A creation myth found inscribed on a stone tablet frozen in one of Atriea's coldest regions. An early example of Drifrasa worshipers. Companion piece to ItSotV

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In the beginning of time, before our ancestors crawled these icy lands, before there was beast, insect or tree, before our eyes were dazzled by the heavenly orbs in the sky, there was a god. His name is not known to us, for his age is infinite, and even he has forgotten. This great being oversaw a plain of ice many miles across. He made sure nothing changed, he made sure the wind swept snow over the ice, and nothing lived.

One day as he watched over the ice, the god began to doze off. His legs ached and his eyelids grew heavy and he fell to the ice, asleep. His great body caused the world to shake and shutter so violently that the shocks can still be felt today. The tops of the three tallest mountains cracked off and fell to the ice as well, from the shattering ice sprang three gods: Drifrasa, Denoka and Laroja. They saw the world, barren and lifeless, and decided to end the great god’s reign of ice. They went to him, woke him and challenged him. Denoka spoke first: “O great god, ruler of ice and snow, the ground is barren and lifeless, wind sweeps snow over the ice, and nothing lives! There can be no peace in this place!”
Laroja stepped up next. “O great god, ruler of ice and snow, the ground is barren and lifeless, wind sweeps snow over the ice, and nothing lives! There can be no contest in this place!”
Drifrasa stepped up last. ““O great god, ruler of ice and snow, the ground is barren and lifeless, wind sweeps snow over the ice, and nothing lives! There can be no justice in this place!”
The god heard the words of the three and ignored them. “Nothing will change.” he simply said.
And nothing did. The three gods left the great god and walked the ice plains together to think of a solution. Denoka spoke first once more. “We must reason with him. We will tell him of the things this world could have, and he will agree with us, melt the ice and make the ground fertile.”
Laroja did not agree. “We cannot, for his mind is set deeper than this ice. We must kill him and rule the world ourselves!”
“Quiet both of you! We must change the world without his knowing, for it is the right thing to do.”
So Laroja brought the warm waters from deep underground, and flooded the ice with it, Drifrasa caused fire to melt the ice, and Denoka created two orbs of light to radiate onto the world, tempering the ice. With this warmth the world began to produce trees and plants. From these trees sprang insects and beasts, who fed on each other and shaped the ground. When the great god noticed what the three gods had done, he was furious. “My will is defied! Why have you parasites taken my world from me?!”
“Because the world needed peace.”
“Because the world needed war.”
“Because it was right.”
The great god did not agree, and he raised his arms up to destroy what the three had created. From the tips of his claws came a great blizzard which swept over the land once more, withering tree, freezing insect and killing beast. The three gods rose up against the great god and fought three long days and nights, their battle pushing mountains and carving valleys. Eventually the great god sat upon the earth, exhausted. “You have bested me!” he cried “but this world will never be without ice and snow!”
As he drew his final breath the great god locked the world into an endless cycle of cold. The three gods rejoiced, but saw that winter now fell across the land forever, but the life still remained. Try as they might, the three gods could not reverse the cold. Instead, they taught the trees, beasts and insects how to live in the cold. After the work was done, Denoka looked at the sky and proclaimed: “We shall name this world after the beast inside each of us, the beast that never rests, the beast that pushes vital fluid through our bodies. Atriea it shall be!”
And so it was.

After a year of the world’s new leadership, on the warmest month of the year, Drifrasa was sitting by her fire, watching the land from the top of a mountain. She had walked all the world, seen all the sights and frolicked with all the animals, and now was tired. She looked down into one valley, and saw Denoka and Laroja dancing together. The two always flirted with each other, but never joined together in love. Because of this, Denoka and Laroja had not spent any time exploring the world, and despite having a hand in creating it, knew little of it’s intricacies. Drifrasa was jealous of them. Though she possessed a greater knowledge, she was lonely. Because of this she decided to create a companion for herself. Not a god able to shape the world, not immortal like she, but a child. She cut a form out of ice in her image, and placed in it a fire that brought it to life. She put in it the deepest love and delightful levity. She put in it an iron that kept it strong. Lastly she put in it an unshakable resolve to keep justice before all else. The figure awoke and looked up at Drifrasa, then he knelt. “Oh god! You have created me, what is it you wish to be done?”
Drifrasa took the man by the hand and stood him up. She saw he shivered, for his thick hair was not enough to keep out the cold. “Remember what I say.” she told him.
Drifrasa taught the first child of fire how to make clothing, how to build shelter, how to hunt, and cultivate edible plants and how to create fire. She taught him the ways of metalworking, carpentry and weaving. She taught him the ways of love, the proper way to carry himself, and how to respect the gods that ruled the land. He became very wise, and very old. However, one day he sighed unhappily. Drifrasa sensed his sadness and came forward. “What is wrong? Have I not provided for you all you need to live?”
“I am lonely. The gods rarely visit me, for you are busy with holy duties, and I have no other soul to talk with.”
Drifrasa pondered this and proclaimed there shall be more children of fire. So she created for him a woman, and told the man to educate her. He did this, teaching her as the god taught him, and in time they fell in love. Together they had three children, and thus began the race of the children of fire.

From afar, Denoka saw the things that Drifrasa had created and was intrigued. She thought Drifrasa’s creation flawed, however, and decided to create a being of her own. She shaped the ice in her image, and placed in it a light that gave it life. She placed in it a great creativity and intelligence. She placed in it the most stalwart wood to keep it strong. Lastly she infused the ice with a sense of peace and calm to keep all things in balance. The figure awoke and knelt before the god. “Oh god! You have created me, what is it you wish done?”
Denoka did as Drifrasa had done, and taught the first child of light how to make clothing, how to build shelter, how to hunt, and cultivate edible plants and how to create fire. She taught him the ways of metalworking, carpentry and weaving. She taught him the ways of love, the proper way to carry himself, and how to respect the gods that ruled the land. He, too became old and wise. Denoka even created a companion for the first child of light when his heart ached from loneliness. The first child taught the second child all he knew, they fell in love and had three children. Thus began the race of the children of light.

