The History of Valaria
Set between year 1AC and year 2406AD
Set between year 1AC and year 2406AD
Old men tell stories of how the world was made, stories of how it was all made from the tears of dragons so sad as they got kicked out of their homeland that their tears made life grow and made the rivers run. Other men tell stories on how the world was carved from the back of a massive land turtle who made magic with a blink of an eye and who’s flippers made the waves crash. But they are old wife’s tails to simply give a story to a child who needed sleep, no, we watched the world get made so let’s say you are hearing it from the people that put the ink on the page first hand.
Back in the days of old, how the humans call it anyway, we called it dawns time, there was two things, ash and sand men, or so we were called by humans that came later. But in out tongue, we were called the Rasp. Cold outsides made of wood and stone, glowing blue eyes able to see into the souls of others, if there were others to see into, and no voice, we talked with our hands and actions, a lot of pointing and grunting, and that sound the rasp, we made it often like a hum to call forth the sands and dunes we worked with to move us from location to location when we just did not want to use our feet.
The Rasp
Then there was sand, so much black ash-like sand it just covered the world, no end in sight to the mass seas of sand and emptiness. Every now and again you should find a camp set up with large dunes and sand being held together by more sand and light magics. We did not only work the sand and live with it, we lived in it, anyplace was better than the sun cooked sands that fried you if you went out for long, even we which our crusted flesh had trouble with the never ending heat. But then one day it all seemed to change for everyone and it just seemed like the world once cooked and baked by the sun not a thing in the form of something that was not us or sand.
There was a mighty uproar in the camp that day, I could hear the rasping sound just buzzing at full volume, it was like they were all in so much shock they just could not stop, even the sand was moving around due to them not being able to control it properly, homes and holes fell apart as they ran from them and they tumbled behind their back, then there she was. Walking behind another male as I looked at her, they said she was just found walking around saying words no one understood or could make out. But I do say she was mighty fine to look at, strange but in a nice way. With a bit of magic and some fiddling, we, in turn, figured out what she was saying.
God as found you, you may call him God, we have found this world and soon we shall place beings upon it to bring life to your ash like dirt. Soon there will be rain, water from the sky that will moisten your skin and you will no longer be hard and fowl, soon there will be grand seas and lush grass as far as the eyes can see. New life will grow lush your lands and everything will be well, he deemed there to be light upon this world and there shall be light. But one must be wary of ones that govern the lands for they are fearsome and strong, the grand blue Sky-keeper shall govern your sky, shall her wings block out the sun and grant you shade from its wrath, shall her body be so large no one shall be able to cage her, a powerful monarch of the sky’s able to give freedom to the worthy and grant wings to one she sees fit. Upon the land shall tend the dragon, fire from its jaws of teeth larger than a man, its feet will shake the earth and its tail shall pave the way for rivers to the sea, shall it grant wisdom to all that seek it out and give the world peace from war and punishment. Upon the sea there shall be the largest of all, the serpent, body as a snake and fins as a whale, it shall give life to the waves and grant nothing but hardship, giving judgment to the ones befitting its wrath, a force to be recorded with and a tail that can start a hurricane with one fall splash. All shall befall this place in ten moons pass, watch ye walkers of the ash like dunes, be watchful as soon the dunes will grow wet and this sea of sand will turn to a sea of water
At the time we had no idea what she was talking about but her voice sounded scary so we made the choice to pick up our homes and move and leave her on her way. We did not see her again for a very long time, the lady Lorelei, some say that later the humans placed her in their books saying she was the one that brought the human race to the earth from the divine, but that as well was simply a story in a book.
When the ten moons passed the sky had grown dark, it got cold, so very cold, we did not know or understand this drastic change to our world it frightened us to the bone, we also had never known this kind of fear and that as well made us shake as we stood watching the sky in wait of this life changing event. And then it happened the sky opened up and out of it fell to the ground a giant snake longer than what we had ever seen, its body covered in black shining hide and its jaws thrashing as the sand covered it. It started to expel this clear goo from its jaws as the goo covered the sand the sand vanishing under it as the goo thrashed around and forced us to start to flee. This we later found was called water and it was what Lorelai had told us about. The Water took out many family’s men and children that could not outrun the flood, and the water just kept coming, and not only water, large hard substances came with it that we were able to grab a hold of as they drifted on top of the water. And from the grand distance we where we could still see it moving out there in the darkness, in the shreds of light that had broken open from the sky. It seemed so angry screaming and calling out in shrieking wails many men went deaf thanking their hearing for giving out so they would not take the pain of its cry’s in their heads.
After that, it went silent, and the sun did not come back for some time, we never knew how much time had gone past but it seemed like a forever drifting upon this hard thing some named a luga, later named a log by humans who also named the green things from the ground trees.
There was a crash many miles away and the water waved up so very high the moon hid behind it as it pushed us up and killed many men that could not breathe under it. We lived to watch a massive head rise over us and claws coming down to pick up our luga and us and placed us upon its back as it walked under the water picking up more Rasp as it went, it was like no matter how many of us were on it. its back was bigger than we ever could fit. There were seven horns upon its head each horn made a spike and it was black and gold. The gold was hidden under the black and as we walked the black came off with our feet showing more gold upon it. We were able to walk upon our new found savior and able to even walk closer to its head which for many was a thing to stay away from, but I had to see it, was this being intelligent? Could I talk to it? and did it know what was going on?
