A/N: Wow, been awhile, huh? Yeah… I have no excuse. Anyway, this is the first chapter of a lore document for a minecraft lore/rp discord server I run with a friend of mine. If you're curious, leave a review and I might provide you with an invite! Anyway, kick back, relax, and enjoy.
According to the Church of Initiaism, it said that the universe was once naught but an endless void. There was no sun, no moon, no land, no ocean, and no sky. All that existed was the endless depths of the Sea of Chaos, and the eternal Void high above. Within the Void awoke Ganlir, the Primordial Moment. Ganlir was alone, so they produced a Note. This Note stirred the Void into a rumbling that shook the Sea.
It was in the expanse of this lightless emptiness that the Initiator awoke. What prompted them to wake, no one knows. Perhaps the Pukleshi gods, Almar and Volmar, or one of the twinned serpents Altheis and Azazel, or even mighty Ganlir that are to blame, but none here today know the truth. The Initiator looked all around, but saw only the Sea. Above Them, they could sense a power. The Initiator decided they wanted to see this power, and so, They began to rise up.
The Sea of Chaos frothed and boiled, sapphire water churning with crimson foam. From the surface a massive head of black and grey bedrock rose up, soon followed by an equally enormous chest, pivoting upright. Two titanic arms emerged from the vast ocean, pushing the Initiator even higher. After what seemed like an eternity, their towering giant body stood above the Sea. Following them, the Twinned Serpents and the Pukleshi Duo erupted from the waves, taking on their own semi-physical forms as the surface cooled and dimmed into the bedrock layer.
The Void was dark and cold, so the Initiator withdrew a bright red spark from their core and thrust it into the sky, bringing light to the world as the Sun. From the brilliance and heat descended a figure wreathed in fire and gold.
Six blazing wings sprang from his back, each feather like someone had distilled the very idea of fire into them. Two concealed his face so that his light would not blind the Initiator. Another pair hid his feet, so that he would not scorch the young world. The final pair beat and kept him a float. "I am Hogimal," he greeted. "I am the Sun, fire, heat, and lava. What would you have me do, my Progenitor?"
The Initiator smiled. "Go west, Hogimal," They instructed. "Warm and shape the land with your fire." Hogimal bowed and traveled, warming and softening the stone beneath him until it was pliable. Hogimal raised mountains and hills, and dug canyons and valleys all around, then stood back to observe his handiwork.
"Initiator, my task is done," he called out. "The land must cool if it is to keep its shape however."
"Agreed, Hogimal," The Initiator replied. They withdrew a second spark from within, and wrapped the cool blue light in stone before it too was placed into the sky as the Moon. From the cool light descended a second figure, this one clad in icy water and silver.
She was beautiful, with the face of a woman whose hair flowed like a waterfall. A second head peered to her left-a massive bull-like creature. A third looked right-a powerful shark. A fourth looked behind her-an osprey watching her back. From her shoulders sprouted four wings, each feather of which was as blue as all the world's waters combined. Two of these wings hid her body, while the others held her aloft. Her legs were straight, her feet like a calf's and shining silver. "I am Turavus," she greeted. "I am the Moon, water, cold, and frozen ice. What would you have me do, my Progenitor?"
Again, the Initiator nodded. "Go west, Turavus," he instructed. "Follow your brother Hogimal and cool the land he has shaped, fill the lakes, rivers, and oceans with water to your liking."
Turavus obeyed, and took to the west. As she flew, rain began to fall, filling vast crevices and basins to form rivers and oceans. The mountains cooled and soon stood gray and tall as their summits became coated in snow and frost.
"Initiator, my task is done," Turavus declared upon her return. "But how is this world to be protected from our heat and cold?" Indeed, beneath Hogimal the ground glowed red from his flame, while beneath Turavus a frost was spreading.
The Initiator pondered this question for a time, before removing a third spark from Their core and wrapping it in mist, causing the soft yellow light to twinkle like a star. As before, the Initiator released it into the heavens above. As it went, the sky was raised higher and higher, until the spark exploded into twinkling lights. The lights began to revolve, faster and faster, before solidifying into something new.
Four violet rings spun around a brilliant yellow light, one on top of the other. On the smallest ring, twelve bright green eyes opened. On the next, twenty gazed out. On the third, twenty-eight began to observe, and the fourth ring had thirty-six eyes with which to see. The rings slowed, and the entity spoke. "I am Ses'ser," he intoned. "I am the sky, air, wind and the power of the Void. What is it you wish of me?"
"Ses'ser, you have already cleaved earth from sky," the Initiator replied with a pleased smile. "Our full power was too much for this new world to bear. Direct your winds to the north, the south, the east, and the west as you will, to safeguard this world from the dangers beyond."