Laroja noticed Denoka’s absence, and searched the land for her. Finding little, he stumbled upon the dwelling of the child of light. The child took him in and fed him soup, and told Laroja how he came to be. Laroja was intrigued by this, and decided to create a race greater still then the two before. He went out and shaped the ice in his image, and placed in it water that gave it life. He placed in it hard ice that would never melt. He placed in it boundless loyalty and courage. Lastly he place in it strife, to always drive it to achieve it’s goals. She awoke and stood tall before her god. “Oh god! You have created me, what is it you will?”
As the two previous times, Laroja taught the first child of water how to make clothing, how to build shelter, how to hunt, and cultivate edible plants and how to create fire. He taught her the ways of metalworking, carpentry and weaving. He taught her the ways of love, the proper way to carry herself, and how to respect the gods that ruled the land. But he taught the child one more thing that the other two gods did not: how to fight. After she had grown old and wise, Laroja pressed a spear and dagger into the hands of the first child of water and told her this: “Remember: whatever it is you desire, I have given you the ability to have it.”
And so Laroja left the child to her own devices. Thus began the race of the children of water.

As the first child of fire and the first child of light, the first child of water began to feel lonely. However, instead of calling for Laroja’s help, she remembered what he had told her. She desired a companion, and she would have one. Away from her dwelling she went, into the woods and across the land. Eventually she came to the children of light. There she saw the first child of light’s three children, now fully grown, working near their home. She saw the youngest child, a young man, the second youngest, a pretty maiden, and the eldest, a handsome and strong man. She fell in love with him the moment her eyes met his. So down out of the woods she went, and greeted the three children of light. “Greetings, I am the child of water.”
The children of light were delighted to have company, so they took the child of water in and fed her soup, and talked and laughed and shared stories. As the hour grew late, the child of water approached the eldest brother. “I am lonely in my dwelling, come with me when I leave and become my lover.”
The eldest brother shook his head. “I am sorry, but I could not leave my family. I might consider it if you would stay with us.”
The child of water was not pleased. She did not want to share the child of light with anyone. So in anger she grabbed him, slung him over one shoulder and walked for the exit. The younger brother blocked the entrance, but since he had never been taught to fight, the child of water knocked him over easily and ran off into the night. Dismayed. The two younger children of light ran off to find their father. They did not find him, but they did find the first child of fire, his gray hair silvery in the moonlight. “What is the matter children?” He asked them.
“The child of water has taken our brother! She was to strong to best, and she had weapons of iron!”
The first child of fire felt righteous indignation rise deep inside him, and he knelt to pray. “Drifrasa, Laroja’s creation is causing trouble; she has taken a child of light by force, and needs to be stopped! Tell me how!”
Drifrasa heard the words and knew they were true. She appeared with a magnificent sword. “Take this and strike down all injustice in the world.”
She told him how to use it, and warned him that if it was ever used for evil, it would destroy itself. So the first child of fire took off into the woods and tracked the child of water for nine days and ten nights, eventually finding her in her dwelling. He opened the door and leveled his sword. “You have committed crimes against Denoka and her people, what say you in your defence?!”
The child of light say unhappily in the corner as the child of water turned around, weapons in hand. “My will is obeyed, my god decrees it so. I will have this companion for my own, and no one will interfere!”
The first child of fire lunged across the room and locked weapons with the child of water. Their fighting destroyed the dwelling, and raged into the night. Meanwhile, Drifrasa was watching the battle, and decided to dole justice to the true culprit: Laroja. She rose into the air, and saw him once again dancing with Denoka, neither aware of the calamity among the mortals. Drifrasa landed a foot away from the two, and pointed at Laroja. “Why have your created such a chaotic being? She is causing strife among mortals!”
Laroja growled at the goddess. “My creation can do what she desires. Do I not have dominion over this land as you do? Did I not help shape the world and make the ground fertile? I am entitled to freedom of my will.”
Drifrasa turned to Denoka. “Why do you stand there so? Help me reason with him!”
Denoka shook her head. “I cannot. I live for peace above all.”
Drifrasa raised her hands and rained fire upon Laroja. The ground quaked and the trees burned, but Laroja was not harmed. “We cannot harm each other.” He said.
Drifrasa turned away from Laroja and clenched her fist. “My children will forever curse yours! They will not be allowed to find love in your children, or any other! They will regard your children as dirt, for they know not of justice and good!”
Laroja dismissed the curse. “Do as you wish. My children are stronger by far than yours, and will prevail in the end.”
Drifrasa once again rose into the air and left Laroja and Denoka behind, angry at both. She returned to the site of the battle between the first child of fire and the child of water. They had somehow set the house up in flame, and now struggled back and forth in the snow. Both were tired and ragged, panting as they took a brief respite. The child of water snarled in contempt, and cursed the first child of fire. As they once again launched into battle, the child of fire gained the upper hand, and slew the child of water. He fell to his knees over her corpse. “Drifrasa, your will is done.”
He fell across the child of water and died. Drifrasa was satisfied, but her heart mourned for the loss of her first companion.

Laroja, seeing his creation destroyed, moved far away and created two more children of water, and began to plot the destruction of the children of fire.

And this is how our world came to be, why we fight and why we die, why the wind blows snow over the ice and why things grow out of the fertile ground. Drifrasa bids you follow the example of the words inscribed on this tablet. Deviate from her plan, and you are no longer one of her children.

Blessings of Drifrasa be upon you, child of fire.