, in time, those who created and followed the Gods of destolity ceased to exist – for such was the nature of destolity and so was it forgotten – and thus their Gods ceased as well and their words, in the fullness of time, erased themselves. And Lao read and this also was well.
The corollary to the creation of Gods by their followers – that Gods can not continue without followers – is an accepted fact testified to by the demise of more one Deity as recorded in long-deserted temples and other mausoleums of past worships. Those interested may also refer to the records of the deceased God Lig who was explicitly and deliberately expurgated, terminated and obliterated by his (?) followers who, having accomplished this task, quickly followed Lig, seeking a new incarnation.
XIX. In like fashion, the followers of the Gods of denial denied them both themselves and their Gods and also ceased to be. And Lao saw and this was also well.
XX. But, if the Gods of cruelty were cruel to their followers and their followers cruel to others, the Gods and their followers did not fare well and did not readily find others to join them nor did their ranks increase. And Lao saw and this was well.
XXI. And so to it was with many of the other unkinder Gods while those Gods who benefited their followers and made much of them attracted more followers and, in time, became greater Gods with many attendants to do them homage and worship them, each in their fashion. And Lao read and this was well.
XXII. And Lao discovered as well that another God had been wrotten; a God not merely of joy but of laughter. And Lao – being singular and alone – had not known laughter but read and was pleased and thus Lao smiled.
XXIII. And then Lao laughed both in pleasure and surprise; Lao had been written a gift by her creations and this too was well.
The Priests of the Laughter of Jokus as well as the Fraternity d’ Frere Marques claim their origins to lie in the gift to the Ancient Lao – this being the only prior extant reference to such an entity.
XXIV. And because a gift wrotten should be regiven, the fifth thing Lao wrote was another gift to her creations; she wrote their Gods with a part of herself, such that the Gods could better serve their attendants and such that their service to their attendants should better empower the Gods themselves.
XXV. But Lao did not give the Gods those gifts she had wrotten on her earlier creations; the gifts of life and death and understanding were wrotten already to her original children. Thus any gifts received by the Gods – excepting the single gift Lao had wrotten on them – could only be those wrotten by their followers.
XXVI. And Lao read and saw that it was well.
XXVII. And Lao laughed. And it was well. For so Lao had wrotten.
XXVIII. Thus endeth the Words of Lao.
Annotated this 93 year of the Century of the Silver Dragon by Hargon, Initiate First of the Order of Questing Acolytes of the Temple of the Unknown Gods, Delos.
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