"Your will shall be done, Progenitor," Ses'ser replied. His wheels spun, and the winds were unleashed. They whistled and howled as they raced across the world. One wind, hot and dry, dived deep beneath the surface of the world, carving out a vast network of caverns that glowed with flowing magma. Another, dark and mysterious, spun far away to the edge of the world, shaping a vast series of floating islands. A third rose high into the sky carrying a chunk of land beyond where any mortal could reach. His task completed, Ses'ser's rings slowed once more to a gentle rotation.
"Bright Hogimal, I grant unto you the burning underworld caverns as your domain," The Initiator said after seeing what the youngest of his three had done. Hogimal nodded and left to explore.
"Cool Turavus, I give to you the deepest seas and coldest peaks." Turavus bowed and left to explore.
"Ses'ser, I give to you the floating islands at the end of the world." Ses'ser dipped his form and left to explore.
"And I? I shall claim the flying lands for my own." With that, the Initiator rose and upon the land in the clouds, constructed for Themself a majestic palace and within, a throne of diamond. From the throne, They looked out upon the world They had brought into being and saw that it was good… but there was something missing. "Children, come," The Initiator intoned softly.
At once, the three deities appeared. Hogimal had shed his celestial form for that of a humanoid figure with porcine features -a snout and tusks with a mane of burning red hair. Turavus had also adopted a humanoid form, one with long, flowing blue hair that pooled at her feet. Ses'ser's humanoid form was taller than either of his siblings, with a shaved head, mottled pitch-black and lightly furred skin and piercing violet eyes.
"My children, how are you settling in?" The Initiator greeted.
"Well enough, Progenitor," Hogimal answered. "But my realm is too… quiet, and lifeless."
"As is mine," Turavus agreed.
"Mine as well," Ses'ser finished. "We need something to occupy them."
"I thought the same," the Initiator replied. "But what shall we fill it with?"
"A race that can withstand my heat," Hogimal offered. "Strong and hardy."
"One which can weather the cold of the mountain winters," Turavus suggested.
"One which can withstand the mightiest of storms," Ses'ser added.
The Initiator nodded once more and stood, descending to the land below as Their children followed. They arrived at an island in the middle of the ocean, which held a great lake. "Here we shall shape our races," the Initiator intoned, and the four gods stood back as their maker took a spark of shimmering verdant green and planted it in the ground.
The earth shook and opened, releasing a feminine figure onto the shore with dark hair and skin the color of fresh soil, her eyes a milky white and shining slightly as they darted about and focused on nothing-the new deity was blind. She wore a sea-green toga, belted at the waist with a loop of brown. Beneath was a white tunic, and on her feet a pair of brown sandals. From her head radiated a brilliant bright green light, like sunlight through a forest canopy, and two wings spread from her back. Each feather was incredibly green, like all of nature had been distilled into them.
Greetings, my daughter-"
"No." The figure interrupted, holding up their hand. "I am your son. My name is Herobrine. I am the plants, the animals, the earth, and life."
"… Very well, son. As you wish," The Initiator replied, taken aback slightly but nodding. They raised their hands to Herobrine, and a bright light struck him. His body shifted slightly, curves fading as facial features sharpened. A light stubble sprouted on his cheeks as his hair shortened into a close cut, and Herobrine sighed, patting his chest. "Thank you, Progenitor. What would you have me do?"
"This world needs inhabitants," Hogimal stated. "We each have a corner of this place to call our own, but we cannot tend to the land, sea, and heavens alone." His siblings nodded in agreement.
Herobrine bowed his head. "As you wish." He approached the shores and took up some clay. "Brothers, sister, I will require your aid in this task." With that, the four gods gathered close. Turavus wet the clay and made it pliable as Herobrine shaped it into two people, one male and one female. Hogimal heated the clay until it was firm as Ses'ser breathed life into them. Their task complete , they stood back as the pair awoke.
The male looked almost identical to his maker, with two arms and legs, five fingers on each hand, tanned skin and dark hair, with two blue eyes looking at the gods. He wore a sea-green tunic and blue pants over gray sandals. The female had long ginger hair and bright green eyes. Her fair skin was covered by a green tunic belted at the waist and brown pants, while a pair of gray boots were on her feet.
The Initiator nodded, pleased with Herobrine's work. "You are Steve," They declared to the male, who bowed his head. "And you, Alex," They continued, directing Their attention to the female, who also bowed. "You both shall be the templates for the races which occupy this world. Enter the Lake of Origin. The rest of you, stand equidistant around the shore."