“mighty beast from the sky, why have you come here, what are you, and can you talk to me?” I screamed out a voice so unused I almost forgot I had it, we never use our voices, but we do have them when needed.
The beast turned its head and stopped moving, the halt almost hitting me to the back of this hard monster, but I stopped myself from falling, as I did not wish to be seen as weak to our carrier. “I am Naphisdum the Dragon of Ages, I have been placed on this world to govern it and give wisdom to the ones I view as worthy and place judgment to others in need of it, I have picked you up to bring you to land so you will not drown and die in the new world that is being made for you. I shall govern the lands and watch over you but not interfere with your lives and choices unless you deem or ask me. And I shall lay down laws of this land that you shall not break, all will be explained to you once we get to where we need to be and the sun rises upon your new dawn. and with that, the dragon Naphisdum moved its head and did not say another word and I had lost my tongue someplace down my neck hole and had no idea how to return it to where it was to go. I walked back to the others upon the dragons back and we sat in silence for yet another lifetime before the dragon had hit land.
The thump of earth upon the beast’s feet made us all shift in the place we sat and move slightly around. As Naphisdum lowered his back a large clawed foot came to greet us and then opening its self we were able to walk on it to get down from the monsters back. After we all were upon the ground this strange sensation came over everyone, and it was brought on by the fact there was no black ash sand under our feet but this green substance that had come from no place at all. Some of the rasp ate the substance, some rolled in it, others dragged their feet trying to figure out what it was, others tried to move it with their minds and failed and others simply sat down and poked at it with sticks or their fingers wondering what on earth it was. I was more interested in the large green things that had come over the land and how even in this darkness there was a sort of warmth and there was a light that Naphisdum was giving off. Naphisdum had laid down upon the ground and lifted his head as he watched us, and as I watched him. He seemed so pleased with us and how we wondered about it all, how we seemed like children under his claw, and I guess that is what we were, his new found adopted children.
”Little ones of this new earth, come near my maw and we shall talk, about all the things you have here and all the new things to come, and about the laws you shall hear and follow and never break.” we did as he said to and walked over sitting down upon the ground waiting for him to tell us about all there was to know. “this world will be strange to you I am sure, such new things and so much more to come, here on the land you are safe, and many more beasts and beings will join you here upon it, what you stand on is earth, dirt and grass that has been given to you by the graces of the Devine, which has also given you us, first came the serpent, the leviathan Norgar who governs the seas, he gives pain and punishment to all who tread in his realm, or are sent there. Then came me Naphisdum the dragon I am what will govern the land here to offer wisdom and guidance and judgment on who shall be sent to the seas. Then last will come to the Sky Keeper Navaria, a grand blue bird who will come from the fire to govern the sky and grant wings to ones who earn it, she will bring them to a better place along side her when they are sent to her. And to gain it all, you must follow the rules of the lands. Know the Lord, the Devine. Bring no false idols before me or the Devine. Do not take the name of the guardians in vain. Remember the lost times and keep them holy. Honor thy father and thy mother. Thou shall not kill/murder unless a reason is given. Thou shall not bed unwilling partners. Thou shall not steal. Thou shall not bear false witness against your fellow man. Thou shall not covet anthers wife or anything that belongs to another. Follow the rules set forth here this day, and do not fall into chaos, if so be it all shall rise to the better and not sink to the depths, now be on your way as the sky keeper comes and the land is yours to wonder” his words sun in and I understood them flawlessly, it was like he was inside of my head, inside of me, and as soon as he said to be on our way that is what people did, they left his side, even if in my heart I did not want to.
As we went the sky once again broke open in a fury of flames and blue light and there she was, wings so large they blocked out the sky and along with her came the sun, dark as the whole world lit up and she let out a shriek, but not a mean one a beautiful sound before vanishing behind the sun and clouds. That was our keeper, and we would not see her, well I would not see her once again for many many years.
As the world got older and years went on the dragon became bound to his mountain and came to the people less and less, and would ignore their requests to go see him where he sat a top a mountain on high. More and more things came to the earth and diffract races came as well, humanity was the first to come out of the woodwork and start to build and expand, they did the expanding very well but had a very short lifetime so had to reproduce at a rapid pace. Next came the elven kind, a royal line that had a long lifetime and they hardly bred but did so enough to expand rather well. They kept away from the humans as they found them to be too weak and feeble, but they got along well with us and many of them bound up to us as we both shared, an immortal as they called it, lifetime. After that came the beings of the sea the merfolk, they were a violent devilish race that ate the people of the land and many stayed away from them. But it was said they had grand powers but not like they would tell you anything if you asked.
After that many other new things popped up on the land and in the sea and even in the sky, the keeper gave wings to some making things like Angels and Harpies winged demons and large birds that ruled the airs.
It all went well for the next couple hundred years, many people and beings came and go and humans took over much of the lands pushing others out. People and other beings were breaking the rules set forth by the Devine and the dragon had grown fully silent, he no longer took in the offerings given to him and his cave became silent like the top of the mountain. It all was falling apart and the land no longer had something to govern it, some turned to the sky keeper just to be told to go back to the land and that they were unworthy, the winged beings left the land behind and turned a back to what was happening upon it. Some poor fools even turned to the sea for guidance and to be told what they were to do, all they got was swallowed up and spit out as bones upon the sea floor. So many souls were lost without guidance strange cults and new god names started to rise and people started making up stories and believing in things from other lands, dangerous things and fake things. Then we say him, up on his mountain, the dragon standing there looking out at the sky, eyes so dark and no longer blue like they once were, scales no longer gold but rusted over, in his gaze he looked deranged and as if he was sick.
Wall we watched he called out in moans into the sky, calling for something, that something came within moments, the keeper came down from the sky and looked at him shaking its head in utter disgust at what had become of it. [i]“such a grand beast and look what you have become, what has taken a gold of you that you froth at the mouth and drip from your eyes and snout. What has come of you dragon guardian of the lands” the dragon said nothing back to it and just looked at her with hollowed out eyes. It's gaze so dark and empty. Then it all happened so fast no one saw it coming at all, when the keeper turned to leave her back turned to the beast with black eyes massive claws came from the ground and grabbed a hold of the feathered back as she struggled and flapped, the mountain at their feet breaking apart as the dragon pushed the keeper into the ground her beak and head smashing into the dirt. As he did he took his claws and ripped them into the back of the keeper taking the bones of its wings in his fingers and pulling back and out. The sound of the keeper’s screams echoed over the world then that ripping sound as the dragon ripped its beautiful blue wings from its back. Then everything went silent with a large thud as it all fell apart in one simple move.
The dragon placed the wings on its back as its scales fused with the wings of the keeper giving that beast the power to fly on blue wings. We thought the words as we watched it flap and gain flight going up into the sky. As we watched we could hear the screaming wail of the beast of the sea, thrashing around as its waves ruined the edges of the land. It was screaming and in raged and the natives told us in its screams it had yelled a curse the dragon laughed at, the dragon no longer cared for the matters of land the matters of the foolish people it now looked down on, it saw its self as how it was, better than everyone and now it was in the sky, so it truly was above us all.
It had all changed so fast, no one saw any of it coming it was like in a blink we had hope and in that same blink it was all ripped away. The dragon the one that had saved my people had doomed us all. As I stood there watching it vanish into the sky there she was, dressed in blue and looking up, tears down her face as she turned and faced me.
[i]“it was never made to last, but it was not meant to fall this way, he was not meant to break she was not meant to die, now it is all ruined and the future is unknown, he will go to the land in the sky and turn everything like him, kill the keepers children, kill it all and make a future for himself. He will multiply like the plague; some will be good others will be like him. You must make a choice sand walker, stay or run, both choices will not be simple” she looked so sad when she said everything the green shimmering from her eyes as her brown hair glowed in the light.
“I stay” is all I was able to spit out as she turned her back and just walked away, a woman from a dream, an immortal like me and the elves. But I wondered what would come for her, of me, of our world. Some people went to the sea were the serpent angered for many years, his curse so clear as he said it to everyone that came to see him. “the day the sky fell, the day the keepers blood hit the land and the dragon took more than his share he lay curse to his bloodline, all who come off his hide shall never walk on my land, shall burn as fire upon the waves, my curse will carry and all the dragon touches will burn along with him”
Over the years the world gained things it never wanted. People turned to chaos and the rules no longer mattered, the Devine had ignored us, we no longer mattered and the people knew it, there was no better place other than stories, the guardian had died and the better place was now corrupt with greed and pride. Sin came to the earth as we had broken our rules, every rule. We also gained grand sickness, they called it madness and it made people just lose their minds some were more affected by it than others as well as other things like the pocks and other illnesses some of which we did not even have names for.
But the world went on even with the added sin it just was a harder world to live in, some of the dragons came down from the high to live on the earth, some were tossed down due to their actions. All colors fell from the sky some took over lands down here and took up ownership, others wondered and burned everything they saw. But some were kind and helped the people but finding them was few and far between, most of the dark ones killed them as soon as they were found as they believed the good ones would make this world less fitting for them, and the bad outnumbered the good when it came to scaled backs.
People gave them names, devil spawn, scaled backs, fork tongues, stompers, the shadow, but it all was the same, and the world even if it was darker now had what came to it, no place was safe to be anymore and I soon went into hiding. They say Lorelei still walks this world watching the world turn to ash as it once was. The serpent stays in his seas with others that worship him, but he never comes out anymore, not even for offerings given to his greatness, and being all that is left of the old, he hides in the caves under the bottom of the sea raging about the one action that led to the fall of everything.
But that is the story, and that is how it is, I still exist, sandman, the rasp, but my name, I don’t have one, but I still exist and in the end, no one needs to know me, I am just sand walker, nothing more.