Alex and Steve did as they instructed, as did the four gods. At two humans' touch, the lake began to shimmer a purest sapphire blue, and where the waters lapped the shore, deep crimson sand was left behind. The fluid, so reminiscent of the primordial Sea of Chaos, began to froth and radiate a brilliant light. Before Hogimal emerged two Piglins-a boarlike race with pink skin, snouts, tusks, and hooves on their feet-clad in brown leather. The tips of their four-fingered hands were also very hoof-like, though dextrous. They looked around with dark eyes momentarily, before kneeling before the Lord of Heat.
Before Turavus emerged a pair of Testifs-a squid-like race with intelligent emerald green eyes, tanned bald skin, and large noses. Their robes concealed any features of their bodies, making it almost impossible to tell which was male or female. They tucked their arms together and knelt before the Lady of the Oceans.
Before Ses'ser emerged a pair of Enders- tall individuals, taller than the previous races, covered in dark, almost purple skin with thin, black fur. Wide magenta eyes gazed out at Ses'ser, who lowered his own gaze. They were slender but graceful as large leathery wings spread from their back, and silvery horns grew from their heads. After a moment, they bowed before the Master of the Winds.
After the previous races had risen, Alex and Steve left the lake and bowed before Herobrine. "Father, we have done as you asked," Steve said.
"Will you allow us to be a fourth race to inhabit this world?" Alex requested.
"Of course, my children," Herobrine smiled and stood. "You will be named humans." Alex and Steve smiled as they stood beside their creator.
"Thank you for this, truly Herobrine, children, and grandchildren," the Initiator intoned with a proud but tired smile. "Now, go explore the world, claim it as you will. I must rest… rest and recover."
The four gods escorted their Progenitor back to Their throne in the aetherial heavens, before taking their respective races to their territories.
The Piglins were taken to the deep, lava lit caverns in the bottom of the world, where they set to mining gold, crafting wonders, and building labyrinthine fortresses and bastions. The Testifs were brought to ocean coasts, to forest streams, to swampy marshes, and to desert rivers, where they set up sprawling villages and learned trading, map-making, farming and enchanting. The Enders, dark as night, were shown the edge of the world, learning powerful magics that helped them construct towering pagoda cities, ships that could fly, and orchards of coral-like fruit trees which gave those who partook the gift of teleportation.
The humans however, remained with their god as Herobrine worked tirelessly to shape more and more complex life. As more humans emerged, they brought the new animals far and wide across the land, into the depths of the sea, and into the heights of the sky. Powerful dragons were made, who aided in this endeavor. Some soared to the edge, which had been named Nan'der by the Enders, meaning "Our Home." Some climbed into the depths of the world, which the Piglins called Neiderwarme, "Netherworld." The remaining spread across the surface, referred to by Testifs and humans alike as Permundum, the Overworld.
Thus the creation of the world was complete, and the Age of glittering Diamond truly began.
Glossary:
Church of Initiaism: Worships the Initiator, a powerful creator-class deity, and their immediare descendants. Similar in structure to the Catholic Church, but polytheistic.
Pukleshi: A religion similar to the idea of Zoroastrianism, worshipping the concepts of Good (Almar) vs Evil (Volmar).
Twinned Serpents: A religion that bears a strong resemblance to the Kemetic/Ancient Egyptian Faith, it worships the ideas of Order (Alethis) vs Chaos (Azazel).
Ganlir: Primordial time deity. Can be equated to the Greek protogenoi known as Chaos (as differentiated from Disorder). Seems to be a constant among the various Tinirian religions.
Void: Primordial space deity, believed to have evolved into the modern deity Ses'ser.
Turavus (Tur-ah-vus): The goddess of the moon and water, her divine form is inspired by Biblically accurate Cherubim (not the flying babies, the ones with the head of a human, a bull, a lion, and an eagle).
Hogimal (Hog-em-all): The god of the sun and fire, his divine form is inspired by the Seraphim.
Ses'ser (Say-sir or Seh-sir): God of the wind and sky, his divine form is inspired by Ophanim, the wheels of God's chariot.
Herobrine: Yes, he's inspired by THAT Herobrine, though this one is a benevolent deity. His celestial form is just a standard, stereotypical winged human angel.
For a general idea of how massive the main Initiaism gods are in their celestial forms, the Initiator when curled up is roughly the same size as the Earth's core. In fact, there are some minor legends or rumors that they ARE the core of Permundum proper. Hogimal, Turavus, and Ses'ser are each about 28.8 METERS (94 feet 5.8 inches) tall. Hero is normal human height.
A/N: Well, there we go. Favorite and leave a review if you liked it, or if you see something that could be improved!